Revelation, book #75

And so we reach the end.

Revelation

1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Even though it has already been nearly 2000 years in man's time.

Grace and peace.

Naturally this book is full of questions and guessing by even well educated theologians.  When I was a child and teen this book was very scary to me.  It isn't as scary to me, but there is so much I don't understand.  

6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.- so are they already in heaven or in a holding ground?

7:4-8 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

⁵ From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

 So, if only the 144,000 are sealed, where is the hope for the rest of us?

20 The Thousand Years
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.  He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.   I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.  They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of the Dead 

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

This part is probably one of the most confusing for me.  It makes me wonder if these 1000 years are, again, our 1000 years or God's 1000 years.  Also, again, is there a "holding ground" for those who are not raptured?  Do they not get to experience the wonders of heaven until this whole battle is over?

What I do know is this ... I have overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony (12:11).  I know that I will go to heaven either by way of an earthly death or His return for me.  The rest will work its way out.  Hallelujah!

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Grace.

1st and 2nd Peter; 1st, 2nd, 3rd John; and Jude, books #69-74

Finishing up ....

These letters of Peter and John are, obviously from Peter and John, but they have the similar greetings as Paul's letters.

1 Peter

Grace and peace.

4:3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. (or you could pretty much add anything to that, like wasting time on your electronic device, eating too much, -- oops, that hurt!)

5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Peace. 

2 Peter 

Grace and peace.

2:19  They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”  

1 John 

1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

3:4-10  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.   

5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

Hhm, this demands some more thinking and studying.  I mean, I know I am saved and if I died I would go to heaven, but unfortunately I am still human and still sin daily, if not hourly.  I *can* still go on sinning, but I have been born of God.

2 John and 3 John

Grace, mercy, peace.

Letters to the Chosen Lady and her children, and his dear friend Gaius.

Peace.

Jude

Mercy, peace and love.


Almost there! 


 

Miracle at the higher grounds cafe, book #68

What a sweet little book to read in the middle of finishing up the Bible!  This was our Book Club choice for April and luckily it was a quick read.  It was a classic little novella by Max Lucado that ties together modern day fiction - stories that could be true - and the spirit world with angels and demons at war.  But the way he ties them together is not in a scary way as other authors may, but more like a very natural way.  Highly recommended!!

What if you could ask God anything? What would you ask? And how would He answer?
Chelsea Chambers is on her own. After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Café, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.  Then a curious stranger lands at Chelsea’s door, and with him, an even more curious string of events. Soon, customers are flocking to the Higher Grounds Café, and not just for the cupcakes and cappuccino. They’ve come for the internet connection to the divine. Now the café has become the go-to place for people in search of answers to life’s biggest questions.  When a catastrophe strikes and her ex comes calling, Chelsea begins to wonder if the whole universe is conspiring against her quest to make it on her own. After a shocking discovery opens her eyes to the unseen world around her, Chelsea finds the courage to ask God a question of her own. Heaven answers in a most unexpected way.   (picture and description from amazon.)

Keep reading!

O:)
Melissa

Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, and James, books #64-#67

Finally, the last post of the books of the Bible to catch up!

Titus

Grace.

2:4-5 They [The older women] can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Although I didn't have any Titus 2 women in my life, I do hope to be one as I get older.

Grace.

Philemon 

Grace. 

4-5 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I hope someone can say that about me!

Grace.

Hebrews 

3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We need to be sure to do that, even if we don't feel like it!

4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. He has been tempted too and was able to withstand it.

8:5 They [the high priests of a new covenant] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” I was thought it was strange back in the old testament that God was so specific about the measurements of things in the tabernacle, but this made me understand why!  

Grace.

James 

1:14-15 Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Explaining the importance of having both faith and deeds!

4:13-17 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. Trying to do more of this and less of making plans .... of course if you fail to plan then you plan to fail!!

Whew!

Hopefully by the end of the week I will be done with this 90+ day challenge!!

O:)
Melissa

1 & 2 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Timothy, books #60-#63

1 Thessalonians

Grace and Peace.

4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Pretty much sums up how we should live.  

5:13 Live in peace with each other. Simply said.

Grace.

2 Thessalonians 

Grace and Peace.

3:13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.  

Grace. 

1 Timothy 

Grace, Mercy and Peace. 

4:4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.  If someone blesses you with a chocolate cake, eat up!

Grace.

2 Timothy  

Grace, Mercy and Peace.

4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  This probably applies to many "teachers" today.

Grace.

 

1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, books #54-59

Plugging right along ...

1 Corinthians

Grace and peace.

10:12-13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  Some days this is pretty hard to remember!

10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Even laundry and washing dishes.

Grace.

2 Corinthians 

Grace and Peace. 

9:6-8 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  This one never ceases to amaze me.  The more we give away, the more the Lord blesses!

Grace.

Galatians

Grace and Peace.

5:16-18  So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  He speaks over and over about this gratifying the flesh.  Oh how I long for the day to be free of that!!

Grace.

Ephesians

Grace and Peace.

1:17-18 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. Moms in Prayer verse!!

Peace and Grace.

Philippians 

Grace and Peace.

2:14-15 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky  as you hold firmly to the word of life. Hard to remember, but a goal to reach for!

Grace.

Colossians 

Grace and Peace.

3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Goes back to 1 Corinthians 10:13.  Do it all in love and in His name!

Grace.

 

 

John, Acts and Romans, books #51, #52 and #53

John
 
Sweet, beloved John.  I love how all the gospels give varying accounts of many of the same events, all seen from different perspectives, and I love how John often refers to himself as "the Jesus loved".  

There are many classic and oft quoted verses in John, but the most interesting thing I found was in 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) This is the only gospel that mentions the servant's name.  Maybe he was a friend of John?

Acts

Full of all the amazing acts of the apostles.  

Takeaways:

16:1-3 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek.  The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.  Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. I wonder how his father felt about him getting circumcised and leaving?

17:26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set out for them and the exact places where they should live.  I love that God is involved in every part of our lives, down to exactly where we should live!

Romans

The first letter Paul wrote, and it starts out with Grace and Peace, a recurring theme in all of his letters. 

Takeaways: 

2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Yeah, I have a little problem with this. 

7:14-24 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.  So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Yeah, pretty much sums up my life. Thanks indeed be to Jesus!!

And, like all the other letters, closed with Grace.

O:)
Melissa


 

Luke, book #50

Well, I have been so busy reading, working, driving my kids around, going to Texas, sewing, and who knows what else, that I have gotten behind on updating this blog!  So since I am so close I can taste it to being finished I decided to take a break and catch up on posting.  I am sure that there are less than five people who are even reading this, but it is a good reference for me and it keeps me up on my writing skills.

Of course, with Luke, we mainly think of the Christmas story, but it is indeed so much more than that.  As I mentioned in my last post, Dr. Luke is a details guy and he did not disappoint.  

Takeaways:

1:50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.  Even when humans have no mercy, GOD always does!

3:1-20 John the Baptist Prepares the Way - Did you ever wonder if John knew Jesus was his cousin?  When you read through the gospels of John's interactions with Jesus, there is nothing that makes you think he knew.

5:5  Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Reminds me of my favorite story in the old testament about the widow of Zarepheth. (1 Kings 17)  She thought Elijah was crazy to ask her to give him her last bit of bread when she and her son were about to starve, but she did anyway and was blessed beyond measure.  Same here.  We must learn to follow God's directions even when it makes no sense.

6:21-25 In my Bible I have a hand written note that calls this the Sermon on the Plain, these blessings and woes. 

Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh. ...

  Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.

It seems that the NOW point is well made.  Here is these days and times NOW is an important thing, but He wants us to not think about NOW.

8:39  “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. Often times Jesus would tell people He healed to not tell anyone, but here He specifically told the man to "return home and tell."

9:45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. So why exactly was He always telling them things that were "hidden from them"?  Was it because the messages were for us?

12:4 I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. Again, reminds me of the Egyptian Christians who were killed earlier this year.  And all the others killed for following Jesus.  Do not be afraid, they can do NO MORE.

And now it is time to get moving again...hope to write more later today, depending on how my day goes!

O:)

Melissa 

Mark, book #49

You know, I've heard Mark's gospel described as being the newspaper version and reading it back to back from Matthew I can see now why they do!  Mark is like BAM! then this happened and then BAM! this happened and then BAM! this happened!!  No wonder he was able to tell his version in only 16 chapters!

A few interesting takeaways:

2:27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  Again, most typical Sundays in "good Christian homes" involving Sunday School, worship service, teaching, home, back to teach/attend class, worship service and maybe even choir practice is probably NOT what the Lord had in mind for Sabbath.  I think He gave us a clue here in this verse .. Sabbath [rest] was made for man .. but what DOES Sabbath look like here in 2015?  All I think is, there is no rest for the weary ...

5:34  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Again, is my faith not strong enough for my healing?

6:47-50 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.  I wonder how many times Jesus has almost passed me by and I didn't recognize him.

9:43-47  If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.  And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,  Follows the whole - what does a blessing from the Lord really look like? - theme.  

10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”  The whole Nothing is Impossible with God theme is one I have claimed for my family, even when things still seem impossible.  I see it used over and over and one day [soon!] I want to find all the times this is used and make a list of them.  

The next version is Luke's and I sure it will be speaking to that detail-oriented side of me! ;)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

A bride for keeps, book #48

In between all the other crazy this week I finally had time to pick up another book.  This one was really sweet and fun and really gave me some insight into the whole Mail Order Bride culture.  I was, of course, familiar with it from Sarah Plain and Tall, but this one made me realize the important duty these brides could have, and the chance to have a new life when there was no where to go at all.  

Loved being back with my pioneers!!

Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won't humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again--not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She's the prettiest woman he's ever seen, and it's just not possible she's there to marry a simple homesteader like him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she's determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.

Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love? (picture and description from amazon)

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Matthew, book #47

From my Facebook, April 2 ...


So I am plowing through Matthew these last two days. This part is challenging in its own way. Having been in church since I a baby, I have heard these stories and all these precious words of Jesus approximately 5478 times, or more. So, sometimes yesterday as I was reading, in my head I was like, "yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it 5478 times ..." and it seemed to have lost its amazingness. (For those who have been in church that long you know you have done it too!) So this morning as I sat down to read I just prayed, "Lord, help me to see this in a new light. Help it come alive to me again." I started in around chapter 16 with Peter's confession of Christ, the Transfiguration, some parables, Rich Young ruler, etc. Since I am reading this in a Bible that I have not used as much it is not as marked up as others I use more often. So several of the verses that I learned as a child were just sort of lost to me (as in, not highlighted, marked, popped out, circled, as they would have been in my other Bibles.) Of course, I recognized them right away from all my years in Sunday School and Bible Drill and Bible Study and my Christian college ... but it really gave me pause to realize how many of these VERSES and PASSAGES I knew by heart. Is it because I've read them so often? Is it because of Bible Drill? Is it from Beth Moore or others studies? But the thing that really got me was, are my children learning these too? Will they, when they are 47ish, be able to KNOW these verses; not necessarily quote word for word (although possibly) and maybe not know exactly where it is in the Bible, but will they KNOW them? So often in times of valleys all I could do was muster up those verses I knew and repeat them until I could start walking up the hill again.

It was very convicting to me as a parent. What have I done to instill them in my children? Since some of my children have not followed through with Bible Drill as much as I would like, I feel like a failure for not pushing them to stick with it, for not helping them more, for not encouraging them more. But by that same token, I realize when it comes down to it, it is them and the Lord. I don't know if when I was 11, 13, 15 I saw the value of just memorizing scripture but it was being hidden in my heart all the same.

........

Another thing that has really been rolling around in my head lately is about blessings from the Lord.  I can't find or remember exactly where I heard this story, so be patient with me as I paraphrase it.  

 

There was once two neighbors who had different types of "blessings".  One neighbor had bountiful crops, healthy lives, plenty of food, clothing, warmth and a beautiful home.  Daily they thanked the Lord for His blessings on them.  The other neighbor had a crop failure, thus resulting in not enough money for heat, food, clothing.  And then his wife got very sick.  Despite all that, though, they still thanked the Lord for His blessings of a little food, and for His constant daily presence.  

So the question begs itself, who was truly blessed more?  The one with the comforts of this world, when it is easy to feel blessed, or the one who had next to nothing, when it is harder to feel blessed? Did He really pour out His blessings on both of them?  I believe, absolutely, YES!  Does that mean I would want to be the neighbor that had less?  No! but when I think of the eternal rewards I say Yes!  

 

But in my day to day living, keeping up with the house that is always mess, dirty dishes always in the sink, toting my kids back and forth and back and forth to school, gymnastics, fencing, practice, church, work, it sure makes it hard to stop and focus.  

It ties right in to the Beatitudes, 5:3-12:

 

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

Now, what do I do with this?  As I was driving Katie back to school (see above!) from her well check yesterday I was just thanking God for her well and healthy body and it came to me again ... am I truly thankful, or am I missing a different type of blessing?

 

Reminds me of a poem I saw today on Facebook from my beloved Kate Watkins:

 

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships so that you will live deep in your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people and the earth so that you will work for justice, equity and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer so that you will reach out with your hands to comfort them and change their pain into joy

And may God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world so that you will do the things which others say cannot be done.

~Traditional Franciscan Benediction

O:)
Melissa

 

And then, 400 years of silence .....

This really made an impression on me a few years ago.  400 years.  146,000 days.  3,504,000 hours.  210,240,000 seconds.  Nothing.  Not a word.  How on earth did they keep their faith?  How could they still believe?  

But God.

Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, books #38-#46

Yes, people, I have really made it 3/4 of the way through the Bible and I have finally finished the Old Testament!  These minor prophets got a little old reading over and over, but I was able to find a few takeaways in each one.  

Obadiah

This one says it was a vision more than "The voice of the Lord came to ... "
In this short book he talks about Edom, the land of Esau as such.  It is interesting to me that even all these years later the trouble between Jacob and Esau is still referred to.  

Jonah

4:2 I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Over and over, despite all the things we have done, despite His warnings that He is going to do all this horrible stuff to His people because of their disobedience, in His heart He is GRACIOUS and COMPASSIONATE and doesn't want to do that to His people.  

Micah

5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Of course, its going to be about 1200 years, but it WILL happen!  And remember all that stuff in Revelation .... yeah.  If God said it, it WILL happen, even if it is thousands of years later.

Nahum

Despite the fact that this book is all about Woe to Ninevah, it was written after Jonah,  so guess what.  They shaped up then messed up again.  Sounds familiar?

Habakkuk

Ok, I can't remember now where I wrote it, but I remember thinking "How on earth can they remember all that was said word for word?"  In this book the Lord actually says, "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets" (2:2)  
Lots of good stuff packed in here, but my two favorites are:
2:3 Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. So, remember that bit about the ruler coming out of Bethlehem IN 1200 YEARS?  Yep, though it linger, wait for it.  Remember that struggle you have been praying about?  Remember that wisdom you have been seeking?  Remember that answer you need?  Remember that dear soul you pray for about salvation? You got it .. though it linger, wait for it. 
2:20 The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. We sang this awesome acapella song at Brentwood with these words.  It was quite powerful.  

Zephaniah 

3:17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Haggai

Short book, but noticed he was also a timekeeper.
1:1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai
2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai   
2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai
2:20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month  

Zechariah

Also a timekeeper, but the thing that stuck out to me about this was the references to the end times, and how so many of the references were the same as the ones in Revelation.  The four horses - their colors and their assignments, 3:16 - return to Jerusalem and 14:6-7 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.

and finally, 

Malachi 

3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. This was a Bible Drill verse several years ago that really made me rethink my giving.  We have always been generous givers, but it is easier when we have more to give.  When money is tight it can be a bit more challenging, but I just hold my breath, quote this verse, and God never fails to throw open the floodgates!
  
O:)
Melissa