Stories that glorify God…

Last night I attended a “gala” hosted by Mission Aviation Fellowship…we had a delicious meal followed by speakers telling of the impact MAF has had on their personal lives and those they have been in contact….

“Mission Aviation Fellowship is an Evangelical Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas. “ Wikipedia

Their headquarters is in Nampa, ID…so it is a privilege to visit their facilities every once in awhile, visit with the people there…see their new projects…attend the dedication of the planes as they head in the sky, wending their way to the ends of the earth to help others…

 We heard stories of a few of the exploits…it warms my heart to see the Word spread, people taken care in difficult and normal  circumstances…to see the smiles of, the cultures they are able to service, whether in mountainous areas, rainforests, islands etc…Lesotho, Papua, Mozambique to name a few…places that are dark changed to light…through the gospel of Jesus Christ….

Psalm 48: 10 As your name, O God,

    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 52: 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Video..the ends of the earth…

https://flightvue.maf.org/tabs/home/videos/50823

Thank YOU…

People need the Lord…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i93ysKZeR4

 

Third day…

There are over fifty references to “third day”…

One of them is in Exodus 19… when God talks to the Israelites about them being a treasure to Him…and then goes on about him coming down to them on the third day….

It was just a reminder agin about the resurrection…on third day Jesus showed himself, after the resurrection…

Both times it was about God’s glory…

 Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Exodus 19: 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day;do not go near a woman..

Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Then Esther goes before the king to save her people…

Esther 5:1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.

Or Jonah saved pit of the great fish after three days…

And so many more…

“There are other passages of Scripture, however, that bear upon this subject, and in looking at them, one should remember the words of the great church historian, Philip Schaff, that “The Biblical symbolism of numbers is worthy of more serious attention than it has received in English theology” (in Lange’s Commentary on Matthew, p. 183). Is not the very first occurrence of the word in the Bible—and generally first occurrences of basic words in the Bible have great meaning—relevant to the subject, for it is on “the third day” (Gen 1:9-13) that biological life first appeared. Also in Genesis, in the story of Joseph, there is a release from prison on the third day (40:12, 13), and, actually, when Joseph’s brothers were released from prison after three days, Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and you will live” (42:17, 18). Notice how often this matter of life is vital in these three-day passages. The reference to Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great fish for a period of three days is well-known to all Bible students, because of our Lord’s reference to it (Jonah 1:17).”https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Third-Day

I just found it interesting that so many “third days” there are from the beginning to the end of the Word…showing God’s glory over all, his use of time, his victory…God is a constant in our lives…He is always on time…His purpose…

Thank YOU… 

Three days of glory…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcGLOxFpo9E

 

Just songs for the soul…

God don’t let the light in me die…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3Sc_sv3ig

Jesus, there’s just something about name…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvd1yLeRWcs

This the day…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5klnLG2uM

 Organizing people…

Have you ever heard the phrase, “ it’s like herding cats”?

I can imagine that leading the Israelites in the desert may have been like that…people came to Moses everyday asking questions and his father-in-law saw this…it must have been wearying for all…

Exodus 18: 13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

A future king, David, organized his army in a similar way using different numbers of groups. 

Both men, Moses and David, looked for trusted men to lead the various groups…thus taking much of the burden off of the top leaders….

We still use these examples in leadership today…although differently in different cultures….from the total authoritarian to empowering….

We are told to pray for our leaders…they carry a heavy weight of leadership….

1 Timothy 2:1-6

Pray for All Men

2 Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, andgiving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b]authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there isone God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

Thank YOU…

https://biblehub.com/topical/d/david_organizes_his_troops.htm

https://outline-bible.com/1-chronicles-27-davids-leadership-administration

 Our Father who art in heaven…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSVBm8V79Wc

 Abuse…

One of our dogs was a rescue dog…he was afraid of men, or people in hats, plus he avoided being around feet of anyone.

My husband would take him to his office everyday, where the dog would sleep under the desk, comfortable in the warmth…it took months for the dog to warm up to us…if  one reached out to touch him, he would shrink back…if you wore a hat, he would cower….he watched our feet constantly…trust was a long time in coming…but, finally he was won over reluctantly…he became a great traveling buddy, hiker, and seemed to enjoy life with us….then, one day he turned…he would wait until the person whom he just greeted had passed and then bite them on the ankles for no apparent reason…be it guest or us…

In the end, we found someone who lived alone that wanted the dog…we had grandchildren coming and going and we couldn’t trust the dog around anyone…so with both sadness and relief, we gave him away…that was hard…

What brought this chapter to mind was the Israelites leaving Egypt and their beginning wanderings.  They had been abused for years by the rulers of the land in which they dwelt…along comes their savior, Moses, bringing statements and miracles of God…one after another, miracle after miracle, sign after sign….God showing himself trustworthy, faithful, they obey and leave the land of their abusers to go into the unknown…with promises of a land filled with milk and honey awaiting them…

It had to be hard for them, even though they saw that God proved himself worthy of trust…they were used to cowering, lack of care, abuse…and they fell back on old habits easily, not fully trusting…but, God persevered caring, providing, leading….

A faith journey for each person brought out of Egypt…

Just like us who have turned to Jesus…times we want to turn back to old comfortable ways instead of having faith in our Savior…but he is faithful, kind, filled with goodness….

Thank YOU….

Psalm 9: 9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

    a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,

    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

The book of Exodus….

Faithful one…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PjSO5Ihl0M

 

Grumble….

Doesn’t that word sound negative? Then the definition of discontent or the synonyms sound just as bad…I said them out loud and they really sounded awful….

Grumble….

: to mutter in discontent

Whine, moan, fuss, lament, gripe, bleat, grouch, quibble, murmur, complain, grouse, yammer….Merriam Webster 

This weekend, of all times, that was me…I had most of my family around, we were celebrating a wedding, good company, good food, beautiful setting, etc..and my heart grumbled at the end…over something of no worth…I even came home and put music on to drown out the grumbles, the gripes, the bleating….finally asking for forgiveness for my attitude…then peace of soul…reigned…

Oh, how easy it is to fall into that trap…and how easy it is to take it to God…

Thank YOU….

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Psalm 102: A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 :1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to you!

Colossians 3: 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 102…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5qkjs-N8xM

Hear me when I call…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz89RXMG-Z4

 Comfort verses.  ….#?

Honestly I have lost track of what number I am on for comfort verses…but God’s comfort is numberless, infinite….

Thank YOU…

So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great (Job 2:13 NKJV).

“He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered” (John 21:5 NIV). ( He provided)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting” (Psalm 100:1-2, 3b, 4b-5a KJV).

“But I have prayed for you, Simon [Peter], that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32 NIV

He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control (Philippians 3:21 NLT

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6 NKJV

My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music (Psalm 57:7 NIV

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 NIV).

You comfort me….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syDo3t3pe8