Singled out

A leaf has been chosen to view because I see something in it. It looks like a mask. A parable emerges; it is like an uncommitted Christian, half in the world and half out. If we are going to serve Jesus we must make a decision for him. Put on a happy face and come follow Jesus.

Mat 13:47  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 

Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 

Mat 13:49  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 

Mat 13:50  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

 Our pool is used about three months of the year. We must cover it because there are so many trees around it. After a rain the cover makes it's own pool and the leaves pile up until they are removed. So many leaves cover the pool, some blown in from distant tall trees.

The larger Red Bud leaves look like lily pods in a Koi pond.

A Persimmon leaf is partially submerged. Perhaps this is an illustration of baptism?

Mat28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

The Mulberry has chosen to come out of the world of water. We must choose to be separated out of the world unto Jesus. This is our sanctification.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

The tall Sycamore in a distant yard has yielded it's leaves. Many have been blown into our yard and pool. It is a favorite resting place for the Turkey Vultures. They seek death to feed on. Jesus brings us out from the world of sin and death and he gives us eternal life.

Mar 10:29  And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 

Mar 10:30  But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 

Long Life

I do not usually open mail before I do my  journal. I put thoughts together the night before  and in the morning the LORD helps me put them together. This morning a friend's letter contained a thought; "We Only Have Today." We cannot be sure about being alive on earth tomorrow. We do have scriptures that speak of a prolonged life. It would be useful to know them.

 

Deu 5:16  Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

 

I loved my parents and when I was about to die of cancer at age twenty, they received the Lord after I did,  and we were baptized together. That was in 1959.

 

Psa 90:10  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

 

A normal life span is 70. I have Christian friends who minister in their 80's and 90's by the grace of God.

Psa 91:14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

 

Life is prolonged for those who trust the LORD, but some are called home early. The LORD is LORD of our days, he decides. We are not to be bitter or lose faith if a loved one dies. Rejoice if they are with the LORD.

 

Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

 

Length of days and eternal life are the reward for believing and following the LORD unto salvation in Jesus Christ.

 

Lev 19:32  Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

So when you see someone with gray or white hair, praise the Lord, it may be you or me! 

Man's Destiny

Job in his despair speaks these words of a man without hope. He could be speaking for all people who have not come to God.

Job 14:1  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 

Job 14:2  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

 

How wonderful it is to know that in Christ Jesus we are born again into eternal life. Yes, Job is right concerning our flesh man. Moses and David had some things to say as well.

 

Psa 90:10  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psa 90:11  Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Psa 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psa 90:13  Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
Psa 90:14  O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psa 90:15  Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
Psa 90:16  Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
Psa 90:17  And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

 

Psa 102:11  My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
Psa 102:12  But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Psa 102:13  Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

 

Psa 103:13  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Psa 103:14  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Psa 103:15  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
Psa 103:16  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Psa 103:17  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
Psa 103:18  To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Isa_40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

 

Jesus brought to us forgiveness of sins and a new eternal life.

John 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
John 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Luk 21:17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
Luk 21:18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

John 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:47  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

Dividing sheep from the goats

It has been said that about 25% of the church members believe that everyone will be saved. This is not true.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

The goats will be cast into hell and the sheep to eternal life.

Mat 25:46 And these (goats) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Other parables speak of separating the wheat from the tares. The tares will be burned.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Another parable concerns a dragnet.

Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Any questions?