Pentacost Acts 2:1-7

 Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Pentecost was a Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover; it was a time of celebration for the first-fruits of the harvest.

At Passover, the first sheaf to be reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God; but at Pentecost, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were given to God. Therefore, Pentecost is called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26) Also, Jewish tradition taught that Pentecost commemorates the day when the Law was given to Israel; the feast was sometimes called by the Jews shimchath torah, or "joy of the law"

So on Pentecost, Israel received the Law, and the Church received the Spirit of Grace in fullness

All in unity together seeking God.

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

The word for Spirit is also "wind", a mighty rushing wind filling all the upper room. Is this the fan of Jesus separating the wheat from the chaff? Or is this a new life breathed into born again believers? Perhaps both and more.

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

The baptism of fire as in Mat 3:11...he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

The idea behind the picture of fire is usually purification, as fire is used by a refiner to make pure gold, or as it can burn away that which is temporary, to leave that which is lasting. This is an excellent illustration of the principle that the filling of the Holy Spirit is not just for power, but for purity.

Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit rests upon God's people as individuals - the tongues of fire sat upon each of them.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

How many were filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with other tongues? One hundred twenty were in one accord and were speaking in recognizable languages as the spirit gave them utterance.

tongues - the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct

utterances - to speak forth, speak out, say

Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

A crowd quickly gathered, being attracted by this sound (either the rushing mighty wind or the speaking in other tongues); when they came they heard the Christians speak in their own foreign languages; apparently the Christians could be heard from the windows of the upper room, or they went out onto some kind of balcony or into the temple courts.

What better way to show the presence of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the people, then to speak edifying words of God in each language. This was a reversal of what happened at the tower of Babel. There all were confounded and confused speaking in languages no one understood.

Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Galileans were not known to be educated men or good speakers.

Shades of Grey

Grey is the absence of color, although grey is often called a color. In black and white photography there are shades of grey. A grey scale shows shades of grey from black to white. Spiritually there is a right and a wrong, truth and lies, good or evil. These are opposites as is black the opposite of white. Most live in the murky grey of compromise. When I rededicated my life to the Lord I was in a church that taught that there is good and evil and that we are not to mix them up. Without Jesus we would be lost in the murky grey of sin.

Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Randy the wounded goose stands before the grey of the pond. The pond is grey because the sky is grey. He watches the ripples caused by a gentle wind. The Greek word for spirit is pneumos, meaning wind.

John 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

John 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

We have a blue Jay called the Scrub Jay. It has blue feathers and a grey breast. A bluish grey is called a cool grey. Grey with hints of tan are called warm greys. The Lord has made good use of colors. Most any color goes with grey.  Grey or gray is the same word. The KJV Bible uses the spelling "gray". Old people have gray hair.

Pro 20:29  The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. 

 The Robin has a grey top and a red breast. He is a warm grey color. My hair used to be a reddish brown, but I noticed a few years back that the barber started putting gray hair on the floor. Was he getting it from a bag just to trick me? We will all get gray if we live long enough. I am still young in spirit. Jesus keeps us young.

Eaglewings Ministries

Meeting God in darkness

When I read Exodus 20:21 where it said that Moses " drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." I thought to myself, does God dwell in darkness? God is light and truth, no darkness in him. I had to go back to Exodus 19 and read more. God appeared in a cloud, the glory cloud of God. I have seen dark clouds, full of rain; then there was fire on the mountain and smoke. In the natural I thought of a volcano with dense smoke, but this was more than a natural occurrence. God was there, in the darkness. All the people feared at his presence and would not come near because they were unclean and lacking in faith. Moses went into the cloud and the darkness of smoke on the mountain to speak with the angel of God. 

Exo 19:9  And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 
Exo 19:10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 
Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 
Exo 19:12  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 
Exo 19:13  There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 
Exo 19:14  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 
Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 
Exo 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 
Exo 19:19  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 
Exo 19:20  And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 
Exo 19:21  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 

Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 
Exo 20:20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 
Exo 20:21  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 

The people were not able to touch the holy mountain when God's presence was there. Moses had gone up and he had received the law. Moses spoke to the people that God was proving or testing them, for they had little faith. Because they were lacking in faith God gave Moses laws to guide them until faith was formed in their hearts. As believers by faith in Jesus Christ we will be tested. Darkness will come to us, but God is in the darkness to show us something. He is there with us to bring us through. Sanctify yourselves, cleanse yourself by confessing your sins and stay close to the presence of God. It is a good thing to fear God, but by being in Jesus we may come boldly into his presence.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Legalistic Error

From the 2001 Eaglewings Daily Bible lessons, The Book of Acts.

Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

These were the Judaizers, insisting that new converts first keep the Jewish old testament covenant, including circumcision. Paul addresses this in the Epistle to the Galatians. We are not to be put back under the law.

Gal 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Acts 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Paul probably more then anyone new the law and grace. He knew that the law was not to be imposed on the new believers, but that by grace ye are saved.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
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This morning thinking about legalism I see some churches that claim to be more spiritual as being full of legalistic teachings. The denominations are divided because of differences. All true Christian churches say that Jesus Christ is Lord. Salvation is through his finished work on the cross; grace received by faith in Jesus. We can get along so long as Jesus is the way of salvation. To add any other requirement is legalism. Churches differ, the Pastors have different visions and purposes. Find a church and grow in the word of God. Jesus is Lord, let people have liberty to grow in him and give room for minor differences. 

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 
Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 
Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 
Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 
Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 
Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 
Rom 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 
Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 
Rom 14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 
Rom 14:14  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 
Rom 14:15  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 
Rom 14:16  Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 
Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 
Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 
Rom 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 

Plumbline

Amo 7:7  Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. 

Amo 7:8  And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: 

A plumb line is a straight and true line by suspending a pointed weight on a string.  The plumb line is a straight line and by it a wall is made straight or is seen as not truly being straight. The law of gravity keeps it perfectly straight. God would judge Israel with a perfect law, no longer would he pass by and ignore their sins. Judgement time had come.

Paul spoke of rightly dividing the word of God. I see this as a plumb line in the spiritual. We can discern the truth by correctly interpreting scriptures. The scriptures interpret scriptures. Read them, know them and then you will see truth from error.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

The truth of God is backed up by the authority and power of God as creator and judge. He will punish the transgressor and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ he gives grace. When a politician makes a line, then it means that anyone stepping over it would be subject to the power that he has behind him. The big difference is that God is not a liar, he means what he says and he keeps his word. When all is said and done, God's word remains true, the plumb line of his truth and will.

Ice

 The water on the pool cover was still frozen this afternoon, trapping some leaves and making designs for us to see. 

 Help me out with these images. This one looks like a spider crab. They have small bodies and very long legs. Being a scavenger the Jewish laws call them unclean.

Deu 14:9  These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: 

Deu 14:10  And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you. 

 I see an "A" for Artist. The LORD is the master Artist, creator and pattern maker.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 

 I see a cross and the figure of a man.

Luke 24:6  He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 

Luke 24:7  Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 

Luke 24:8  And they remembered his words, 

Luke 24:9  And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 

Luke 24:10  It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 

 Pyramids appear above the storehouse of leaves.

Gen 41:34  Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 

Gen 41:35  And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 

Gen 41:36  And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 

Gen 41:41  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 

Gen 41:42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 

Gen 41:43  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

I see the head of a great fish.

Jonah 1:17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 

Luke 11:29  And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 

Luke 11:30  For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 

Not I

We have heard of soul mates. I see the soul as the persons self, the flesh and the lusts of the flesh. The soul seeks another soul to control or to have it's needs met. The Spirit of Christ in us, seeks the things of God and is selfless. The mind of Christ seeks to do the will of God. I see that often there is a conflict between soul and spirit. 

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

Our soul is who we are, but we are not all carnal, fleshly, the spirit seeks God. Jesus makes soul and Spirit one in him. Thank you Jesus for saving me from myself.

 

The mind of Christ in us, is good. We seek His thoughts, we read the Bible, we meditate on it, we do good things; but Paul says in the flesh there is evil. When we give ourselves over to the flesh , then we sin and sin by the law brings death. The bottom line is that the law is holy and good, but our flesh brings sin and death. The good news is that in Christ we are forgiven and we receive his grace. The mind of Christ is all powerful, but the flesh is weak and lazy. Again, we overcome the flesh by faith.

 

 Romans 8 gives us the way of victory.

 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Spirit requires us to walk by the will of God, he directs our lives and he loves us. Thank you Jesus.

The Righteous

Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

1 Tim 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Being faithful is important, and being called, we are enabled to do His work by his grace. God called the twelve disciples, and equipped them for ministry.

Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Paul was the last of the apostles to be called.

1 Cor 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Tim 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Thinking he was serving God by being zealous for his law keeping, he destroyed God's children, in ignorance.

1 Tim 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Our righteousness is by faith in Jesus.

1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1 Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

If Saul can be saved, so can we. We should not write people off, but rather pray for them, that they might hear and receive the word of faith and be accounted as righteous in Christ Jesus. Paul was given a ministry to the Gentile nations and with the calling was the promise of suffering with God's grace. The faithful will also suffer and be persecuted and more so in days to come, for Jesus is coming back for his righteous and  faithful Church.

Walk with Faye

Faye went with me on an afternoon walk.

 It was a cool and windy walk, but refreshing.

 I pushed her in her wheelchair around the main trail.

1Pe 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. 

1Pe 3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 

1Pe 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 

A man greeted us and following him at a distance was this little puppy. Dogs are supposed to be leashed, but I did not fear this little guy.

Mat 15:26  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 

Mat 15:27  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 

 Do you see the ant eater? They eat insects and bugs.

Mark 1:6  And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 

Mark 1:7  And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 

Mark 1:8  I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 

 From the pond a coot has caught his lunch with small legs hanging down from his beak; 

 it must be a frog. He swallowed it down whole.

Exo 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 

Exo 8:6  And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 

The wind blew hard on the river making patterns of blue. There is an Indian casino calling itself the

 Win River," things are better on the river". . . In reality it is located on a creek. I suppose "up the creek" did not sound as good as a slogan for a gambling casino.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

The blackberry leaves form a wreath  of thorns near the river shouting that Fall is here. Fall brings death to the leaves but new life comes in the Spring.

John 19:1  Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 

John 19:2  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 

John 19:3  And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 

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. 

Victory in Jesus

Tom was a young man saved through our Internet ministry. He with others in a "Free" family of new believers grew in their faith in Jesus Christ. They helped many others come out of bondage into liberty. Tom gave his life in Iraq having re enlisted in the army. He gave his all to secure freedom for others and led other soldiers to Jesus. Death where is your sting? Only in our missing those who have departed. But we will be together forever in God's forever kingdom. Those we have lost contact with will be reunited in glory.

1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

We do not fear the punishment of sin that is death. The law of sin and death is not for the Christian. Jesus has given us victory over death and the grave. We live eternally in new resurrected bodies.

1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

No, your labour is not in vain. We are not bound to everlasting torment. Works do not save anyone, but Jesus saves. Our works for him have an everlasting reward. Perhaps the best reward will be seeing others you witnessed to in glory with you. Already some have died that I helped find Jesus, some died with strongholds, but I believe Jesus' blood still saves. There is victory in Jesus, and no bad or evil thing will inherit glory, only that which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus' blood washed us clean and we are made acceptable to God our father. Be stedfast, unmoveable in your faith, always abounding, over and above  measure . Your cup overflowing with zeal for the Lord, for you know your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Fear of God

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 

Those who purposely break God's laws are in danger of hell. Those under the old covenant of the law, could not keep the laws completely and for fear appealed to the mercy of the LORD. God the Father sent His Son Jesus, to be our substitute . He kept all the laws, and our sins were heaped upon him as he took them to the cross and shed his blood and died in our place. The good news, the gospel news is that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day and is eternal God the Son who invites us to come to him, for he has paid the penalty for law breaking.

 

The people in Noah's time did not fear God and they were destroyed.

 

Gen 6:13  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Israel seeing God's miracle deliverance feared him and the law was given to them.

 

Exo 24:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

God sent Jesus because he loved us, we reverence and love God through Jesus.

 

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

Psa 96:9  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1Th 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

 

The people in Noah's day were destroyed because of rebellion. God called Moses to come to him and he was given the ten commandments to learn the holy laws of God. In the New Covenant Jesus is calling us to himself, to rest in him and to learn of him. Learning of Jesus is our holiness with him as we live out our lives before him. A lawless people will receive what the people in Noah's time received. They will be destroyed for lack of the fear of God. Come unto Jesus and receive forgiveness and grace to be a son of God, a holy people loving God and others with his love that we receive. Fear God and live in His holiness for this is the grace of God through Christ Jesus.

Life Lessons

I put a pot with a hole in the bottom over a mimosa tree plant that I cut off last year. The plant followed the light through the hole and grew in the light as if the obstacle was not there. We need to be as focused as this plant, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the light of the world and not be deterred by the obstacles around us in this sinful world.

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

A struggling fly in a pool of water made this interesting design pattern. With an action there is a result. Our lives put out waves to those around us attracting attention. May we use our time to plant seeds for the kingdom of God.

Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

As I walked by the river I heard a boat coming as I caught the speeding boat, I see that it was the sheriff in pursuit. He was putting action to his plan. The law has to be enforced.

Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 

Further along the river trail is a place of solitude with a bench. This serves as my altar at times, a place to commune with God and to make plans. Our plans must be His plans if they are to prosper.

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

These wild grapes speak to me of bearing fruit for God. There are ripe grapes and immature grapes as well as older raisin like grapes all together in one bunch connected to the vine. They are like the people of the church, altogether but of differing maturity.

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

I saw this little oak branch today and it brought to mind two things. The first is the deep root that these oak trees put down. We are to be rooted and grounded in God's word. Secondly, I recall a young lady named Linda who was saved through our online ministry from a bad life. I had named a giant oak as her oak tree. The giant oak fell in a storm and at my house was a tiny oak plant that the birds had planted. I said to her that she has another oak tree with her name on it. I never heard from her since that day in 2003, but the oak tree in my back yard is now  about 30 feet tall. The Valley Oak has grown tall and is a reminder to pray for this girl and for all who we have had contact with in our ministry. 

1Ti 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 

1Ti 2:2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.