Hold on to Jeremiah 29:11

It has been wonderfully busy since I've written last.  I have put off writing, not because I don't have anything to say, but because I have too much to say... to be thankful for... that I am afraid once I start writing I will end up with a book.  

First, I'd like to say a huge thank you to my God.  It was worth the wait! February 6th to October 30th seemed like such a long wait...  but looking back from where we are now it was not as long as I had thought.  I thank God that I felt His presence in the waiting, even though I began to be impatient at times.  I thank God for what He did in the waiting.  I pray that we will be able to help others through their waiting times.

God worked a miracle. My husband could not find a job, though he applied for so many jobs that he was overqualified for, God had other plans for him.  So he had to leave town for a job that payed a small hourly wage. He worked in the foothills at a Christian camp doing whatever they needed him to do.  God took him to "higher ground" in many ways.  In the loneliness and the pain, away from family, he grew close to his God again. God walked with him and talked to him while he was out of the "noise" of loved ones surrounding him.  He came home at peace.  Thank you, Lord!

While the Lord was walking my husband through his hurts and healing him He also walked with me.  I learned a lot myself during this time. My "issues" that I had stuffed down in my heart had to be dealt with too.  Feelings of betrayal hurt deeply. Betrayal by more than a few people. I learned Who I can ALWAYS count on.  And in trusting Him I had to learn to trust again.  To forgive. To put hurt behind me and walk in freedom.  I also had received the peace of God. 

I praise my God that my boys still serve the Lord and are active in their churches that they serve in. Sometimes when pastor's kids see the pain their families endure serving the Lord they turn away from God or at the very least turn from serving Him for fear of the same happening to them. That is not the case with the boys.  I feel very blessed.

So, months ago I said this day would come, where I could share that God would take our bad situation and use it for good.  He has done so in a marvelous way. My husband was recently voted in as the new senior pastor at a church in the same town where he felt he would never have the chance to serve the Lord again. We love our new church family already. We are excited about what God has in store for us in this new ministry. We pray that we can use this experience to glorify God. I pray that if you are ever discouraged with your time "in the waiting" you will remember that God has everything in His hands and He wants more for you than you have ever dreamed. Hold on!  Trust!  And see that He has a plan for you too!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Uplifting Post... :-)

Okay, so I thought I would catch you up a bit and let you know a specific prayer need... The last post was a bit of a downer... I don't live there, but sometimes I go there!  Say it isn't so!  But alas, it is true!  Thank you for loving me anyway!  

Anywhooooo!  I want to share something with you... a nearby church is considering David to be their next pastor!  It has been a l-o-n-g process.  It can still fail at any turn as so many other things have in the last 7 months, but it is promising.  I humbly ask that you pray for God's will for us.  We don't want to be anywhere we are not supposed to be, but we are feeling led by God in that direction.  So... here is a God giggle I got this morning....

I am at work and I get a call.  I answer the phone... "Sierra Heights Baptist Church, This is Debbi, How may I help you?"  A lady on the other end says, "Yes, this is so-and-so.  I am with such and such Baptist Church.  We are following up on the references of a David P....  Your pastor is one of his references.  May I speak to him?"  Okay... so you know me... this was just too good to pass up!  I said, "Yes, I can get him for you, however, you would find out more about your candidate from his wife."  "His wife?" "Yes, you are speaking to her..."  Burst of laughter on both ends.... a little chat... then I pass her on to the pastor.  The rest of my day was spent with a smile on my face.  A little love tap from God!  

Well, loved ones... we shall see what God is doing soon enough, one way or the other!  Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.  This has been a long road.  Thank you for sticking with us!  

Blessings!  d

Apparently Kutless speaks to me... here's another one!  

The Land of In Between...

Hi, friends...

Could sure use your prayers tonight.  God has been so good that I have no reason to complain, but I will share with you... I am soooooooooooooooo tired of being in the waiting.  Things look up and then fall through a lot.  I get my hopes up... then... nothing.  Might I say that I know things look darkest before the dawn... and I'm hoping this is close to dawn!  :-)  I still have a good sense of humor.  I still am trying not to complain. I still put one foot in front of the other.  I'm not depressed... though tonight I am a bit down.  I know God has a plan and wants good for our family.  Still love my job.  Praising God for that distraction.  Can't imagine how I'd feel if I were home all the time worrying!  David has been temporarily working at Jenness Park doing whatever they need for him to do.  They can't pay much.  We've been stretching it for sure, but God is good and we aren't going into debt (miraculously!).  We have no retirement any more, but we are okay for a little while longer.  Anyway, he is gone all week and comes home on the weekends, or leaves for interviews mid-week and doesn't come home on the weekends.  He is worn out.  I am too.  Sure could use some prayers from my brothers and sisters in Christ tonight.  Thank you.  I promise I'll be more cheerful with the next update.  God is doing something good, I am sure of it!  Blessings, friends or should I say FAMILY!

Thoughts...

I heard a very interesting radio interview from Mark Hall, lead singer of "Casting Crowns", yesterday on K-LOVE. It reminded me of one of my favorite songs, "Lead Me" Sanctus Real. (above video) Mark said that he was doing the 6 week study with some men called "Raising A Modern Day Knight" and that he was teaching that men were supposed to be like the 2nd Adam, not the first. The first Adam allowed a serpent to confuse his wife (Eve) and tempt her to sin. The bible says that Eve passed the fruit to Adam and he ate too. You can't be but arms length away to pass something! The 2nd Adam, meaning Christ, has a bride... the church. The bible says that Christ crushes the head of the serpent. We should raise our boys to follow the 2nd Adam, Christ. I thought it was such a cool thought that I'd never put together before and wanted to share. Blessings, my friends and don't forget ... God can and will Lead You if you just ask Him to... not maybe, but we can know with absolute certainty, as He always answers prayer that are in His will!  

Focus on "The Word"

It has been a while. Sorry, friends! I've been busy though! I still love my job. My husband still has no job... he has been out of work since February 6th. He has resumes out EVERYWHERE... even Hawaii! (I would have loved that when I was young and thin!) God is still proving Himself faithful to provide for our every need...and some of our wants too! We are fine. In fact, we just got back from a vacation in Shady Cove, Oregon Sunday night. No, we did not spend money. How, you ask? God provided. That is all I am at liberty to say. But God used His children to provide. While vacationing I got to spend time with quite a few friends.  We have friends from here who we went with, friends we have made there over the four years we have vacationed in Shady Cove, and now we find we have friends that we knew here that moved there!  Small world. We enjoyed a 70th birthday of a friend, we rode the Rogue River rafting 3 times, (I am still sore!), I read, and basked in the cool air, much different than dear old Fresno! 

By the way...last weekend and the weekend before we attended the most awesome church.  It is Trail Christian Fellowship in Eagle Point, Oregon. Picture this... Soft contemporary music..."Oh How He Loves Us"... a pastor preaching a sermon, inside of a church building with picture windows on either side of the pulpit area overlooking the most gorgeous green mountain scenery. The pastor sitting in a chair in a soft voice explaining the scripture in a way you had not heard before, like you were sitting in his living room listening.  Did I transport you there?  Well... anyway.... it was so awesome!



First, the pastor gave us points of what Revelation "revealed"... 

• the supreme Lordship of God
• the spiritual warfare behind the scenes
• the violent rebellion of humanity against God
• God's Self-Sacrifice
• God's decision to destroy all sin and death
• God restoration of the heavens and the earth under His own reign

Previous to our study passage John got the full revelation of God, we turned to Revelation 22:6-11. We were asked to notice that the angel did not emphasize the "revelation".  No.  He emphasized over and over "the Word".  From verse 6 to 10, especially in verse 9 he emphasized God's Word and emphasized worshipping God...

Then we looked back at John 6:63... in Jesus' words... "...the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." 

In John:6:68 Peter says"...You (Jesus) have the words of eternal life".

Jesus said the word was spirit and life... Peter said Jesus had the words of eternal life, and the angel in revelation said that we must "heed the words of this book".

Have you been in the Word lately?  Worshiped the speaker of the Word? Celebrated Him?  That is what it is all about!

That was what I loved about being in Oregon!  I felt the Lord's presence in that church among strangers.... yet they not really strangers but were brothers and sisters in Christ!

We got home really late on Sunday night... well, actually Monday morning.  Yep, it was late!  I also had the best 4th of July after I got home too... all of my little family were together for food and fun and fireworks, the latter being the courtesy of Buchanan High School. My kiddos are not kids any more. I am going to enjoy every bit of time with them!

We are still in need of prayer for a job for my husband.  He is hanging in there... but he has NEVER been out of work like this before! That is tough on him, not knowing how he will provide for his family. Keeps you humble and on your knees though! :-)

I will try to keep you updated... and of course give you spiritual nuggets when I can... Blessings! d

They Say, "Love Hurts" And It Is True.

Thoughts about my sister...

Too many words say absolutley nothing. So much love rushes me it hurts.  I don’t remember much about you as a child. Our childhood was such a mess. I was so much older… seven years. You were different even then.  Blonde in a house of brunettes.  Pale skinned. Always sticking something up your nose or in your mouth or your ear. Braver than your older sisters. Daredevil. Losing people close to you at such an early age. Making jokes when people get too close to you so it won’t hurt so much when you lose them. Saying the strangest accidental things as a child… “Peace On You!”  We laughed at what it sounded like… Now I want "shalom" peace for you.  Shalom for me too. For my peace of mind. I want your salvation to be on solid ground. I am scared. Your heart is seriously broken… and it is breaking mine. Time.  There may not be a lot of it.  

Faith… I pray your faith in the Father is strong, Hope, I pray you look forward to each day on earth (may there be many years) and an eternity to look forward to in heaven, … Love… there is an abundance of love for you in my heart… and out of the three… faith, hope, & love… love is the only thing that continues in heaven.  Residence of heaven don’t need faith… they see Jesus, they don’t need to hope for heaven, they are there, but love, love remains.  

So sister, I pray for you to have such a perfect relationship between you and the Father that no matter what the future holds you are safe in His arms. I pray the Great Physician steps in and heals you. I want you to live a good long life on this earth praising God for every minute you are here and shining His love to others.  After all... it is not a stretch...you already show His love working with the elderly in the nursing home.  Then, in God's timing, I want you to join me in heaven and enjoy every minute of it there for eternity. That is what your big sis wants. That is my prayer. I love you so much.

My Weekend...

This is just a note to share what a blessing our weekend was. No, my husband does not have a job yet...  Anyway, we wound up with tickets to the Great Western Southern Gospel Fan Fest in Visalia....  (That was sure a mouthful!)  It was amazing, as usual... but the best part was meeting Dr. Charles Stanley and hearing him share what God put on his heart! It was like he was speaking directly to us! LOVE LISTENING TO THAT MAN!!! If you are on facebook you already saw half of the picture that was taken (David with Dr. Stanley)... why can't I ever take a decent picture!?!  I always have to cut me out! Heehee!

You know, I never really cared for southern gospel music... but it has grown on me. :-)  It is the words... and yes, the harmony... Here is a taste of what I saw... by the way... I took a picture with Kim Hopper too... but I was not pleased with what I looked like at 10:30 pm while she still looked fresh and gorgeous... don't fuss at me... I mistakenly made the comment about myself in front of her and she grabbed me by the face and fussed at me, so I will be quiet on that topic... here's Kim and the Hoppers off of youtube...enjoy! ...

And here is that picture I was telling you about...

told ya! :-)

An Update From A Fellow Sojourner

so·journ verb \ˈsō-ˌjərn
intransitive verb - so·journed, so·journ·ing, so·journs
To reside temporarily.

sojourner - noun
A temporary stay; a brief period of residence; to stay as a temporary resident

I am so thankful to my God for His love and for His comfort and His assurances especially at this time in my family's life where we realize more than ever that we depend on Him for the roof over our head and the food we eat. God has always had everything that concerns us in His hands and He is not wringing them in worry!

As you probably know, my husband is unemployed. (As I empathize with others of you dealing with loss of employment.) It is two weeks short of 3 months now. He has been looking for a job, going to interviews, and on the side fixing several people's cars for them, hauling furniture for them, still on a board at a local association, helping them make hard decisions, still signing checks for another ministry, etc... putting in hours without expecting pay. 

I am proud of that man of mine, even with the fall he has taken. His love language is service... He's helped clean the church kitchen, fix the sprinklers, and ran cable so that the church didn't have to pay expensive fees.  He's the pastor who went to the hospital to visit the sick. He's counseled couples in crisis. He's the one who was always staying late at his office and not making it home until late, and who tried to keep the church together when we had no senior pastor. He's gifted in the pulpit sharing God's Word and he's a pastor who, in teaching bible studies, brings God's Word to life.  

I pray that you will remember my man in your prayers. God's chosen vessel. And that you will pray for our family to find our place in ministry again, for that is our heartbeat. 

This world is our temporary residence... we are just sojourners. I thank God that He knows our pain and He is walking this road with us. He is there with us when gossip abounds, and when pain runs deep. He knows and He cares. There is no road that He will not walk us through if we are willing to humbly hold His hand and allow Him to lead us.  I praise Him for His mercy and grace and yes, His love for us. What peace that gives this traveller! He knows where He wants us to be and the place He eventually wants us to serve. Where ever that leads us, that is where we want to be.

I can't wait to share what God worked in us when we reach the end of this particular crisis, after all, that is the goal.  "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." NASB 

I hope my sharing will give you peace as you face your obstacles, knowing God loves you and is walking with you through your difficult times. I wish I could hear your praises when you have seen how He works in your crisis!  

I am still drinking from the cup I told you about - you know "The Fountain of Living Water". I'd still rather be right by Jesus than anywhere! My cup overflows with his love. I am at peace and cannot wait to see what God has in store!

We could still use your prayers.


Blessings, my friends!

Shalom Ya'll!

Just went to a Messianic Jewish Passover Seder. Wow! Isn't God just awesome! I knew a lot of the information I heard tonight, but I felt the presence of the Lord, the words to the music, the blowing of the shofar, the cups, the verbalized blessings, incredible food, it was just awesome!  Since I am adopted into Abraham's family that makes me a Jewish citizen. I am hungry to learn more about my heritage. I want to recognize my heroes when I get to heaven! I want to know the language! I want to know their customs and how they lived. I want to dance with the citizens of heaven worshipping my Father! I'm so high you'd think I was sippin' on the wrong spirit... But I'm sippin' on the Holy Spirit and that has to be a better high!

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, for giving us life, sustaining us and allowing us to reach this glorious time, Amen

Shalom ya'll!

Happy Resurrection Celebrations!

Artesian Well (definition)

• (n) a well drilled through impermeable strata into strata that receive water from a higher altitude so there is pressure to force the water to flow upward

I have been thinking about the "Fountain of Living Waters" this morning. The unending supply of fresh, cool, soothing, refreshing, spiritual water. Ready to be dipped into any time!  What a privilege! 

Tomorrow is Easter, yesterday was Good Friday.  We are right in the middle of our Easter Celebration.  The celebration of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. It seems rather odd to call the day Jesus was put to death "Good Friday" as you would think that it was anything but good for Him. Yet... it was what He came for. He was able to say "It is finished". A completed life well done. How do you feel when you do a job that you know has been done well? It was a horrible excruciating experience and He suffered horrendously. He was pleased with the end result. Then after defeating Hell He rose again! This was the final nail in Satan's "coffin" so to speak. Have you ever realized that the fires of Hell receive no "refreshing, soul quenching water" to put out the flames? Hmmm...

Now we have choices to make. Do we drink from His cup? Do we get a substitute for His refreshing water on our own? Do we run back and forth between the two, wearing ourselves out?

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns - broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

This is the choice we again are faced with.  Each morning when we get up... will it be "Fountain of Living Waters" today or man made waters today? If you've been sippin' from man made waters you've been sippin' from the wrong spirits! Drink from the Spirit who is the Fountain of Living Waters and be refreshed today!

Happy Resurrection Celebration, my friends! May He refresh you!

Easter Blessings 2 U!

This is a special time of the year.  This is a time of celebration.  Many years ago the Israelites were treated harshly by the Egyptians.  They cried out to God for salvation.  God provided.  At that time they celebrated the Passover.  But true salvation was to come!

I think about what was done for us.  I think about how God wanted children so badly that He chose to have us, knowing that we would separate ourselves from Him because of sin.  He wanted us with Him so much that He planned a provision.  As a parent we know that if we saw our child about to be shot and killed that we would jump out in front of him to protect him.  How much more so did God do for His children.  He saw we were headed to Hell because of our choices. Our sin.  So the Loving Father took the bullet for us. 

At this time of year especially... with the newness of spring coming... we think back and remember a God who loved us enough to give His live for us.  The thing is... Jesus did die in my place, take my sin on His sinless body... suffer indignity and pain and shame because of me.  But as the famous you tube video says... "Sunday is a comin"!  Jesus did not stay on that cross!  He is our God, our Savior, and our LOVING FATHER! 

How much do you love your Daddy?  Do you talk to Him?  Do you know His heart?  Or do you just talk to Him when you need something?  Do you realize the great honor it is to be adopted into His family?  Do you realize the privilege it is to belong to Him and get to talk to Him anytime we want?  Do you learn from Him, meditate on His words to you? Feel His presence in your life?  Has your love grown stale?  I pray not. If so... let this be a fresh season for you to "spring forward" in your relationship with your Abba Father. Do as the Israelites... cry out to Him.  He is the God who hears.  He is the God of blessings to those who seek Him.

I will leave you with my last memory verse...
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.
AMEN

Thoughts...

It has been a long while since I sat down to write anything. I love writing and I miss this time. I am enjoying my new job and it is stretching me. I am doing things I have never attempted before and I think I am doing them rather well, if I can say so myself! God is blessing me abundantly!

My 31st Anniversary is Tuesday and I look back over the years as if they were but a few. There have been ups and downs along the way, as with all marriages, but I am thankful for a man who loves the Lord and who has been strong in the face of many difficulties and trials. I am proud of him and the strength he has shown, especially in the last few weeks. Looking for a job at this point in time is no easy road. Prayers are much appreciated at this time.

My memory verse for the last two weeks is John 16:33... I have told you these things so that in Me you will have peace. In this world you will have troubles. But take heart. I have overcome the world. Before that my memory verse was Romans 8:28...And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Yes, I have hope. I have my Abba Father in control! Who could not have a deep down joy even in the midst of sadness.

God is not through with us yet... He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6. and somewhere the bible says "this too shall pass"! :-)

I am praying for others who are hurting. People are hurting and in distress all over the world. The birth pains are getting closer together as the bible said that they would. Pray with me for the lost and dying of the world... And in our own neighborhoods. Easter is a fantastic opportunity to reach out. Don't make excuses, please. Time is short. Heaven awaits the faithful.

Blessings and "shalom" my friends! d

Today's reading... Acts 26: 24,28-29...

"Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy," ...

Have you ever been labeled a crazy "Jesus freak". I have. By family one Christmas... After that first semester at seminary... So excited about the ministry and all the miracles we had witnessed. We were labeled "better than thou" because we were always talking about what we were learning from Jesus... I guess it made them feel bad about themselves so they told us to leave... It was a confusing and lonely Christmas.

Well... Life goes on.... I missed that excitement that comes when you eagerly await what God will do next... I was in a slump... That old excitement is back for me! I am seeing Him again doing miraculous things around me! My eyes have been blinded by worries and sadness and I could not see the Light fully shining... I had a clouded vision. My vision is clearing. I see the Light once again! And it is glorious! I feel like I have been living under oppression. Satan can not possess a Christian, for we are sealed, but he can oppress us until we want to curl up and give up, shut down, and not hearing from (listening to) God as we once did. Praise God He won't allow us to stay there! I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow! I pray that you do too...

If you have never read my blog before I pray that one thing sticks in your mind... God loves you and wants to give you victory over your loneliness and pain. He wants your heart. And if you give Him your heart you will never be alone again. He will walk you through your pain. Take it from a fellow sojourner... He is worth it! Give Him your life, such as it is, knowing that you are handing over all your past and receiving forgiveness and love and hope and peace. Christianity is not "fire insurance" from He'll... It is LIFE INSURANCE! You get to really live... Starting the moment you trust in Him. It is no cost to you... He has paid the price for you already... You just have to take the gift! If you have any questions just comment me and I will get back with you.

And for the remainder of the reading today...Agrippa interrupted him (Paul), "do you think you can make me a Christian so quickly?" Paul replied "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."

Blessings, friends!

Living for Christ... Or Christ living in me?

This morning I went over my memory verse, read my devotional, and read my bible before work.  I am liking this getting up earlier with no one to interrupt my quiet time.  Well... I read about the Israelites camping by tribal family (each group a descendant of of one of Jacob's sons) around the tabernacle and how they picked up and moved in order.  God likes order. In Acts Paul was up before Felix... Until Felix stopped him and wanted to wait for a more opportune time... (Satan's quote after not getting Jesus to sin in the wilderness.) I left Paul there to go to work. The big thing this morning was my devotion. Blackaby. He talked about letting Christ live through us...  instead of doing something on our own for God, getting complimented on it, and passing the compliment on to God for our accomplishments. He said to live in this way is a self centered way to serve God. Made me think... Is my "works" worthless to God? Has everything I have ever done in the name of God been something I did and then ask Him to bless or have I been allowing Him to live through me?  I have meditated on that all day and still don't have an answer. I pray that He is living through me. Still holding on to Romans 8:28...later my blog friends!.

My first few days...

Having a hard time.  I still know beyond a doubt that God is good.  I still know that He loves me.  I still have my hope in Him.  Just having a hard time right now.

The mornings are best.  I awaken to the new day with joy... and then I remember... so I go to my devotions for the day and of course, they are alwa;ys fitting.  I repeat my memory verse... Satisfy me each morning with your unfailing love so that I may sing for joy until the end of my days... I read my daily "read through the bible in a year" verses... but my mind wanders as bad as the Israelites in the desert... how many times do we have to repeat how to kill a sacrifice and where to sprinkle its blood?  Time to dress for my new job... listen to some praise songs... drive to work... and forget.... for a while.

Coming home I remember again.  God is good.  He is taking care of us.  We love him.  We will be fine.  Sure could use your prayers though.

Blessed by Him... Always

Growing in Christ...

Hello, again!  I am so blessed to have you take the time to read my musings.  Thank you for being my friend.  It is a privilege.

We are already on day 27 of our reading the bible through in a year.  I can honestly say it is easier to keep up with the reading than writing on what I've read!  Can I get a witness? :-)  

I've learned about the Israelites seeing God's miracles and then questioning God after seeing Him deliver them... After all the things that God miraculously did to take care of the Israelites and then the "back to Egypt" committee loudly proclaims that they should never have left Egypt to die in the wilderness!  They sang songs of deliverance with the same mouth that complained about God and His choice of leadership...  they were called a stiff-necked people... I question myself... how can I avoid the "back to Egypt" committee mentality?  Am I a stiff-necked person?  The answers to those questions are simple... DO I TRUST? 

We saw God giving His ten commandments to the people first and they did not want to hear it from God... they wanted God to speak to Moses.  Then he could repeat what God says... They apparently did not want the relationship that God offered.  So I ask myself... How is your relationship going with Jesus? Is He my "go to" first?  As a young Christian I used to go around asking others to pray for me about this or that without ever going to The Father myself.  As a maturing Christian I know it is my privilege to go My Father first, before asking others to pray for me.  It sounds like a small step... but it is a HUGE step!  The relationship between Father and Child is a binding one! 

In today's reading I noticed something I never noticed before... Chapter 20 verse 24 of Exodus... (NLT) "...Build altars in the places where I remind you who I AM, and I will come and bless you there."  I think we can do this today... when I read something that reminds me of who God is in my life I can stop right there and give Him a sacrifice of praise on the altar of my heart.  He blesses me right then and there!  I hope God is stirring your heart toward building that altar daily! ♥

In the reading in Acts 2 from yesterday, I have to share with you that I've seen this type of "speaking in tongues".  Once in Fort Worth, David was leading a bible study class.  A couple joined us one Sunday.  The husband was American.  The wife was from Rio de Janeiro and could not speak or even understand but a little of the English language.  David taught and after class the husband came up to us as we were leaving for worship... he said that they had visited many classes, but she could not understand what any of the teachers were saying,... but she understood David... in her own language!  God is still doing miracles and all we have to do is listen and watch with a heart tuned to God!

I love the church coming together as it did in chapter 2.  The new believers were convicted of sin, turned from their sins, turned to God, they were baptized in the name of Jesus for forgiveness of sin, and then they joined with the other believers, devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, they joined in fellowship, and shared in the Lord's Supper, and prayed! 

For a long time I have felt a sadness.  The only new believers I would see (outside of mission trips) were children of believers.  Things have been different in the last year.  Many have come to know Jesus as their Savior.  They are hungry for the Word of the Lord, for understanding, for that relationship with God and with man.  They are telling others of the change in their lives.  The mature believers are sharing the foundations of the faith while the newcomers are sharing their excitement about what they are learning.  As I've said before... things are changing!  It is exciting to be a member in a church that is not self-absorbed, but is actually reaching the community!  At this point I want to share a picture... This picture is a picture of a painter that shared with us last Christmas Eve of his new love of Jesus and how Jesus picked him up and loved on his heart... I think you will enjoy seeing what he painted...

 Here is the picture of his baptism...

Yes, it brings tears of joy when you see God at work in your midst!

And I will end today's talk with a quote from today's reading, as a child of the King... "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you; In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene - ..."  AMEN

Blessings, friends!

Changes...

I love Jesus.  There.  That is the core of my heart. Things are changing for me in subtle ways.  Change is hard, but I love the growth that comes from it.  It makes me stretch in ways I may never have stretched before.  It may not feel "right" at first, but once on the road of change you cannot go back to the way things were.  You must move forward! 

Our church is changing.  I miss the people that used to be here.  I don't know many of the new faces.  But I see new believers everywhere!  It is exciting! I want to see the smiles of new believers and the questions they have and the overflowing joy at knowing their new found Savior.  I love this with every fiber of my being!  Asking questions like... I thought the "ark" was a boat? when we discuss the Ark of the Covenant.  LOVE IT!!!!!  Mixing new believers with the more mature Christians brings a sweetness to the church.  Solid foundations from the mature Christians help the new believers grow and new believers give excitement back in to the matured Christian.  Awesome!

We are changing schedules too and some don't like it.  But I believe that God put our leaders in place and the bible says we are to follow their lead unless they try to depart from the bible.  Period.  So... a change of schedule is where we are headed.  February 13th.  I am excited! There will be some time between services to visit.  Fellowship if you want to use "Christianese".  I will feel more comfortable myself if I can meet new people without being in a rush to get to "wherever" between services.  Name tags and visiting will solidify our church family.  It is the perfect solution.  I am behind our leaders 100 percent.  

My life is changing also.  I will be a "working outside the home" wife and mother again next week.  God dropped the position into my lap.  I wasn't even looking.  I LOVE what the job will entail... secretarial work and ministry work.  Of course, I am anxious... will I be good enough?  I haven't worked in a long time!  What will I wear?  :-)  Who will pick my son up from school? Will I have the energy to do all that I need to do?  What will my house look like without me being here to keep it tidy?  Ahhhh.... I hear the Lord saying all kinds of things to calm my spirit...

• "Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you"....  
• "Do not be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, and beautiful clothes.  You should clothe yourself instead with the beauty that comes from the inside.  The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 
• "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 
• "... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"...   

It is funny... God tells me things that make me cry or makes me smile or something... There is always a response when you hear from God!  I cried reading about the Passover and the Last Supper in our reading the bible through in one year.  I cried when the folks on the road to Emmaus finally recognized the risen Christ.  Sweet!  And NO, I don't hear an audible voice from God... But I hear Him speak to me just the same.  Last Sunday in church the pastor had us bow our heads and take a moment to listen to what God would say to us.  We asked Him what He wants to say to us and listened (it only lasted for probably just a minute and we continued).  Now I've heard from God many a time, so I was waiting... What did God want to say to me?  In the quiet of the sanctuary... I got... nothing.  The time passed without a word from God.  HOWEVER just after that short time of quiet listening one of the praise team members passed by me and dropped my car keys onto my purse I did not even know they were missing... And I heard loud and clear... "I take care of you even when you don't know you need taking care of!"  I about laughed out loud during the last part of the service.  Jesus is so sweet.  He brings tears to my eyes.  I hope you know Him, my friend!  He is the love of my life.

Now, one more thing I need to tell you.  I probably won't be writing to you daily as I was before.  I tend to take a long time really studying the passages that we are reading and finding something I never noticed before, and then sharing it with you... however, I will not be doing the blog on all I find out.  my blog will not be quite as in depth as it has been.  You are probably saying, thank you, Jesus!  :-)  As I am new at blogging eventually I will find my way as to what works and what doesn't work with my time.  I do know I will be talking to you about Jesus.  I do know I will try to be encouraging for your day.  I do know this is a privilege and I don't want to abuse the privilege.

May God make Himself known to you and draw you closer daily!  Blessings 2 U!

Onward with Luke!

Hi, friends!  Before I start the bible reading for day 21, here is my update on the blog... The last post I posted on 1/19 was considered "offensive" by facebook.  It would not take the post.  I replied to fb with why I thought they were wrong.  They did post my blog the next day.  I think it was probably a "friend" who did not particularly want to see my updates and went to "hide" my posts and wound up accidentally marking it as "spam", so I don't believe I have a Debbi or a Christ hater person on my hands... I believe we have a Christ-hater evil being that is not human, but we do not see his face, only his deeds... but he's there stalking all the time!  Wow!  Over something as simple as my bible musing daily!  I feel complimented!  :-)

So... on we go!  When last we left off we were in the middle of Luke 19... The Triumphal Entry... Jesus continued on His way from Jericho toward Jerusalem.  On the Mount of Olives Jesus sent two of His disciples to a small village just ahead of Him to find a colt (donkey) that had never been ridden for Him to ride.  He knew God would provide it, all He had to do was ask something in God's will... and there was no question to that!" This would fulfill the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9.  "Don't be afraid, people of Israel.  Look, your King is coming sitting on a donkey's colt." So, as the NLT says, "sure enough" they found the colt.  Do you think they were from southern Galilee?  :-)  As they descended from the Mount of Olives His followers started to shout and sing and praise God for all the miracles they had seen... Hmmm... that wording is a bit telling... for all the wonders they had seen?  I know there probably aren't many "Southern Gospel Music" followers out there, but there is a song that I love and it says "He'd have still been God even if..."  Take a listen...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a8DeyFQJMU
Nice!  :-)  Anyway, this was the event which we remember as we celebrate "Palm Sunday". I got into a nice little rabbit trail trying to find ONE gospel writer to say "palm branches were laid on the ground in front of Him" though.  One says palm branches waving at Him, one says branches from nearby trees, etc... Doesn't change the facts.  Just an interesting tidbit.  The followers threw down their coats and branches (Matthew 21:8) in praise for what they hoped would be their King.  Funny what a few hours changes.  People are sure fickle!  And then came the Pharisees.  But even they could not change the joyful spirit!  "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" Luke 19:40 (NLT)  Makes you want to shout "hallelujah" don't it?  :-)
I was in a Beth Moore study and we studied this next passage.  I don't remember which one, so I'll try to sum it up, finding the exact word for "cry" for you. The Greek word used is "eklausen" the Greek dictionary describes it this way... a) weeping as the sign of pain and grief for the thing signified b) to weep for, mourn for, bewail.  As I understand it this type of crying was loud and it showed grief... such as tearing of one's clothing, wailing, throwing oneself down, etc... Jesus doesn't just drop a tear or two over Jerusalem.  He is hurting for those who reject Him and what they will suffer.  He is so tender.
And yet He is fierce.  Let's read the next verses!  You know the story... the money changers came in to the temple.  They were selling lesser animals at marked up prices filling the need for Passover and lining their pockets thickly.  Jesus again fulfills scripture...Psalm 69:9  "Passion for God's house burns within me..."  At that time the leaders began planning how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the followers because His followers hung on to every word Jesus said.  I wanna be like that... hanging on to every word!

Chapter 20
Continually Jesus was challenged and it really stumped the leaders as to how they could trip Jesus up. What a parable Jesus shared about the evil farmers.  A Vineyard Owner (God) sent his servants (Prophets) to collect his share of the crop, but the evil farmers kept killing them. So the vineyard owner sent His Cherished Son (Jesus). They murdered Him too. What will the owner of the vineyard do then? So the people protested... (No, God forbid that such a thing should ever happen!)... I recall a story from Mark Lowry about how when he was a child at the movies to see the movie "Jesus" they got to the part about Jesus being crucified and he started yelling "NO!  DON'T HURT HIM!!!!", but his brother hushed him up... "Mark, he said, they HAVE TO or we won't be able to get into heaven!" ... The stone rejected by the builder has now become the cornerstone!  Hallelujah!  Guess what?  The leaders "got" what Jesus said!  That parable was directed at the leaders "farmers" themselves and they wanted to take Jesus right then, but they feared a riot, so they waited. Again they tried to trick Jesus into getting Himself in trouble with Caesar, but it backfired again.  And don't let the discussion about resurrection trip you up... it was another shot in the dark to try and trap Jesus.  I liked the way the New Living Translation translates Jesus' answer.  It broke it down more clearly to me.  We will not be married in heaven and we will never die again.  In that way we are like angels. Then Jesus asks them a question about how the Messiah could be the Son of David when David himself said that God was his Lord?  Then Jesus went on to warn  everyone about the teachers of the law and how they liked the attention that they got, but  they shamelessly cheat and cover up their sinfulness and that their punishment will be the greatest.  Wow!  Not a way to win friends and influence enemies! 

Chapter 21
Next we see the wealthy walking up to the offering box and giving their gifts, (probably with quite the big dramatic ta-da!), and a lowly widow offering all that she had in embarrassment.   In context this was probably very sad for Jesus.  He had just finished talking about how people should beware of the teachers of the law and that they would rob the poor widows.  Makes you wonder if Jesus was not just remarking on the love of the widow but of the theft of the teachers of the law.  Just a thought! When the disciples started talking about all the fine stonework of the temple, Jesus tells them that the time is coming when not one stone will be left on top of another.  Still sounds to me like Jesus was disgusted with the teachers of the law enough to demolish what they thought was holy and replace it with His version of a holy temple!  Let’s read on…

Of  course the disciples wanted to know when.  Wouldn’t you?  Don’t you?  By the way… this could be a full year long bible study in these few verses!  We are going through this W-A-Y to fast!  Let’s get started!  

·        Don’t let anyone mislead you (referring to anti-Christ and they are in every generation!  Satan doesn’t know any more than we do about “when” so he has to have someone prepared at all times!  Hitler, Mussolini, etc…)

·        Wars, earthquakes, famines, epidemics, terrifying things, miraculous signs in the heavens, and GREAT PERSECUTION.  You will be arrested, accused, etc…

·        Give your accusers the “Gospel”… For GOD so loved the world that He gave His ONLY begotten SON that whosoever believeth in Him should not PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE!   Don’t worry about what you will say; God will give you the right words!

·        Family will betray you.  Some will be killed. Everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to God.

·        By standing firm you will win your souls!

·        Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies.  Then you will know the time has arrived. 

 Let me stop for a moment.  Whew!  We are leading up to talking about the Second Coming again.  People distressed, Jerusalem conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles, strange events in the sky, and signs in then sun, moon, and stars.  Nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the seas and strange tides.  The very stability of the heavens breaks up.  Sounds like scary stuff?  Look up, then, for your salvation is near! 

 … Note that all who are Gentiles means the non-Jewish with (let me add) the non-believers (because the bible says that believers are grafted into the Jewish family).     
…Note the words… UNTIL THE AGE OF THE GENTILES COMES TO AN END. Do you know when that is?  It is the Second Coming.  No more chances.  Done.  Finished.  No mas!
In verse 31 we see Jesus mention that if you see the events He has described you can be sure that the Kingdom of God is near.  Then he says that THIS generation will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place.  I always took it that He was talking about the generation He was speaking to… which of course has passed.  Only now do I see that He is talking about the generation who sees the events described.  Funny how things pop out at you that you never noticed before.  He goes on to say that Heaven and earth will disappear, but His words will remain forever.  Amen!
So now to verses 34 through verse 36.  It ends with “and pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”  Rapture perhaps?

And every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening He returned to the Mount of Olives.  The crowds gathered each morning to hear Him.  What is my practice?  Do I have a pattern of being with Jesus each day?  Could someone count on me like clockwork to be with the Lord each day?  Something to think about!

Well, Luke is caught up.  I’ve left Jacob and Joseph… for another sitting.  Just a note to my friends… I did get the job I applied for!  I will be a church secretary at a nearby church.  I am excited, but I know I won’t be able to spend as much time with my rabbit trails in the Word.  I will still be reading daily as I hope you will be too.  I will try to write something on my day off… Fridays.  May you be blessed! d

Saying Goodbyes Slows Me Down...

Day 19 of the bible reading plan...

I read this morning and am just now getting to the computer.  I know what is coming in Genesis and I want to slow down.... savor it because I'm going to have to say goodbye to some much loved friends.  Interesting how in reading about the lives of people you are drawn to them and don't want to say goodbye. 

We start today out by seeing our much loved Jacob blessing the Pharaoh.  Twice.  :-)  That makes me smile.  Pharaoh trusted Joseph so completely that he entrusted his own livestock to the family.  I love the Pharaoh's blunt question to Jacob... "HOW OLD ARE YOU?"  Heehee!  He must have looked his 130 hard years! 

Joseph was a wise and shrewd businessman.  He basically "taxed" the people so that there would be enough grain in the storehouses to survive the famine.  The people lost everything but their lives, but had it not been for Joseph they would have lost that too.  Joseph's leadership not only saved the people and prospered the kingdom, but the people did not receive "unemployment" so to speak... they worked for their living, just as before the famine.  Interesting how God maneuvered things so that His beloved creation (man) would survive. 

At this point we are close to losing Jacob.  Jacob basically "adopts" Joseph's two sons.  They will inherit, just as the other brothers. So there should be 14 brothers to inherit now, right?  Not exactly.  Joseph got the birthright... two portions, which went to his two sons instead of him.  So minus Joseph, well that leaves 13 right? Not exactly. Levi did not inherit property as his descendants wound up being the priests and they did not own land.  That leaves us the 12 sons who inherited. 

Back to Jacob blessing Joseph's boys... The younger one had the better blessing.  I wonder if Jacob was looking back on how he got the blessing from Isaac as he was the younger of he and his brother?  Or I wonder if because of the boys names (the meanings of the boys names, that is) he chose the one who was called "God has made me fruitful in the land of my sufferings" over the one called "God has made me forget all my troubles and the family of my father".  Just a thought.  The point is, Jacob made that decision and knew what he was doing, despite confusing Joseph! 

Note... I dread tomorrow's reading. We are gonna have to say goodbye to two incredible men!

In reading Luke today I got so sidetracked that I never read the end of the chapter.  I thought I was finished and came back to the passage and realized that I was only half through reading! 

We were on the road to Jericho when we last left Jesus.  He was on his way to Jerusalem for the passover and for all things to be made new.  Jericho... when was it rebuilt?  A rabbit trail I will follow some other time!  Anyway, who doesn't know the story of Zacchaeus?  Who didn't sing the children's song in church... "Zacchaeus was a wee little man and wee little man was he..."?  Love it!  In going over the story I noticed that Zach was a Jew.  Yet he was in the Roman tax collecting business.  Not just a tax collector, but a CHIEF tax collector.  No wonder he was influential, rich, and unloved by the crowds!  But I did have questions...

• How did Jesus know Zacchaeus' name? We will have to ask Zach about this in heaven, but one possible reason Jesus knew his name was that Zach was a short, possibly rotund, well dressed fellow whose short little legs ran past many gawking people and climbed a tree.  People were probably laughing at him, by name, and saying bad things about this chief tax collector who cheated his own people of taxes for the Roman government. 
• How did Zach know who Jesus was?  He could have heard the reputation of the man who brought good news wherever he went, who had a disciple that was a tax collector, a man who associated and ate with the sinners.  Whatever the reason, no one comes to the Father unless drawn by the Spirit of God.
• Why did Zach's heart immediately change?  Simple. He met Jesus.  On the side he probably heard the criticism that he was bringing on Jesus. But seeing Jesus he had the immediate need to repent and turn from his ways.  Wasn't that a part of your testimony?  It was a part of mine, even though I wasn't old enough to build up too much of a testimony!  :-)  When you see Jesus, you also see yourself more clearly.
• Jesus came to Jericho... just passing through... doing what He was sent to do... save that which is lost.  A gift to Jesus by His Father... Jesus came to Jericho for the purpose of seeking Zacchaeus. You see, Zacchaeus was one of those whom the Father had given as a gift to Jesus Christ to save. As per John 17:2, 6 "For you granted him authority over all people, that he might give eternal life to all those you have given Him. . ." and "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word."

The story of the ten servants was where I got sidetracked... I got stuck on "The Kingdom of God" part.  Apparently as He neared Jerusalem, his followers expected "The Kingdom of God".  A King who would dethrone the rulers of their day and start a new Kingdom... He wanted to correct their impression of what was to follow...
In this parable Jesus would represent the nobleman who would be crowned King. The servants are those who belong to Him.  The money was the gifts He left them to add to His "numbers".  Those who added to their number were righteous and trusted with more gifts.  Those who were unfaithful and did nothing with the gifts He had left them had all their gifts taken away from them.  And the enemies of the King were executed.

That is where I got sidetracked and did not even read the Triumphal entry or the weeping over Jerusalem, or the clearing of the Temple!  I think I'll continue those passages tomorrow.  They are too important to leave out!  And we will be dealing with Jesus' crucifixion soon.  I'm hanging on to every word from the Word.  See you tomorrow. d

Catching up on Luke!

Catching up on the blog...

Luke 16: "The Shrewd Manager"  Okay,,, who read this and was totally confused?  My hand is up!  Was Jesus commending the stealing, cheating manager?  Hmmm... I had to dig into this more!

I found this information, which helped me to understand...

"The point Jesus is trying to make is this... We live in a material world surrounded by material resources. While these things are temporal and have limited value, they can be used in a way that produces eternal value. We should first recognize that God is the owner of all, and we are therefore His stewards. He has entrusted His resources to us, not only to provide for our needs and for those of our dependents, but also to allow us the opportunity to invest in eternal things. We should be carefully looking for ways in which we can use temporal, material things to invest in eternity. (This is done by considering ways in which we can impact people--eternal souls--for Christ.)  It wasn't the deceit that He was commending, but rather the wisdom and resourcefulness. (In other words, if even worldly, deceitful sinners have enough wisdom to be so resourceful, certainly you, my disciples, can learn a lesson and be resourceful and wise, as well.)  Imagine the shame of a Christian who wastes the immense potential that wealth and material things contain--the potential to impact others for good, the potential to effect people in a positive way. If even non-believers understand this principal, how much more should we!"
Okay... I feel better... do you?  :-)

The Rich Man and Lazarus... As another parable I do not believe this is a real person, nor a real situation, but a parable to make a point... and the point is...?
Well, there is the lesson that where your heart is there you will be in the end.  And, of course, God is justice. My favorite line in this parable is from Abraham... "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets they won't listen EVEN IF SOMEONE RISES FROM THE DEAD."  I put the all caps and wonder why my bible doesn't have at least an exclamation point at the end of that sentence!  Can anyone say, "Jesus!" 

Chapter 17:
This chapter starts with one of the most healing set of verses for me in the entire bible... as a little one terribly hurt by my stepfather and not ready to forgive (many years ago) I read... it is better for a millstone to be wrapped around his neck and thrown into the sea than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones..(me?).  And then God says I am to forgive.  Hard fact.  Not forgiving to let someone off of their responsibility.  Never to say, I forgive you... it was nothing.  No, it says to rebuke him, but forgive him.  Say... you have hurt me beyond measure, but God is good.  He tells me to forgive and I will be forgiven.  It is His to judge.  He loves me and has taught me not to hold on to unforgiveness.  It is not good for me or for those around me.  He wants my best and He says to forgive so with my mouth I forgive you, my heart will follow.  And it did.  Amen!

Faith of a mustard seed... So many people misuse this set of verses!  It doesn't say go around and demand God to do things to test Him or to make yourself look better!  It doesn't say that if what you ask for does not come to be then you have no faith!  What it does say is that you may ask the impossible in His name and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is in His power to do as you requested.  And don't look for praise when you ask and it comes to be (like the television head boppers!).  It is not about YOU it is about the power of the Lord! Keep the faith folks!  I HAVE SEEN MIRACLES HAPPEN IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO PRAY A PRAYER! Trust me, God hasn't pulled out of the miracle business!  Thank you, Lord!

Next the ten lepers... it is sad to see that 1/10th of them was healed both on the outside and the inside.  9/10th of them missed the bigger miracle...a saving faith in Jesus!

The Coming of the Kingdom... I believe that when Jesus was saying "the kingdom of God is among you" He was saying that as long as believers are here we are experiencing the kingdom of God.  You can't see it with your human eyes, it is the Spirit of God in each of His own children.  But the time is coming that the Spirit of God will be removed from the earth (we will talk further in this paragraph about that).  First the Son of Man (Jesus) will suffer and be rejected.  After that Jesus won't be physically with us in body form, but His Spirit will be here and there will be false prophets... (Satan is always ready with a false prophet!  He  doesn't know when the time will be either!)  Be very careful.  Jesus said that when He comes again everyone will know it, it won't be talked about and passed on... EVERYONE will know it beyond any doubt! (Still talking about the Second Coming).  Then I believe He changes gears and describes the "rapture"... as in Noah's day, and as in Lot's day, be prepared for the gathering to Himself.  ("That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken away, and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.")  I am not dogmatic about this, but I believe with all my heart that He has shown us mercy in the past (Noah and Lot are examples). I believe He will allow destruction only after His own are removed.  Then shifting back into Second Coming mode the Pharisees ask... "When will this (The Second Coming of Jesus) happen?" Jesus' answer... When you see the signs (the rapture) the end is near and no one will miss seeing Jesus at the Second Coming.  Again, I am not dogmatic, but this is what I believe the passage to be saying.  Hope that makes sense to you. 

And Luke 18
 I find...

• Persistence pays off!  Don't give up praying! 
• When He returns how many will he find faithful?
• The Pharisee and the tax collector parable makes me think of the song by Amy Grant... "Better Than A Hallelujah!" (The honest cries of a breaking heart are better than a hallelujah) Getting right with God means having a humble spirit, coming to Him sorrowful for our sins and with reverence to Him in our heart. 
• Children coming to Jesus always gets to me!  I came to Him as a child.  I was being discouraged by the adults in my life not to go to church.  Jesus sent a bus ministry to me.  The ministering hearts of a loving church brought me to Jesus as a child, that is where my faith blossomed!  I will forever be thankful!

• The rich man breaks my heart!  He put money over a relationship with Jesus.  Jesus knew the need in this man's heart and went straight to the problem.  If Jesus looked at someone else He may not have said get rid of the money... remember He knows the heart... He might have said "Get rid of the food", "Get rid of the alcohol", "Get rid of the ..."  you name it!  Whatever stops full devotion to God is the problem!  But verse 25 clarifies... "What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God"... I hope this means that the rich young man figured it out! :-)
• Jesus predicts His death... and they did not get it!  They must not have remembered it even after the crucifixion!  Hard to grasp, I know.  Seems that would be something to really be watchful for!  In this case I say... if we are no better than His disciples we will not be prepared for the rapture!  He told us about it.  I hope I have the sense to pay heed!
• And lastly Jesus heard the blind beggar and saw his faith.  He can hear me and He sees my faith too.  That is comforting!

Sorry for the length of the post!  Have a great day!  And many blessings 2 you! d

People CAN Change...

Hi!  Hope you all had a great Sunday and a great MLK Day!  We picked up my son and his new wife at the airport last evening.  They are home safely after a great honeymoon.  God is good!

I did not post on Sunday's reading, nor on yesterday's.  I'm catching up on the writing today.  Hope you are keeping up.  It is a lot, but it is such a blessing.  I finally found a map that had all the locations on it so I could trace Jacob's travels and now Joseph's.  By the way, my heart goes out to Joseph.  When I get to heaven I'll be looking him up!  :-) 

Things I found interesting about Joseph's ordeal...

• Potiphar... An officer of Pharaoh: The ancient Hebrew word officer may be translated “eunuch.” It was a common practice in ancient times to make those highest in the royal courts eunuchs, to ensure they would be wholly devoted to their king. Because this practice was common, the term came to be used for all who served in important positions in a king’s court, whether they were eunuchs or not. So we really don’t know if Potiphar was a eunuch.  Kind of makes the thought of the wife being attracted to Joseph a little more understandable... but only a little!  :-)
• Potiphar had the chance to put Joseph to death for the crime of trying to rape his wife.  He chose prison for Joseph.  The prison was located in his basement as he was Captain of the Palace Guard. Note... it said that after hearing his wife's story Potiphar was furious... with whom I wonder?
• The "jailer" put Joseph in charge of the other prisoners.  Whether it be Potiphar himself, or one of his underlings that got permission from Potiphar, Joseph was once again promoted because God was with him and blessed all he did.
• God opened Joseph's eyes with regards to dreams.  He rightly told what the cup bearer and the baker's dreams meant.  Joseph asked the cup bearer to remember him to Pharaoh.  He promptly forgot about Joseph when he was released.
• Two years later... God's timing!  Joseph was ready, the Pharaoh was ready, the land was ready,... God sees the big picture!
• I noticed when the cup bearer finally remember Joseph he referred to Joseph as "he was a servant of the captain of the guard".  Captain of the Guard was Potiphar.  Still makes me wonder whether Joseph was really "imprisoned" or whether his job position just changed to below the home of Potiphar.
• Note that Judah was back with his dad and brothers when the famine hit... He was one of the 10 brothers that went to Egypt to buy grain.
• Another thing I noticed... maturity on Joseph's part... as a youth he bragged about his dreams and his brothers bowing down to him. He just could not keep it to himself.  Now, his brothers came and bowed down before him and he did not even tell them who he was.  
• Interesting enough... when Joseph encountered his brothers and put them in  prison for three days his brothers discussion among themselves did not go like this .. "It is because we sinned at Shechem and killed so many, we are looked on as spies here!"  No... it was "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago.  We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn't listen. That's why this trouble has come upon us."
• Jacob still suffered over the loss of Joseph.  He had lost Rachel too.  His words to the brothers showed us how he felt about Benjamin too.  He did not seem overly concerned with Simeon not coming home though.  Yes, Jacob had his favorites.  Jacob's entire family suffered for his favoritism.
• On a lighter note... Benjamin strikes me as a youngest child, much loved.  He is oblivious to the brother's guilt.  He takes things as they come.  Five times more food for him... no problem!  :-)
• Note the reaction of Jacob's sons over Benjamin's arrest. They tore their garments in despair and headed back to get their brother out of this mess and send him home to their father.  Judah led the pack of brothers.  He had personally sold one brother into slavery, this would not happen again!  Judah's heartbreaking offer of taking Benjamin's place led me to remember the "Lion of Judah" who died in my place.  Tears fill my eyes as I read that passage.
• I wasn't the only one who is trying to hold back the tears.  Joseph breaks down and tells the brothers who he is.  God has matured Joseph so much that he does not blame the brothers for his ordeal, but explains to them that God had a plan that was bigger than any of them!  
• Pharaoh was pleased with Joseph and knew that God had his hand on him and blessed all that he did.  When he heard the news of Joseph's family he invited them to come to Egypt, gave them land, clothing, silver, etc... when Egyptians as a whole despised shepherds. 
• So how would I feel if I had sold off my brother as a slave, told my father he was dead, watched my father suffer, been reunited with the brother I sold as a slave, and was told to go tell my father that that "dead" brother was alive and well and wanted to see him?  I can only imagine! 
• Jacob was stunned at the news.  It finally sank in so Jacob set off for Egypt, but the first stop was to offer sacrifices to the God who saved his son.  God spoke to him there and assured him that he was to go to Egypt.  All of Jacob's descendants went with him.  
• Next is the father/son  reunion.  That is private.  I'll let you savor that scene for yourselves.  Next is a list of all the relatives. And that is where we stopped in Genesis.  Wow!  I'm exhausted from emotions!

Blessings! d

Lost and Found

Day 15:

Lost... there were a lot of "lost" passages today.  Joseph lost his brother's love and then his home.  Jacob lost his favorite son.  Judah lost his peace and moved away from his family.  Judah lost his two older sons. Judah lost his wife and then lost his belongings to a "prostitute".  Judah lost his pride also. Then in the passage in Luke, Jesus speaks of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. 

Then we can look at what was "found"... Joseph was found in a position serving the captain of the palace guard... and as we will see in later passages there will be rejoicing over "finding" Joseph again for the entire family as they heal and find their new family relationships. Judah found a new family arose in the ashes of his son's and wife's death. The sheep, the coin, and the son were found and rejoiced over.  When something/someone is lost it is painful.  Our response at "finding" should be full of joy!

In Luke's story of the son that was lost in chapter 15 verses 11-32 the joy of the Father at finding His child that was lost to Him is understandable.  Of course it is a parable for the joy that our Lord has in bringing the sinner to salvation.  He always searches for His loved ones and rejoices when a sinner repents and turns to Him. 

Let us not forget the reaction of the older brother.  If you read my blog a few days ago I explained about inheritance.  Usually the older son got an extra portion of the inheritance.  With two boys the inheritance would have been divided three ways and the older boy would have been given two portions, the younger only one portion.  The Father divided his inheritance before the younger son left with his portion.  All that the Father had belonged to the older son at that point.  The younger son left with his inheritance and was lost to the family. 

Apparently the root of jealousy started growing in the older son's heart before the younger son came home.  "All these years I've worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.  Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have." 

Even today in reading the passage my heart goes out to the older brother.  He worked so hard with no time for smiles and fun with the Father just to make the Father proud of him and then the younger brother come home.  Hmmm...

How many times do we see someone working for the Lord with no joy? Wanting acceptance from the Father by what they do.  Complaining that no one else is helping. Doing things they were never called to do.  Hoping for the day when the Father says "I am proud of you!  You are the hardest worker I've ever had... shame on the slackers!!!" 

The Father will say to them... "Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.  We had to celebrate this happy day.  For your brother was dead and has come back to life!! He was lost, but now he is found!"
Amen!

You know, I never know where this blog will take me when I start writing.  This was not where I was heading with "Lost and Found", but it was were God was going... I love that about God!  Don't you?

Blessings! d