"Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech…"
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Very short post today: Yet, I feel it is urgent
The words ‘show no mercy’ were a loud whisper in my mind at 3:00 a.m. this morning. So I decided to see if they could be found in the Holy Scriptures. Here is what I am finding; and here is my current prayer for an America in need
My Prayer for America:
Ps 59:1-5
Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire against me
for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD .
4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
Arise to help me; look on my plight!
5 O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations;Show no mercy to wicked traitors.NIV
Pray God’s Word back to Him. This is a good idea to do. Remind Him. Partner with Him in this by agreeing with His Word.
Application:
Deliver us from America's enemies, O God'
protect us from those who rise up against us.
Deliver us from evildoers
and save us from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for us !
Fierce men conspire against us
for no offense or sin of ours, O LORD
We have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack us.
.....can we really say that we have no sin or done no wrong? OUCH !
Arise to help us; look on our plight!
O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel
rouse Yourself to punish all the nations;
Show no mercy to America's wicked traitors.
Reading the whole of Psalm 59 is good; along with the whole of Psalm 37; along with the whole of Psalm 125.
See for yourself…
P.S. Isaiah 26:10
Isa 26:10
Though grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
and regard not the majesty of the LORD .” NIV
Matt 7:6
6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. NKJV
Is not grace a pearl?
The Living Bible puts it this way:
Isa 26:10-11
Your kindness to the wicked doesn't make them good; they keep on doing wrong and take no notice of your majesty. They do not listen when you threaten; they will not look to see your upraised fist. Show them how much you love your people. Perhaps then they will be ashamed! Yes, let them be burned up by the fire reserved for your enemies. TLB
SELAH… SHOW US YOUR GLORY, O MIGHTY LORD
.... let no mercy be shown to wicked traitors, by You or by our Nation, O Lord....
- END -
Happiness is seeing the stars and knowing Who to thank. In the wee hours before dawn during the meteor shower of 9/18/01, the very magnitude of the heavens made me realize once again the very magnitude of our Creator! I am glad I knew Who to thank.
Like lovers apart looking at the same moon, the awesome realization that people all over were seeing the same stars in the same heavens mesmerized me.
The Scriptures tell us that the returning of the Lord will be seen by all peoples. The whole world will see Him at His coming. I was suddenly electrified with the realization that it would not be the way the world saw the imploding of a World Trade Center tower – through television; but that it would be the way I was watching the actual meteor shower with the rest of the world that morning.
I thrilled at the mind’s eye picture of the Lord standing with His feet on the horizon, in full color, His face appearing in the places where meteors travel, and His body filling the heavens!
Would we float up to Him on lofty rays of light radiating from His hands?
Are you watching for His return?
Ever notice when you smile at someone they inevitably smile back at you?
When was the last time you smiled at God?
When was the last time you remember us as a Nation smile at God?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his first inaugural address, July 2, 1932 said,
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…We face arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of national unity; with the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious moral values… In this dedication of a nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us! May He guide me in the days to come.” FDR
Now that we have the warm courage of National unity, have we yet ‘consciously sought old and precious moral values’ as F.D.R. and others state, or do we still consciously seek to erase them by calling them intolerant and unconstitutional? Many strive for a clear conscience; yet see where F.D.R. tells us one is to be found?
Historical papers (Proposed First Amendment from the Virginia Ratifying Convention June 27, 1788) actually openly acknowledge and state:
“That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it…”
Have we lost hold of the concept that we may actually have a duty to our Creator? …and a responsibility to discharge it in proper order?
Do you know for sure whether the Lord will be smiling back at you when He returns?
Are you smiling at Him?
This thanksgiving season, let us have a renewed idea of those things for which we owe Him thanksgiving; if our conscience whispers we may be just a little off track; let the survivors of the Attack on America remind us. They were suddenly thankful for their spouses, their children, their neighbors. They were reminded that relationships were suddenly more important than things.
“Heavenly Father, we thank you for showing us the value in each of our relationships, both old, present and yet to come. We ask you to fill voids where relationships may be missing; in ourselves and others fill them first with a fresh knowledge of Yourself through a personal relationship with You, then may you add the human element; so keeping all relationships in proper order. May we live by the Golden Rule treating others the way we wish to be treated ourselves. May we see our family and friends in a fresh and valued way and know Who to thank. Help us to learn from our mistakes and set our feet on straight paths. Thank you magnificent Father!”
Isa 66:1
“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:”
Matt 5:35
“Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: “
Acts 7:49
“Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: “ KJV
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this…
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.
“Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
“She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loves. She said, ‘they have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’
“Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first, He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.
“Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.” John 20:1-7 NLT
Was that important?
Absolutely!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and the Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
Now if the master were finished eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished…”
HOPE OF HOPE / LOVE OF LOVE
Hope of Hope
Did not give up
Love of Love
On His way to Calvary
To save a sin sick humanity
In deepest thought, O Lord
I cannot perceive
The kind of anguish
This darkened world
Placed on Thee.
The path was ever so hard,
That way of Sorrow
Lamb of God, Messiah,
King of Kings
Your Life You gave
For life eternal to raise,
And Hope of Heaven to bring
---Truly not an easy thing
-Anita Harding
A FOUNDATION ROCK OF THE CHURCH: IS IT PETER OR PAUL?
Why is Peter called the rock upon which the R.C. church is built?
2,175 words. + 250 of supporting Scriptures By – Mary A. LaClair
Peter denied Christ three times, after vowing he never would. He shifted like sand. You don’t build on sand; you build on bed-rock. It is, however the statement which Peter made, his God-given thoughts, it is the fact of those thoughts, to which Jesus referred when He said He will build His church. Notice this: He said that HE, Jesus, will build His church, not that Peter would build His church.
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Glossary:
The word catholicwith lower case “c”: – (adverb) means:, universal, all encompassing: i.e. catholic tastes in music
Catholic with a capital “C”: – is commonly used as a proper noun for the Roman Catholic Church, or a member thereof
R.C. : – Roman Catholic
THIS: – the word ‘this’ is never used as a personal pronoun,. It is an adjective usually modifying a noun
YOU: – the word ‘you’ has no plural form in English. It is both singular and collective, as in members of a group. i.e. as carpenters you know how to use tools…. ‘You’ refers to the group and to each individual in the group
(humor): the word YOU has no plural – Except in the southernmost states of the US where they use the colloquialism of ‘ya’ll come’ meaning ‘you all come, everyone come, without limitation, to our BB-Q’ YOU is collective, meaning a group and everyone within that group
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Matt 16:13-20
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are 1aPeter, and upon THIS (2)rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.” NASU (bold underline mine for emphasis)
Here, the footnote 1a at Peter says that the Greek says Peter (Petros) means ‘stone’ small stone, a piece of rock. While footnote “2” says something different.
It was when Peter made the statement of “Thou Art The Christ” that Jesus said, “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but My Father who Is in heaven” “Upon this rock” ( foot-note 2 says the Greek word rock here is: foundation, bed-rock;) “I will build my church” Jesus did not say ‘upon you I will build my church’.
Notice also that He calls the church HIS church, not Peter’s church.
Peter was Simon but here Jesus changes his name to Peter. Petros:
Using the Greek-Hebrew Dictionary:
In tracing the meaning of the word Petros, used for Peter, the meaning is ‘A PIECE OF ROCK.”
In tracing the meaning of Cephas, (Kephas) it lists the surname of Peter and compares it to (Keph) a hollow rock and (to Kaphaph ) to curve.
Petros: a piece of a rock larger than a stumbling stone, as a name Petrus the apostle, and compares to NT reference where Jesus actually calls Peter a stumbling stone. This is Peter
PETRA:
In tracing the meaning of the word Petra, its meaning is A MASS OF ROCK,(LITERALLY OR FIGURATIVELY) This is Jesus.
If PETRA is a mass of rock; and if PETROS is a piece of rock; might one be able to say: Peter was/is “a chip off the old block” ?? (smile)
The further words of ‘hollow’ and ‘curved’ connected to keph or Cephas are thought provoking: Peter’s denial may be considered ‘hollow’. He threw a curve ball.
If built upon Peter, Peter denied Christ three times, after vowing he never would. He shifted like sand. His denial was hollow because he didn’t really mean what he said at the time.
Peter was weak – Jesus called him Satan, that is a weak foundation. Jesus knew all that ahead of time. You don’t build on sand, you build on bed-rock.
It is, however, the statement Peter made, his God-given thoughts: it is the fact of those thoughts to which Jesus referred which are the foundation upon which the church is built and is still being built.
Matt 16:15-18
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal thisto you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon THIS (2) rock I will build My church; .. NASU (underline emphasis mine)
The word THIS is used to point to objects, used alone it is never a synonym for a person.
One is correct in knowing that the statement is the actual foundation, with Christ the Cornerstone, and that is true. Therefore, it may seem strange that Jesus commanded them to tell no one that He is the Christ. Why? Because personal revelation from the Father, like Peter had, is the foundation which God wants – a personal relationship with the Father and the Son.
If one still wishes to say that Jesus says Peter is the foundation for the Roman Catholic Church, then we owe it to ourselves to continue reading a few verses down where Jesus turns right around and then calls Peter Satan. Ouch ! Some foundation on which to build a church, huh?
Matt 16:22-23
“Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” NASU
Paul, because of his writing, not Peter, has done more to build a church founded on these statements and the Gospel than Peter had done. God’s Church is built upon the Gospel. Since Jesus had not yet died and paid the price for us Peter did not have the Gospel at that time, Without the Gospel, there is no church.
The keys are given to the church to which He referred, which He was establishing, which He is still building today. ‘You’, in this instance, refers back to a church made up of people, plural. In English, the word ‘you’ is both singular and collective, there is no plural. You and I are a part of that collective YOU to which Jesus refers. In this universal church, you and I are also keeper of those keys, if we are part of His church.
…I am going to give “YOU”, the collective body of the church which I am herewith establishing, keys to the kingdom. In other words, kingdom keys, to the collective body, the church, made up of the people who have received the personal revelation of God, like you have just received, Peter…
After the Resurrection, after the Gospel had been completed, Paul, to whom the Father also personally revealed Jesus as the Christ, wrote most of the New Testament. If a man, in conjunction with Jesus and Holy Spirit, were to start building the church on something, it stands to reason that that man would be Paul, not Peter.
The New Testament is also stone on the foundation, with Jesus Christ revealed in it as the Chief Cornerstone. This is the solid foundation upon which Paul, and we as his disciples, build. Peter IS a stone in the building of the universal Church, which is the body, with Christ as the Head. Peter was restored after his mistakes, as are we! Restoration is part of the church. Peter is not to be scorned: People received healing in Peter’s shadow. Acts 5:15
Peter might be a colorful rock in the building. He certainly was a colorful guyl!
And I pay Peter a compliment in this way!
Build on this? No.
Build on this? Yes.
Eph 2:22
“… in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” – NASU
Acts 5:12-16
We are stones and rocks to be put in the building on the Foundation. Maybe some of you are colorful too?
It is not ironic that as Peter wrote the book of 1st Peter, he used the word ‘stones’ to identify fellowfollowers. . . :
1 Peter 2:4-7 AS LIVING STONES
“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I Lay In Zion A Choice Stone, A Precious Corner Stone, And He Who Believes In Him Will Not Be Disappointed.” (Is 28:16)
This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The Stone Which The Builders Rejected,This Became The Very Corner Stone “ ,(Ps 118:22)
And, A Stone Of Stumbling And A Rock Of Offense”;(Is 8:14) for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” – NASU
Acts 5:12-16
“At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed”. NASU
This is a picture of what should be happening in the universal church today. And I believe we are in the advent of seeing it restored once again.
Is Peter the rock, or is Jesus the Rock? – Upon which is the universal church built?
Jesus tells us He Himself is the Rock. Many times throughout Scripture “rock” with the capital “R” signifies that Jesus Himself is the Rock upon which the universal church is built.
Concerning the Roman Catholic Church, who has claimed the word ‘catholic’ for themselves, placing Peter as the head of that church, let some things be re-considered:
The statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God companioned with the fact ‘that flesh and blood did not reveal THIS to you but My Father who is in heaven…’
…this is the THIS upon which His universal church is built. The word “THIS” is not a synonym for a man as He did not say ‘upon you’; He said ‘upon this’. Believe it or not, isn’t it true that the church (spiritual building) IS made up of the people (stones) to whom God has personally revealed Himself? How lucky and blessed we are! …And, we, ourselves, you and I, continue to build with that foundation ! Like Peter, as repentant sinners we are also stones put upon a Rock solid foundation; the Rock being Christ Jesus, the personal knowing of Christ Jesus making us a part of the building on that Rock. Praise the Lord !
If you don’t yet have that kind of personal relationship with Lord Jesus, you can. He is risen from the dead and He is alive and His Spirit is in the world today. Just start talking to Him. Better yet, ask Him into your heart. Say, “Lord Jesus, thank you for forgiving me, please reveal yourself to me and come into my heart I want to see things the way you see them, help me to be all that you want me to be. Bring the right people into my life who know you and who can help me to know you better. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.”
Had Christ intended to describe Peter, all He needed to say was: You are Peter and on you I will build My Church.
But He didn’t say that.
–End –
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SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES
1 Cor 10:1-5
1 Cor 10:1-5
I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. RSV
Deuteronomy 32:4
The Rock! His work is perfect For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. NASU
Deuteronomy 32:15
“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked —You are grown fat, thick, and sleek —Then he forsook God who made him, And scorned the Rock of his salvation. NASU
Deuteronomy 32:18
“You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth. NASU
Deuteronomy 32:30
“How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the Lord had given them up? NASU
Deuteronomy 32:31
“Indeed their Rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this. NASU
==========================
Further Scriptures on Jesus as the Rock:
Is. 44:8; 17:10; 30:29; 26:4; 46:4;
Hab 1:12; 2
Sam 23:3;
1 Sam 23:28;
Deut 32:31; 32:30; 32:18;32:15; 32:4
Now, Who is the Rock
Is it Peter or
Is it Jesus !
On which rock, Rock, would YOU build ? On a fragment, or bed-rock?
Just have some little talks with Jesus, He’d love to hear from YOU !
“Who is that important man standing at the foot of my bed? He looks very important! Oh, look! He even has ambassadors with him!
“He looks Jewish,. maybe he looks Irish….does he look Irish? No. He looks Jewish! He is a very important person.”
It was the middle of the night. The lady was in a hospital bed, in an extended care unit. She was Irish. And this lady was quite proud of her Irish heritage.
I was there at her bedside this night and several nights. A plea came through the pulpit, from a well known, well respected local senior attorney, who also happens to be Irish.
Turning to the bed, I hear the lovely delicate lady asking who her visitors are. It must be 1:30 A.M or thereabouts. She is mostly talking to herself since she is totally deaf and can’t hear even if I answer. I sit quietly and listen. I do not want to interrupt her reverie. I make no effort to put the lights on to use the pen and pad. She is absolutely seeing visitors, visitors that I was not seeing. Yet, I sensed peace in the room.
“They are important men. Well, one is more important. He has well-dressed men with him. He looks Irish. No… He looks Jewish, No, he must be Irish, and has important men with him, they must be ambassadors. He is Jewish I think. They are very important. They came to see me and are standing in a group here at the foot of my bed. They are very important.”
I sit quietly in a chair by the window. I know it must be Jesus Who is here to see her. I know my Friend Jesus is in the room with us. She had been reliving some moments from the past earlier in the evening. I remain quiet while He has His moments with her.
The earlier call from the pulpit was “We’re looking for volunteer to sit by a lady’s bedside all night long, from 7 p.m. to 7 or 9 a.m. and report back. Different family members sit with her during the days, but they feel they need someone to sit nights.” the Pastor said. The dear lady was complaining about bad happenings during the night hours.
The first night at the unit was uneventful. The family met me and asked me to write everything down and I was provided with a steno-pad and pen.
The lady was there to heal from a broken hip. She was uncomfortable quite a bit but was able to get periods of light rest and some sleep granting her intermittent relief from her pain. The second night, when she was peacefully sleeping, some nurses or aids came in to weigh her. I told them that now was NOT a good time to do that, the poor lady was getting some needed peace and rest. The aids seemed firm that it had to be done. I was equally firm that they would NOT wake her from rest. They came back when she was awake and I watched the process of getting her into a sling. This caused her considerable pain and she cried out. The family found out what the bad night problems were and they put a total stop to it.
On the notepad, I document the events for the family. In the note I ask them to please relate to their Mother Who I thought had visited her in the night. I don’t know if they did.
She slept peacefully the next night.
After that, the family gave me an envelope with a monetary thank you saying that I wouldn’t be needed any more. They, through their family physician, had ended uncomfortable night weigh-ins and solved the mystery of the ‘bad happenings’ in the middle of the night. They were grateful. I have been told that the hospital has since changed their policy on weigh in procedures.
I would like to think that the family was also comforted by the fact that Jesus knew where their Mother was and that He had made a special heavenly visit to her room.
The third night I was there, I remember looking out the window seeing a blinding blizzard. Snow was blowing sideways, swirling around in circles, absolutely filling the cold night March air with rioting curtains of white. Visibility was nil. All one could see were curtains of white blowing all which ways. One could not see through these ‘billowing curtains’. I made a special note of thanking the Lord that my family was all safe. Little did I know that that very night my son was on the road to the hospital in this blinding storm, with his wife who was about to give birth, and that I would see the baby in that same hospital before I left that day shortly after dawn.
God is in the details of our lives, especially during tough times. As I was leaving the hospital shortly past dawn that day, I had received the unexpected message that my son and daughter-in-law had made it to the maternity ward in time for the delivery of their third child. I found that unit just as the baby was born. What I was not aware of, was the harrowing time they had driving through that blinding blizzard where visibility was practically zero. My son admitted to his many prayers on the journey into the city over lonely snow deep drifting country roads in the middle of the night where he could hardly tell where the road was. At the next turn, a snowplow appeared in front of them! They were able to make it to the main road.
God is in the details of our lives often when we are least aware. He had a believer in the room with the elderly lady, one whom respected the heavenly visitation, He had an angel on a snowplow, and He timed a baby’s delivery that night. Did angels from a hospital room in the city move swiftly to a snowplow in the country miles away? Do you think a son’s prayers combined with unknown concurring prayers of thanksgiving from an unaware Mother contributed to the appearance of angels on the road that night?
There was a commotion amongst the people of the city..
“What is all this commotion about?”
“People are saying there are strange happenings in the sky outside and are rushing outside to see.”
Being already outside, I look up. The people who have left the buildings are grouped outside, standing looking up at the sky.
“Well, yes,” they say, “ this IS unusual. The cloud formations are quite unique, never seen anything like this before. It is a beautiful day, but I’ve seen enough. We will probably read about it in the papers tomorrow. We have other things to do.” And they start back inside.
“WAIT,” I say. “Look, don’t you see? The clouds are moving in formations and they are shaping something.
“Yeah, we see that. We have to get back to work. You can stay outside if you like.”
“But don’t you see, this means something! The moving and blowing clouds are continually shaping into what looks like wedding decorations. They resemble beautiful decorations of a wedding cake. Don’t you see what this means? Don’t you know what is happening, and what this means?”
“Stand there as long as you like, we’re going back inside.”
I stand outside awhile, soaking it all in. I feel different. I feel joy – anticipatory joy is soaking all through me.
They go back inside to their darkness. I walk home in the light. This vision ended there.
I study Holy Scriptures more now and with a new hunger.
Things I saw before seem to come alive with newness.
SEVERAL YEARS LATER: VISION #2
In a vision, I am outside in my own side yard and become aware of a happening in the sky again. This time I see some people in flowing robes floating upwards here and there. Looking around, I see the numbers growing, as the air space is large. I seem to sense, or do I actually see, a very large image-like figure of a polite but powerful personage higher up. This figure is emitting an aura of welcoming.
I feel as though my feet are glued to the ground as these people float past me.
“Can I come, too?”
“Look down, Little One…”
Looking down, I see the ground becoming further and further away as I float with them!
This vision closed with that… so I guess it is …to be continued… at a time of His choosing. selah…
As good spiritual appetizers .. one might wish to savor these things… …
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. NIV
1 Thess 5:4-7
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. NIV
Ps 59:1-5 Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3 See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD . 4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight! 5 O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; Show no mercy to wicked traitors. NIV Pray God’s Word back to Him. This is a good idea to do. Remind Him. Partner with Him in this by agreeing with His Word. Application: Deliver us from America's enemies, O God' protect us from those who rise up against us. Deliver us from evildoers and save us from bloodthirsty men. See how they lie in wait for us ! Fierce men conspire against us for no offense or sin of ours, O LORD We have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack us. .....can we really say that we have no sin or done no wrong? OUCH ! Arise to help us; look on our plight! O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel rouse Yourself to punish all the nations; Show no mercy to America's wicked traitors. Reading the whole of Psalm 59 is good; along with the whole of Psalm 37; along with the whole of Psalm 125. See for yourself… P.S. Isaiah 26:10 Isa 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD .” NIV Matt 7:6 6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. NKJV Is not grace a pearl? The Living Bible puts it this way: Isa 26:10-11 Your kindness to the wicked doesn't make them good; they keep on doing wrong and take no notice of your majesty. They do not listen when you threaten; they will not look to see your upraised fist. Show them how much you love your people. Perhaps then they will be ashamed! Yes, let them be burned up by the fire reserved for your enemies. TLB SELAH… SHOW US YOUR GLORY, O MIGHTY LORD .... let no mercy be shown to wicked traitors, by You or by our Nation, O Lord.... - END -
The Proverbs 1:20 Column 