Isaiah 49:1-7 ~ And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified and I will display my beauty .

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”^{[I will display my beauty]} 
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—


6 He says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

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.

Ephesians 2:4-5
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great Love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved —

Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

God describes Himself to us, 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.

It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.

All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever...

There are three things that remain -- faith, hope, and love -- and the greatest of these is love.


Psalm 80
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.


We could relate this to:

Psalm 40:5
Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.


Psalm 138:8
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

Ephesians 4:12
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

God gives us a path, giving us His help accomplishing His plans for us. Psalm 11 tells us life tests us, but if we look for the good pitches -

Mark 13
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared -

Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to putting down seed - starting a crop - then He tells us to work - to chase away what would not be enduring. To remove the hard knots of bitterness. To protect our lives from over analysis without mercy. To set priorities deliberately and not to be pushed by the day when possible. Always first in prayer for His blessing, grace and mercy.


31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

If you are expecting a Sequoia - there is importance in the decision to be like the Centurion - Expecting God to be with us. God allows Himself time - we wait upon Him.

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Kingdom of God IS Joy. Expectation of Joy.

And the second is like unto it:

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

In both parables - God knows the way forward for the Kingdom of Heaven.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

God tells us we know this to be true. When we decide to buck this - people will get argumentative.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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Psalm 68:2-7 ~ exult before the Lord

Psalm 68:2-7

2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah

We all have a time when something positive came out of scuffle. One of the interesting things about the Lord's Prayer:

Matthew 6:6-13
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Right before the Lord tells us to honor the Father, ask for God's will, ask for daily provisions, forgive us our sins, asked for forgiveness for the ones who hurt us, lead in safe paths, deliver us from evil;...... He tells us not to offer up empty phrases. We all know the Lord's prayer, but He isn't asking for us to assume any particular type of position to pray. He isn't asking us to recite. He is asking for a conversation.

We are told, in faith, God gives us challenges or trouble in life. I think we all tend to think - right, right, right - God is designing the universe to teach me something. Sure. Chaos and circumstance with a purpose. Uh-huh.

Why not? If we believe God died for us, specifically, why wouldn't we see Jesus modelling struggling with some pretty tough, elbows out, religious and political leaders - as another way of saying - if you are going to plan your life - do it for meaningfulness and purpose and not because Armani has a nice ring to it.

Our triumphs can be called gifts. Our difficulties called things of God's. Our plans could be called contributions to God's glory. Every single day. Jesus reminds us in this passage to plan for the things that truly have meaning behind the image. Jesus says we plan and our choices matter.

Jesus is writing, saying to you, personally, you matter to Him. As if you were the only one.


Psalm 68, the whole thing, like many chapters, is about the Lord's Prayer. It's about a time when something looked grim, but the Light shone. It's about the hassle to gather the family together & realize it's the best part of the day & its lovely. It's feeling bitter over a hurt and realizing it doesn't matter. It's realizing we have flaws and we want to be forgiven, not only to the Lord. It's taking time to realize the beauty around you. It's the joy in knowing it is a gift.

It's realizing when we don't take time to really count and appreciate our blessings, they fly past us without the joy.

Father God, help our prayers be fruitful. Let it be conversation about joy, need, praise. Let it be humble, let it be uplifting. Thank you Father, You incline your ear whenever we call upon You.

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Psalm 135 ~ For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods.

The Church. She looks good for Two Millenniums.

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. - Winston Churchill


Psalm 135

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O servants of the LORD,
2 You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.

5 For I know that the LORD is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightnings for the rain,
Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations
And slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O LORD, is everlasting,
Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.
14 For the LORD will judge His people
And will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are but silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD;
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD;
You who revere the LORD, bless the LORD.

21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

Exodus 33:19
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 34:6,7
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Daniel 3:25
He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire ...
They're untied, walking in the middle of the fire, and unharmed. The fourth one looks like a son of the gods."

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

Psalm 16:2
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Psalm 145:9
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 8

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works -

Luke 2:12-14

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Psalm 90  ~ 
A thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past

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Psalm 148 ~ Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!

Lord I want to be in that number!

Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Isaiah 49:10-11
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.

Psalm 11
In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain"

Psalm 97:6
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

Deuteronomy 32:1
Listen, you heavens, and I will speak; hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.

Ezekiel 43:2
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

Revelation 21:11
It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Psalm 19:5
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Revelation 21:2
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Isaiah 43
Now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. "For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior"

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Mark 12 ~ has put in more than all those who are contributing to

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Mark 12

And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.


13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.

18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”


28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.


35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.


38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”


41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Let's make a new 'SUBTITLE' for Mark's Gospel - the Twelfth Chapter - and call this - "The Really Huge Day Jesus went to God's Temple to Teach about Remarkably Large Earth Changing Events versus our perception of minute."

Jesus, our Redeemer, God's Son is feeling like the bully boys are sitting in front of the School waiting for Him. For women, we are going to feel like we want Jesus to have a new robe woven without seams so He knows we love Him while He faces the tough guys. Men feel like Jesus is girding up to do like Ephesians 6 and Gird with Truth for the Fight is on.

This is the Huge Governmental Temple Bureaucracy versus the man from Capernaum. Formerly Nazareth, Joseph's boy 'what was that story, help me remember'.

This Chapter really is the Huge and Lasting versus Small to Universal. These men have thought up a way to have Rome come get Jesus. And He simply applies a very Genius Fitting Word and disappears among them to warm the hearts of the people.

Jesus is now HUGE.

That argument turned out far differently than the Religious anticipated. Jesus knew the Scriptures and the Power of God. The greetings in the marketplace were all for Jesus this day. Those who accepted the Cornerstone, those who recognized, the most importance of The Lord our God, the Lord is be loved with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. They realized God is a God of the Living. Jesus was collecting as the best seat in the synagogues and the place of honor.

The Temple seems busy and bustling to us as we read the Chapter. And Jesus has someone to see. The Father is going to His child. All of the Temple is enthralled. Jesus specifically looks for one child of God. The one way down, tucked way at the end of the story of His day. The lone widow putting in all she has. And for millenniums we understand that to the Alpha and the Omege. Lord and Shepherd of our Souls. Wanting to save the World. That woman has changed the way we understand what matters to God in the splendor of His Temple.

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.

Ephesians 1:19
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.

There really is not a parallel of this story. Perhaps Noah, continuing to hammer a board.
God takes our small tasks for Him and builds our lives, which He hands back to us as a gift. And in HIS Great Love and Mercy tells us the Kingdom of Heaven is, now, at hand. Telling us He is at work and multiplies our talents like the loaves and fishes when we Expect His Mercy, Love and Favor.

Mark 1:1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

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Exodus 34 ~ present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain

Dead Sea Scroll of Deuteronomy inset below

Exodus 34

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,[a] forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

11 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 12 Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst. 13 You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

17 “You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.

18 “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. 19 All that open the womb are mine, all your male livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. 20 The firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.

21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. 22 You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. 23 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. 26 The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.”

27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.


29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Deuteronomy 27 
The Altar Stone above is the only Altar found on Mount Gerizim. Mount of Blessings. This is a cross and is a modern stone.

High Places was the discussion in a Bible Study I remember with Father Bill Clarkson in High School Youth Group. We were asked if having a service on a Mountain top would be something we would enjoy. The response in Dallas, Texas was unanimously positive. We were then educated High Places are where the Baal - infant killed for prosperity - and idol worship takes place. Silence ensued.

But wait - we were all so discouraged - the Transfiguration! And weddings outside - God's Temple is within - having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! Not only that - there wasn't always a Temple and Moses was called up from his routing to the top of Mount Horeb and/or Mount Sinai (are used interchangeably) in the Bible.

Did Moses believe prior to the unthinkable? Difficult to tell. But being called away from your everyday to a jaw dropper, is a memorable event.

Union General Lew Wallace wrote Ben Hur. As he started the novel, Wallace wrote- I do not think myself good enough to be a communicant. When he finished writing, "When I had finished [the writing], I said to myself with Balthasar, "God only is so great." I had become a believer."

Professor of Archaeology Adam Zertal, University of Haifa, has undergone a transformation of faith. From finding a High Place.

“The altar was supposed to be nonexistent, a legend,” says Zertal, leaning on crutches, a legacy of wounds he suffered in combat during the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Egypt and Syria. “At first we didn’t know what we were excavating. The stones at Mount Ebal are crucial. “If this corroborates exactly what is written in that very old part of the Bible,” says Zertal, “it means that probably other parts are historically correct. The impact is tremendous.”

Zertal believes this is the altar the Bible Moses wrote saying build on Mount Ebal, after the Israelites arrived in the promised land. This is where land is given among the 12 tribes, and where the Israelites “became a people,” as the Old Testament puts it.

"We are digging up Bible stories!" Adam Zertal commented: "We discovered this place, all covered with stones, in April 1980. At that time I never dreamed we were dealing with the altar, because I was taught in Tel Aviv University - where anti-Biblical tendencies say theories are untrue, and Biblical accounts were written later. I didn't even know of the story of the Joshua's altar. But we surveyed every meter of the site, and in the course of nine years of excavation, we discovered a very old structure with no parallels to anything we had seen before."

Carbon dating of artifacts play out.

Artifacts of Egyptian Public Lists have interesting patterns as well.

The name of the city Jacob-El was recorded for the first time in Thutmose’s III era. Yahweh was also recorded for the first time during Thutmose III. During this time period, according to Egyptian historical documentation, Israel was not a recorded as a name, the people were recorded as hyksos. On a statue of Amenhotep III at Kom el Hetan is Amenhotep’s funeral statue and on the base of the statue is Joseph-el.

Dynasty 15 - 1663-1555 BC. (5 Kings) Hyksos Rule. Hyksos sacked Memphis about 1720 BC. Josephus quotes Manetho in "Against the Jews" (Book I) about this period. Manetho identifies Israel with the Hyksos which where expelled by Ahmose from Egypt. Josephus quotes Manetho describing this expulsion by saying: "Then the kings of the Thebaid and of the rest of Egypt rose in revolt against the shepherds (Hyksos)..

Luke 10:5-9
"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ... "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.'


Father God, 

New Faith is found on Moun Ebel - where an altar was created and re-built several centuries apart. Drastic political struggles were discarded to bring this altar excavation forth. 

In our own lives, for this blog and the work of ministry - each day we put out our hands to know Your Will and to please You Father God. So Father, release healing leading to salvation across our nation this day. In our cities, Churches, families and home. Blessings upon the people seeking Your will. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen

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