Matthew 18:21-19:2 ~ forgive your brother from your heart

Matthew 18:21-19:2

 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^{[a monetary unit worth 20 years' salary]  25}  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  

²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,^{[a day wage]} and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 

 ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[torturers] until he should pay all his debt.  

³⁵  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And He healed them there

The true feeling of forgiveness is exactly the same as the one we all experienced as a child, when we would swim underwater and come up gasping for air. 

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Luke 1:46-55 ~ He has filled

 

 Road to Bethlehem by Joseph Brickey

Luke 1:46-55

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible   

 

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷      and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹  He has shown strength with his arm;
     he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
⁵²  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
     and exalted those of humble estate;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
     in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵  as he spoke to our fathers,
     to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

  

 Luke 1:38  
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."

Mary believed God. Mary, the teenage girl, a virgin, dragged around the country, heavily pregnant. For a census she probably did not care much about, by a new husband - who considered having her stoned to death. A quick marriage ceremony and learning to live with the 500 to 1,500 people in Nazareth. (Where the 3rd century Church reports the Romans asked his nephews to denounce Jesus & Jesus' great, great nephews were put to death in an attempt to kill off the spread of Christianity, for 400 years).  After the holy family had flight to Egypt, they returned years later to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph had a seamless family; they were seen as good parents in the small town. A hard thing to do, not to favor or disfavor the Son of God.

Mary had a very difficult thing to do, returning to Nazareth to raise kids - the lady who was pregnant during the betrothal.  Mary even had to live down the Sanhedrin Council gossip still available in the 1st Century Talmud, upon the Sanhedrin discovering to their discomfort the miracles of Jesus. The Talmud ponders the problem of a living Jesus and denounces his mother. The Sanhedrin later try to cover up the quick, night trial without all the council present and again denounce Mary. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Still she lived in peace. And her family is recorded as being a seamless family, although blended. Jesus would agree with their parenting in the Scriptures.

Mark 6:2-4  
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
 

Why would Jesus adopt John as his family. Perhaps partly, not to send Mary empty away even after she and His brothers had called for Him to leave with them.

Luke 8:21  
And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
 

John 19:26

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Acts 1:14  
These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.  

1 Corinthians 9:5  
Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?

We do Mary a disservice when we fail to recognize her role as a mother and a wife. A mother who tried to rescue her Son.  A mother the Scriptures record as not repeating her mistake. Jesus honored Mary and He limited her role.  

Luke 11:27

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! But he said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

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Matthew 12:1-32 ~ by whom do your sons cast them out

Matthew 12:1-32

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”— so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 

29 Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

We are in an age. A very unusual age. Our grandparents paid for their houses before they moved in. We accept the way our culture works, sometimes without thought.  When you look at the School Board problems in America from 100 years ago, you might have seen the simple things, but you would have seen truancy & child labor left off of the list. The golf links lie so near the fence, the little children can see the men at play. 

Another part of our culture we don't look at clearly, many of the people who have experienced substance abuse and have faced up to it, remain in programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and their lives are healed because their addictions are being treated for what they were, soul weariness.  These people begin to clearly understand the soul, the actions, the physical are clearly connected.  As they become tuned into hope for their souls, their lives are changes and grow as they begin to take care of others. Like sponsoring others. And helping people who are unable to help their own children. These people are brave people.

We used to whisper adoption or condemn it and we used to whisper cancer. Yes, we have increasingly seen younger children being involved in STDs and pregnancy, but we also see young people thrilled at the chance to be parents, to love. Willing to ask for help.  

It is only in rejecting the people willing to step forward, we tie up the Holy Spirit in God's willingness to use the weak to shame the strong. Always pray.

John 5:17

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

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Philippians 2:13

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 1:4

Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy

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Psalm 20 ~ in the name of our God set up our banners!

Psalm 20

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

4 May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

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

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

Clark was remembering the miracle he saw in a Catholic Church, seeing a young boy have his leg grow more than 2 inches in the priest's arms during a Wednesday Service.  He left Law School and started his Masters in Theology. He made the point, we all love miracles. And love when God shows up.  Doing the work of Faith is actually what this takes. Believing when we don't see the evidence adding up, God is at work. 

we trust in the name of the Lord our God

Galatians 3:5-9

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶ just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

 

⁷ Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

And Abraham's blessing led to ours in Jesus Christ.

Luke 10:23

 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

And what does Jesus tell us He gives us when we call. A relationship.

John 21:10-13

 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.



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Psalm 108 ~ is Mine

The cyanide caves are actually lethal to the explorers.

Climbing the Sequoia called General Sherman is the equivalent to climbing a 30 story building. Older than when Jesus chose to dwell among us.

Psalm 108

My heart is steadfast, O God!

I will sing and make melody with all my being!

2 Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.

4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 That your beloved ones may be delivered,

give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

7 God has promised in his holiness:

“With exultation I will divide up Shechem

and portion out the Valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah my scepter.

9 Moab is my washbasin;

upon Edom I cast my shoe;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

11 Have you not rejected us, O God?

You do not go out, O God, with our armies.

12 Oh grant us help against the foe,

for vain is the salvation of man!

13 With God we shall do valiantly;

it is he who will tread down our foes.


Life gives us so many coincidences, that if you aren't looking for them, they will fly by. My son and I were discussing a painting on the wall of Italy, and the next thing occurring  - one Italian tree - right there. This isn't the usual thing in a Texas Landscape. Christians call these things, God incidences.

We were watching "The Wonderful Planet'; we had chosen the segment on underwater caves - the creatures, toxins and predators. The Mayan Indian Caves are 100 mile underground caves the divers rely upon diving string and squeezing through, what they call squeezes. Making me decide instantly, I like trees. On top of the earth.  I mean life is better with all your organs intact, especially when they started describing diver mortality in the caves. And then the creatures. I looked at my son and I said, that thing looks just like a demon.  We have boundaries. We discuss boundaries at the pregnancy assistance center; boundaries are Good things. They tell you - Stop. For example, a cyanide caves lethal to the explorers -  bacteria and what adapts.

And it hit  upon something in me - an idea. The next film - on forests, began to firm up the idea.  From space, you can see our Northern American forests turn the green planet to orange as the huge fall foliage approaches. It was amazing. I turned to Alexander and said, that looks exactly like marble or a stone........... We are systems within systems. God balancing the universe. The caves, to me, with the horrible looking little spikes and mean faces, look like hell to me. A system within a system. Not far fetched when you realize the Jerusalem dwellers saw their city dump, which burned constantly, as hell. Mosquitoes fit the idea nicely.

God's earth, created at His Word, sometimes called the Big Bang Theory, creating a system on our earth of rain, becoming water, washing into the ocean, and becoming humidity and storms creating the cycle again. The Spirit renewing us as we rely upon HIM.  His Sky Reflecting His Glory.

We have so many different areas of our lives, it is good to remember, the analogy of the beautiful forests, animals and the  beauty - the things we Wish we could see each day - as reflections of God's Glory. What we hope to see in His New Heaven and New earth in His Eternal Kingdom.  And some of the other boundaries - as a reminder; there are boundaries on earth. We will reach a day of Decision for the LORD; on our lives as Good and for evil.

God is Holy. And in our decisions to be His -

With God we shall do valiantly.


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Another Scripture for Today Blogspot on Psalm 108

Psalm 108 ~ In truimph I will parcel out Shechem

 

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Psalm 112 ~ Blessed

Psalm 112

Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn is exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;

he gnashes his teeth and melts away;

the desire of the wicked will perish!

He is Gracious, Merciful and Righteous. If you don't read the Scriptures, how will we know the attributes of God.

Where are we headed? God's House. Filled with His Righteousness. The true riches and wealth of Love and Mercy. Light fills His House.  Joy teaching us to be generous and lend, giving Justice. Those who are filled with God's love want to to give His Love to others.

They have trust the waves in life, will not swamp them. They distribute instead of hoard, giving to the poor.  Because for one reason. They know God in His Righteousness is going to be an ongoing source of Mercy, Righteousness.

Hurting people, hurt. And those who want to bounce, forgive and go on to give. 

James 1:6

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Then we act like Peter and we start to sink. Jesus didn't do what we might have been tempted to do.

Matthew 14:31

 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Faith is more than emotion. Faith is knowing you are loved. Faith is knowing Jesus didn't look at the human disciples and saying go, I'll do better.

John 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 

This is God, who gives us His Son. Jesus Christ the LORD.  There is only one who is Good.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

There you go. That is what I lived. Forget Children's Choir. This is life. This is Psalm 8, Jesus laughing with joy as the children wanted to sing and know His blessings. No rehearsal, just GO. The spontaneous praise we will probably see a lot of in His House.  I hope you can stand it, because this is relaxed worship. I doubt God stands at the bottom of the Choir and says, Billy, you didn't hit that note just right. This is the joy of making a happy noise.

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Romans 9:16-33 ~ pursue it by faith

Romans 9:16-33

¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, ^{[not of him who wills or runs]}   but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?  

²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?  

²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
²⁶  “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel^{[children of Israel]}  be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” ²⁹ And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
     we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.”

³⁰ What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
     and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”


When we look at all the people in Scripture from Adam to the letters of the disciples, we see people who are not perfect. Only one is Good. And we see Abraham lied and then didn't trust God. Abraham is only counted as child of God for one reason.  He believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6
And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Psalm 106:31
And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Even Abraham had days he didn't believe God's promises. Days were he believed himself to not be part of God's promises. Surely encouragement to us who do not see and hear the LORD.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.



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Revelation 12:7-12 ~ was thrown down

Revelation 12:7-12

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers[brothers and sisters] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Luke 10:18-20

18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

John had a unique view of life on earth, he'd been with Jesus, Son of God, as he died for our sins. John believed evil walked the earth. Which for someone who doesn't like fictitious scary movies, is a fairly terrifying thought. Clark says the evil one has the stink of wanting to hurt.

We have the joy of knowing the devil was thrown out of Heaven. No longer would there be conversations like the one carried out in the Book of Job. We are also fortunate in being after Jesus was resurrected, in knowing, in our baptism, we have the Seal of the Holy Spirit. Protecting us from this kind of evil. Baptism is the promise to be fulfilled with the sustaining life of the Holy Spirit within us.

Romans 8:38

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:24-39

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luke 13:34

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

Father God,

Each day, gather us to You, that in Your Mercy, Your Will and in Your Glory, we might be sustained to do all the good works You have prepared for us to do. Open our hearts to be soft, and to be wise, that we may walk with You in the ways You would have us go. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Deuteronomy 8:1-20 ~ The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live

And [beneath] upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about. - Exodus 28:33

The pomegranate is used in God's Temple to show fertility of the mind, where good seed is planted and a harvest is sure

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. ² And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. ³ And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word^{[by All]} that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴  Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶ So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. ⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, ⁸ a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹ a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. ¹⁰ And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

¹¹ “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, ¹²  lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, ¹⁴  then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. ¹⁷ Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ¹⁹ And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. ²⁰ Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Joshua 24:15

As For Me And My House We Will Serve the Lord

Song of Solomon 3
on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart.




There is a scene from the movie, "Tommy Boy." Both men have faced some trouble in their lives, careers, families and a song from the Carpenters comes on. They begin to sing. And you realize. We love this. All of us. Close to us.

And Weddings. We've only just begun.   I've been here for almost 5 decades. And if you don't have hope for the future, it is so difficult to see young people start out.  It is up to us when we have small children, to take a deep breathe and try to speak again with patience. When sometimes we long to jump up and down and be two. I can tell you from experience. You make memories. And they go off to college.

And then we reach the years, we are not so G rated because we've aged, the television and the computer have been on. And we really have to examine what we are going to tell our grown kids, who have only a small idea that they've grown up. We think we've arrived, but really, we are still growing.

And you can say that with Joy.  We don't have to collapse. These hands have seen some times, but we can still put them out and say. Oh! Oh! Oh! Send Me. Please.

And in Jesus Christ we can say. I am So Sorry. I want to get back on the path.  And say, here I am LORD. send me.

Father God, may the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to You, my Rock and my Redeemer. And Father God, when they are not, please be merciful. I need You each day.  Be my Father God who runs to me. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ~ glorify God

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully^{[with blessings]} will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency^{[contentment]} in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!


It is difficult in this economy and job uncertainty to give generously. Churches in our area have cut back on the number of people employed, some of them have been Church employees for almost all their adult lives. Perhaps it would be best to cut salaries instead of staff, asking people if they want and need Church employment.

Two weeks ago we traveled to North Carolina across Interstate 10 on a Sunday morning and my husband & I watched with trepidation as each Church approached. By 9:30 and 10 a.m. - we saw very few Churches with more than 6 cars. We hoped their services had not begun yet and we were seeing Church staff arriving to open up the Church for choir directors and Sunday School leaders.

By about 11 a.m we saw Churches were packed, towards the bigger cities. 

My brother called me once to ask us, did we regret giving a used car to our Church. I was really rather surprised he remembered, it had been about 10 years. I said, no we were glad to have given. He said he was glad to hear that given that our younger son did not have a car given to him and our older son had been given a car. I said yes, I was sorry for the imbalance, but the car was given in better economic times. Man, later I hated he asked, I felt a bit bitten.

This summer, my eldest son gave the car, (his 2nd car) that he earned, to my younger son. He said he hoped his parents would be glad for the new tires he'd put on the car and would we be willing to jazz up his red, two door, car for his younger brother as a gift. My mom has a boyfriend, who is a lovely man. A neighbor of ours when I was a child & his hobby is antique cars. He and my mother have worked for a month to make sure our younger son's car will be beautiful for him.

The man at the insurance agency looked at me and said, he'd Never Give a car to a sibling. It was too large a gift. My older son had misty eyes as he spoke of his gift and the desire to have the car buffed up before it was given.  2 months ago, Cal found the Lord again. It would be difficult to say which came first - the gift or the belief.

Thanks be to Father God. Answered prayer.




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2 Samuel 22 ~ shows steadfast love to his anointed

This beautiful pottery includes ivory. It was found in the site Archeologist Professor Eilat Mazar found in the Biblical description of the placement of David's Palace. Most people did not have ivory at the time. Also found in the Palace were 51 Bullae. A bulla is a very small seal impression made of clay. One was found of Jeremiah's servant, Baruch. The bulla read: “(Belonging) to Berekhyahu, the son of Neriyahu, the scribe. 

Yehuchal ben Shelemiyahu, a man from the Bible, a highly placed official, a scribe in the service of King Zedekiah. Archeology again confirming the Bible.

The name of Yehuchal ben Shelemiyahu, a figure mentioned in the Bible, is legible in paleo-Hebrew script on this clay seal impression

What would it feel like to be Eilat Mazar and hold the history of David in your hand.

2 Samuel 22

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio   

 

 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. ²  He said,

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
³      my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
     my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
⁴ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

⁵  “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
⁶  the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁷  “In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.

⁸ “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
     the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁹ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[c]
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
     glowing coals flamed forth from him.
¹⁰  He bowed the heavens and came down;
     thick darkness was under his feet.
¹¹ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he was seen on the wings of the wind.
¹² He made darkness around him his canopy,
    thick clouds, a gathering of water.
¹³ Out of the brightness before him
     coals of fire flamed forth.
¹⁴  The Lord thundered from heaven,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.
¹⁵ And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and routed them.
¹⁶ Then the channels of the sea were seen;
    the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

¹⁷  “He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
²⁰  He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

²¹ “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²²  For I have kept the ways of the Lord
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²³  For all his rules were before me,
    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
²⁴ I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
²⁵  And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to my cleanness in his sight.

²⁶  “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁷ with the purified you deal purely,
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁸  You save a humble people,
     but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
²⁹  For you are my lamp, O Lord,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
³⁰ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
³¹ This God— his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

³² “For who is God, but the Lord?
     And who is a rock, except our God?

 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.^{[ Hebrew. He has blamelessly set my way free; or He has made my way spring up blamelessly]}

³⁴  He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
³⁵  He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁶ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your gentleness made me great.
³⁷  You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet^[f] did not slip;
³⁸ I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
    and did not turn back until they were consumed.
³⁹ I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
    they fell under my feet.
⁴⁰ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,^{[You gave me my enemies necks]}
    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
⁴² They looked, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴³ I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

⁴⁴ “You delivered me from strife with my people;
    you kept me as the head of the nations;
     people whom I had not known served me.

⁴⁵ Foreigners came cringing to me;
    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
⁴⁶ Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁷ “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
⁴⁸ the God who gave me vengeance
    and brought down peoples under me,
⁴⁹ who brought me out from my enemies;
    you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from men of violence.

⁵⁰  “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and sing praises to your name.
⁵¹  Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.”

To read this passage is to learn about gratitude. So many things even today connect us to it. 

A warrior saved from violence. Not even just that, a mercenary. Becoming a king after 22 long years and not saying- I did it my self.  David was remembering the years he sat watching his father's flock, the years he pictured when the Red Sea parted; The foundations of the earth. It meant something to him. David honestly says, I could not have accomplished this without God. It was too difficult for him, and he says this in his victory. He says he could have taken this by force when Israel was singing about David killing thousands for Israel, but he didn't.

I've felt David's joy in my life when we finally left our little two bedroom cottage. I opened the door, my husband went back to work, and our second house was ours. My Springer Spaniel did jumps for joy in the spacious house, like a horse jumping gates. I know the joy of a spacious place. David did too, from the caves and the literal ditches we see in archeology. 

My least favorite comedian used to say, "God can do anything - throw a boat right over a hedge." David was far more hands on and he has witnessed many things. 

I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Other Psalms record David saying God can put a troop over a wall. Rather like Jericho, reinforcing the Biblical view of the biblical events.

David also allows for human weakness when he says: 

For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness.

After 22 years and fame and fortune. David could have been singing that David did it David's way. A lot of accomplished people do.  The footnotes are sort of off. God did not give David a blameless path and He did not set David's way free.  David's path did not get strewn with roses.  

But when God did present necks for David - he considered how he was to treat those necks. His mercenary kings never knew David did not slaughter Israel for them. David was slaying mostly other warring mercenaries.  And this is the man who has tried so hard, to do the right thing. This is the apple of God's eye. 

David, like the Prodigal Father, welcoming the men who did nothing to help him until his victory was in place. That is God's heart. 

shows steadfast love to his anointed




 

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