Two Adams

When we were at the Creation Museum this fall,
we learned that the story of Adam and Eve has
been set aside as many churches are ignoring the
first eleven chapters of Genesis. Paul ties the
resurrection into Genesis with this verse:

"For as by man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection
     from the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
(1Corinthians 15:21)

We cannot understand the coming of the second
Adam without grasping what happened in the
garden to the first Adam.

Dear reader, I sit and write, cross out, write,
cross out, write... How do I express to you
the essential wonder of the two Adams? It
reminds me of the song, "Love and marriage,
Love and Marriage goes together like a horse
and carriage--You can't have one without the
other." The first Adam took us into death;
the second Adam took us into life.
Profoundly simple.

Thanksgiving Corner:
Diamonds on branches flash in the wind

Stories:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php

Hope

Paul:
No resurrection; No hope

"But in fact Christ has been raised
     from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(1Corinthians 15:20)

The church spends six weeks preparing for
Good Friday and then one day celebrating
the resurrection! Have we taken the time
to consider all the implications of His rising?
Well, they are huge and keep getting better!

Reader, I am digging into this chapter. It is
pregnant with future hope. The resurrection
is astounding. Come, be amazed with me!

Thanksgiving Corner:
Hail, sleet, snow; two inches of white

Stories
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php

Turkey or Eagle?

So, I am a Christian. What does that mean?
What is the secret of a happy Christian life?

When Christ died, God the Father put me
into Christ so that:

When Christ died, I died
When He was buried, I was buried
When He rose from the dead, I rose also
When He ascended, I ascended.

Jesus broke the power of sin in my life.
He gave me a new identity. I am no longer
a turkey; I am now an eagle. BUT, if I do
not know that I have become a new creation
in Christ, transformed by the resurrection,
I will continue to eke out an existence, as
a turkey.

Dear reader, I have spent most of my
Christian existence living the low life of
a turkey--trying to please God with little
jumps and with the furious flapping of
wings. I did not know that I was a new
creation in Christ, an eagle who was made
to soar...

Oh, glorious resurrection!

No Resurrection

We have just walked through another Easter and
celebrated the fruit of death which is resurrection
and eternal life. But, what if Jesus did not rise
from the dead? Is His death enough to take care
of my sins? Did Jesus have to rise from the
dead in order for me to be saved?

Paul says this:

"...if there is no resurrection from the dead, 
then not even Christ has been raised. And
if Christ has not been raised, then our 
preaching has been in vain and your faith
is in vain...And if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile and you are still in your
sins." (taken from 1Cor. 15:12-17)

My faith is Futile? No resurrection means
I am still without deliverance from sin?
Paul says that if Jesus only died and never
rose, then I have no hope and am the
laughingstock of the world. "We are of
all people most to be pitied."

Dear reader, pause and ponder.
I hope it sets your feet to dancing.
Glorious resurrection! Hallelujah!

Thankfulness Corner
Days of heavy rain in the High Desert.

Of First Importance

Paul opens 1Corinthians 15 with a plea to stand
firm, to hold fast to the word that he preached
to them. So, what was that word?

"For I delivered to you as of first importance
what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
     in accordance with the scriptures,
that he was buried
that he was raised on the third day
     in accordance with the scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then
to the twelve. (I Corinthians 15:3-5)

For this message Paul was brutally beaten,
shipwrecked. He hungered, thirsted, and was
left for dead. He lost friendships and was
misunderstood. He was thrown out of the
synagogues.

The message of first importance burned into
his soul. Paul could not keep quiet.

This blog that I write today really tugs at my
heart. There is a young man, a very popular
young man, who is preaching another gospel
as truth and it sounds so good. Am I willing
to be rejected for calling a sin, a sin; vilified
for speaking the truth?

Thankfulness Corner
Wind whipping through the trees

Stories:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php 

A Great Chapter!

I am a fan of the fifteenth chapter of
First Corinthians. It begins with something
Paul calls, "of first importance," and ends
in victory over death. Then in the middle
parts there is the rumbling of resurrection
and the clear notes of a trumpet. So, come
with me as I dip into this lovely chapter
of life and hope!

Thankfulness Corner:
That lovely smell after the rain

Stories:
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Mary

There are two beautiful women called Mary
featured in the Gospels and I love them both.
But I want to focus on Mary Magdalene.
There is a scene in John 20:11-18 that calls
up all kinds of emotions for me. Let me set
the stage for you. Mary Magdalene had such
a checkered life--before she met Jesus. But after
their encounter we find Mary in a variety of
places:

Sitting at the feet of Jesus
Falling down at His feet in anguish
Anointing His feet
Standing at the cross to watch Him die
Sitting near the Tomb as it is sealed

I see her leaving the tomb as she walks through
the slimy pit called death. No hope that she will
ever, ever see her beloved again. Mary is so
deep in grief on the first day of the week, that
she fails to be moved by the two angels who
sit where the body once lay. She does not
recognize the voice of her Lord--until, until
He calls her by name. "Mary." Suddenly her
upside down world is right side up! In a single
moment everything changes.

Dear reader, Jesus knows my name! Jesus
knows your name! We are not part of a bunch,
overlooked until we do something great for
God. Mary had nothing to give to Jesus but
her time. Do you realize that Jesus by-passed
his men and first revealed himself to a woman
with a broken heart? This encounter with
Jesus, moves me every time I read the story.

Thankfulness Corner:
The sound of thunder on a rainy day

Stories:
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He's Alive!!!!!!

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He's alive and I'm forgiven,
Heaven's gates are open wide!

Check out this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKxD8WnSYqQ

Happy Resurrection Day

Shattered

As I was reading through the accounts of the
crucifixion today, I found myself focusing on
the women first and then the men. I found two
Mary's at the cross. Mary Magdalene and
Mary, the mother of Jesus. After John took
that mother home, the other Mary clustered
with the women who stood at a distance. They
kept watch until Jesus was removed from the
cross and then followed Him to the tomb, so
they would know where to come after the
Sabbath. Then they went home to prepare the
spices for burial. Shattered, they do not believe
they will ever see their Beloved alive again.

The hearts of the disciples are black with
despair. All hope is gone. Except for John,
no mention is made of any of them at the
cross. Shattered, they are hiding out. The
resurrection is no where in their thinking.
Yet, Jesus had mentioned his rising every
time he mentioned his death. He had a
long conversation with his men the night
before he died.

Where am I in this mess? Right there. I can
open my Bible and study about the times
we are in, including His glorious return,
and I remain unmoved, stuck in my stuff.
My prayer for us, dear reader, is that come
Sunday we will celebrate the Resurrection
with exuberance and hope! Jesus said that
we are to look up because our salvation
draws near. He lives within and He will
come again to receive us in our new bodies.
See the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Betrayal

"...And she broke the flask and poured it over his 
head. There were some that said to themselves 
indignantly, 'Why was this ointment wasted like 
that? For this ointment could have been sold for
more than 300 denari and given to the poor.' And
they scolded her...Then Judas Iscariat, who was 
one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in
order to betray him to them... And when they
heard it, they were glad and promised to give him 
money." (Mark 14:3-11)

What was going on here? Murmuring, scolding,
betrayal, because a woman took what she owned
and used it the way she desired? Well, Judas kept
the till and he was a thief. All of the disciples
thought that Jesus would set up an earthly
kingdom. Judas was deeply unhappy with Jesus
and had all ready determined in his heart that he
would betray him--for a price.

Speaking of Jesus. What about Jesus? He knows
he is about to die, has shared such with his closest
companions who are offended that a woman has
come into their midst and wasted a valuable vial of
oil. Not one of them saw the gift it was to their
Lord.

Dearest reader, I have been deeply disappointed
with God at times. It is hard to worship in seasons
of shattered expectations, after all, life is all about
me, right? When I am able to focus on the bigger
picture and Who is at the center of all things, my
perspective shifts from me to Him. Then I wonder.
Would I have been able to face the scorn of the
men in order to minister to my Lord?

Thanksgiving Corner:
greens, browns, reds, yellows spread over
     mountains in early morning.

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Broken and Spilled out

The Setting:
It is two days before Passover and the
chief priests and the scribes are plotting
how to kill Jesus, but, "not during the 
festival, lest there be a riot."

The Scene:
Jesus reclining before a low table laden
with food. "There came a woman with
an alabaster vial of very costly perfume
of pure nard; and she broke the vial and
poured it over his head." (Mark 14:1-3)

A woman
A vial of Nard
The breaking
Anointed for burial

The Song:

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn.

And once it was broken and spilled out
     A fragrance filled all the room,
Like a prisoner released from
     his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb.

Chorus:
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you, Jesus.
God's most precious treasure
     lavished on me.
Broken and spilled out
And poured at your feet,
In sweet abandon,
Let me be spilled out
and used up for Thee.

Lord, you were God's precious treasure
In love His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love
     of the Father,
Just for love it was done.

And though You were perfect and holy,
You gave up yourself willingly.
You spared no expense for my pardon.
You were used up and wasted for me.

Chorus:
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me, Jesus.
God's most precious treasure,
     lavished on me.
Broken and spilled out,
    and poured at my feet,
In sweet abandon, Lord
You were spilled out and used up
     for me.
(By Steve Green)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pklUAB4E4nA

Glorified

How many of you pray and ask God to
be glorified in you? Do you really know
for what you ask? Go with me to
John twelve, verse twenty three:

"And Jesus answered them,
'The hour has come for the
Son of Man to be glorified.'"

Then turn to John twelve, verse one:

"When Jesus had spoken these words,
he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, 'Father, the hour has come,
glorify Your Son, that the Son may
glorify You...'"

The hour has come for what? The
hour has come for that which Jesus
had been born. His purpose was to
die for the sins of the whole world,
so that whosoever would call upon
Him, would be saved from death--
the death of the soul.

God wants to glorify Himself in us.
Is this your cry?

"That I may know Him
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death."
(Philippians 3:10)

Thanksgiving Corner
The wind

Stories:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com

A Blood Moon

Tonight, sometime between midnight and 3AM,
depending on where you live, there will be a
total lunar eclipse lasting 78 minutes. Because of
the way the earth, moon and sun line up, the
moon will look dark red and it is called
"a blood moon." Tonight is the first of four such
moons coming six months apart and the set is
called a Tetrad, according to NASA.

April 15, 2014  Passover
October 8, 2014 The Feast of Tabernacles
April 4, 2015 Passover
September 28, 2015 The feast of trumpets

How common is a Tetrad? Well between 1600
and 1900, there was not a single one. In the
20th century there was a set in 1948, '49--the
time that modern Israel was born and a set
in 1967, '68--around the time Jerusalem came
under the authority of the Jews. (Three more
were seen making it a total of five.) The four
moons we are looking at over the next two
years, all occur around Jewish feasts. How can
this possibly be just a coincidence?

Genesis 1:14--"And God said, 'Let there be
lights in the expanse of the heavens, to separate
the day from the night. And let them be for
signs and appointed times...'"

What do I think that God is saying?

"Stay awake, for you do not know on what 
day your Lord is coming. Be ready, for the 
Son of Man is coming at an hour you do 
not expect." (Matthew 24:42,44.)

Thanksgiving Corner:
Daffodils and Tulips grace the rock garden.

Prophecy

Our group is now in chapter 11--and I don't
mean bankruptcy! Chapter 11 of Daniel is
all about the kings from the north and the
kings from the south battling it out through
Israel, the Beautiful Land. It is all very
confusing but Beth Moore does a good
job laying out the players. She talks about
what has happened while the book of
Daniel talks about what will happen.
Beginning in chapter 2 with the dream and
interpretation of the statue we get a very
clear picture of the players in the unfolding
history of Babylon. There are lots of dreams
and as the book proceeds, even open visions
which blow Daniel away. At one point he
becomes as a dead man before the majesty of
the living God. History unfolded with an
exact fulfillment, so exact that there are
scholars who say that the Book of Daniel
was not written by Daniel but by someone
who lived much later.

You see, dearest reader, if you can debunk
Daniel, you can debunk God, and all He
has said about the end times, which are also
covered very specifically in this book.

"...I am God, and there is no other,
I am God and there is none like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things that are
     not yet done,
Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and
I will accomplish all my purpose.'"
(Isaiah 46:9B-10)

What a God I serve! I cannot mess things
up. He will accomplish all his purpose!

Movie on Daniel's Life

Yesterday the he and the she watched a movie on
Netflix called, "The Book of Daniel." The acting
was not all that great, but the story was handled
very well. They put it together in a way that was
easy to follow. Lions do, indeed, have long sharp
teeth!

Thanksgiving Corner:
Trakters preparing the land for sowing

God Speaking

The last blog certainly spoke to me about
something God wants me to do. You see it
was all about prayer. Many years ago I
learned to hear God by meditating on His
Word with a small group of women. We
would take a verse, ponder it, write out
what we saw and heard, then we would share
it. It was amazing to see the diversity of what
each woman caught. This was then turned into
prayer for others. My children were young at
that time but together we meditated through
the first chapter of Proverbs, one verse at a time.
They saw things that I did not see.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer discipled a group of
young men during the 1930's. He had them
take one verse and spend 30 minutes on that
verse each day for a week.

Several weeks ago I started thinking about
sharing this form of study and prayer with
some of the local women. Our study out
of Daniel confirmed it to me and then to the
women in the study. So, the thinking about
it has become a place of sweet obedience.

Thanksgiving Corner
At dawn, the western clouds clothed in pink

Stories:
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How Daniel Responds

The last blog showed how Daniel discovered what
time it was for the Jews who had been in captivity
for 70 years. How does Daniel respond to the prophecy?
Does he sit back and wait to see what God will do?
After all, the prophet Jeremiah had written it. Actually,
Daniel does something that rather surprised me. He
reviews the history of his people. He thinks about why
the Jews had come into bondage long before the King
carried them into Babylon. It was because they had
turned away from the living God to worship idols. He
then looks at how the Jews are doing after 70 years in
captivity. Amazingly, there is no difference! In fear
and anguish, mixed with urgency, Daniel hits the floor.
He dresses in the sackcloth of mourning, and with
fasting, he begins to cry out to God on behalf of his
people. Listen to his cry:

"We have not listened to you
To us belongs open shame
We have sinned against you
We have rebelled against God
We have all refused to obey
And, because of this, You have brought calamity
     against us" (Daniel 9)

Precious reader, did the list yesterday sicken you?
Are you looking at the time and thinking that Jesus
will come and rescue you? Does Daniel's response
of confession and intercession for his people, give
you pause? It certainly has made me think.

Thanksgiving Corner:
One tree dressed in Spring green

New story:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php

What Time is It?

This week I am reading Daniel 9, where, in the first
three verses I find that Daniel has learned what time
it is. He is reading Jeremiah and discovers that "Israel 
shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years, 
and then God would visit his people and bring them 
back into the land." (Jer. 25:11-12; 29:10)

Is it possible to for us to discern the times we are
living in? Take a look at the following scriptures:

"But understand this, that in the last days there will
be times of difficulty. For people will be:

lovers of self
lovers of money
proud
arrogant
abusive
disobedient to parents
ungrateful
unholy
heartless
unappeasable
slanderous
without self-control
brutal
not loving good
treacherous
reckless
swollen with conceit
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
having the appearance of godliness but
     denying its power
And, the love of most will grow cold."
(2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:12)

Wow, what a list! If I doubt that we are living in
the last days all I have to do is turn on the TV
and watch the programs that flow from the screen.

Dearest reader, the clock is moving toward
midnight. How then shall we live?

Thanksgiving Corner:
The ever shifting light out on the flats.

New story:
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php

New Story is Up

All of us like music, some kind of music. Today's
story is of a woman who found music as a little girl
during a very difficult season. Do check it out!

Then Sings My Soul....
http://www.hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.php

The Real Thing

Saturday I finished up the current series on trials and went
about my normal day--or not so normal. About  2PM I
received a phone call from my he who was having another
Meniere's attack and needed me to come pick him up. As
the afternoon progressed, so did the physical symptoms
of dizziness, nausea and vomiting. About 5PM my cell
phone rang and a familiar voice said,

"Honey, would you please call 911?"

I ran downstairs, and, after trying to find a pulse, made
the call. It was a surreal experience as they loaded my
he into the ambulance. It was a long evening of trying to
get him out of A Fib and into a normal heartbeat, then
they kept him overnight because it did not convert. When
all of this began to unfold, I remembered the blog I had
written that morning. I am to rejoice in Him and be thankful
because God, my Papa God, loves me and He is in control.
I realized as I went through the drill that my emotions lie
and often have nothing to do with the truth. But, I can
speak the truth even when my emotions are bouncing off
of walls.

This particular trial began to come to an end late Sunday
evening when my he's pulse reverted to normal--and has
stayed there!

Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul
and worship His Holy Name.
Sing like never before...

Thanksgiving Corner:
The wind blowing strong into our faces.