A Net in Time

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First, biblical answers

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I admittedly was lacking in inspiration for the word first. I looked up the definition but that didn’t help like it often does.  Then I thought, what if I looked for biblical inspiration.  Would that have the answers?

I found the following, when looking for a definition:

An adjective… like first in line, first prize, first slot, highest priority.

Or it can be an adverb.  It’s a word of action.  First do this, then do that.

It could even be a noun.  Like grade A beef, it’s the best level. 

First, biblical answers

An Adjective

Genesis 1:5
 
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
 
Deuteronomy 10:2
 
I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”
 
1 Corinthians 14:30
 
And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.

An adverb

Luke 6:42

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Mark 4:28

“The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
 
1 Chronicles 16:7
 
That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:

A noun

Matthew 20:16

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
 
Isaiah 48:12
 
“Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
 
Romans 8:29
 
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
31 days of free writes

Taking part in the Write 31 Days Challenge.  Today’s word is first, and I simply thought to go to the bible for answers.  

Deep runs the well

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The well runs deep or you could say Deep runs the well….

I’ve pondered this word for much the week.
Wondering how to talk about a well run deep.
Figuring out.
The words to say.
Thinking I’d wait for a more alert day.

This week I showed my lad a gift.
From the church we attend.
RightNow Media, biblical teaching
In video form.
Chan, Wallace, Strickland and more.

The lad was intrigued.
Can I listen too?
Old phone, now his own.
Loaded. Lad listens.
Asks “Can I have my own account?”

A mother’s heart smiles.
This lad loves to learn more
Drinking deep at HIS well.
Seeing God more clearly.
Growing in faith.

And so I think
As imperfect as I am.
Not as stringent as many moms
With a believing Dad.
Somehow, this lad knows.

He sees God.
He talks and prays.
He listens and
Of his own accord WANTS to
Drink deep from the well.

And I am thankful.

Deep runs the well

It took a while for the words of this poem to run through my head, and even so, then ran poorly for a while. 🙂   I managed to stay within five minutes though it was much broken up over the morning.   I’m taking part in a write 31 days challenge, I hope you’ve been enjoying the run!  🙂   OH!  I”m going to include this as part of the #abcblogging post as well!  🙂  Letter D this week, are you blogging for them as well?  Or what would you choose for your letter D?

The Other

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Currently I’m listening to a story where a dad has to make a choice. Fulfill the treaty as he AUGHT to with his oldest, obedient daughter, or send off his youngster, a girl who was prone to cause no end of trouble. I haven’t reached the point in the story where he makes that choice, but I’m tending to think (given the nature of the book and the author) that he’ll send off his troublesome one. That he will strongly consider giving “the other”.

The story is causing me to pause in my thoughts.

Other

Understanding The Other

Lately I’ve been reading the devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Chambers challenges us to think about what it means to give our utmost for the Lord. It’s not always as easy a decision as we think it is.

Today’s reading gave me this challenge “Worship is giving God the best that He has given you.”

When I get something that is a blessing to me… a card from my hubby, a compliment from my son, a monetary gift from someone, my inclination is two-fold.

1. to thank them and
2. to keep it my own.

Oswald though says “Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. take time to meditate before God and offering the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship.”

Deliberate. Giving back. Doing the OTHER.
So not just saying Thanks God that was awesome and then hoarding it in.

But taking the time to genuinely praise and worship him and offering it back. Therefore if God blesses me with plentiful rain and an abundant harvest I need to THANK him for it. Not take it for granted. I need to take that abundant harvest and allow him to use it.   If he blesses me with good health, then I need to use that good health as a praise offering to him.   Not just merely going about my business without giving him a thought.

It’s a deliberate act on my part.  To consider those blessings given, praise him for it, and offer them back to him as worship. 

It’s an outside focus.  A focus that is non-worldly, not self-centered 

It’s The Other.

31 days of free writes

This post is part of the Write 31 days Challenge. 

Period of the Judges

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I know, it’s been a while, but I’m finally picking up my Learning about the Old Testament book again.  Last time we met we talked about Worship in Ancient Israel.   Today we are going to talk about the Conquest and the period of the Judges. 

period of the judges

The history So Far

We know that the exodus happened, Mount Sinai happened, and now they sit on the southeast corner of Canaan.  How do they progress?

God has promised them this land.  12 spies, 10 say “It’s a great land but it’s filled with strong, mighty men, it’s a no go”. but two say “we can do this.”

Israel decided to listen to the 10 rather than the 2.  They rebelled against God when they did so. They did rebelled again going in without Moses or the Ark of the Covenant.  Defeat followed.  They then needed to wander through the desert. 

They after a fair few years in the desert ended up on the east side of Canaan. The conquest of the land begins.   Moses giving over leadership to Joshua. 

Period of the Judges

The Conquest

Harman tells us that there are two aspects to the conquest

  1. God’s promises regarding this land.   
  2. The Israelites conquered the land but left pockets of Canaanites. 

This is where the period of the Judges comes in.  Shaking out those pockets of Canaanites.  

Because of the Israelites disobedience, these pockets of Canaanites “were a snare to them” (p 66) as well as a testing ground.  Would the people of Israel call out to God for help?   How would they handle these remaining Canaanites?

The Judges show this result. 

  • The people call out to God in distress
  • God helps them. 
  • The people again become unfaithful.
  • Repeat this cycle.

Eventually the Israelite people settle the land.   They are sometimes slow in the doing so, but eventually the land is there.   They have two problems.

  • Threats from within: the Canaanite faith system threatens the faith of the Israelites to the Lord.  At this point the synagogue had not been built.  Regular instruction of the things of God were infrequent and not well-organized.  Some of the similarities in the Canaanite religion and Jewish religion would have confused some and attracted others. 
  • Threats from without: the surrounding nations attack frequently.  The surrounding nations had establish governing systems.

By the end of this period the people of Israel were becoming unsatisfied with how they were governed.  They wanted stable continuity, and they wanted to be more like the nations around them.  Israelis wanted a king.

Mighty To Save

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Our church is currently celebrating it’s 40th anniversary.  As part of that celebration they are bringing in people who are part of their past.  This morning they brought in a young man Tyson and the band he plays with.  One of the songs they played is Mighty to Save.  It was a joy to sing this song with our congregation.

Mighty To Save

Lyrics for Mighty to Save

Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

[Chorus:]
Saviour, he can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything that I believe in
Now I surrender

[Chorus]

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [2x]

[Chorus x2]

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [6x]

Authors

Benjamin David Fielding and Reuben Timothy Morgan are the authors of this song. This song comes out of Hillsong music. Reuben Morgan being an Australian, a pastor with Hillsong.  He has written several songs.  Ben Fielding is a worship leader, a pastor within Hillsong.  He has written more than 200 songs.

Thoughts on Mighty to Save

I know there is scuttlebutt about not using Hillsong music as it supports an organization that is shown to be struggling with being true to God.  At the same time I read the words to this song and I have to wonder… is this song untrue to who God is?  Does it call us to worship anyone other than God?  

This song is clear. 

Saviour, he can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So we beseech Jesus to take us as we are, and then to fill our lives.  Our lives given in surrender to him and to his ways.  A good thing that eh?  

Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul

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I remember singing this song as I was growing up, it was also a favourite song in a Baptist church I attended for a while.  Singing it pop up in my folk hymnal brought a smile to my heart, so today I bring you Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul. 

heaven came down and glory filled my soul

Lyrics to Heaven Came Down….

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

Chorus
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)
When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God’s family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary’s love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Chorus

Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure there in those mansions sublime.
And it’s because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received.

Chorus

Author

John W. Peterson is the author of this fun song.   I found this site devoted to him and his music.  He was a pilot in WW2 who flew the deadly China Hump.  A graduate of the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music.  He launched his song-writing career in Pennsylvania.  Later on he moved to Michigan, and then on to Arizona. 

Over his music career he wrote more than 1000 songs such as Surely Goodness and Mercy.

Thinking Deeper

Think about these words eh?

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

I know that many are like me, growing up in the Christian home, our faith deepening over time.  We are like Timothy… growing up in faith.  

Yet others are like Paul, having a sudden awareness brought to them of the reality of who Christ is. 

Regardless of how your faith deepens and you come to know more of the Lord, the question remains… do you remember Jesus’ compassion?  Do we recall how, in our time of need, Jesus responds?  This song draws us back into the remembrance.  It draws us to remember just who Christ is and what he calls us to be, what he declares us to be.  Justified people, a people won by grace and love, a people filled with hope because we know what awaits us. 

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

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I was doing some tidying today and found a “Folk hymnal for a new generation”.  As I was leafing through it I saw this song “they’ll know we are Christians by our love”.  I remember singing this frequently as a teen/young adult and thought I’d share it with you today. 

they'll know we are Christians by our love

They’ll know we are Christians by our love was written by Peter Scholtes.   This song is also as “we are one in the spirit”.  Peter Scholtes was a Catholic priest in the 1960’s.  He was also a choir director. The title comes from the biblical saying that non-believers know Christians by the love we show.   Scholtes later left the priesthood and became a businessman.   

Lyrics

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love
 
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
 
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

All praise to the father by who all things
And all praise to Christ Jesus his only son
And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love