Tearing down....building up...
When I was Israel this past spring, we saw layers upon layers of civilizations. The tour guide would point out this group of people’s buildings, topped by another at the many of the archeological digging sites....canaanites, Byzantine, the Crusades, the Israelites, the Muslim, etc...they each had their own style, but were massive, slave built cities...mosaics, huge columns, unique bath houses, marble, granite, stones that weighed tons...
We viewed buildings and walls that were made from stones which showed different carvings, signifying that they reused other previous cultures’ stones in their building programs...
When I was reading Matthew 24, I was reminded of this tour again...
“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.””
Matthew 24:1-2
Matthew goes on to tell of the end times to his disciples...but, I could not help but think of those stones being thrown down...destruction again and again...over the centuries since he spoke...to modern times as new buildings are being built on top of the older...even while digging is going on below the surface and underneath present structures...digging to find Biblical towns...
I don't know about you, but I am constantly being renewed/rebuilt, that day by day transformation....reusing some of the old, digging out the past, building new into my life...through the Word...the Holy Spirit... cleaning out my life...re-examining...
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16
I know Jesus was speaking of the end times...but, He is speaking to me as well...watching, waiting, being faithful in the plans He has made for me, being found ready...at the end...whenever that will be...
Matthew 24 is well worth the read...as we enter this Christmas season...what needs watching...how can I be faithful...how can my heart be ready...
Thank YOU....You came, You lived among us...You renew...You rebuild...You save...
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Woe, woe, woe....
Woe, woe, woe...
What chapter to read on thanksgiving day...woe, woe, woe....
My key verse from this...
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
am I exalting myself in any manner?
Do I place heavy burdens on others by my attitude?
Do I neglect the important-justice, mercy and faithfulness-for the lesser things?
Do I only look on outside appearances and neglect the heart?
What condemning statements...forgive me for ever being a “Pharisee”...
Let my heart be cleansed by the Word of your mouth...let faithfulness, love, mercy, justice reign instead...
Thank YOU that you are the Forgiver, the Teacher, the Cleanser, the Redeemer...
Matthew 23-
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Usable...
Usable.....
I read a prayer this am ...”Lord, grant me the strength to say no to the things I must and yes to the things I should, that You may find me usable in Your hand, a vessel fit for the Master’s use”
It happen to coincide with a class for membership class I am currently taking...
Having been a church member of one body or another for as long as I can remember, this has been a wonderful review of church doctrine...basic beliefs of Christianity that this local body adheres to...oh, yes I had submitted my letter of transfer, but we still go through the class, which has been great...
But, I want to be usable...and to really participate fully in this local body, I need to be a member just as I had been one previously in another geographical area...
Oh, I can be usable in the universal body of Christ...but, there is something about the intimacy of the “localness”...to write one’s name down as part of a local body...to be known, cared for locally...admitting your local loyalty and be connected with local familiar people...to be more usable locally...to share history with this group as I have previously with others...
I have been missing that belonging...the closeness that membership affords...moving around since my husband’s passing...even though I was attending, even teaching/facilitating small group studies, participating in functions of local churches where I have lived since his passing...
We were always involved in leadership, staff, teaching as a couple and individually...at the heart of a body...but, when he passed, things changed, I changed, circumstances changed...suddenly I was a widow, I moved away from the local area where we served for so long...thrust into a new role...still usable, but differently...a new path from my perspective, but, not a surprise to God...
I want that usefulness, that openness to be usable in my new locale, usability in the body...a vessel clean, ready for whatever filling He has planned, maybe a new role, or a continuation of the past...hence the membership class...
Thank YOU for a place to belong...to be usable...to be used for Your glory in the body You have placed me...
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7
....he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:21b
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-13,15-16
Friday, November 22, 2019
Thanksgiving Proclamation....
General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
The small leader read this last night as a reminder what our United States thanksgiving started as...thanksgiving...
We are reminded of the same in scripture...to give praises and thanks in all circumstances...the abundance and the little...the hard and the easy...even in desperate situations...contentment in all circumstances...God is with us...He is in control...
That is sometimes hard to fathom when all looks bleak...when the world seems out of control...life seems out of control...but, He knows the beginnings and the endings...He knows each of our frames and the number of hairs on our heads...our hearts...
Thank YOU...
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:1-5
Sunday, November 17, 2019
O Love that will not let me go...
O Love that will not let me go....
After watching a video by Sheila Walsh, I had to find out more about a hymn that she quoted...it was so touching...who wrote it...
The following is the hymn, written over a hundred years ago by a man who was invited to preach at Balmoral Castle in England by the queen at the time, Victoria...he was totally blind by the age of twenty, but preached and wrote until his death...faithfulness...in his calling...
Each thought brings one back to his love of Christ through the weariness, pain, flickering torch...knowing that his faith was in a worthy Savior, God...who loved and cared for him...the illusions to not seeing make sense when you know he was blind, but kept the faith through the difficult times, knowing the love he knew...
It reminds me to keep on pressing on through the good and hard times...looking toward my Lord who loves me...with a love that has no bounds...a comfort in abundance...a saving that is freely given to those who believe in the saving Grace of a God ...a love that will not let me go...thank YOU...
“O Love that will not let me go”
George Matheson, pub.1882
copyright status is Public Domain
Scripture: Jeremiah 31:3; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Romans 8:35
Albert L. Peace, 1884
1 O Love that will not let me go,
2 I rest my weary soul in thee;
3 I give thee back the life I owe,
4 That in thine ocean depths its flow
5 May richer, fuller be.
6 O Light that foll’west all my way,
7 I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
8 My heart restores its borrowed ray,
9 That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
10 May brighter, fairer be.
11 O Joy that seekest me through pain,
12 I cannot close my heart to thee;
13 I trace the rainbow through the rain,
14 And feel the promise is not vain,
15 That morn shall tearless be.”
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness...
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
Jeremiah 31:3, 25
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 5:14
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Wanderings...
Wanderings....
I was reading in Matthew 15 this am...
After being in the area that was spoken of in this passage, I have a hard time time not picturing the scene...the mountainous area, the sea close by...the pathways...this distraught mother...the hungry thousands...the loaves and small fish...Jesus taking time with all besides rebuking the Pharisees...ministering to each along the way...
The boat ride at the end must have been relaxing after all the events that kept on and on...I can picture Him leaning back, hair caught by the wind, a smile on his face, maybe praying for those left behind or those at the next stop...conversing quietly with the seaman, the disciples, maybe explaining what just happened, maybe rejoicing with and thinking about the joy of the mother who finds her child well after suffering terribly....rest for the soul and body...calming....
Our boat captain explained the sites to us as we moved across the sea, finally breaking into praise songs reverberating off the still waters...so restful...in the land of our Savior, years of turmoil, wars, judgements, divisions, volleys of shots and missiles still going on...a microcosm of the world around us...
Thank YOU for the pictures in my mind, heart of you ministering whenever you went...the hillsides, the towns, the sea, the pathways to the very end...
Matthew 15...
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Matthew 13....
Matthew 13...
Matthew 13 is filled with parables which Jesus explains to his disciples as they sit by the sea and later in a house...I can just imagine sitting there talking to the people with the sea in the background, the hills surrounding...the Creator with the creation, the people who listened, understood and those who didn’t...trying to work through the teachings, the stories, the meanings...
We are now fortunate to have the written words, the explanations, while back then they only had them orally...whose hearts were touched by his teaching, whose hearts and ears didn’t understand....we can mull over the words, meditate on their meaning...
There are those who still do not hear and understand...whose hearts are hardened for whatever reason...as in the parable of the sower...the Word is snatched away by the evil one, or has no root or the worries of the world and deceitfulness of wealth choke or out...
Oh Lord, let me be among those who hear, understand, produce a good crop...who find and bring out new treasures as I study your Word...let the world and wealth not choke out the seed which you have planted...
Thank YOU....
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Matthew 13:1-13,16,19-23,52
Friday, November 8, 2019
Tears....
Tears....
“A Prayer For All Our Tears
Dear Jesus,
Today, I cry tears that mean a hundred things at once, happy and sorrowful and desperate and hopeful. I trust You to sort them out as You catch them, to hear and answer each prayer they represent.
I cry for those of us left behind, for the lonely ones with hollows in our hearts. I ask You to comfort us, give peace, restore hope, and lavish us with love, family, and belonging. In the depths of loss, meet us with Yourself.
I cry for the legacy this loved one leaves, for the ways the world has been made different by their presence, for the memories that become both more beautiful and more painful on this side of death. And I pray that the work You have accomplished in this remarkable life will grow deeper, wider, and stronger in the days to come, uninhibited by a weak opponent like death.
I cry for those who haven’t yet accepted Your invitation into eternal life, for those who grieve without hope today. I pray for awakening in their hearts, for a stirring that draws to You. I pray for more attendees at the grand reunion scheduled in the coming eternity.
I cry for all the ways the world has gone wrong, and for all the ways You’re making it right again. I ask that You make me part of Your work in bringing the kingdom of heavento earth.
I cry knowing You are here with me. And because You are here, even my tears have meaning.”
I read this prayer this morning, even before I opened my mail...it was among 6 in the above website article...
As I opened my mail, I found that another of my aunts had passed away after a long bout with Parkinson’s...bedridden for months, my cousins caring for her...tears for each ...she lived a long active life...
Life seems shorter and shorter as we age, watching others in our generation and the next up pass on...
There are days of rejoicing and days of tears...
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
Ecclesiastes 3:2,4
I remember reading the psalms as my husband lay dying...I sat there beside his bed each night, reading and sobbing loss, fear, why, pain(emotional and physical), anger....tears, tears, and more tears...I cry now thinking of those times...
I cry with joy when God overwhelms me with a new lesson, a new site, a new revealing of himself...how could he care so much....
A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
Job 14:5
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
Thank YOU for tears... even the hard ones...we learn so much...
Monday, November 4, 2019
Global strategy....
Global strategy....
I don’t know about you, but I tend to get focused on the places closest to me...oh, I read the paper, watch some news, but my daily world seems to stay close...
So, with intentional short trips to various places with a few Christian ministries, I love to get the big picture of what they are doing...but, mostly what God is doing throughout the world ...whether in Bible translation, sharing the gospel, church planting, gift boxes, digital media... the Word is being proclaimed to every nation, tribe, culture in some form...as well as next door...
I love to see the connections of ministries working together, forming with God a formidable force of taking down the walls, barriers that the enemy has erected...nothing, no one can stand against God...He is on the Move worldwide
A song...”who can stop the Lord Almighty...who can stop the Lord...” comes to mind, when I listen to these reports.
I just returned from one of these meetings...
Phases that stood out for me, from the many outstanding speakers...movers and shakers of the gospel...
- with pain comes fulfillment...
- It is time to sing your song...
- How can God use you even more...
- Steward, manage the affairs of the Master...
- Spiritual multiplication with partners...
- Glorify God with whatever we are given...
- A church for every 1000 people worldwide...
- How can the 2 billion Christ proclaimers share with the 5 billion non proclaimers to fill heaven?
- How can digital media effectively reach those who cannot openly fellowship or those who are tuned into the media
- Celebrate what God has done, don’t live in regret...
- Believe in God for something that is impossible...
- Teach us to number our days...
- How can I bless the kingdom...
- Success is being obedient, faithful...
- Many times we have to dig down to go up...a firm foundation...
- The many references in the Bible that say, “but, God...” when we only see a little ways...he sees the whole picture...
- No one is ever hidden enough to not be found by God...
- Risk to set free...
- Live celebrating the Joy that only Christ gives, celebrating salvation...
These gatherings exist to encourage, enlighten, expand our limited horizons...to facilitate giving with meaning and intent...whether with funds , prayer or talents...
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25
At this last seminar, we finished with the song, “Is He Worthy?...beautiful....thank YOU...
IS HE WORTHY? LYRICS
“
[Verse 1]
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
[Verse 2]
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
[Chorus]
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
[Refrain 1]
Is He worthy? Is He worthy
Of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is He worthy of this?
He is
[Verse 3]
Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)”
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