Birmingham Museum of Art [Public domain]
faith
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love
love
creative commons 2.0. attribution: dackelprincess, flickr.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
what the bible says about enemies, satan, us and God
enemies: 16 Top Bible Verses about Enemies - Encouraging Scripture
also, Psalm 7; Psalm 27; Psalm 31; Psalm 34; Psalm 52
satan: History of Satan
us: What Does the Bible Say About Mankind?
God: 11 Top Bible Verses About Salvation - Being Saved Though Christ Jesus
Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
“I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.
“I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
image by UnlockingTheBible
faith
hope
love
love
Monday, January 21, 2019
Jeremiah 31: 1-6, "With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you."
At that time—oracle of the LORD—
I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the LORD: The people who escaped the sword find favor in the wilderness. As Israel comes forward to receive rest, from afar the LORD appears: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will build you, and you shall stay built, virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with merrymakers. You shall again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy their fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD, our God.”
Jeremiah 31: 1-6
I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the LORD: The people who escaped the sword find favor in the wilderness. As Israel comes forward to receive rest, from afar the LORD appears: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will build you, and you shall stay built, virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with merrymakers. You shall again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy their fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD, our God.”
Jeremiah 31: 1-6
I Have Loved You With an Everlasting Love with lyrics - YouTube
image by Darren Calhoun
faith
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love
love
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Matthew 20:16 "the last will be first, and the first will be last”
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
Matthew 20: 1-16
Matthew 27: 51-53
Yuwali [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
faith
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love
love
Sunday, January 13, 2019
reality and faith, hope & love
freedom, independence, life, liberty, happiness, peace, etc. are these real? or are they just illusions?
"freedom"? to do whatever I want? an illusion. nature's laws, human government laws, my own limitations, and limitations and whims of others make true "freedom" an illusion. it's the same for independence, life, liberty, happiness, world peace, etc.
the only "realities" that I can control in my life are my own beliefs and actions. do I believe that there is a supreme and sovereign God Who created and sustains all that exists or has ever existed? do I hope that there is another life where only goodness exists? do I believe that faith, hope and love are real gifts from God to me personally that I can accept or reject to any degree that I choose?
my belief in God, my hope in God, and my love for God and for my neighbors are mine only to control. this is reality.
image by Sharon Tate Soberon
faith
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love
love
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Jesus' last supper is the first supper for those who believe
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you."
Luke 22: 19-20
Matthew 26: 26–30
Mark 14: 22–26
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
John 6: 51-58
One Bread One Body - with lyrics.wmv - YouTube
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you."
Luke 22: 19-20
Matthew 26: 26–30
Mark 14: 22–26
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
John 6: 51-58
One Bread One Body - with lyrics.wmv - YouTube
image from Boston Public Library
faith
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love
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
psalm 118:This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
I
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
III
All the nations surrounded me;
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side;
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
They surrounded me like bees;
V
Open the gates of righteousness;
VI
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
VII
You are my God, I give you thanks;
my God, I offer you praise.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
his mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
his mercy endures forever.
Let Israel say: his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say,
his mercy endures forever.
Let those who fear the LORD say,
Let Israel say: his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say,
his mercy endures forever.
Let those who fear the LORD say,
his mercy endures forever.
II
In danger I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I am not afraid;
what can mortals do against me?
In danger I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I am not afraid;
what can mortals do against me?
The LORD is with me as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on my foes.
Better to take refuge in the LORD
I shall look in triumph on my foes.
Better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put one’s trust in mortals.
Better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put one’s trust in princes.
Better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put one’s trust in princes.
III
All the nations surrounded me;
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side;
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
They surrounded me like bees;
they burned up like fire among thorns;
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
I was hard pressed and falling,
but the LORD came to my help.
in the LORD’s name I cut them off.
I was hard pressed and falling,
but the LORD came to my help.
The LORD, my strength and might,
has become my savior.
has become my savior.
IV
The joyful shout of deliverance
is heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand works valiantly;
the LORD’s right hand is raised;
the LORD’s right hand works valiantly.”
I shall not die but live
and declare the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD chastised me harshly,
but did not hand me over to death.
The joyful shout of deliverance
is heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand works valiantly;
the LORD’s right hand is raised;
the LORD’s right hand works valiantly.”
I shall not die but live
and declare the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD chastised me harshly,
but did not hand me over to death.
V
Open the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and thank the LORD.
This is the LORD’s own gate,
through it the righteous enter.
I thank you for you answered me;
you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
through it the righteous enter.
I thank you for you answered me;
you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice in it and be glad.
LORD, grant salvation!
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice in it and be glad.
LORD, grant salvation!
LORD, grant good fortune!
VI
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God and has enlightened us.
Join in procession with leafy branches
up to the horns of the altar.
The LORD is God and has enlightened us.
Join in procession with leafy branches
up to the horns of the altar.
VII
You are my God, I give you thanks;
my God, I offer you praise.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
his mercy endures forever.
psalm 118
image by Church Inglesia
Saturday, January 5, 2019
how are cradle catholics dealing (or not) with their disgraced church?
this is a question with as many answers as there are cradle catholics.
here's a sampling:
The Catholic Voice - an online publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
CAN A CHURCH BETRAYED BECOME A CHURCH REDEEMED? – PAX CHRISTI USA
for me personally,
- some no longer call themselves catholics.
- some are "on the fence".
- many (probably most) are feeling angry, sad, betrayed.
here's a sampling:
The Catholic Voice - an online publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
CAN A CHURCH BETRAYED BECOME A CHURCH REDEEMED? – PAX CHRISTI USA
for me personally,
- I feel betrayed, sad and angry.
- I'm "on the fence".
- it's hard to walk away from your church for 70+ years.
- in the 4th quarter of my life, I see myself as a christian--not so much as a catholic.
- it's back to basics:
- bible
- prayer
- God's supremacy and sovereignty
- man's sinfulness and wickedness
- God's love and mercy for those who love God and who are sorry for their sins
image by Church Iglesia
faith
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love
love
Friday, January 4, 2019
what is love?
we think we know what love is.
how would we define it?
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
how does our culture define love?
in chapter 13 of his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul defines love:
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 4-8
I met Jenny 55 years ago when she was 15 and I was 17. For as long as I've known Jenny, she's had cats. for most of our married life together, we've had cats. Nicholas is our most recent--we adopted him from the animal shelter about a year ago. Before Nicholas there was Mocha, and Claude, and many others.
When I saw Nicholas at the shelter for the first time, there was something about him that attracted me to him. Nicholas looked like he needed some love.
Jenny adopted Mocha when she was volunteering at the animal shelter in Bluffton, SC. someone found Mocha abandoned at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, and brought him to the animal shelter. The vet guessed that Mocha had been on his own in the refuge, with alligators, for more than a week.
Mocha needed some love--and he got plenty of it! from me, from Jenny's mom (who was living with us) and, most of all, from Jenny. The bond that developed between Jenny and Mocha was amazing to witness. small wonder that I married Jenny 52 years ago!
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Nicholas and I are lucky guys!
we ALL need love. we ALL need to receive love, and we ALL need to love.
Nicholas
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
we cannot thank Him enough
_-_James_Tissot.jpg)
James Tissot [No restrictions or Public domain]
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." John 3:16
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Benjamin Franklin on faith, hope and love: "My belief induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised toward me"
"...it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life. And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence, which lead me to the means I used and gave them success. My belief of this induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised toward me, in continuing that happiness, or enabling me to bear a fatal reverse, which I may experience as others have done; the complexion of my future fortune being known to Him only in whose power it is to bless to us even our afflictions."
Benjamin Franklin Autobiography, 1789
Benjamin Franklin Autobiography, 1789
Joseph Duplessis [Public domain]
faith
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love
love
Friday, December 28, 2018
"No one is good but God alone." Mark 10: 17-18, Luke 18: 18-19
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."
Mark 10: 17-18
Glory and Praise to Our God by John Michael Talbot - YouTube
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."
Mark 10: 17-18
Glory and Praise to Our God by John Michael Talbot - YouTube
image by QuotesEverlasting
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
psalm 95: "Whose hand holds the depths of the earth; who owns the tops of the mountains."
I
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
cry out to the rock of our salvation.
II
Enter, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
we are the people he shepherds,
the sheep in his hands.
III
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
Merry Christmas!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
cry out to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with a song of praise,
joyfully sing out our psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great king over all gods,
joyfully sing out our psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great king over all gods,
Whose hand holds the depths of the earth;
who owns the tops of the mountains.
The sea and dry land belong to God,
who made them, formed them by hand.
who owns the tops of the mountains.
The sea and dry land belong to God,
who made them, formed them by hand.
II
Enter, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
we are the people he shepherds,
the sheep in his hands.
III
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on the day of Massah in the desert.
There your ancestors tested me;
they tried me though they had seen my works.
Forty years I loathed that generation;
I said: “This people’s heart goes astray;
they do not know my ways.”
I said: “This people’s heart goes astray;
they do not know my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my anger:
“They shall never enter my rest.”
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 10, 2018
Sunday, December 9, 2018
psalm 9: "The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."
For the leader; according to Muth Labben. A psalm of David.
I
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will delight and rejoice in you;
I will sing hymns to your name, Most High.
When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before you.
II
For you upheld my right and my cause,
seated on your throne, judging justly.
You rebuked the nations, you destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out for all time.
The enemies have been ruined forever;
you destroyed their cities;
their memory has perished.
III
The LORD rules forever,
has set up his throne for judgment.
It is he who judges the world with justice,
who judges the peoples with fairness.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you;
you never forsake those who seek you, LORD.
IV
Sing hymns to the LORD enthroned on Zion;
proclaim his deeds among the nations!
For the avenger of bloodshed remembers,
does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
V
Be gracious to me, LORD;
see how my foes afflict me!
You alone can raise me from the gates of death.
Then I will declare all your praises,
sing joyously of your salvation
in the gates of daughter Zion.
VI
The nations fall into the pit they dig;
in the snare they hide, their own foot is caught.
The LORD is revealed in making judgments:
by the deeds they do the wicked are trapped.
Higgaion. Selah
VII
To Sheol the wicked will depart,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy will never be forgotten,
nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.
Arise, LORD, let no mortal prevail;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, LORD;
show the nations they are only human.
psalm 9
Psalm 9, I Will Give Thanks To The LORD (a new musical setting) - YouTube
I
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will delight and rejoice in you;
I will sing hymns to your name, Most High.
When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before you.
II
For you upheld my right and my cause,
seated on your throne, judging justly.
You rebuked the nations, you destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out for all time.
The enemies have been ruined forever;
you destroyed their cities;
their memory has perished.
III
The LORD rules forever,
has set up his throne for judgment.
It is he who judges the world with justice,
who judges the peoples with fairness.
The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you;
you never forsake those who seek you, LORD.
IV
Sing hymns to the LORD enthroned on Zion;
proclaim his deeds among the nations!
For the avenger of bloodshed remembers,
does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
V
Be gracious to me, LORD;
see how my foes afflict me!
You alone can raise me from the gates of death.
Then I will declare all your praises,
sing joyously of your salvation
in the gates of daughter Zion.
VI
The nations fall into the pit they dig;
in the snare they hide, their own foot is caught.
The LORD is revealed in making judgments:
by the deeds they do the wicked are trapped.
Higgaion. Selah
VII
To Sheol the wicked will depart,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy will never be forgotten,
nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.
Arise, LORD, let no mortal prevail;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, LORD;
show the nations they are only human.
psalm 9
Psalm 9, I Will Give Thanks To The LORD (a new musical setting) - YouTube
image by Tito & Eva Marie Balangue
Friday, December 7, 2018
psalm 30, "At dusk weeping comes for the night; but at dawn there is rejoicing.", city of God
A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple. Of David.
I
I praise you, LORD, for you raised me up
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, my God,
I cried out to you for help and you healed me.
LORD, you brought my soul up from Sheol;
you let me live, from going down to the pit.
II
Sing praise to the LORD, you faithful;
give thanks to his holy memory.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
his favor a lifetime.
At dusk weeping comes for the night;
but at dawn there is rejoicing.
III
Complacent, I once said,
“I shall never be shaken.”
LORD, you showed me favor,
established for me mountains of virtue.
But when you hid your face
I was struck with terror.
To you, LORD, I cried out;
with the Lord I pleaded for mercy:
“What gain is there from my lifeblood,
from my going down to the grave?
Does dust give you thanks
or declare your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, have mercy on me;
LORD, be my helper.”
IV
You changed my mourning into dancing;
you took off my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.
So that my glory may praise you
and not be silent.
O LORD, my God,
forever will I give you thanks.
and not be silent.
O LORD, my God,
forever will I give you thanks.
psalm 30
City of God Hymn
Awake from your slumber! Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning for all those who weep.
The people in darkness have seen a great light.
The Lord of our longing has conquered the night.
Refrain: Let us build the city of God.
May our tears be turned into dancing.
For the Lord our light and our love has turned the night into day.
We are sons of the morning; we are daughters of day.
The One who has loved us has brightened our way.
The Lord of all kindness has called us to be
a light for all people to set their hearts free.
God is light; in God there is no darkness.
Let us walk in the light. God's children one and all.
O comfort my people make gentle your words,
proclaim to my city the day of her birth.
O city of gladness now lift up your voice,
proclaim the good tidings that all may rejoice.
A new day is dawning for all those who weep.
The people in darkness have seen a great light.
The Lord of our longing has conquered the night.
Refrain: Let us build the city of God.
May our tears be turned into dancing.
For the Lord our light and our love has turned the night into day.
We are sons of the morning; we are daughters of day.
The One who has loved us has brightened our way.
The Lord of all kindness has called us to be
a light for all people to set their hearts free.
God is light; in God there is no darkness.
Let us walk in the light. God's children one and all.
O comfort my people make gentle your words,
proclaim to my city the day of her birth.
O city of gladness now lift up your voice,
proclaim the good tidings that all may rejoice.
faith
hope
love
love
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
isaiah 41, "Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Keep silence before me, O coastlands;
let the nations renew their strength.
Let them draw near and speak;
let us come together for judgment.
Who has stirred up from the East the champion of justice,
and summoned him to be his attendant?
To him he delivers nations
and subdues kings;
With his sword he reduces them to dust,
with his bow, to driven straw.
He pursues them, passing on without loss,
by a path his feet scarcely touch.
Who has performed these deeds?
Who has called forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, am the first,
and at the last I am he.
The coastlands see, and fear;
the ends of the earth tremble:
they approach, they come on.
Each one helps his neighbor,
one says to the other, “Courage!”
The woodworker encourages the goldsmith,
the one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good!”
then fastening it with nails so it will not totter.
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend—
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
To whom I have said, You are my servant;
I chose you, I have not rejected you—
Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace
who vent their anger against you;
Those shall be as nothing and perish
who offer resistance.
You shall seek but not find
those who strive against you;
They shall be as nothing at all
who do battle with you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, Do not fear,
I will help you.
Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot Israel;
I will help you—oracle of the LORD;
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, full of teeth,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off,
the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the wilderness into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
In the wilderness I will plant the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
In the wasteland I will set the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Present your case, says the LORD;
bring forward your arguments, says the King of Jacob.
Let them draw near and foretell to us
what it is that shall happen!
What are the things of long ago?
Tell us, that we may reflect on them
and know their outcome;
Or declare to us the things to come,
tell what is to be in the future,
that we may know that you are gods!
Do something, good or evil,
that will put us in awe and in fear.
Why, you are nothing
and your work is nought;
to choose you is an abomination!
I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes;
from the east I summon him by name;
He shall trample the rulers down like mud,
like a potter treading clay.
Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know;
beforehand, that we might say, “True”?
Not one of you foretold it, not one spoke;
not one heard you say,
“The first news for Zion: here they come,”
or, “I will give Jerusalem a herald of good news.”
When I look, there is not one,
not one of them to give counsel,
to make an answer when I question them.
Ah, all of them are nothing,
their works are nought,
their idols, empty wind!
let the nations renew their strength.
Let them draw near and speak;
let us come together for judgment.
Who has stirred up from the East the champion of justice,
and summoned him to be his attendant?
To him he delivers nations
and subdues kings;
With his sword he reduces them to dust,
with his bow, to driven straw.
He pursues them, passing on without loss,
by a path his feet scarcely touch.
Who has performed these deeds?
Who has called forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, am the first,
and at the last I am he.
The coastlands see, and fear;
the ends of the earth tremble:
they approach, they come on.
Each one helps his neighbor,
one says to the other, “Courage!”
The woodworker encourages the goldsmith,
the one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good!”
then fastening it with nails so it will not totter.
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend—
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
To whom I have said, You are my servant;
I chose you, I have not rejected you—
Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace
who vent their anger against you;
Those shall be as nothing and perish
who offer resistance.
You shall seek but not find
those who strive against you;
They shall be as nothing at all
who do battle with you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, Do not fear,
I will help you.
Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot Israel;
I will help you—oracle of the LORD;
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, full of teeth,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off,
the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the wilderness into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
In the wilderness I will plant the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
In the wasteland I will set the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Present your case, says the LORD;
bring forward your arguments, says the King of Jacob.
Let them draw near and foretell to us
what it is that shall happen!
What are the things of long ago?
Tell us, that we may reflect on them
and know their outcome;
Or declare to us the things to come,
tell what is to be in the future,
that we may know that you are gods!
Do something, good or evil,
that will put us in awe and in fear.
Why, you are nothing
and your work is nought;
to choose you is an abomination!
I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes;
from the east I summon him by name;
He shall trample the rulers down like mud,
like a potter treading clay.
Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know;
beforehand, that we might say, “True”?
Not one of you foretold it, not one spoke;
not one heard you say,
“The first news for Zion: here they come,”
or, “I will give Jerusalem a herald of good news.”
When I look, there is not one,
not one of them to give counsel,
to make an answer when I question them.
Ah, all of them are nothing,
their works are nought,
their idols, empty wind!
isaiah 41
Monday, December 3, 2018
questions
some of life's most confounding questions are:
I believe that:
- who am I?
- where am I?
- how did I get here?
- why am I here?
- where did the universe, and all that is in it, come from?
- does God exist?
- who is God?
- how do I know God?
I believe that:
- no one speaks for God but God.
- God hears my prayers.
- God chooses when to answer my prayers.
- God doesn't give me everything that I ask for.
- (I didn't give my children everything that they asked for.)
- the bible tells me about God.
- sometimes the bible is clear and unambiguous.
- I don't allow other humans to convince me that it means something different.
- sometimes the bible isn't so clear, e.g. Revelations.
- I ask God what the bible means.
- sometimes God answers me clearly.
- sometimes I don't hear God clearly.
- I can keep asking.
- I can move on.
- God is God.
- there is no other God than God.
- God will reveal to me as God sees fit.
- sometimes God will reveal to me clearly.
- sometimes God won't.
- God is both revealing and mysterious.
- God's ways are not human ways.
- human ways are not God's ways.
- God, and the bible, tell me much about God.
- I reject other human beings who presume to speak for God.
psalm 25, "To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul, my God"
I
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul,
my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be disgraced;
Look upon me, have pity on me,
for I am alone and afflicted.
See how many are my enemies,
see how fiercely they hate me.
my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me.
No one is disgraced who waits for you,
but only those who are treacherous without cause.
Make known to me your ways, LORD;
teach me your paths.
teach me your paths.
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD,
for they are ages old.
for you are God my savior,
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your compassion and your mercy, O LORD,
for they are ages old.
Remember no more the sins of my youth;
remember me according to your mercy,
because of your goodness, LORD.
because of your goodness, LORD.
II
Good and upright is the LORD,
Good and upright is the LORD,
therefore he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble in righteousness,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
toward those who honor his covenant and decrees.
For the sake of your name, LORD,
pardon my guilt, though it is great.
Who is the one who fears the LORD?
God shows him the way he should choose.
He guides the humble in righteousness,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
toward those who honor his covenant and decrees.
For the sake of your name, LORD,
pardon my guilt, though it is great.
Who is the one who fears the LORD?
God shows him the way he should choose.
He will abide in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
and his descendants will inherit the land.
The counsel of the LORD belongs to those who fear him;
and his covenant instructs them.
My eyes are ever upon the LORD,
who frees my feet from the snare.
III
and his covenant instructs them.
My eyes are ever upon the LORD,
who frees my feet from the snare.
III
Look upon me, have pity on me,
for I am alone and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart;
bring me out of my distress.
Look upon my affliction and suffering;
take away all my sins.
bring me out of my distress.
Look upon my affliction and suffering;
take away all my sins.
See how many are my enemies,
see how fiercely they hate me.
Preserve my soul and rescue me;
do not let me be disgraced,
for in you I seek refuge.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
I wait for you, O LORD.
Redeem Israel, O God,
from all its distress!
do not let me be disgraced,
for in you I seek refuge.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
I wait for you, O LORD.
Redeem Israel, O God,
from all its distress!
psalm 25
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