Mercy Seat

Jesus has many titles. Perhaps the two most distant titles from each other are brought together at the mercy seat.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 


John 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 

Jesus The Lamb of God and Jesus, Son of God are two distant names that came together as our atonement for sins. God came down in a human, to be the sacrifice, the Lamb of God for our sins; His blood applied to the mercy seat. This blood was received by God the Father as the atonement for our sins. Jesus has been called the Mercy Seat, the propitiation. He is the atonement, the sacrifice, and the sin forgiver as God the Son. Mercy grew to bring to us grace. We who receive Jesus by faith are adopted sons of God. Only a perfect sacrifice and our perfect loving and just God could do this for us.

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: 
Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

Eaglewings Ministries

Tradition

One of the few things my father told me before I was to marry was"now you can make your own traditions." I wondered about that statement, what are our family traditions? Was it stopping at a certain Foster's freeze for an ice cream? Was it stopping at a hamburger place that specialized in chili burgers? These things we did year after year when we made trips in our car. Was it our traditional Friday night gathering to play cards with my father and brothers? One tradition he passed down was to work hard and to be thankful for a job. My mother was a homemaker, always home and my father worked very hard, but was always home for dinner. They were faithful and our extended family was always together for thanksgiving and holidays. My family did not come to Jesus until I was nineteen. My affliction with cancer and being touched by God brought the family together to be baptized. After this God was in our traditions. My family loves the Lord Jesus Christ and the word of God. 

Mat 15:1  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Mat 15:2  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

The dictionary defines a tradition as a way of thinking, behaving or doing something that has been used in a particular group, family or society for a long time.

The Strong's Concordance

Tradition, paradosis: of the body of precepts, esp. ritual, which in the opinion of the later Jews were orally delivered by Moses and orally transmitted in unbroken succession to subsequent generations, which precepts, both illustrating and expanding the written law, as they did were to be obeyed with equal reverence.

Bad thinking and sin can be passed down.

Exo 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 

Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 

Exo 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 

There are good traditions that define the character of a nation. Godly laws that honor God, such as our motto, in God we trust.  Now these traditions are under attack to be replaced by lesser values and ungodly laws. Churches have traditions, ways of doing things, but our traditions are not to take away from God's truth. When a tradition goes against the commands of God, they will not prosper. A nation that turns from God is headed for destruction unless they repent. A church must teach and practice truth by faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ as savior or their traditions are a hindrance. Traditions can become habits, so be sure that your traditions are acceptable to God.

Weightier Matters

Mat 23:23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

The problem with those who pride themselves in keeping laws, is they do not keep them perfectly. They have  a form of righteousness, but they really do not keep the laws in their hearts. 

The scribes and Pharisees ignored the more important things of the law: judgment; which is justice; knowing right from wrong and administering a just sentence on a wrong doer, according to God's laws.

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Mercy; kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Faith; in the LORD and his promises to His people.

Mat 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

There was a great deal of pride in these religious leaders thinking that they obeyed the laws and condemning others who they did not approve of, including Jesus. 

Have we in the church ignored the law? Have we given grace too big a definition making it an excuse to live casually? Have we too come up short regarding justice, mercy and truth? Revival starts in each believers heart. We are not to be rigid Pharisee law keepers, nor loose living sinners hiding under the name of grace. It is a spiritual walk we must take. We must stay close to Jesus, allowing his Spirit to search our hearts as we read the Bible. He is perfecting his bride. Do not think that you are yet perfect. Only in him are we made perfect. Our identity is hidden in Jesus Christ; he is seen and he is glorified.

Randy alone

I took a nice walk in the park at sunset time and I saw Randy, the Canadian goose with a broken wing. He was alone at the foot of the pond. The pond was a lovely shade of pink. Other fowl were swimming in the far side of the pond, but I saw no other geese. God has kept him going. I felt like I was Randy as I looked over the quiet pond soaking up the sunset sky; alone with God, thankful, scarred from life in the flesh, but so blessed and fortunate to discover the LORD and the beauty of his creation. Yes, I made pictures, but the computer could not load them up, saying the card needed formatting. Well if I format the card full of memories, all are lost. In the same way we are to format our own minds and hearts to be usable to God, losing the old thinking. God speaks through circumstances, so look for the message in your setbacks. If I have a problem, a concern or a need to hear from God about something, I usually sleep on it, in the morning I see things in the spirit better than in the night when the mind and body are tired.

How to format your thinking

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Faith requires faithfulness, faith in action.

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God and faithfulness is doing what God requires us to do. As we are faithful he gives to us more responsibility and more blessings, both here and hereafter. It starts with submission. Are we willing to submit all to God in this new year and forever? We are not all the same and that is why we need each other. Each are gifted by God to bless the body of Christ. We together are his body, placed together in love, to be like Jesus. Our fellowship with God will result in a spiritual relationship; we shall be the bride of Christ. We are complete in Him.

Woe to the Unjust

Isa 10:1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

Another woe of judgment of God on Israel; upon those that write wicked laws or rulings to oppress the people, or to exalt that which the Bible condemns.

Isa 10:2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

Jesus spoke of these matters when he taught.

Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

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?

If you deal wrongly with one another, who will you turn to when the Assyrians come? Jesus spoke of how doing evil in good times, when Jesus was present, would make it almost impossible to survive in bad times.

Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Luke 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Our everyday walk with the LORD prepares us for surviving the bad times. If we say we are a victim, and cannot get through a small problem in good times, what will happen in evil times to our faith? Be strengthened now by trusting the Lord, reading his word with prayer and good works.


Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Eaglewings Ministries

Prayers answered

It has been a week since we prayed for the oppressed lady in the resthome who screamed day and night. Today after our praise service I asked one of the ladies if it was now quiet?  Has the lady found peace? "She is over there in the wheel chair, " she answered. I went to the lady who was wearing a surgical mask and greeted her. She replied with a gentle hello. I said may God bless you and she said thank you. Wow, I was happy to see her released from that demon. She seemed to be in her right mind, praise God for answered prayer! I sensed that some of the women in the home were still a bit slow to see this change. It is hard at times to put away the memory of unpleasant people. When we pray and God answers by giving mercy, are we unwilling to give mercy? Is there some nuisance person that we cannot forgive that God has touched, that we still cannot open up to and be kind? Jesus came to save souls and this should be our purpose as well. Let Jesus be the judge and we his servants.

1Tim 2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 

After Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving in the past was a day of work at my photography studio. I became the stuffed turkey, dressing up to create family portraits. My portrait room was not as large as it needed to be for large family groups, so I had to find ways of grouping the families to fit into the space. Using a film camera, it all had to fit perfectly. Skill was required to relax the families, compose them, not taking too long because the children squirm or the baby starts crying. I trusted the LORD to help me in my business and he never failed me in the 36 years I was in business. In the latter years digital photography helped me to expand the wall space by adding more background later, but that was kind of like cheating. Digital photography changed the value of photographs. Everyone has them now and people do not want as many prints because they share them on their phones and computers. I am retired now and the day after Thanksgiving has become a day of rest and reflection. A time to work around the house, raking leaves. Still work to do but at my own pace.

Following the lovely Thanksgiving buffet with the people at our church, my wife and I went for a drive. It had been a long time since we had driven to Jones Valley and visited Shasta Lake. When we arrived the lake was gone! It had receded due to a low rainfall season. Rain is needed to fill the lake that was formed by building Shasta Dam.

We kept driving on the road above the lake until we found another low water boat dock where the houseboats were still floating. It reminded me of Noah and the ark that finally came to rest on dry land. Rain will come again because the LORD is faithful, he keeps us afloat. Thank you LORD.

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. 
Lam 3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 
Lam 3:25  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 
Lam 3:26  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 
Lam 3:27  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 
Lam 3:28  He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 
Lam 3:29  He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 
Lam 3:30  He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 
Lam 3:31  For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 
Lam 3:32  But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 

The Thankful Ones

Battleship Arizona Memorial

I was two years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked and we entered the second world war. The battleship Arizona was sunk with almost 1200 casualties. The survivors of this ship are few and old. Over thirty have returned to be with their fallen brothers in ash filled urns. So many young men died, but a few lived to be old men with thankful hearts.

 

One of last USS Arizona survivors returns to ship for last time - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

I am thankful that when I could have died of cancer as a young man that God allowed me to live to be an old man, young in spirit. I thank God for life and the new life in Jesus Christ. I thank God for a loving wife and wonderful children and grandchildren. I thank God for families and kin and the kinship of those in God's family. May we celebrate this Thanksgiving in the company of friends. Jesus is our best friend; thank you Jesus.Most of my friends are old in age but young in spirit. I do not look forward to a burial in an urn with my buddies, but I look beyond the grave to a place of life and goodness, joy and peace. I thank God that he came to me as a young man and although I went through some hard times, he was always near. We must look at life through our redeemed spirit. For greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world. Greater is the eternal spirit made alive in Christ Jesus, then the flesh body of the world.

Psa 100:1  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Psa 100:2  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psa 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psa 100:5  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

 

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.

Life and Death Considered

We all must give an account to God for our lives. The will of God is that we accept his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we faithful to the Lord? Perhaps our greatest task is to keep going, to stay faithful and to keep sharing the way of life through Christ Jesus until that day when we shall see the Lord, face to face.

Isa 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

Death of this flesh body is going to happen to all of us. It is an evil time in the world, but there are those in the righteousness of Christ, that witness and shine for his glory. They may not be popular in an evil land, they may even be persecuted. Some of the best witnesses are gone, or are near death. We need them, but the LORD will raise up new witnesses. Some could be taken away to spare them from the evil to come and some may be martyred. Some are rewarded for a life time of service with a long life and a peaceful death; others, like Isaiah suffer death at the hands of evil men.

Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

When Peter was told that he must die a martyrs death, he asked, what about John?

John 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
John 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

All in Christ Jesus are received into glory and will return to rule and reign with the Lord in his kingdom; some go in peace, others at the hand of man; but to be eternally with Jesus is our reward.

Mat 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Great is thy faithfulness

Lam 3:19  Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 

Lam 3:20  My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 

Lam 3:21  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 

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. 

Lam 3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

Lam 3:25  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 

Lam 3:26  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

? CeCe Winans - Great Is Thy Faithfulness (with lyrics) - YouTube

It was supposed to be sunny for a week. 

You cannot trust a man's forecast, but God is faithful.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be 

A gentle rain on the pond at the end of the day and the mallards swim over  to see if I have any bread,
 sorry no bread just a picture.

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

The pond has a special feel to it on this cloudy afternoon.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love 

Cottonwood leaves sing in the breeze that God is faithful.

Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
Great is thy faithfulness 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm

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. 

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.