Monthly Archives: June 2014

My Countenance Agrees

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The first song I consciously heard this morning was this one:

It is a different arrangement than we sang at Macedonia Baptist Church in the bottom land of Northwest Tennessee but the message is the same. 

Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; His child and forever I am! 

My soul is blessed! My countenance agrees. I trust yours does too by now.

Blessings my Friends.

 Day 176 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

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Any Thoughts?

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The shortest verse in the Bible. We all know it, right? 

John 11:35
Jesus wept.
via John 11:34-36 KJV;CJB – And said, Where have ye laid him? They – Bible Gateway.

A favorite of young folks for a fast memorization check off. Just two words. Two words packed with more information that we have yet to fathom. 

JESUS. GOD of the Universe cried! And not just a sniffle. Not just a tear or two trickling down His holy face. How do we know that? Read verse 36.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
via John 11:34-36 KJV;CJB – And said, Where have ye laid him? They – Bible Gateway.

First let us recall the setting was a graveyard. Lazarus had been dead four days and the lamenting had not let up. Jesus had come to raise Lazarus from the dead; although, no one suspected that.

And there before the sepulcher JESUS WEPT. Why? Why do any of us cry? We are MOVED with emotion. So was JESUS. Imagine that! GOD moved with emotion. And some think if He even has any emotion it is mostly anger, just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us – forget tears of compassion, right? 

Wrong!

So did He cry because Lazarus was dead? Honestly, I doubt it. He was about to raise him from the dead. Could He have felt sorry for Lazarus, as He was bringing him back from Paradise to this sin cursed planet? Perhaps but I’m not etching that in stone either.

Was He empathizing with the grief of the Sisters? Yes, I am certain He was but I’m still not convinced that was the primary reason for the weeping. Weeping so strong and visible that the townsfolk said, 

Behold how he loved him!

You do know we have some professional mourners on the scene, right? And they say of JESUS Behold how he loved him! I think it is safe to say our JESUS was sobbing! But why? What would bring JESUS to such a display of raw emotions? 

I think His prayer gives us an answer. 

42 . . . but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
via John 11 KJV;CJB – Now a certain man was sick, named – Bible Gateway.

The unbelief of the people. Yes, Lazarus was physically dead but the people standing around Him, physically breathing, were dead-er than Lazarus because they were spiritually dead and unwillingly to allow HIM to give them LIFE. I think He still weeps over folks bound tighter in their unbelief than Lazarus in his grave-clothes. 

Know this: JESUS not only loved people enough to weep for them; He loved people enough to go to hell for them. Who else loves you that much? And when we refuse Him, He grieves; He weeps. 

And now I am wondering if we who have believed Him for salvation but continue to wallow in spiritual immaturity cause Him to weep today? 

Any thoughts?

Day 175 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

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Watch

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A sure way to avoid trouble this week. 

23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
via Proverbs 21 KJV;CJB – The king’s heart is in the hand of the – Bible Gateway.

A watch on the mouth! 

Speaking of a watch, I got a new one this weekend. The size, the color, the price were all just right, so we brought it home. wpid-img_20140622_221256_489.jpgPerhaps as my arm sports my new timepiece this week, I will be reminded my mouth needs a watch too.   Yours too? 🙂

Blessings my Friends. 

Day 174 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

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Simple

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Who that has children would not want them to be happy children? 

Define happy. Okay.

3. Being especially well-adapted; felicitous: via happy – definition of happy by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

And I really like that word Felicitous.

1. Admirably suited; apt 2. Exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style 3. Marked by happiness or good fortune  via felicitous – definition of felicitous by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

Who would not want offspring like that?! 

But how? How would we manage that? See verse 7. 

7 The righteous live a life of integrity; happy are their children after them.

First being a JESUS believer – having received the gift of YESHUA’s righteousness in exchange for our sins and thereafter live a life of integrity. That’s it! That’s all there is to it?

Yep. I think so. So why do we not have more happy children?  

It’s simple.

Simple does not mean easy! 

Oh to embrace the simple, hard work of living with integrity! 

Wish I had started this hard work earlier! How about you?  BUT the good news is as long as we are breathing, it’s not too late to begin!!! 🙂

Felicitous Friday to you my Friends!!

Day 171 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

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Proverbs 20 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Wine is a mocker, strong liquor a rowdy; anyone led astray by it is unwise.
2 The dread of a king is like when a lion roars; he who makes him angry commits a life-threatening sin.
3 Avoiding quarrels brings a person honor; for any fool can explode in anger.
4 A lazy person won’t plow in winter; so at harvest-time, when he looks, there is nothing.
5 The heart’s real intentions are like deep water; but a person with discernment draws them out.
6 Most people announce that they show kindness, but who can find someone faithful [enough to do it]?
7 The righteous live a life of integrity; happy are their children after them.
8 The king seated on his judgment throne can winnow out all evil with his glance.
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am cleansed from my sin”?
10 False weights and false measures — Adonai detests them both.
11 The character of even a child is known by how he acts, by whether his deeds are pure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye — Adonai made them both.
13 If you love sleep, you will become poor; keep your eyes open, and you’ll have plenty of food.
14 “Really bad stuff!” says the buyer [to the seller]; then he goes off and brags [about his bargain].
15 A person may have gold and a wealth of pearls, but lips informed by knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Seize his clothes, because he guaranteed a stranger’s loan;  take them as security for that unknown woman.
17 Food obtained by fraud may taste good, but later the mouth is full of gravel.
18 After consultation, plans succeed; so take wise advice when waging war.
19 A gossip goes around revealing secrets, so don’t get involved with a talkative person.
20 Whoever curses his father or mother — his lamp will go out in total darkness.
21 Possessions acquired quickly at first will not be blessed in the end.
22 Don’t say, “I’ll pay back evil for evil”; wait for Adonai to save you.
23 Adonai detests a double standard in weights, and false scales are not good.
24 A man’s steps are ordered by Adonai, so how can a person understand his own ways?
25 It is a snare to dedicate a gift to God rashly and reflect on the vows only afterwards.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked [from the righteous] and threshes them under the cartwheel.
27 The human spirit is a lamp of Adonai; it searches one’s inmost being.
28 Grace and truth preserve a king; with grace he upholds his throne.
29 The pride of the young is their strength; the dignity of the old is gray hair.
30 Blows that wound purge away evil, yes, beatings [cleanse] one’s inmost being.
via Proverbs 20 KJV;CJB – Wine is a mocker, strong drink is – Bible Gateway.

Good Sense

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I am wondering how much good sense I have this morning. This is why.

 People with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.
via Proverbs 19 KJV;CJB – Better is the poor that walketh in his – Bible Gateway.

See what I mean? 

It makes good sense to be slow to anger. Okay. I get that. I’ve experienced that. I see the folly of fast out bursts of anger spewing words based on feelings and little facts. However, the verse does not end there. 

It is their glory to overlook an offense.  

Whoa!

Is it my glory to overlook an offense?  

My glory? Hmm. Defining glory gives insight. See HERE.

a state of extreme happiness or prosperity

There are other definitions but in my opinion they do not fit the context of this verse.  In my upbringing Glory goes to GOD alone. And rightly so!

My glory – a state of extreme happiness or prosperity (of soul) for me to overlook an offense. 

I can only say amen. ABBA, Your Word is true. And thank You, this helps. 

Overlooking the offense is to my benefit.

I will be remembering this — for practice purposes. 🙂

Day 170 of 2014, a day to give Thanks.

Kathie

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Proverbs 19 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
1 Better to be poor and live one’s life uprightly than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.
2 To act without knowing how you function is not good; and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.
3 A person’s own folly is what ruins his way, but he rages in his heart against Adonai.
4 Wealth brings in many friends, but the poor man loses the one friend he has.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished; whoever breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many ask favors of a generous person — to a giver of gifts, everyone is a friend.
7 A poor man’s relatives all hate him; even more his friends stay away from him.
He may pursue them with entreaties, but they aren’t there to be found.
8 To acquire good sense is to love oneself; to treasure discernment is to prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished; whoever breathes out lies will perish.
10 It isn’t fitting for a fool to live in luxury, and even less for a slave to govern princes.
11 People with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A son who is a fool is his father’s ruin, and a nagging wife is like a leak that keeps dripping.
14 A house and wealth are inherited from ancestors, but a sensible wife is from Adonai.
15 Laziness makes people fall asleep, and an idle person will go hungry.
16 He who keeps a mitzvah keeps himself safe, but he who doesn’t care how he lives will die.
17 He who is kind to the poor is lending to Adonai; and he will repay him for his good deed.
18 Discipline your child while there is hope, but don’t get so angry that you kill him!
19 A violent-tempered person will be punished; if you try to save him from it, you make things worse.
20 Listen to advice, and accept discipline, so that in the end you will be wise.
21 One can devise many plans in one’s mind, but Adonai’s plan will prevail.
22 A man’s lust is his shame, and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of Adonai leads to life; one who has it is satisfied and rests untouched by evil.
24 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish but doesn’t even bother to bring it to his mouth.
25 If you strike a scorner, the simple will learn to act wisely;
if you reprove the intelligent, he will understand what you mean.
26 One who mistreats his father and evicts his mother is a son who brings them shame and disgrace.
27 My son, if you stop heeding discipline, you will stray from the principles of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing.
29 Judgments are in store for scorners and blows for the backs of fools.
via Proverbs 19 KJV;CJB – Better is the poor that walketh in his – Bible Gateway.