A walk through the town…

We visited Bibleland or Holyland experience several years ago in Florida…( I think it is gone now)…walking through the narrow streets….or watching “the Chosen”, their narrow streets …or walking around the real Jerusalem, their old narrow streets …the crowds, the noise, the vendors, the running children, the mothers and dads, the religious leaders, the soldiers…just the masses…

Still reading  through John…chapter 7 this time…there were people everywhere….I don’t know how they could get so much information with such crowds…or where the space was for Jesus to talk or teach…and the people sincerely wanted to here him as well as he wanted them to know Him…

He teaches at various synagogues…Capernaum for one…it wasn’t very big by today’s standards …

You’ve got a multitude of groups of people arguing over who this Man was , some for him and some against, while others are still trying to decide …what pandemonium….its no wonder he went secretly into the town before he taught…and then he goes to the temple to teach again…

I often wonder where I would have been, who I would have talked to or listened to…what would have been my response in such masses…

I think I would have liked the hillside settings better…

But, no matter where Jesus taught, in the crowds, the homes, the countryside, people were drawn to Him because he spoke words of truth, God’s words which spoke to the hearts of people…desiring that they believe in Jesus as their redeemer, their Savior, their hope, their healer…

Thank YOU….

John 7:10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”

Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

I speak Jesus…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcmqSfr1ENY

 Comfort verses 2

I haven’t shared comfort verses for a while, these have come up again…they never grow old and for some, we cling to them as a lifeline….

Thank YOU….

“Truly, my soul silently waits for God” (Psalm 62:1 NKJV).

“Teach me to do Your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143:10 NIV).

“We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9b BSB).

“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14 NIV).

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7 NIV). 

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me” (Psalm 31:2-3 NIV).

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 ESV).

 And Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me?’” (Luke 8:45 NKJV)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18 NIV).

“Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4 HCSB).

“Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast” (Psalm 119:90 ESV).

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV). 

“The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills” (Habakkuk 3:19 NKJV).

Something about that name…

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

 

Me·mo·ri·al Day

/məˈmôrēəl ˌdā/

noun

• 1.
a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.

My favorite TV program is the Memorial Day Concert and program held every year in Washington DC…patriotic music, patriotic stories of heroes past and present, honoring the military men and women who give of their lives for our country….

This year is the 250th anniversary of America…the 25th anniversary of 911 and both were recognized from the revolutionary war to the present day…in song and stories of men and women who were part of battles over the years…their bravery, tenacity, sacrifice for the nation…

In the Christian realm, we have similar memorials as well…we have Easter, communion, Christmas, testimonies, etc…honoring those who have gone before us and Jesus Christ who met death head on and came out victorious….Resurrection…who plans for our future as no human can…who saves those who believe that He is the Son of God, when we ask for forgiveness…

In the Bible we see the battles of defeat and those of conquest…with the brave soldiers from various nations…the promises of 

God, the Gospel…we see the heroes of the faith, their stories and songs and prayers…examples…

So as we celebrate the birth of our nation and its story, we need to remember where we get our real life …in Christ who is ,who was and will be…never losing, always entreating us to follow him in eternity…through faith in Him alone…

Thank YOU….

In Christ Alone…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-H-rh1rZog

One of the songs featured in the concert….

I have seen my last tomorrow…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA6iP8ld6_I 

 Family pets….

Our family has had a multitude of family “pets”…ducks, chickens, ants, butterflies, lady bugs, turkeys, hamsters, fish, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses…and of course, several cats and dogs…

We went through the typical “old MacDonalds” part of family life where “living in the country is great”….”having animals is good for teaching responsibility “….both of which are true…and we enjoyed all of those ideas…and now three of my four children and families live rurally…and continue to have animals…it will be interesting to see how the next two living generations land on this issue…choices….

One of my daughters found a cute little poodle for me after my husband passed away…(we had had one before he got ill)….great companionship over the years since he passed away…many, many miles of walking…many, many one sided conversations….many, many times of petting and care….my kitchen floor was always clean of any fallen food…he never met a stranger(not good watch dog  material)…

Age came in slowly for him…he still enjoyed life…but lately seeing, hearing and other bodily functions have been deteriorating…which has been sad…he would look at me like, “what is happening?” And I couldn’t explain…

I have known for a while that the time would come to have him put to sleep, but, I have been putting it off…not wanting to face it…I got the message that I would know the right time…yesterday was it….

I thought of a missionary we support who had gotten her chickens up to a great flock and then they all died from a virus overnight …all the time, care, energy, prayer she had put into those chickens had to have been so disappointing and met with tears…

And then you go on…not forgetting , but, moving forward…not without pain, but waiting to see what the next step is…healing….

We do it…through many big and little disappointments, hard times, good times…with God’s grace….and his healing power…

The deeper the hurt, the deeper the ministry….

Thank YOU….

2Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Psalm 119: 50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
    Your promise preserves my life.

Praise you in the rain….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgpaULjZOl8

https://biblehub.com/q/why_does_genesis_1_differ_in_creation_order.htm

Psalm 22…

 Psalm 22….

I know David wrote this psalm, but it such a future picture of Christ on the Cross…a person in extreme pain…at the end…..even to the point of saying, “it is finished”….

The dividing of the clothes, the mocking, the insults, the bones, the dry mouth, the piercings, etc…interspersed with praise…

From His prayer for further generations in John 17…

It is a somber psalm but, Triumphant….

Thank YOU…

Psalm 22

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
    since he delights in him.”

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
    for trouble is near
    and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
    open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
    it has melted within me.
15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
    people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!”

My God…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG8h3qnV93c

Dumpster diving…

 Dumpster diving…

God chose yesterday to bring me back to some of my roots, “dumpster diving”….

You have to realize, growing up, we lived on ranches which had their own trash pile…but we had very little trash…no plastic, no paper, a few tin cans, very few glass jars( we reused the canning jars) the barn had a barrel for  used hay wire and later, string… we had wood stoves where we  burned the paper…we didn’t live in the Middle Ages, but things have changed in 70 years here in the US…new products…

We had open dumps, people put “good stuff “ along the edge in case  someone else could use it…there were “farm “ sales when the farm was being sold…not garage sales like we have today…

We had less stuff and we made do…

Anyway, some of my children, in college, did dumpster diving. In fact there were people who checked the dorm dumpsters regularly , picking up useable items to sell later to new students…enterprising…

My dad collected tin cans when California started recycling aluminum…some family still does…and so it goes…

I have had two family members minister to people who live in the dumps of two different countries….

So, Yesterday a friend wanted what was filling a dumpster, so here are two 70+ women dumpster diving…I had to laugh the whole time…”what goes around, comes around “…but, it was profitable.

“One man’s trash is another’s treasure”still holds…even worldwide…

We aren’t trash to God…He made a way to redeem us…giving us new life…new purpose…

Thank YOU….

Psalm 103:1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Redeemed…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_82cISZdFg

 

Psalm 20

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalm 20:1-6, the “mays”….

God uses repeated words, themes, etc…this one is the “mays”…

If we put our names into the “you”…what a blessing…He is speaking to each of us…

1. May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

2. may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

3. May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.

4. May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.

5. May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.

6. May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

7. May the Lord grant all your requests.

6 Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.

Extra….

Psalm 91:14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

Psalm 3: 4 I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

Psalm 21:2 You have granted him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Psalm 20: 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Thank YOU…

Psalm 20 song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_2vcFdAsUk

Hebrew version…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k3iNvfVgts