Just a Sunday morning hello written on Saturday night.
I lassoed some time to catch up with my beautiful niece this evening and in the course of conversing, we expressed gratitude for the same blessing. A HOT SHOWER.
Just give it a few minutes of thought and you will see what we mean. It’s one of the greatest blessings we have in this opulent America.
Yes, a hot shower means we have a place, an abode with running water, not just running water but HOT running water; which means we have a power source to heat the water and faucets and pipes to conduct that water to us and if we have the strength and ability to get in and out of that shower without assistance we have reason to be doubly grateful. And don’t forget the towel and wash cloth and soap and the bath mat to step out on. And the floor! Tile, wood, vinyl, concrete — whichever it may be. Sheer opulence, my Friends. Sheer Opulence.
Let us give Thanks.
This is not a blanket endorsement for the song or singer, it just fits well today, I think. :)
14 “I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I myself do not belong to the world. 15 I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth. 20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. source
Who is speaking here?
To whom is He talking? And who is He talking about?
This is a portion of the prayer The LORD prayed for His disciples, including you and me before He was executed.
Do these verses have any connection to 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18 or 1 John 2: 15 – 17?
Have some “lights” come on for you as you have read Thursdays, Fridays, and now Today’s subject passages?
Do you see that all of Father’s Word is connected and that we need the WHOLE of it to gain understanding?
14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? 15 Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I willdwell among them andwalk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18 And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. source
To whom is this epistle addressed?
Put another way, who is GOD talking to in these verses of Scripture?
How do these verses compare with yesterday’s verses? 1 John 2: 15 – 17 Are the matters related? And if so, how so?
What is GOD saying to us? What is He saying to YOU?
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. source
These words were penned by John from GOD.
What conclusion can we draw other than GOD said this? And since He said it, what are we to do with these words written on a page perhaps nearly 2,000 years ago?
Shall we ignore them? Shall we take them seriously?
What if GOD at an appointed time asks you and me about these verses — what shall we say to Him?
We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?