Foggy..

 Foggy….

It has been soooo foggy here where I live…it makes you feel cold, it is cold, bad driving conditions-especially at night….you may know the roads, but still there is the uncertainty…But, the lights along the creek and main part of town look so beautiful in the misty air…

I couldn’t but help to think of this verse…

 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1Cor.13.12

What a good description of foggy thinking/looking…we don’t see everything even though it is there…we will see it clearly at some point…we want the perfect, not just the partial…

This verse follows the “love “ verses which follow…verses which sound so good, are so hard to follow on our own…we need the Helper to help us love the way He does…and see the way He does…

“ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. 

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

Love never ends. 

As for prophecies, they will pass away; 

as for tongues, they will cease; 

as for knowledge, it will pass away. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 

When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. 

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1Cor.13.4-13

Thank YOU …

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

Descriptions…

 

Descriptions…

I think my plan this year for scripture reading is the chronological New Testament in a study Bible…so many notes which enhances the Word…I like those side notes of culture, geopolitical, geography and Old Testament referrals…sometimes it is like walking down the road with the people of the time…

This morning was one of these readings…the descriptions of Jesus from various ones that Luke and Matthew record…just meditating on these descriptions alone may make people want to know more about this Jesus…they include descriptions of those around Him, but really center on Him and this is just the beginning of the New Testament….let them sink into our hearts, and minds…help me to see Jesus…

Thank YOU….

(Gabriel) And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. 

And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke.1.30-33

(Elizabeth) And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. 

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 

And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Luke.1.41-45

 (Mary)And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord,     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name. 

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 

he has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. 

He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke.1.46-55

 (Zechariah)And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 

to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 

because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Luke.1.76-79

 (The Angels)And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke.2.10-11,14

 (Simeon)”Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,according to your word; 

for my eyes have seen your salvation     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and for glory to your people Israel.” 

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

(Anna)And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke.2.29-32, 34-35, 38

(Wisemen) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? 

For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matt.2:1-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbQswNB6Wc

https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=76LY6GNX

Glitter…

 Glitter….

Several years ago, a friend and I were working on her son’s wedding  rehearsal dinner…

The decorations were simple, tulle tied on the strings of lights to go down the center of the table…but, not just any tulle, glitter tulle…

We had to finish the knotting of the tulle onto the lights, so we chose to do it in the rental car as that was where we were and we had time… cutting the tulle into certain lengths, we industrially knotted away, proudly finishing the project before placing the lights on the tables…

But, looking around us, on us, was glitter everywhere …it sparkled like jewels in the morning light…I am sure the car rental place never got all the glitter out…but, it added the character of the nice car…giving it a royal effect…

We are to be lights to the world…spreading the light of Jesus wherever we go…giving off His fragrant  love to all we meet…like the glitter we left behind in the car, in our clothes, hair, the floor, the tables, etc….

 “You are the light of the world. 

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matt.5.14-16

 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2Cor.2.14

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts.1.8

January 4…what is good…plans…

January 4…what is good….a plan…

He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?

Mic.6.8 

  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jer.29.11-13

A few days  ago, I talked about Bible reading plans…I sincerely hope that who reads this has chosen a plan…, it may be a verse a day, a phrase to meditate upon, a whole portion or even reading through the whole Bible in a period of time.

Letting God’s Word permeate your soul…lead you through your day…gives you truth, wisdom to live by, knowledge…it can help one make right decisions, change attitudes, learn so much…make us complete…it brings us to the Savior…

  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2Tim.3.16-17

I thought about this as I read the first of the book of Luke…writing to Theophilus…” that you may have certainty”…”concerning the things you have been taught”…

 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke.1:1-4

Luke wanted his friend to know about Jesus…the certainty…

The Jesus Film Project has used Luke’s Book as the basis of their “Jesus Film” to tell the world about Jesus…now in 2000 heart languages and growing, it is used world wide to introduce people to the Savior…

God so desires that all know Him, to fellowship with Him…to walk humbly with Him….

Thank YOU….

January 3…trust to the ends of the earth…and near…

 January 3…trust to the ends of the earth….and near…

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths…

This past year, a friend and I were able to attend two back to back conferences in Phoenix and Santa Barbara for two different Christian organizations…both reaching the world with God’s Word…they do it differently, but the goal is the same…reaching people groups  to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ…

This morning, I was watching a short video about another group just finishing the 2000th language group in another spoken translation of the Word…

There are times, like this past year of back pain and not feeling  well, that I tend to isolate…I don’t have the energy to do much, missing church and Its activities, family things, friend things, community events…my picture of that is this tiny lonely pinhead on a world map, in the midst of millions and billions of other people going about their business and activities…

We may be those tiny single pins on the world map, but the care and love that Jesus has for each of us is the same…He wants our trust, our love….He is reaching to the ends of the earth with his 

Word through various means, finding the lost and forgotten, the sick and the poor, the tired and the discouraged, the hidden and the war ravaged…the all,  who want to find Him…the know Him…

I wasn’t forgotten in my pain, isolation…God has been near through it all…He has provided a way to still take part when I can…I can still trust Him as can those millions around the world…I have his Word, both written and spoken…I have His presence…as do they when they seek Him…we have a commonality…we are brothers and sisters in Christ…and that family is growing…

Thank YOU…

January 2…verses for today…

 January 2…verses for today…

I loved that these two very different verses were chosen as verses of the day…

I picture Jesus standing there at the door of our hearts knocking, seeking us…we have only to let Him in…to treasure His company… to sit at his feet…to listen…to absorb…. To meditate on the words He says…

  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Rev.3.20

 

And then, as in this prayer of Moses, ask God to get a heart of wisdom…being satisfied in His steadfast love, rejoicing all of our days…

 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Ps.90.12,Ps.90.14

This touches my heart …at this beginning of a new year…

Thank YOU…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7PElDOnN2k

Happy new Year’s…

  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.2Cor.5.17