Four Gardens

There are four main gardens in scripture. First we
see the Garden of Eden where Satan deceived the
woman and from that point on, all were born sinners.
The second garden was Gethsemane where Jesus
made the decision to go to the cross to become the
second Adam. The second Adam took care of the
sin problem so that all could now fellowship with
the living God if they so chose. The third garden,
oh, the third garden, contains an empty tomb today.
Paul said that if Jesus did not rise from the dead then
we are the most miserable among men. Our Savior
conquered death in that third garden. Now the fourth
garden, drum roll, will arrive when the Tree of Life
comes down from heaven upon the new earth:

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, 
clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of
God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street
and on either side of the river was the tree of life
which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its
fruit every month. The leaves of which were for
the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1,2

Reader, I started to ponder the gardens in the Bible
when we were in the Garden of Gethsemane. It
would seem that the first and fourth gardens are
the same garden. Remember Adam and Eve lived
there before they sinned and afterward the garden
was taken up to heaven. Read the last chapter of
Revelation and see if you don't get very excited!

The Garden

It is an awesome thing to walk into the Garden where an
empty tomb is found. We were taken first to a place where
a Scottish gentleman introduced us to what had happened
here 2,000 years ago. Why is it believed that this is the
tomb where it all happened? Well, first of all it is outside
the city; secondly it is near a road that is believed to be the
road where Jesus was crucified and the cross had to be near
the garden where Jesus was buried; thirdly, the skull is still
visible today. This is also the place where Abraham offered
up his son, Isaac, where Abraham said to Isaac, "God will 
provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering."
Then Abraham called the name of the place, "The-Lord-
Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the mount of 
the Lord it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:8,14.) It was
amazing to me that we were in the place where these events
are connected. Shadows and patterns are found all through
scripture.

We walked through this beautifully kept garden to the tomb.
When you walk in, there is a vestibule where the body would
be prepared for burial with spices and then wrapped. We
know that the job was not finished for the women came the
third day with the spices--and found an empty tomb! Then
we went into the inner room where the body of Jesus had
been laid. In every other religion there is a tomb and a body.
We worship a risen Lord who gives life to the dead!

Our time there was ended with a sermon and communion
which was so precious as we had become a close group.

I will post some pictures on my FB page. One of the pictures
will be a picture taken at the tomb in the late19th century. I
found it in the bookshop.

The Old City

We continued to explore the old city of Jerusalem. The
overview of the city and the Temple Mount is at the top
of the Mount of Olives and it was from there that we
walked down the path that Jesus took when he came into
Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey. When we were
at the top, Glen and I both saw a camel lying down. He
looked stuffed, but then I saw him blink. Glen is so thank-
ful he didn't kick him! We were looking at the city from
the east and between us and the city was a large number
of graves--all of them facing east in order to be the first
to resurrect when the Messiah arrived. Unfortunately, they
all missed Him...

On our way down we came to the gate of a garden called
Gethsemane. The olive trees are old. The Romans had cut
down all the trees in AD 70, but Olive trees grow from the
roots left and so the trees we saw were 2,000 years old. It is
interesting to me that within the Garden was an olive press
where the olives are crushed to make the oil. Our Savior
was crushed also, to give us life, eternal life. It was in this
garden that Jesus said to His Father,
"Not my will but Yours be done." 
The battle was won in that moment.

We spent some time overlooking a wall built by the Cru-
saders which is16 large stones above the foundation stones
of the temple wall. Jesus told his disciples that not one stone
of the Temple would be left intact. I have a picture of giant
stones, disconnected, and lying in a heap. You see, all of the
200 prophecies in the Old Testament regarding Jesus' first
coming were fulfilled, and so everything that Jesus spoke
about His Second Coming in Matt 24, will also be fulfilled.

Our last stop that day was at the steps where the Jews en-
tered with their lambs and goats, in their arms to be sacri-
ficed in a designated area of the Temple. It is on these steps
that the teachers of the law would sit so that people could
ask them questions. It is thought that this is where His par-
ents found Jesus at the age of twelve. These teachers
marveled at His wisdom. Great story in Luke 2:41-50!

Reader, in the next blog I will go into the Resurrection.

From the Mountains to The Mountain

We left  the Golan Heights and traveled to Jerusalem through
the Decapolis to the largest of the ten cities where the man
who had been full of demons, brought many to Christ. The
ruins of Scythopolis were Roman. A 9.1 earthquake brought
the city down many years ago. It was quite a large city with
shops, falling water, pillars, and both a theater and an amphi-
theater. The hill behind it was a "Tell," which means there
were treasures under there and the time was probably during
the days of David and Solomon. Evidently Jewish Antiquities
did not want to disturb the hill....

We entered Jerusalem at dusk and my first impression was
the many very tall modern apartment buildings on the hills
around us. Perhaps it was the ruins we had witnessed which
made me think of the predicted earthquake in Revelation in
which a tenth of the city will collapse! (Rev 11:13).

The old city is seems small and is about 30 feet above where
it was in 33AD, as Jerusalem has been leveled many times
in the last 2,000 years. The walls now standing are from the
Crusaders who built so many of the structures in Israel, which
have recently been uncovered. The city is divided into 4 parts--
Christians, Muslims, Armenians, and then the Jewish quarter.
We came into the Armenian quarter and then into the Jewish
quarter where we had lunch. I have to say that we found joy in
the adults we met and enjoyed the laughter of children playing
in the streets of Jerusalem. We came to a large Menorah that
was made in the image of the Menorah which Moses construc-
ted and which was taken to Rome by Titus. It can be seen in the
Arch of Triumph in Rome and it now is thought to reside in the
Vatican archives. The Menorah we saw will be placed in the
Third Temple--the tribulation Temple--which is almost ready to
be set up. It just needs a place. So, you see, in a very small part
of Jerusalem, we saw the past, present and future--all in one day!

Reader, I think I will stop here. There is much more to say about
this beautiful city--where our tall modern hotel was built next to
the wall of the old city. We were very well fed everywhere we
landed--including all of our lunches. And, I did not gain a pound!

From the Sea to the Mountains

We headed up to the Golan Heights and found our-
selves 35 miles from Damascus. It was another beau-
tiful day, though chilly, as we walked out to look at
the valley where Israel meets the Syrian border, as
well as the border of Lebanon and Israel. Everything
is so compact. We warmed up in the cafe sipping on
Latte's and enjoyed the warmth. Hard to believe that
a conflict exists. We felt perfectly safe that day. Such
a beautiful view of the snowy peak of Mt Hermon.

From there we drove to the bottom of Mt Hermon
where spring flowers were in bloom and where three
rivers form from the mountain snows. Each of them
goes underground for 3 or 4 years and then springs
forth from the ground, each flowing into the Jordan
River. We saw the remains of the city of Dan and then
the Gate of the Kings, put there by one of the Northern
Kings of Israel. The most interesting thing was that
in Genesis 14:14 the scripture says that Abraham
came there when he was chasing the five kings to
get Lot back! It was a long way on foot!

At the foot of Mt Hermon is a cave and was a place of
worship to Pan which is connected to goats. The path
we took passes live goats so maybe it is still a place of
worship to this false god. Water was gushing and early
spring flowers were out. When I think back to this part
of the trip it is a time drenched in sunshine and every-
thing is bright green with flowers dotted here and there.

At one point we were a half mile from the Lebanon border
and saw Apache Helicopters that were re-turning from
Lebanon--just "doing business" says our guide. One thing
I had not realized was that the River JorDAN is connected
to the tribe of Dan.

Last year Israel hosted 4 million tourists and it is expec-
ted to be 5 million this year. I actually felt safer walking
around Israel than I felt living in Washington DC!

A Police Boat?

We were able to watch the colors changing over the
Sea of Galilee as day went into evening. So much
happened nearby as was posted in the last two blogs.
I grew up summers on Chautauqua Lake in NY
state and the lakes are similar in size and both have
hills on the other side of the lake. The hills in this
body of water are the Golan Heights which are cur-
rently being contested by Syria. We had a boat
ride on a beautiful afternoon, a peaceful afternoon--
until the Police boat showed up and boarded us to
see if papers were in order. Not ours but the captain.
One of the crew said that it was fine, he knew the guy,
and everything was in order. It was.

You see, reader, we had various and unexpected e-
vents on this tour that made it that much more inter-
esting. And, so far every day was cloudless and the
temperatures were higher than usual in February.

In the Footsteps of Jesus

Capernaum is in the Galilee region where Jesus spent
much of his time. The synagogue was very familiar to
him and it is in this town that Jesus prayed for Peter's
mother-in-law. These are some things that took place
there:

When John was put in prison, Jesus left Nazareth and
     dwelt in Capernaum 
He healed the paralytic who entered the house by roof
They left their nets and followed Him
The Centurion came and asked Jesus to heal his servant
The Temple tax that was found in the fishes' mouth
The Boat was headed to Capernaum when Jesus walked 
      on water to them.

In Matthew Jesus says this of Capernaum:
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?
You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty
works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would
have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will
be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the 
land of Sodom than for you.  Matt 11:23,24

I can tell you that we only saw ruins in the city of
Capernaum. That is true also of Magdala from which
a woman named Mary was relieved of seven demons.
It has only recently been discovered and the ruins of
the market place, the synagogue, the houses of the
priests showed that it was the town of Magdala.

The last place we saw in 'The footsteps of Jesus in the
Gallilee" is the Mount of Beatitudes. I didn't realize
that it was so close to the Sea. It is a hill that forms a
bowl--not a mountain just an elevation--and the people
sat on the side of the hill while Jesus talked below. Be-
cause of the the bowl terrain everyone heard him easily.

Well, reader, I will post pictures on Face Book, but know
the readers of the blog are not missing much, for the places
we went to were just ruins that were dug up from the past!
I am so impressed with the accuracy of all the prophetic
from Old to New Testament, as well as what has been pro-
phesied by Jesus and the apostles that we are now seeing
come to pass. It helps me to believe for all the prophecies
in both the Old and New Testament that have not yet been
fulfilled. One third of the Bible is prophetic.
God's Word is truth!

The Jesus Boat

In the last blog I added a picture of a 2,000 year old
boat that had been taken from the Sea of Galilee in the
1980's by two brothers who kept looking for things of
value. Since those who are not on FB cannot see the pic-
tures I will post the site that both gives information but
also has a picture of the boat. (Think stormy weather.)
It was tricky getting the boat out of the mud intact and
they put styrofoam around it and then removed that be-
fore putting the boat into water as it would deteriorate
in air. Much to their surprise bugs, worm like creatures,
came out of the boat and began to eat it. What to do?
Well, a fisherman told them he would bring something
the next day that would fix the problem but not hurt the
environment. Can anyone guess? Well, the next day he
carried in some goldfish and let them loose. Within 24
hours the boat was saved and now resides in a museum
that protects it with all kinds of sensors. This museum
sold ice cream much to the delight of the three children
who toured with us. They were great kids!

Reader, I keep pondering the last blog and how Jesus
fed His disciples. It must have been a very special meal
for all of them. Did they talk about the past three years
together? We don't know. But, the picture I get is that
this is their last meal together and Jesus prepared it as
part of His going away. He knew that these disciples
would not have an easy time of it as they spread the
good news of His death and resurrection. New ventures
are never easy. Or have you not discovered that yet?

When we were driving to the airport on that last day,
we went through sunshine and showers--and we saw
multiple rainbows. Such a gift as we returned to a nor-
mal life with new energy and wonderful memories.

This is a detailed site of how they saved the boat intact.
However, no gold fish were mentioned...but that is a
true story!

https://www.jesusboat.com/the-Jesus-Boat-Conservation/

The Sea of Galilee

We stayed at the beautiful Scots Hotel where we
worshiped outside as the sun rose in another clear
sky. We could even see Mt Herman dressed in pink
behind the Golan Heights which came down to the
sea on the other side. After an incredible breakfast
we boarded the bus where we began our day at a
walking path that connected Nazareth to Galilee.
Two thousand years ago it was the road that took
Jesus from Nazareth to His ministry around the Sea
of Galilee. We could see caves in the hills above us
where the Zealots lived. Remember Peter's title was
"Simon the Zealot!" (No, we did not walk toNazareth
that day.)

Amir took us to a wide beach and explained that we
were standing on the bottom of the Sea 2,000 years
ago. Several springs of warm water flowed into this
area and attracted the fish. Luke 5:1-11 is an amaz-
ing story where Jesus addresses the multitude from
Simon Peter's boat. When He finished speaking He
asked the fisherman how the fishing was. Peter said
it was terrible. Jesus told Peter to go out into the
deep and let down the nets. A skeptical Peter did so
and his nets began to break from the number of fish
that rushed in. Peter fell down before Jesus and said,
"Depart from me for I am a sinful man."

Now fast forward past the crucifixion and the resur-
rection to this same place. The heart broken disciples
had returned to the Sea of Galilee and went back to
fishing--they just didn't get it! In the early dawn a man
called out from the beach,

"Have you caught any fish?"
"No!"
"Cast your nets on the other side and you will find
some."

Nets were filled with fish but did not break. It was a
scene that melts my heart. John recognized Jesus and
they hurried to shore with their catch only to find that
Jesus had a fire going and fish simmering with bread
on the side. The resurrected Lord, the King of Kings,
had prepared breakfast for His disciples!!!!
(John 21)

So you see, reader, these two stories bookend the
ministry of Jesus--it is all about fishing for men.
Secondly, not only was there no scolding regarding
their lack of faith, but Jesus had a hot meal ready
for them. He ate with them and they fellowshipped
together.

What will it be like when we are with Him in our
resurrected bodies, feasting at His table???

By The Sea

We went from Jaffa north to Caesarea Maritima which
means "by the sea." We saw a Fig tree, which represents
Israel, standing full of dead looking limbs with little
knobs. Those knobs are tiny figs and those figs will
mature when the leaves come out and cover the figs.
Jesus, therefore, expected to find mature figs when He
saw the leaves, but He didn't because the tree was
"faking it." Matt 21:18,19

Caesarea is so close to the Sea that it will flood in the
winter storms and sure enough we saw sea shells piled
up. Herod built things he enjoyed such as chariot races--
the Hippodrome was two foot ball fields in length--. He
even fixed up a swimming area for his pleasure! Herod
also set up a theater for plays which was also used for
judgement. It is thought that Paul may have been
brought to the stage area below the box set aside for the
dignitaries when he spoke to King Agrippa. Acts 25:1-13.
It could be representative of the Bema Seat where Christ-
ians will be rewarded.

From the sea we went up to Mt. Carmel which overlooks
the Jezreel Valley known as Megido or Armageddon.
About 3,000 years ago Elijah defeated the prophets of
Baal at the top of this mountain. (1Kings18) When we
looked over the valley we could see Mt Tabor, Nazareth,
and much of the Galilee spread out at our feet. Everything
was various shades of green and brown in the bright sun-
shine. Mt Carmel is a good place to ponder the past and
the future where the 'Battle of Armageddon' will be fought
at the end of the tribulation.

Reader, I see so much as I write this summary and I hope
that it will give you a taste of the past, the present and the
future!

(hopefully the pictures will land close to the blog!)

Jaffa

So many of you are interested in an overview of our tour,
that I want to hit some highlights in the next few days. I
will be posting the blog on Face Book with pictures--if
I can make it work.

Our first night was spent in Tel Aviv in a beautiful hotel
near the Mediterranean Sea. The sound of the surf com-
ing in rocked me to sleep. After a huge breakfast we took
off to explore Jaffa which was formerly known as Joppa.
Originally it was a large city where ships came and went
and Tel Aviv was considered a suburb! Jonah fled from
God in a ship that sailed from Joppa (Jonah 1:3). It was
in Joppa that Peter prayed for Dorcas and she was raised
from the dead. (Acts 9:36-43) There is another story in
Acts 10 where Peter was a guest of Simon the Tanner and
he went up to the roof to pray while lunch was being fixed.
Suddenly he saw a vision of a white sheet filled with un-
clean animals and a voice said, "Rise Peter, kill and eat."
God was setting up Peter to go to the Gentiles and preach
the Gospel. While he was pondering the vision, men
came to the house to beg him to come with them. Well,
this trip ended with the beginning of gentiles finding
Jesus as their Savior. It is a good read.

That first day was cool and sunny with vivid blue skies.
The skyscrapers of Tel Aviv were not far off as we
walked the cobblestone streets of Jaffa. We came into
a cuddle-sac and found a doorway that said, "The house
of Simon the Tanner." It was my first shock of just how
real history can be, but just the beginning of coming in-
to contact with the past, present and future in a land the
size of New Jersey.

What a Wonderful Vacation!

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Israel
with Amir Tsarfati, a man born in Jerusalem and of the
tribe of Judah. It was a multi-layered tour as we saw sites
that were 4,000 years old, 2,000 years old as well as what
will take place in the future.  We visited Israel in 1972 at
a time when the whole country, including the Temple area
was available to any tourist. We were able to get into the
caves in Hebron, wander around Bethlehem, sit on Jacobs
Well in Shechem, now called Nablas. We saw some agri-
culture, some new buildings, and winding roads through
the center of the country. This time we were overwhelmed
by the highways, the green fields everywhere, the tall
buildings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is a prosperous
country which feels secure, which is not at all what we
were cautioned about before leaving! At one point we were
on the Golan Heights 35 miles from Damacus; at another
point we were within a half mile of Lebanon, but in neither
case were we searching the skies for incoming missiles.
The weather was almost perfect with sunny skies in the
daytime and temperatures in the low 70's. We did experi-
hence some showers as we toured Jerusalem, but that did
not slow us down. We were a company of 48, with three
delightful children, from five nations. I am still processing
and will share later some of the meaningful sites visited.

Amir gives updates on the Middle East each week and has
a website sharing who he is and what is available. The site
address to Behold Israel is below:

https://beholdisrael.org/behold-israel-has-a-new-website/

OOPS

Reader, I failed to post the website for last
evening's blog. So sorry, but yesterday was
a day that matched, in some small ways, the
journey of the Israelites as they came to the
Red Sea and the Egyptians showed up. We
experienced one unexpected event after ano-
there, beginning with a car that simply shut
down and would not release the key...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs3fOjJAeZE&t=11s

Will be back in a couple of weeks!!!!

Fear Not

Reader I found a wonderful encouraging video by
Malcolm Smith for those of you who find yourself
intimidated by the news of the day. He is in Ex 14
where the Israelites are between the Red Sea and
Pharaoh's army with no where to turn. Some days
I feel that way! It was the perfect thing for me to
watch as we go into a new adventure.

I will be not be blogging for a couple of weeks.

Our Deeds; Our Motives

Except your righteousness shall exceed the 
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you shall in no case enter the kingdom of
heaven.  Matthew 5:20

The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good 
things, but that he is good in motive because he has been 
made good by the supernatural grace of God. The only 
thing that exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ 
came to put into any man who would let Him a new here-
dity which would exceed the righteousness of the scribes 
and Pharisees. Jesus says--If you are my disciple you 
must be right not only in your living, but your motives, 
in your dreams, in the recesses of your mind. You must 
be so pure in your motives that God Almighty can see 
nothing to censure. Who can stand in the Eternal Light of 
God and have nothing for God to censure? Only the Son 
of God, and Jesus Christ claims that by His Redemption 
He can put into any man His own disposition, and make 
him as unsullied and as simple as a child. The purity 
which God demands is impossible unless I can be remade 
within, and that is what Jesus has undertaken to do by His 
Redemption.

No man can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus 
Christ does not give us rules and regulations; His teachings 
are truths that can only be interpreted by the disposition 
He puts in. The great marvel of Jesus Christ's salvation is 
that He alters heredity. He does not alter human nature; 
He alters its mainspring. Oswald Chambers

Reader, if you can grasp this message, it will set you free!

He Is Our Refuge

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present

help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

I once heard the following statement from a simple

old man, and I have never forgotten it: "When God

tests you, it is a good time to test Him by putting

His promises to the test and then claiming from 

Him exactly what your trials have made necessary.

There are two ways of getting out of a trial. One is 

simply to try to get rid of the trial, and then to be 

thankful when it is over. The other is to recognize

the trial as a challenge from God to claim a larger

blessing than we have ever before experienced, and

to accept it with delight as an opportunity of receiv-

ing a greater measure of God's divine grace.

In this way, even the Adversary becomes a help to 

us, and all things that seem to be against us turn out 

to assist us along our way. Surely this is what is 

meant by the words "In all these things we are more 

than conquerors through Him who loved us. Rom 8:37

A B Simpson

Not always OUT of our troubled times,

     And the struggles fierce and grim,

But IN--deeper in--to our sure rest,

     The place of our peace, IN Him.

Annie Johnson Flint

Reader, after I go through deep waters and God

has showed up, it is then I believe His promises. 

Ahhh, to grasp them in the going would be so 

much better. 

It is a Walk

They that wait upon the Lord...shall walk and not
faint. Isaiah 40:31

There is no thrill in walking; it is the test of all the sta-
ble qualities. To :Walk and not faint" is the highest
reach possible for strength. The word "walk" is used
in the Bible to express the character--"John looking
on Jesus as He walked, said, 'Behold the Lamb of
God!'" There is never anything abstract in the Bible,
it is always vivid and real. God does not say--"Be
spiritual," but--"Walk before Me."

When we are in an unhealthy state physically or emo-
tionally, we always want thrills. In the physical domain 
this will lead to counterfeiting the Holy Ghost; in the
emotional life it leads to inordinate affection and the 
destruction of morality; and in the spiritual domain if
we insist on getting thrills, on mounting up with wings,
it will end in the destruction of spirituality.

The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any
place, but only dependent upon the determination to set 
the Lord always before us. Our problems come when 
we refuse to bank on the reality of His presence. The ex-
perience the Psalmist speaks of--"Therefore will we not 
fear, though..." will be ours when one we are based on 
Reality, not the consciousness of God's presence but the 
reality of it--Why, He has been here all the time!

At critical moments it is necessary to ask guidance, but
it ought to be unnecessary to be saying always--"O 
Lord, direct me here, and there." Of course He will! If
our commonsense decisions are not His order, He will
press through them and check; then we must be quiet
and wait for the direction of His presence. 
Oswald Chambers

Reader, I so appreciate the final sentences. God has given
us understanding as to the normal day to day things. He
will let us know if we are getting off the track. Oh, yes,
He will let you know! The second thing I appreciate is
that life is not really a marathon, but a walk.

He Remains

You remain. Hebrews 1:11

There are so many people who sit by their fireplace
all alone! They sit by another chair, once filled, and
cannot restrain the tears that flow. They sit alone so
much, but there is someone who is unseen and just
within reach. But for some reason, they don't realize
His presence. Realizing it is blessed yet quite rare. 
It is dependent upon their mood, their feelings, their
physical condition, and the weather. The rain or thick
fog outside, the lack of sleep and the intense pain, 
seem to affect their mood and blur their vision, so
they do not realize His presence...So recognize the
presence of the Master. He is here, close to you, and
His presence is real. More so, the truth is a presence,
not a thing, a fact, or statement. Some One is present,
and He is a warmhearted Friend and the all-powerful
Lord. This is a joyful truth for weeping hearts every-
where, no matter the reason for the tears, or whatever 
stream their weeping willow is planted beside.
Samuel Dickey Gordon 

Reader, many of you are discouraged, lonely, and close
to despair. But near to you, in you, is a Presence who is
for you, regardless of what you feel, your lack of faith,
your faithlessness. He declares that He will NEVER
leave you nor FORSAKE you. He remains true.

Sow in Tears

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs 
of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying
seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,
carry sheaves with him. Ps 126:5,6

None who loves the Lord does not weep. Weep
with sympathy for sinners, weep with desire for
the glory of God, and weep with eagerness to 
overcome the enemy. Of course, those who have
no heart to please the Lord do not have such ex-
perience. But all whose hearts on the Lord's work
are bound to weep. 

Without a doubt tears are something we must have,
because this world is in great need of much tears 
by which to wash her. Many young believers need
to be nurtured and disciplined with tears. Spiritual
life needs to be maintained with tears. Numerous
sinners need to have the seed of the gospel sown in
their hearts with tears. 

If we shed tears for the work, what will be the out-
come? Do be aware of this, that tears will not be
shed forever, because there is a time for it to cease.
For please note this verse: "Thus saith Jehovah: 
Refrain they voice from weeping, and thine eyes
from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith
Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land 
of the enemy" (Jer 31:16) Watchman Nee

Reader, turn your sorrowing tears into a plea to the
Lord for men and women to be saved. He will save
those tears to pour out upon the hurting sinners, for
He would have none to perish. 

The Line is Obliterated

"Therefore come out from them and be separate,"
says the Lord. "Touch no unclean thing, and I
will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and
you will be my sons and daughters," says the
Lord Almighty. 2 Cor 6:17,18

I do not believe that there is any doctrine more
needed today in the Christian church in America
than the doctrine of separation.

We have lost power because the line between the
church and the world has been almost obliterated.
A good many people profess Christianity, but their
profession does not mean much; the result is that
the world does not know what Christians really
believe.

For every unconverted man that reads the Bible, a
hundred read you and me; and if they see us hand-
in-glove with the ungodly they are not going to
have confidence in our professions...

I believe that the cause of Christ is suffering more
from this one thing than any other ten things put
together. God cannot give us power because we
are allied with the ungodly. The mirth that satisfies
the world will not satisfy the true child of God,
and yet how many of us are just looking to the
world for our pleasure. 
Dwight L Moody 1837-1899

Wow, reader, if it was bad two centuries ago, what
is the condition of the church today? We are adapt-
ing to the world instead of influencing the world. 

His Seal of Ownership

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand
firm in Christ. He appointed us, set his seal of
ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts
as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
1 Corinthians 1:22

Now what is a Christian? He is a man clear of death
and judgement, brought to God, his sins forgiven:
one who has a new nature, who has received the
Holy Ghost, and who has a new place before God
in Christ, of whose body he is a member; one who
knows he is a child of God, an heir of God, and a
joint-heir with Christ; who has nothing but glory
now before him, and is looking for the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, to take him home to the rest
and glory of the Father's house. It is therefore a
wonderful thing to be a Christian: an unspeakably
blessed thing!  WTP Wolston  1840-1917

Reader, what a description of all God is to us and
all God is giving us! A saved Life from the moment
we exchange our poor sinful life for His! An eternal
life that has no beginning and no end for we are now
IN the eternal Son. He is our dwelling place.

If We are Faithless

If we are faithless, he remains faithful--
for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

Jesus Christ does not want to be our helper; He wants 
to be our life. He does not want us to work for Him. He 
wants us to let Him do His work through us, using us 
as we use a pencil to write with--better still, using us as 
one of the fingers on His hand.

When our life is not only Christ's but Christ, our life will 
be a winning life; for He cannot fail. And a winning life 
is a fruit-bearing life, a serving life. It is after all only a 
small part of life, and a wholly negative part to overcome; 
we must also bear fruit in character and in service if Christ 
is our life. "He cannot deny himself;" He "came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister." An utterly new kind of
service will be ours now, as we let Christ serve others
through us, using us. And this fruit-bearing and service,
habitual and constant, must all be by faith in Him; our
works are the result of His Life in us, not the condition,
or the secret, or the cause of life. 

The conditions of thus receiving Christ as the fulness of
our life are:

1 Surrender absolutely and unconditionally to Christ as
Master of all that we are and all that we have, telling
God that we are now ready to have His whole will done
in our entire life, at every point, no matter what the cost.

2 Believe God has set us wholly free from the law of sin--
not will to do this, but has done it. Upon this second step,
the quiet act of faith, all now depends. Faith must believe
God in entire absence of any feeling or evidence. For 
God's word is safer, better, and surer than any evidence 
of His word. We are to say, in blind, cold faith if need be,
"I know that my Jesus is meeting al my needs now (even
my need of faith), because His grace is sufficient for me."

And remember that Christ Himself is better than any of 
His blessings: better than the power, or the victory, or the 
service that He grants. Christ creates spiritual power; but
Christ is better than that power. We may have Christ, 
yielding to Him in such completeness and abandonment
of self that is no longer we that live, but Christ that lives
in us. 

Will you thus take Him?  Charles Trumbull 1872-1941

Reader, this concise explanation of what brings victory
in the Christian life, is what changed my Christian life
about 13 years ago. I never want to go back into "oughts"
and "shoulds." There is such a freedom in serving if the
Lord is doing the work--through me! ( and I need to be
reminded periodically. :) )

How Great is Our God!

In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.  Genesis 1:1

Reader, I watched a video this week that was
breathtaking. The speaker is Louie Giglio and
the topic is the greatness of God. Giglio takes
us into the far reaches of the universe and then
into the tiniest part of the body--the cells. A
surprise tranfixes at the end of the film. Watch
it, be filled with wonder, and then share it!

http://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/search?chn=1000&cmpgn=vela&ctype=videos&doi=2018-11-5&geo=&guid=1130b45b-9dd8-4e66-840a-4d939e15a3f0&o=APN11957&p2=%5EEQ%5Evela%5E&page=1&prt=nfm&q=How+Great+is+Our+God+with+Louie+Giglio+full+video+YouTube&tpr=sbt&trackId=&ver=8.1.0f230


Chris Tomlin sings How Great is Our God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLQ1td3MbE

Surpassing Greatness

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing 
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose 
sake I have lost all things.     Philippians 3:8

Are there sorrows that sorely test our heart? Be assured
that our Father intends every one of them to be a road 
for us to Christ; so that we may reach Him and know 
Him in some character of His love and power, that other-
wise our souls had not known. C A Coates

Reader, we are going through this verse in our women's
Bible study and it is so rich. I would encourage you to
spend time pondering Philippians 3:7-10 in the coming
months. Such awesome words!

Where You Stand

...the place you are standing is holy ground.
Exodus 3:5

I was chatting one day with a dear friend who asked me, 
"Have you ever heard about Nat's sandpile?" When I 
answered in the negative he told me this story.

Nat was a building contractor. It so happened that in his 
city was a huge sandpile. To everyone else but Nat it was 
merely an unsightly, worthless sandpile. But Nat had a 
vision about this sandpile. He saw that every truckload he 
sold would bring him a dollar. And when the sandpile was 
gone the leveled ground would make a fine site for a busi-
ness block. So Nat bought the sandpile.

As word spread, many of his friends laughed at the idea
of his buying a worthless sandpile. But soon Nat's vision
began to come true. Week after week he sold sand. Soon 
the sand was gone, the ground leveled off, replaced by
a handsome business block. Before the year was over, 
a good part of the wholesale trade of the city had moved
into that block, and soon after he sold out, making a lot
of money on the enterprise.

Friend, your life may be obscure, untalented, and as 
worthless in your sight as that sandpile. But if you will
treat the spot in everyday life, as holy ground and give
that life to God in consecration, God will make of it 
a beautiful structure enduring for His glory through all 
time and eternity.  James McConkey

Reader, God sees the treasure in each one of us. If we turn
the "sandpile" over to Him, He can make concrete! :)
Or something else that is lasting and valuable to Him and
to us. The place you are standing on right now is "holy
ground."

An Ointment Poured Forth

For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:15

The savor of the good ointments of Christ may flow
out through the holy lives of His people. Every trait,
every perfection exhibited by Himself in His walk
through this world may be reproduced in those that
are His.

Look, for example, at the precepts and exhortations
of the epistles. Every one of them has been perfectly
exemplified in Christ; and unless this is remembered,
so that they may be associated with Himself as the 
living Word, they will become hard and legal obliga-
tions.

Christ in us, Christ our life, as set forth in Colossians,
is to be followed by the display of Christ through us,
in the power of the Holy Spirit. For this we need to 
be much in His company; for the more we are with
Him, the more we shall be transformed into His like-
ness, and the more certainly will the savor of His
good ointments be spread abroad. And this will be 
a mighty testimony to who He is; for in this case His
name will, through us, be as ointment poured forth;
the sweet savor of the name of Christ will flow forth
from our walk as well as from our words.
Edward Dennett

Reader, have you ever encountered someone who drew
you to themselves just by being there? I remember a
speaker at a conference who so drew me that I was able
to share a quandary with him without fear of being
shamed for speaking to him. He quietly waited on God
and said a few words that filled me with joy. It was ob-
vious that he spent time with His Lord. He honored me.
The next speaker to arrive was very good, but his man-
ner was hurried and harsh in comparison.

Our Inheritance

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, 
being predestined according to the purpose of 
him who works all things after the counsel of 
his own will.  Ephesians 1:11

We are constantly ensnared by looking at secon-
dary causes--we do not realize God in everything.
Were we more alive to the fact that there is not an 
event which happens to us, from morning to night,
in which the voice of our Father may not be heard,
His hand seen, with what a blessed atmosphere
would surround us! Man and circumstances would
then be received as so many agents and instruments
in our Father's hand; so many ingredients in His
cup for us. Thus would our minds be solemnized,
our spirits calmed, our hearts subdued. 
C A Coates

Wow, reader, I can hardly take it in. "God works all
things after the counsel of his own will." Just this
day, I was blocked from my iPad and Glen spent a
few hours trying to re-connect me. As a Believer,
this has significance and is an opportunity for God.
He works all things for good. What a place to rest
when life falls in, prayers are not answered, plans
are thwarted.  

The Individual

The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs
it like a water-course wherever he pleases.
Proverbs 21:1

God works through persons, through individual souls, 
instead of committees, federated bands, or great organ-
izations. The strongest force on earth is the individual
soul. God conquers some one heart, and through that
heart He pours His purposes like a mighty river.

When men drift away from the Lord, the individual man 
counts but little, and confidence is placed in the majori-
ties, and heavy armies. The Tower of Babel was built by 
a natonal committee, who said, "let us build us a city and 
tower."

But God singled out one man, Abraham, and called him
to be a pilgrim, and the founder of a race of those who
had faith. Napoleon said, "That God was on the side of
the heaviest battalions," but something happened to pre-
vent his words proving true, and that something will in
the end be found to be a Divine touch on someone's 
soul. The history of the world is found in the lives of a
succession of individuals.

The King of Syria marshaled an army to capture the pro-
phet Elisha, but the lone prophet prayed, and the army
went blind, and He led them into Samaria.

Men are forever depending on armies, committees, and
a show of strength; and in the most quiet, simple and 
unexpected way, God gently and secretly inspires some 
one soul who outwits the wise, and carries out God's 
purposes in an undreamed way. G D Watson

Reader, we have no idea just how significant our life is to
God, and what He can do with it. I am sure that Abraham,
Dorcas, Timothy, Job, Jeremiah were unaware of the im-
pact they were having for God. When Abraham died, he
had but two grandchildren! The parents of Moses probably
did not live to see three of their children key leaders in the
Exodus. Maybe his mom thought her son lost to Egyptian
culture and gods. So take heart, the whole is much larger
than the parts we see on a daily basis. I know that I am
encouraged.

Celebrated

"My son," the father said, "you are always with me,
and everything I have is yours. But we had to cele-
brate and be glad, because this brother of yours was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
Luke 15:31-32  

There's a story about a man who dreamed that he went
to a great palace, and was joyfully greeted at the door;
then he went in, and at each successive room he entered,
he was, each time, even more joyfully received. At last
he entered into the presence of a great monarch and was
there received with great acclamation. It is more than
that with the believer in Christ!

The prodigal son entering the Father's house demon-
strates the nature of our salvation. It is not simply for 
my benefit that I am there, but God has delight in having 
me there...Love delights to have me in its company.

If a Christian's need was the measure of Christ's work, 
human joys would be enough--but when divine love is 
the measure--the Father's house and the joys therein are 
the only thing that will satisfy.

It is the Father's good pleasure that His house should 
be filled, therefore, "We had to celebrate and be glad be-
cause this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; 
he was lost and is found." That is why the reception of 
the believer in Christ is so satisfying and completely full 
of joy. Every believer now has a home there. We are dwell-
ing on the joyful gain which is ours at the finish--what we 
are ultimately saved to.  JB Stoney

Reader, this is such a good word for the New Year. So 
many believe that when God looks at them, He frowns!
Nothing can be further from the truth as is depicted in
the story of the prodigal son. He came home in a bro-
ken state, with nothing to offer. But the Father greeted
him with a banquet and celebrated his home-coming.
The Father was full of joy just in having his son back!