Windy woods

Wind and rain today and soft cloud light. 

Some trees same to have a spirit about them.

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 

The word for spirit is pneuma, meaning wind. 

Some winds are destructive bringing down limbs.

1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 

These oak balls were broken like eggs when the limb broke off. Oak balls are caused by the larva of the gall wasp; somewhat like a grain of sand in an oyster producing a pearl in defense, the oak tree makes the oak ball as a defense. The Indians ground them up and used them to treat wounds. They are high in tannic acid. They also were used  to tan leather.

Act 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 

Act 10:31  And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 

Act 10:32  Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 

Now where did this scraggly steer wander in from?

Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

This tree could make a tapestry design.

Pro 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 

A bit of manipulation and a Chinese tree appears. 

A cross represents the Chinese Christians from the light of the son. Rainy days make for creative thoughts?

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Vacuum tubes and seminary

I was cleaning out the over head storage in the garage and pulled down a box with old vacuum tube testing equipment. I remember using this type of equipment in college in the 60's. I was working in my brothers mobile home factory and taking Jr. College classes at night. Why was I taking classes in electronics when I had little interest in it? Let me tell you the story.

 A young associate pastor came to our church in Southern California. I remember his arrival in a green 1955 Chevrolet convertible. He had a lovely wife and a child. We became friends and I loaned him my stereo amplifier that I had put together piece by piece from a kit.  He was very interested in Electronics; I was more interested in the music from the stereo. The young pastor came out of a liberal theology seminary and did not believe in the virgin birth. I was young and not very knowledgeable about God's word, but what he said did not set right with me. Our friendship developed and he confided to me that he wished that he had taken electronics in school. I thought I would give it a try and spent many semesters in night classes taking electronics.

In time I realized that this was not for me. Have you ever wasted time pursuing something that was not God's will for you? I did eventually go back to college and got a degree in Industrial arts. Looking back I would have preferred classes in Bible, but maybe I would have been taught wrong in a liberal seminary? The college taught me discipline, but I left college spiritually empty. I moved north and started a cabinet shop with my brothers. It was hot hard work and humbling. I was learning, what I did not want to do.  Knowing what you do not want to do is a step towards finding what you may be gifted to do. After 7 long years I started a Photography business and at the same time found a Bible believing church.  This was 1977. Faith in God and reading the word of God has kept me going,  for it is living and powerful. I believe the whole Bible. Jesus was born of a virgin as the prophet said he would come. I finally found a calling; teaching the word of God and photography too. Looking back at those years of vacuum tube electronics and transistors,  technology has come a long way, but God's word is still true and needed now more than ever. Jesus is the most important pursuit. He is my Lord and my savior and serving him is not a mistake but a joy and a privilege. We come to Jesus and begin our purpose for existing. It is an everlasting joy. In this world we will have tribulations  but He has overcome the world. Christ in us, is our hope of glory and our eternal refuge.

Get Moving

I got up and was walking before sunrise this morning. 

Way high there was a tiny jet trail,

 caught in the high morning sun. 

My friend the Blue Heron was not happy to see me.

Pro 27:5  Open rebuke is better than secret love. 

Pro 27:6  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 

Thirty yards away was too close for this loner. He took flight and this time I caught him with his wings up 

as he made a grumpy gawking noise.

Pro27:14  He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him. 

 The Heron seems to have awakened everyone with his squawking. Now it sounds like a freight train of  honking geese as wave after wave of geese fly over.

Psa90:14  O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 

Up the river comes a speeding fishing boat.

John 21:3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

Joh 21:4  But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 

Joh 21:5  Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 

Joh 21:6  And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 

The boat caused a wake disturbing the still river waters. I was not the only one up and moving this morning before sunrise. Time is wasting, get a move on.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

Brush and feathers

Mirror mirror...who is the fairest of them all? One white duck remains in the pool. 

She has joined with a flock of Mallard ducks.

1Cor 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1Cor 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

The Mallard is as a sergeant with his shoulder stripes.

Mat 8:8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 

Mat 8:9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 

Mat 8:10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 

The LORD makes beautiful creations with his brush.

Tit 2:6  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 

Tit 2:7  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 

Tit 2:8  Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 

Looking up in the sky, a cloud repeats 

the duck's wing pattern.

Psa 5:2  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 

Psa 5:3  My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. 

Adding a little color to his brush, 

the LORD paints a rainbow.

Gen 9:16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 

Elusive

Deep in the quiet of the woods, only the river can be heard in the distance rushing over the shallow rocks. In the brush I see a deer. In the quiet we can see and hear the secrets of nature.

Pro 1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

The deer evaded my attention. I saw deer at several locations and most do not come very close.

Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 

Psa 66:19  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 

Psa 66:20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. 

The sun rim lighted his ears making them stand out from the confusion of the brush. Another was with him and both  vanished in the thickets.

Eze 12:1  The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 

Eze 12:2  Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 

Eze 12:3  Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. 

Further along in the open was a young buck.

Exo 23:24  Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 

Exo 23:25  And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 

Exo 23:26  There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil. 

The deer with horns are rare at the park. 

This is a handsome young fellow.

Gen 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 

One Days Change

In the morning about 8:30.

Lam 3:22  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 

Lam 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

The clouds were dramatic as they 

were mirrored by the pond.

Psa 96:4  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 

Psa 96:5  For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 

Psa 96:6  Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

A big oak tree broke in two.

Zec 11:2  Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. 

Zec 11:4  Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 

Zec 11:5  Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. 

This familiar tree has come to an end. It will be firewood. I still think of these mighty trees as symbolic: for a fallen leader? for a fallen nation? What of a nation that has turned from God?

Zec 11:10  And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 

Zec 11:11  And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 

Zec 11:12  And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 

At sunset, only a stump remains. In a few months there will be grass here, no stump, no evidence of it ever being here. What if it were you or me, taken down in one day. Would we be remembered in a good way?

Maybe these posts will remain? I love the sermons of several great men of faith that continue because they were recorded. Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, but oh what a great price he paid for our redemption. His life brought life to us all. We are to bring life to people because of Jesus.

Isa 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 

It is sunset at the park, like other sunsets, but one less tree.

Rom 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 

Like the days beginning and end bring beauty, so should our birth day and day of death be beautiful. We shall go to Jesus, and perhaps we will meet him in the clouds?.

Ecc 7:1  A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 

Imagine

Imagination is good if it is constructive. Great inventions have come by imagination and wisdom from God. Needless to say, we get into trouble if we have wicked imaginations. Try to imagine good things and see things as they should be. When the LORD called us he called us to a purpose. Try to imagine your purpose and your usefulness to him. The Lord gave me eyes to see. I like to share what I see.

Jer 33:3  Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 

A puddle mirrors a giant oak tree, a muddy image. We were once in a muddy pit of sin until Jesus came and lifted us out.

Psa 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 

This tree resembles an owl. I see an eye and a beak. The LORD made all creation and provided for it.


Isa 43:20  The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 

Just a lizard on a tree, or is it a dinosaur? Depends on your perspective.

Isa 27:1  In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. 

 

Looking through a seed we see a blooming Silver Thistle. The small birds like thistle seeds.

Pro 25:11  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 

Pro 25:12  As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. 

Guy Smiley and his family. They weep over most anything.
A little humor from the kitchen. The onions flavor food and we are to flavor the world.


Eze 20:41  I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. 

Can you figure out what this says?

Mat 28:5  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 

Mat 28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 

Day of the LORD

Isa 2:12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

Stripes on the Rock of Ages.

 The Day the Lord Jesus came was 33 years and ended by his rejection by the religious leaders. His back striped with whipping, a crown of thorns on his head. He was nailed to a cross, his blood shed for our healing, body and soul and spirit. He paid the price for our redemption and salvation.

The prophets spoke of a Day of the LORD, warning a backslidden and idolatrous Israel to repent, for God would send in Assyria and then the Chaldeans to remove them from their land. It was a time of judgement.

Joel 1:15  Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

 Amo 5:18  Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. 

Isa 10:3  And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 

The Day of the LORD is a terrible time of judgement for those who reject the God of Israel and their Messiah. At the end of this time we live in, the wrath of God will be poured out on the wicked.

Joe 2:10  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 

Joe 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 

Joel 2:12  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 

Joel 2:13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Repent all of you who sin and be covered with the love of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The time of judgement is near.

Jesus is the Rock, the chief cornerstone of the Church of God.

Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 

Mat 21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 

Repent for the Day of the LORD is near.

 

For the beauty of the earth

I had a lovely walk in the rain yesterday and this morning I awoke with a song in my heart: 

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

Layered rain clouds, a most welcome sight.

For the love which from our birth Over 

and around us lies:

A fallen leaf on a lonely bench appears to be dancing.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

These strange berries are on the pokeweed. Robins and doves eat them and spread them in my home garden. They are toxic to animals, but the pioneers boiled the young leaves to remove the toxins and used them in salads.

Amos 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

An oil slick on a puddle in the road forms a swan illusion. To me the illusion is the nations with the fighting and perversions. It is as the days of Noah in the world.

The LORD reveals his secret things through his word and the Holy Spirit. If we know the word of God in the Bible then we should know that we are in the end times.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 

Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

God made and loves his creation. 

A deer enjoyed the rain with me.

Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

The path we choose is up to us. There is God's way that leads to Jesus and everlasting life, or there is the way of man seeking to destroy life and ignore the God of creation. We can warn them, but not be of them, 

We are on another path.

What is revealed to us is by the Holy Spirit

and the scriptures. 

The trees are so loving the rain. The moss grows and the dry summer trees have a new fall and winter coat.

Peace on earth and joy in heaven: Lord of all to thee we

raise This our hymn of grateful praise.