Words..

 Words….

It is interesting that the book of John begins with the Word…the Word was God…not just words on paper….

John ends his book with books of words about Jesus…the world cannot hold all the books about Jesus in everything he did…we are still writing books about Jesus or about his Word…

No matter how many times we read His Word, a new lesson is learned, so we read it over and over…again and again…wanting to be conformed to his Word…learning more about the Christian 

Iife…no other book that I have read do I want to continue to read it over and over again….

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it……

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 21:24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Romans 15: 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Acts 17: 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

2 Timothy 3: 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Thank YOU…

Forever faithful…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-D0KzJy_mE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_books

https://publishingstate.com/history-of-libraries/2025/

Breathe…

 

Breathed…

The thunder started this morning and went on and on…it was a slow moving storm…usually they blow through quickly and then are finished, this one could heard from a long way off both coming and going…a soft rain this time, the smell of wet dry summer grass…the sky turning a brilliant gold  as the sun was trying to appear in the east…

 I love the smell after the storm…sage in high desert of Nevada/Oregon/Idaho, fir in Oregon, pine in the  camps at which we have been, the Redwoods, the ocean…smells ….breathing….a gift from God…

Genesis 2: . 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

John 20: 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

With God’s breath, he gave us life, then truth, His holy Word….

Thank YOU…

Breathe…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1O4anyhAjc

 

I have seen the Lord…

John 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Thank YOU…

Selection of songs….

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPikVGQ6lo&start_radio=1&pp=QAFIAg%3D%3D&ra=m

 Downcast?….

This one is a hard one to write…I am usually this downcast…I thought of these verses…there are times we are downcast in reality…not with joyful thoughts all the time, when the world moves  in and we have to sort our thoughts, our motives, our actions, things we are reading and absorbing…so here it is…

Psalm 42:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?�    Why so disturbed within me?�Put your hope in God,�    for I will yet praise him,�    my Savior and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me;�    therefore I will remember you�from the land of the Jordan,�    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.�7 Deep calls to deep�    in the roar of your waterfalls;�all your waves and breakers�    have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love,�    at night his song is with me—�    a prayer to the God of my life.

I have just finished  reading a book, “the Bully Pulpit “, watching the news, reading the Bible as part of my daily times…we have just gone through the arrest, trail and conviction of Jesus in the Book of John…and all of these readings and thoughts just have been rolling around in my mind…

The book has chapters labeled, “the first shall be first, that which shall not be named, a heavy yoke on us, a trail of dead bodies, flipping the script, suffering in silence, and finally, they shall not destroy”….

Think of the news and the world today…there are bullies everywhere, nationwide, worldwide, down the street…think of those chapter titles…they fit the news…

Think of the arrest, trial, the people involved, as well as the life of Jesus…bully’s also fill the pages countered by His life and testimony…His promises…think of those chapter titles…they fit there as well…

Our lives have bullies which may walk in and take over… they come in all forms…those titles fit there as well…

But, we have Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…He is the one that gives victory…he gets rid of the bullies…He overcomes death, a bully…

So, I thank YOU for the bullies…as we are to give thanks in all things so that Your peace may invade our souls….

Thank YOU…

Thank You Lord…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAT8qXn6UrU&list=RDjAT8qXn6UrU&start_radio=1

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ebu2bakeY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

What is truth?

 “What is truth?….”

Just to read… and think about..time really hasn’t changed this much…people really haven’t changed much, we just change the wording and names, but this still goes on and on…with new slants…

John 18:38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him…”

They eventually chose evil over good…

Jesus still remains the same…His Word remains the same…

Jesus Himself provides the answer. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

“Pilate was cynical. He thought that all truth was relative. To many government official, truth was whatever the majority of people agreed with or whatever would advance their own personal power and political goals. When there is no basis for truth, there is no basis for moral right and wrong. Justice bec9 es whatever works or whatever helps those in power. In Jesus and his Word we have a standard for truth and our moral behavior.” Bible Study Notes…

https://themeetingtent.com/why-did-pontius-pilate-ask-jesus-what-is-truth-john-18-38/

https://biblehub.com/john/18-38.htm

“Summary

Pilate's question, "What is truth?" reflects a deep skepticism.
This inquiry occurs during the trial of Jesus, as recorded in John 18:38. Pilate, the Roman governor, poses this question after Jesus speaks about truth and his role in testifying to it. The question can be interpreted in several ways:

Philosophical Skepticism

• Pilate's question suggests a cynical or skeptical attitude towards the concept of absolute truth. It reflects a worldview that questions the existence of objective truth, especially in the context of political and social power dynamics

Context of the Trial

• This moment is pivotal as it precedes Pilate's declaration of finding no basis for a charge against Jesus. It highlights the tension between Roman authority and the spiritual claims of Jesus

Relevance Today

• The question remains significant in contemporary discussions about truth, ethics, and morality, prompting reflection on how truth is perceived and defined in various contexts.”AI summary….

Thank YOU…

The Jesus Way…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fhv4arL3yk&list=RD4Fhv4arL3yk&start_radio=1

Olive press…

 Olive press…

It seems fitting that Jesus and his disciples went to Gethsemane to meet the soldiers, officials from the chief priests, when the definition is “olive press”. When you think of the events to follow…the olives are picked  when ripe and ready for harvest…the time was right for Jesus to fulfill his prophecy as well …to be ground into the “pulp” so much he was unrecognizable…beaten, scorned, hung on a cross to die…

The olives really don’t have any way to escape their demise…Jesus did, but chose to  be obedient unto death because he knew His death was turning into victory…the olives give us pure oil for our use…Jesus gives us salvation for life…

There are times when we feel like we are in the Olive press of life…wondering why all the trials, strife, hurt, death are grinding away…slowly, unrelenting one after another, one after another…but at some point and only God knows, the our oil flows…as we are obedient to what God has for us…Joy in the morning….some one has said, “the deeper the “grinding”, the deeper the ministry “ after the time of sorrow,hardship…we have to take heart in that…even though it seems sooooo hard….

Thank YOU…

“Gethsemane refers to a garden located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. It is significant in the Bible as the place where Jesus prayed and experienced deep anguish before His arrest. This garden symbolizes both the humanity and divinity of Christ, showcasing His struggle and ultimate submission to the Father's will during a pivotal moment in the Passion narrative. Gethsemane is often described as a place of agony and surrender, where Jesus sought strength through prayer while His disciples struggled to stay awake.” AI summary…

“Easton’s Bible Dictionary-Gethsemane

Oil press, the name of an olive yard at the foot of the Mountain of Olives…

“HOW THE TRADITIONAL STONE PRESS WORKED

Traditional stone presses — still visible in ancient ruins and museums across Italy and Greece — operated on a simple mechanical principle. A large stone wheel or millstone sat vertically inside a circular stone basin. Livestock, typically oxen or donkeys, were harnessed to a wooden beam and walked in a circle, rotating the upper stone around the basin. Olives poured into the basin were crushed beneath the rotating stone into a thick paste.

That paste was then scooped into woven baskets called frails or fiscoli. The filled baskets were stacked on top of one another and a heavy stone weight was placed on top, applying downward pressure. A mixture of oil and water slowly dripped out and was collected below. The mixture was left to settle and decant — oil rising naturally to the surface — and then separated by hand.

The process was slow, labor-intensive, and limited in scale. A single press could take hours to process a relatively small amount of fruit. By the time the oil was extracted, the olives had often been sitting long enough for quality to begin declining. But for thousands of years, it was the only method available — and it worked.”https://exauoliveoil.com/products/excelsis-club

John 18:1  When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

John 18, 19

Heal me…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj-1SmPthQI&list=RDfj-1SmPthQI&start_radio=1

Fire…

 Fire…

In the NIV Bible, fire is found 364 times…from Genesis to Revelations.

Here are a few…I was just thinking about the last few chapters of John at this point…

They brought torches to find Jesus in the garden to light their way,  not realizing that Jesus was the Light of the World…

Peter warmed himself by the fires built to keep the soldiers warm as they awaited the trial and verdict  of Jesus…the one who led the nation out of Egypt in  a pillar of fire….or sent fire to burn up Elijah’s offering…or walked in  a fiery furnace with Danielle and his friends…etc…

Also, I liked the scene of Jesus on the beach with a fire with  fish already cooking as the men fished nearby…provision, he didn’t need their catch to provide, He was/is the Provider…

Fire shows up so many times in scripture….judgement, leading, provision, Holiness, care…from light leading the way in the wilderness to the final judgment, the lake of fire…

Jesus lights our way, help us to follow …

Thank YOU….

John 18: 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

John 18: 18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

John 18: 25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

John 21: When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 

Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Exodus 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. 

Exodus 13:21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Deuteronomy 4: 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Be my light and guide my way…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTza1WvQho&list=RD2dTza1WvQho&start_radio=1