and leads them out

two roads diverged yadda yadda yadda but what if the question isn't which road is best but rather whether or not this road should even be taken? missed a few yes I know but beginning to feel unsure of this all where it goes keep going or not at all or something else? all began with no end no road or path untaken in sight lose heart not yet the journey? 

made a choice among you

Josh24:15 gets all the flash and glamour, but check out the pre- and the post-. It's the pre- that sets the context to better understand v15. It's not simply a call-out challenge -- it's a weasel's closing: He did A, B, C and so on. Now what makes sense to you, Hebrew jury?

The post- is even better. Not only do the tribes respond positively once, they do so twice even after Josh's scare tactics: God is a bogeyman. Now what makes sense to you, Hebrew jury?

v15 should never be preached out of context; the whole is much fuller.

his life's span

Yesterday all about the rising, no need to interrupt. Didn't forget about it:

"Jesus, the Bridge"
* Bridge used to cross a chasm
* Built end to end
* Man tried to reach God & found chasm {Rom6:23, Isa59:2}
* He's the bridge {ITim2:5}

I AM the resurrection and the life

"He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said." {Matt28:6}

He is risen, indeed. 

it grew and became a tree

"If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree . . . he who is hanged is accursed of God" {Deut 21:22-23}

Again, you don't know what hurt is, what it really, really is. 

3:16

Don't ever, don't ever say you love someone so much it hurts, because you can't possibly know love that deep, know anyone that deeply, love that hurtfully. Don't ever, don't ever say it because you've never done it, hurt, really hurt for someone you loved.

Today, today He loved us so much it hurt, and it hurt. Today He loved us most.

And it hurt. 

eyes of the blind

distracted so distracted usually so easy to focus when this was done for me now can't still be carryover from last week can it? headache distraction stress distraction overjoy distraction sadness distraction anger distraction nothing on the horizon, right?

Right? 

would often slip away to

Been refraining from saying anything on this, primarily because I've been consciously ignoring reading about the details of the case, and am unsure why that is. Probably because I didn't want to get riled up.

Now that I have read up on it, here's a thought: why is everyone concerned with slippery slopes? Why does being on one gradient automatically qualify you for the extreme end? Celebrating life of infants automatically makes me a supporter of feeding tubes?

On one hand, logical consistency and moral consistency is important. To Him, everything is in black and white, with no grays to be found.

On the other, context is important. To Him, nothing justifies a sin, but mercy and grace are always at hand.

End result: punt.

no one who practices abomination and lying

Morons. You want to know how He became Christ? By dying on the cross for sins like this current foolishness of yours, idiot. Trying to trace truth using mere speculation is like using a fork to weld together a space shuttle -- inappropriate and ineffective. The only thing it gets you is a oneway journey to red water. Enjoy the heat. That tan of yours will help you fit in with the rest of the doubters.

and his soul favorite

IKing19:11-13 inspired the following look at things. Where would this rank in the ten? Turns out, just outside looking in.

My Top 10 Fave Moments:
1. Resurrection of Laz, weptover
2. Temptation, ditto, ditto
3. Moses & the cleft
4. Satan & the sons of God
5. Grappling Jacob
6. Breakfast w/ Savior
7. Enoch & Andy
8. David's oration: How to stomp a giant
9. Palm entry, and the plan rolls along
10. Red Sea, sesame

your king is coming to you, gentle

Unbelievable verse, simply unbelievable {IKing19:11-13}

And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing . . . And behold, a voice came

Not sure the exact theology here, but the way they go, they indicate that though He wasn't in the wind & the quake & the fire, it would not have been outrageous for Him to have been. This gives rise to two ideas, to be developed later.

1. He, His presence, everywhere. In the wind, coolant & annoyance. In the quake, power & fear. In the fire, smelting & warmth. So much here.

2. He, His presence, gentle blowing. Choice of all representations, chose tenderness. You got the love, the mercy, the grace -- obviously, so much here, too.

ministering spirits

Out of the last six, this one's tops. Timely? I hope not.

"How to Deal with Depression" {IKing19}
* Weak king (Ahab), Dominant queen (Jez), Discouraged prophet (Elij)
* Elij should have:
- Stayed rather than ran (trust Him for protection)
- Been w/ others (why isolate if not told to do so?)
- Been wary -- most vulnerable after victory
- Rested (phys & emot spent)
- Stop pitying self
* Touched by Angel (no rebuke, but rest)
* Questioned by God (focused on path)
* Commissioned by God
* Apps:
- Take time to rest
- Need new perspective/focus
- Need companion for strength
- Need to surrender -- again, again, as necessary

and laid aside

Told you, liar. Stepping aside, I told you, liar.

As an aside, you never had a chance. I knew me, I knew you, I knew you knew me. And maybe you thought knowing me, I'd be aside.

You forgot liar, all things aside. If I don't know me, you certainly don't. But He who knows me knows me, and stepped.

Told you, liar.

hand of the power

It will not work.

I perform best under pressure. And the only pressure I have is to be honest before men.

Keep ticking, liar. Stopping time and slowing time are easy if you made time. And He will not let you win. 

all your strength

Deut20:4 is one of my faves:

"for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you"

During weeks when I can feel myself weakening, I need this tatooed to my forehead. Wait, can't see it then. How about on the left wrist? Then every fifteen minutes I can gather the strength.

Examine the v closely. Not "with you" but "for you." Remember to do nothing. It's the only way you'll survive.

to all who are beloved

This heavily edited excerpt from Saturday's thing:

Intimacy with God can only be accomplished by a heart that treats God as its one and only love. I think one of the sweetest things in the Bible is how throughout the book of John, the author refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. That’s how John identifies himself: I am God’s beloved. I honestly believe that one of the reasons all four of the gospel writers include the description of the Last Supper is not just for our instruction on how to hold communion, but rather because it was an unforgettable, and very intimate event – Jesus cleaning the disciples’ feet, eating together, lying next to each other and talking. So the disciples shared that story with whoever would listen, as if imparting a fond memory. John records chapter 21 for us while the other gospels exclude it because John was there, and this intimate breakfast with His one and only love was indelibly memorable to Him.

This blurb in my head at the same time as this, one of my all-time favorites, and this, not an all-time anything, but the clear relation twixt mush to Him and mush from Him. Both will help fend off this.

that nothing worse

Lest you think yourself of any worth -- and trust me, the temptation is always there -- Deut9:4-6 clarifies your place in the greater: so low the stick is touching. It is never because of your righteousness, see? Never because of you.

The second half is the revealing half, though. Because of their wickedness. You are, in all fact, the lesser of two evils. This makes perfect sense, why the devil uses worse points of comparison to puff you up -- because it's true, and the truth is usually the best weapon with which to defeat you.

But do not let it get you down that you were a there-is-no-other choice, cuz the cross covers you even when you were the greater of the two.

is their power to hurt

why split when not so important why break when not so key why hurt when not so helpful 

came near to push

Best of the series so far.

"Kneeling on the Promises" {IKing18:41-46}
- JtB NT vers of Elij
- Cool passage: IKing19:11-13
* Promise Claimed
- Elij separated himself (place imp)
- Elij humbled himself (position imp)
- Elij confident & specific (spec in life, spec in prayer)
- Elij persistent (persistence & faith hnh)
- Elij expectant: little clouds can be heavy showers
* Promise fulfilled
* Promises today {Jam5:16b}
- Pray His promises
- Pray w/ purity (righteous=right w/ God)
- PUSH

do not inquire after their gods

Read through this before we talk. Go on, I'll wait.

Will try to be respectful of the recently passed, but if there's any disrespect that emerges, it's more targeted to the media covering the passing and the realm in which the passer worked than in the passer himself. But this obituary is the perfect example of how they hate us, and the subtle ways they will seduce you with their biased opinions.

(1) The passing of scientists gets the coverage that the passing of the religious do not. Billy Graham better get ten times this coverage.
(2) First sentence tells you the man "figured out" how the sun and other stars generate energy. Really? He figured it all out? He can really prove that it works, like creating his own star? He's figured out squat; he's figured out how to make it seem like he's figured something out; he's figured out how to persuade you with words.
(3) His work was referred to as a Bible by his peers.
(4) I love this sentence: "At his zenith, there seemed to be few well-defined conundrums of the cosmos that Bethe couldn't master." Try resurrection; try the solution for eternal life. No, seriously. Try it.
(5) He says of science that it can "prove something is true or something is false." Some things, yes. But he like his peers believe "some" to be "all" to make themselves like gods.
(6) "It is the most wonderful feeling when you come to a real answer. This is it, and this is correct! In science, you know you know." What you don't know, and what your peers don't know is that you have one hell of a surprise waiting for you on JDay. Literally.

would love me

The hardest part about drawing closer, is that sometimes it hurts to be that close. Intimacy increased, yes. But the other i that increases is intensity.

Go ahead, since you've already chosen your side, you goat. Say something about how its meant just to make money. It's not. It's for things as beautiful as this. 

say it will be fair

I understand how Jacob must have felt wrestling. First, there was this. Then there just was this to confirm. But then we get to Numb35, and what we find FIVE TIMES is the thought that "the murderer shall surely be put to death".

So we're back to the counterargument, which is that the concept of injustice means that justice is not being carried out. And the concept of justice is the guilty getting their just reward. And in the case of murder, Numb35 is clear that injustice would mean the murderer not getting his just death.

So we certainly have the notion that the death of an innocent is an injustice. But we also have the notion that the nondeath of a guilty is an injustice. And do we believe that stopping the deaths for the sake of the ten is an even trade for the starting the nondeaths of the thousands?

Here's an imponderable for you, though. God is justice, as we are told. If so, how can His perfect plan be centered around injustice -- death of an innocent AND nondeath of the guilty?

the father of lies

Can't resist. You want publicity? Here's a little more. You're a big fraud. The only reason you've sold so many books is because there are so many wanting to believe you and the devil. These are the same suspects as mentioned in many previous posts. You want the truth, you can find it. But it ain't twixt your fiery covers.

There's another list you're headed for the top of -- those looking for a warm swim. Check it twice, if you'd like, but you're on it with the rest. And I guarantee there ain't no striking similarities -- unlike your plagiarism -- twixt that list and the real book of all books. Talking about Life.

their waters settle and will cause their rivers to run

Settling isn't the option you think it is, slothheart. Numb32 tells you that it may even feel like the right thing, even feel like you aren't being unrighteous -- but that doesn't mean you aren't being selfish, sin4sin.

And he'll let you choose it, too, let you settle. But why give up the M&H to have greens? That M&H, there's green there, too. Lots of it,.

was life, and the life was

I would think it's fairly rare for a person to be able to pinpoint to the date when he changed his mind, when he changed his position on a fundamental belief issue. Usually, when two people are debating over something like politics, there is no real chance that one person suddenly hears the reason behind a position and changes his belief. The shouting is just for shouting's sake, just for the sake of defending one's belief.

I think I'm about to profess a change of heart. To date, I've held the belief that capital punishment is the right way go, the i4i concept. But lately I'm beginning to question that belief.

* One, the whole consistency with belief in sanctity of life.
* Two, the Exodus thing.
* Three, because of one and two, even the pope is against CP

Pinpoint the date? Not 03.07, but maybe thereabouts.

they are burned

v21 of IKings18 is now added to the list of best verses ever. Title of today's sermon.

"The God Who Answers by Fire" {IKings18:1-40}
* Context:
- Ahab most wicked to date (Jez augment)
- 3 yrs of drought
- Ahab looking for Elij
- God's command to finally show self
* Choice:
- Ahab confronts Elij; no backing down (rev blame)
- Mt Carmel challenge (historical signif of mt)
- Follow Baal or follow God
* Challenge:
- 850 prophets v Elij & God (advan EG)
- Baal supposedly over lightning (weighed in losers' favor)
- Elij talks trash (nice!)
* Consequences:
- Let there be light
- Hearts afire (worship)
- Prophets killed
* Apps:
- One+God=distinct majority
- We still have choice to make
- Best weapon: prayer
- Don't underest dedicated life

and considerable numbers

Been refraining from saying anything about this because I'm not sure what to believe. Consistency argues that fundamentalist position on one side of life automatically equates to the other, that morally they are two sides to the same coin. Throw in the arguments weighed in the issue of stem cells and using fertilized ova versus merely disposing of them, and you get one multi-dimensional coin.

The OCD in me appreciates the consistency argument, but the logician in me wonders if the argument actually holds true. The crux lies in whether or not life is life is life, whether morally or philosophically values are the same. From my position this certainly does not hold true. In my internal rankings, the math isn't zero sum. I'd certainly annihilate whole countries to save the single life of one of my own.

I wonder if the math of God follows any rules we'd ever be able to understand....

you may with one voice

Cool little scene to start Numb21:

Setting: Negev desert, wilderness
Time: Long ago
Cast: the Canaanite (the king of Arad), Israelites, God Almighty

v2 kicks off the action: "So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said...." See that? Not the Israelites, but Israel. Now we know from many chapters before this that the individual named Israel is with the Lord. But in this case, for the first time possibly ever, there was such agreement, such unanimity that they spoke as one. Result? Success.

Finis.

we know, for salvation is

Seriously, trying to avoid things that rile me up, but seriously. The heck kind of title and interest story is this? What's the news here? That killers can have some virtues? That many people lead double lives? That churches should give up on felons? Or simply the continued message that Christianity is a religion full of sinners.

Hey, press pass. Yes. That is, in fact, the message.

patience with me and i

Numb20 always bothered me, always. It wasn't until two years ago that, in finally drawing close and reading regularly, did I better understand the context behind the banning. As per other items, always extremes with me. Went from shaking the head toward God to believing I'd have done better than Moses. Today's feeling was different: sympathy. Heck of a run in a row here for Moses: First, the passing of Miriam; then the banning; then the passing of Aaron. Throw in the constant whining of the tribes and you have Moses vying against Job for the trophy.

is good enough

Here's the interesting thing about Numb16: v3. v3 contains the mentality of most nonbelievers, and that's the idea of existing personal holiness. Here comes the hordes, and they think they're as good as Moses.

(1) Moses doesn't lord it over anybody
(2) God chose to speak face-to-face with Moses and calls him the most humble person on earth -- if he wants to lord it over, he has the right
(3) The Bible makes it clear that EPH doesn't exist.

The mentality is that everyone is of equal holiness. The mentality is that leading a good life matters. The mentality is that standards of righteousness should be obliterated, or at least lowered to manheight.

Strike three, you're out, Korah. Lesson for the rest of you, too.

will shepherd my people

Lesson about decision-making sans up-approval in Numb14. Headed for the m&h anyway -- result? Giant knuckleprints on your skull. Application for me? Possibly. But what of the scene where the up-approval isn't clear? Knuckles in the future anyway?