Matthew 10:5-15

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

⁹ Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Painting by James Tissot, Jesus Teaching from a Ship

This is Jesus sending His disciples out. Immediately. After making them His disciples. Chapter 12 is when they are reunited. Jesus went on to preach and teach in other cities, evidently, without the disciples in Chapter 11.

Matthew's 10th Chapter goes on to say, as Jesus sends them out to be who they are and to preach the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit, He says:

Matthew 10:24
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.

Very similar, would be these words and the meaning of God:

John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Can you imagine Jesus sent these raw recruits on their way? To do ... God's work. Jesus trusts them to go to it.

~ 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.

The very next statement is Jesus repeating twice. The healing is a gift of God. Do not seek pay. Human nature is to find advantage in every situation. Jesus says be a gift. The grace of God is a gift. He doesn't say in this passage to travel to foreign lands and be a missionary. He says God expects us, as untrained theologians, if we believe in Him to do Kingdom work and not to look for the advantage for ourselves.

Okay. The word of God is for us. Today.

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Look around. This is the mission field.

Father God, here are my hands. Here I am. You will send opportunity, You will send Your Holy Spirit. It is not all up to me. You. Send me as You would like. You do not promise we will have miracles in all of our endeavors to bring forth Kingdom work. You promise You are with us through it all. You help us to shake off the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and go forward, in hope of You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Psalm 21 ~ he asked life of YOU; YOU gave it to him

Psalm 21

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,

and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

2 You have given him his heart's desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3 For you meet him with rich blessings;

you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,

length of days forever and ever.

5 His glory is great through your salvation;

splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

6 For you make him most blessed forever;^{[a source of blessing forever]}

you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

7 For the king trusts in the Lord,

and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;

your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9 You will make them as a blazing oven

when you appear.

The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,

and fire will consume them.

10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

and their offspring from among the children of man.

11 Though they plan evil against you,

though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.

12 For you will put them to flight;

you will aim at their faces with your bows.

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!

We will sing and praise your power.

Who wouldn't like to meet David? I hope to. In God's Kingdom.  David who sat and thought of all of God's deeds in his father's flocks. Making those thoughts of God imprinted in his memories.


1 Samuel 16
And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” ¹² And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.

1 Samuel 17

³³ And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. ³⁶ Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

 1 Samuel 18

 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands."

1 Samuel 21

⁸ Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.” ⁹ And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”

 ³ So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?

1 Samuel 23

 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” ² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” ³ But David's men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah

1 Samuel 25

³² And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! ³³ Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! ³⁴ For as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” ³⁵ Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”

1 Samuel 27

 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” ² So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow

1 Samuel 30

Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire ² and taken captive the women and all^[a] who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. ³ And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.

¹⁷ And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. ¹⁸  David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. ²⁰ David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David's spoil.”

2 Samuel 1

  ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. ¹⁶ And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’”

2 Sameul 2

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, ⁹ and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. ¹⁰ Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹  And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

2 Samuel 3

 ¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. ³² They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

2 Samuel 5

  When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.^{[c] 21} And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

2 Sam 6

  ⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹² And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. ¹³ And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. ¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

2 Samuel 7

 ¹²  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴  I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ¹⁵  but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶  And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.^[c] Your throne shall be established forever.’” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

8 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them[d] great and awesome things by driving out[e] before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God.

2 Samuel 8 

 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

 

²  And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. ⁴  And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. ⁵  And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. ¹¹  These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, ¹² from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people

Some of the overlooked aspects of David's life are that of a mercenary carrying Goliath's spear for hire in countries outside of Israel.  His 22 year journey from anointed to King. The king appointed after Saul and before David. David's willingness to let bygones be gone as men flocked to him to be part of his reign. David's awe struck wonder at being chosen to be blessed by God forever. And asking for a confirmation upon that Blessing of the LORD! And David's willingness to ask God for more and trust in Him for it to appear.

Blessed are the eyes that did not see this, and yet, Believe.

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Job 4 ~ the roar of the lion

Job 4

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?

Yet who can keep from speaking? 

3 Behold, you have instructed many,

and you have strengthened the weak hands.

4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,

and you have made firm the feeble knees.

5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;

it touches you, and you are dismayed.

6 Is not your fear of God your confidence,

and the integrity of your ways your hope?

7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same. 

9 By the breath of God they perish,

and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,

the teeth of the young lions are broken.

11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,

and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;

my ear received the whisper of it.

13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night,

when deep sleep falls on men,

14 dread came upon me, and trembling,

which made all my bones shake.

15 A spirit glided past my face;

the hair of my flesh stood up. 16 It stood still,

but I could not discern its appearance.

A form was before my eyes;

there was silence, then I heard a voice:

17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God?

Can a man be pure before his Maker?

18 Even in his servants he puts no trust,

and his angels he charges with error;

19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,

whose foundation is in the dust,

who are crushed like the moth.

20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;

they perish forever without anyone regarding it.

21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,

do they not die, and that without wisdom?’

David fought a lion. Solomon used several of them along his throne. When his kingdom was divided, lions came out for the first time in a long time and devoured men. And C.S. Lewis created a beautiful story in Narnia about Aslan. I've been partial to lions since I was quite small and dreamed of Africa so many times.

Eliphaz the Temanite, should be called Eliphaz the friend of an almost destroyed Job. Job had trusted in his own righteousness for a long time. And Eliphaz is a good man, a good friend, willing to sit with Job and discuss the Good News of God. As well as his own still small voice about God. Eliphaz sounds like Cotton Mather. The problem is Eliphaz goes on for a long time and is judgmental of Job's soul. Like we all are. And we have to be, because we live upon our experiences to go forward.

Elijah heard the still voice of God and was encouraged. Perhaps we are learning more of what God would say to Eliphaz and not to Job. However, we would be wrong to hurry past what Eliphaz the Temanite would say. God takes Eliphaz and his words into account when He speaks to Job about His Power, His Glory and the hope Elijah, and all of us, including Eliphaz, should have in God.

Our own judgments roar within in us and war. We want to look up and be part of something so much more than we could ever be, "splendid, ancient, Powerful" (Max Lucado) and yet we don't have the patience to keep believing.

Eliphaz is giving hope in one hand and death in the other. We all get so tired of each other.

It is only in Jesus Christ that JOB became Job. The man he was uniquely created to be. Job is probably argued about more than anyone else in the Old Testament. Was it fair for God to treat Job thusly. And what if God were to do that to us. If the LORD decides we are going to be JOB, we are fortunate indeed, Job is about learning to HOPE, to lean. Not on to our own perfect reasoning. But to be grateful for the tools God gave us for the day. To not make a judgment that each day tells us of the next. To gather hope, gratitude and to trust the LORD.

It is more than endurance. It is about putting up with the ones we love with love. And putting ourselves out there again. If we are the one impatient. Or the one who fears the impatience of others.

The last passage has Eliphaz has asking about wisdom but giving an opinion in this Chapter., it just isn't necessarily Gospel. And we must look beyond ourselves to the Scriptures to determine not someone else's view of right and wrong, but lean unto God for His understanding. We cannot make our loved ones our gods. We must walk in the LIGHT of God. Eliphaz pushes the Mercy of God down in judgment, yet we are not to pick up worship of family and loved ones as our new gods.

…Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelation 5:5

Jesus Christ, Son of God. Our Redeemer.

…I am the Light of the World. John 8:12 …

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world… John 1:9

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Psalm 113 ~ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law

Psalm 113 

Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!

4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Perhaps you have read or seen "In the Name of the Rose"  it provides a look at some of the dour phases of Christianity.  And I am certain in growing ourselves, as eternal spirits in the promises of Jesus Christ, we actually should be able to look back at Christian growth in our very lives and be able to see ourselves. To be mature enough to say, yes, the Church has done such and I have forgiveness myself.


"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett was a best seller in the 1980s and a mini-series, and was recently brought to my attention by the sequel. I didn't enjoy the sequel it was just too much political correctness of our era placed in the middle ages. Pillars stirred me in the strivings of Prior Phillip, working to build up the Body of Christ. Perhaps it was the constant play of blessing and struggle.

It is constant theme of God's. 

+ Genesis 12 has Abraham lying to Pharoah and protecting his own hide by the half-truth and truth of Sarah being his sister.

+ The midwives lied to Pharaoh about the birth of the Hebrew boys.

+ Rahab lied to the servants of the King of Jericho to protect the men of God.  David's great-grandmother.

 + Jesus told the mourners of the Synagogue's Ruler - his daughter was sleeping. Jesus was doing two things - encouraging the father of the girl and moving the mourners and scoffers out of His way. 

Paul also wrote of the Freedom of being in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 

²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 3:2

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

It would be HIGHLY doubtful God would have enjoyed seeing Abram lie to Pharaoh - who turned out to act more godly than Abram (who heard the Lord).  The midwives helped create a Nation chosen by the LORD.

Exodus 1:20

So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Romans 2:29
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Jesus refused to adhere to the Law when He healed on the Sabbath. Each day Jesus proclaimed mercy and sacrifice over Law. He was teaching the appropriate Spirit of the Law versus hiding behind appearance to sometimes inflict unkindness and the evils of having a heart merely for show.

Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?

It is GOD, who sees us with Mercy. Giving us His Son. Asking us to sit with HIM. Eternally. That is quite something.

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Romans 13:11-14

Romans 13:11-14

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

This is a serious story.

There is this "thing" on the internet.....It is in the realm of okay during the day, giving you something like 45 seconds of seeing people use their screens to do something like skype and see. It is well know in the teen years and college years.

Daytime is fairly good, as I said. People love to see each other. Night time is far from good. A lot of homosexual graphic acts.  And it all out there. This is what internet porn can be - forming a picture in your mind you will not be able to erase and speak of in years to come. These acts are meant to Shock or to lead into Temptation.  One night, 20 people drink quite a bit and gather in a dorm room. And they place 10 on once side and 10 on the other. And the man takes off his clothes to be nude. He takes his male anatomy and makes a gaffe. Like 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'..... but there is not a gaffe like they use in transvestite bars, but it is tucked up. And still there is hair there. And he arranges his face to be very sensual.. The viewing people do not know if he is male or female. The people at his sides look just pleasant and very pleased by design. And the faces of the people watching are HORRIFIED. Because they started very early in the evening.

We have worked in Youth Ministry a long time, we've seen and heard lot.  And we are not easily shocked, sometimes to the sadness of Father GOD.  Our young friend said, well the parts were tucked in. We said. What. That is the Most Horrible Thing ever. Our friend said it was a prank. We said there is a name for that. What. LOW LIVING.

How do you mean, our friend, was a little puzzled.  You know people who want to be in the room with that and it was nudity as well as something else.  There were women in the room.... They thought it was funny. No, my friend, that is beyond being not funny.You should imagine what the Noble Generation, fighting World War II would say. They would throw up. That is called a terrible crowd.

That ended the conversation with a thud. There is a time to quit listening and respond.

As the seasons changed, I heard from our friend.  This young person had gone to Lake Travis with 25 or so friends. I was wary of the conversation.  And asked with trepidation,  and a desire to run away, if fun had occurred.

"Well, we rented a huge boat and everyone went in about $40 for a birthday. And there was something that happened I want to discuss with you. "

(.................Great.........) "Okay. Tell me, I'll listen."

"Well, the girls got loaded. (Oh, here we go.) And the wilder girls were going to get top nude and flash people. (Terrific). And so they got all ready to go. (.........) And. The wilder girls got ready to spring it on the next boat. (Ok,  next.) And the boat came nearer. And then we saw they had a Pirate flag."

"You mean what?"

"We didn't know what it meant. And.... Well it was men. (Ok.) And they were gay......... yes......... they flashed us. And it was.... BAD. And very....... graphic."

"Oh, how awful for you."

"It Was Awful."

"I bet." I said with real understanding.

Our friend went on to say, "The girls, were still dressed, but put on their tops and everyone got very quiet."

"Oh."

And the voice on the phone said," It was the best possible outcome. Right, it made people think. And I didn't want the girls to do it, they were skanks anyway, but it made it all in perspective....". It was the first time for that discussion to be understood about boundaries. And behavior. And homosexuals. You don't have to be mean about boundaries.

So God took something wrong and made it sweep up. 

The young people went in after the other boat laughed uproariously and darted off.

So. Father God, we give You this generation, the expense of college, the willingness of some professors to use their classes to spread disdain for boundaries. The need for affordable education. The shock a friend found in a college apartment as they moved their child in for a first year (or any year). And the need for the adults who used to participate in dorms and fraternity and sorority houses. We lift up the need to educate our country. And a Congress willing to educate the people without crippling debt. In the name of Jesus Christ, the LORD, sort us out Father GOD. Amen.

Amen.

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1 Kings 19 ~ Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

1 Kings 19

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. 

And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.



When mankind encounters the enormous acts of the LORD, usually there is fear.  Yesterday we remembered fear is used 437 times in the Scriptures - fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. In this Scripture we recall it isn't just the heathen struck by fear. By the power of the Acts of GOD.  Usually people want the comfort of company, Elijah is so beaten down, he craves being alone. Christians should always remember Jesus did not replace the fearful disciples and say, "God, we need better people." They were frequently confused and fearful even when the walked with Jesus. And Jesus reached His hand out to them.

This isn't just another story of God using the weak to overcome the strong, it is a story of how depleted even doing the work of the LORD can be.  And it requires something we have to see in our everyday lives, today -  requiring faith to see the hand of the LORD in our lives. God providing what we Need in our lives.

Wow.

And in our pondering and wondering in life, to realize what we attach meaning to isn't always the Way, the Truth and the Life.  However, we are instructed in this passage, we will Know when God is speaking to us.

In the bleakest and least joyous portion of Elijah's life, following the great and almighty act of the Lord,  Elijah hears a strong message of hope. There are others who love the Lord as he does, there are others pulling for the Lord and relying upon Him. Others sharing Elijah's hope and in awe of the Lord. God is giving Elisha as a helper, not just a replacement. Elijah will have days ahead knowing his greatest hope is realized, his work will continue. The Lord is stepping forward. Strengthening Elijah, restoring him, giving him a task dear to the Lord, seeing the Lord provide for him - even and up to his gathering up.

Thank You, Father God. You provide for us. You tell us that when we are hard pressed and discouraged - You are there. Even when doing the right thing is difficult. You tell us to have hope and press forward. Even when You are very quiet, You are there. We give You thanks, in the name of Jesus Christ.

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Psalm 128 ~ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

Psalm 128

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
    who walks in his ways!
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
    you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.

⁵  The Lord bless you from Zion!
    May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
⁶ May you see your children's children!
     Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 128 is completely a Psalm of blessing. Which is strange to our worldly generation - fear........ no, not fear. But fear is in this short Psalm - twice. In fact, I never noticed it before and usually read the Psalm with joy. 437 times the word 'fear' is used in both the Old and New Testaments. 269 times anger is used.  Add angry in and you find more....

So, He probably didn't mean 'fear' and we can discard it..... Man shall live on every Word of GOD.  A friend of mine at Needlepoint was asking about fear in the Scriptures, she said she joined her Church at age 10 because she really meant to please an angry God who would send her to hell.  And one of our group is a Baptist pastor's wife. I said, this is what I think of when I think of fearing God: 

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

I grew up going to Morning Prayer as part of school. My grandmother Anita gave me a children's condensed Bible of the Old Testament. It was an easy reader and I sat down one Sunday afternoon at age 7 to read it. I read a lot. And it was a play by play of all the major Acts of GOD. And I finished it and Thought, "OH MY GOD."  Nobody said this Guy was scary.  "And..... He can HEAR me.  Um. No, GOD, I am sure You are a Nice GOD. Um. Really. OH MY GOD.  So, You are a little scary. C'mon, You can hear me. Um. Thinking about what all what the Episcopal Priests said..... See. I get it..... think, think, think.  Oh, Yeah. God of LOVE.  And fear............... is the beginning of wisdom."  And I was better.

I went to School that week and asked Mrs. Frost.  Who'd believe their parents on that one? So, Mrs. Frost explained really, a lot of people who love the LORD go through this. The important thing to remember is God gave us JESUS because HE wants us to know HE LOVES us.

So the 437 times. He probably wasn't being poeti, even if Psalm 128 is actually a Temple song of ascents; it is the Holy Spirit inspiring us to Hear with our ears. And our friend at Church said, but we are Church who love to proclaim GOD is LOVE. And the Baptist Pastor's wife said, fear becomes another word for reverence. Whereupon people looked a bit confused. Like the Catholic Church saying Jesus' brothers and sisters were actually His cousins.  Hey, don't get angry, realize the word for brothers and sisters is brothers and sisters and John the Baptist's cousin was cousin. No one had the courage to change the word even during the Middle Ages.

So in reality. God is telling us.. He is in control. We have wanted to be God since......Genesis Chapter 3.  We want to decide what is Good and Evil. And God says, He is the boundary. He is the WAY, the LIFE and the TRUTH.

Like Kosher, people even today love to make fun of Kosher.  Kosher enabled the slaves of Egypt to give birth to a nation. Fulfilling God's promise to Abram.  And allowing the people in the desert to give birth for 40 years. Allowing King David to live to be old, and showing us in the Iron Age, 50 year olds take better care of their families than the non-kosher people living in their 20s.  Like Psalm 128. My family was better off because my Aunt Clarice lived to be 94. Aunt Eloise 94. Grandmother Anita 94.  My husband's uncle. 94. He was an example of generosity and family loyalty.  A lot of my Grandmother Anita's family lived to be in their 90s, as well as her mother living to be 100. She fed her family a noon day lunch for about 12-14 people for 80 years.

My own family wasn't good about being around the table unless we are dining out (my husband's family said their best dining experiences were actually dining out and he Loved that tradition)), but we have a lot of good memories with gathering together there. And holidays when all of the Church family came. 

Going back to the part we all love, Blessings. God says the people who see a God given road map, keep on the path - supporting each other in love. And He acknowledges something Jesus told us about ourselves and mankind. And if you don't realize this, you probably will one day:

John 2:25

Jesus needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Taking us to a larger part of Psalm 128. We are invited, to sit at the Table. The Banquet Table Jesus spoke of several times.  God knew when He invited Aaron to come in and splash animal blood around the Holy of Holies, that Aaron would only come in for the blessing. And Aaron is an analogy  no one is Pure enough for the LORD. Jesus says, I am the Prodigal's Father. Running to you when you certainly deserved only to fear. So really. Forget the fear. 437 times God uses fear to explain to us our nature and the rest of all of the 80 Books, roughly, 1,000 pages of the Bible, ratified by men who risked death to proclaim JESUS IS LORD, are witnessing to God being a GOD OF LOVE. Who - in Psalm 128 - reminds us, we are God's Family.



Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”



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Galatians 2:11-21 ~ I do not nullify the grace of God

Galatians 2:11-21

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.^{[fearing those of the circumcision]} 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?”

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified ^{[or counted as righteousness, three times in verse 16]}  by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness^{[or justification]} were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Even in the last chapter in John's Gospel, the disciples are not completely unified. We are all in different stages of life, with different viewpoints stemming from self-interest and the gifts GOD has given us.

1 Peter 4:10
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 Corinthians 4:1 
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.

1 Peter 5:12
With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.


Paul wrote concerning this dilemna:

1 Corinthians 9:20-23
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 

 Peter wrote:

1 Peter 4:8-11
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 It was a time of controversy. What distinguishes this from a lot of opportunities for growth - both Peter and Paul were seeking to glorify God.  And as they realized, Paul, the complete and total Jew educated at the feet of Gamaliel, had a heart for the gentiles - people who did not know the one, living God. And Peter, a wealthy fisherman, from Capernaum, loved the Jews seeking to know more about Jesus.  They split their gifts and parted, going forth to use the best of their abilities to serve God. 

The Grace of God, going forth for 2,000 years to build the Body of Jesus Christ. 

Each day, Father God, remind us in ways we see and understand, we love a Living God and seek to use the gift of life given to us, to further give thanks for the blessings He gives us. To You, Father God, be the glory and honor. The joy of being the unique person You have created us to be, using our talents to the Glory of God, in Jesus Christ the LORD. Amen.


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