had also seen a vision of

This is awful, just dreadful. Do yourself a favor and just read the book. This isn't one of your typical "Reading is fun!" crusades; those crusades are for cheerleaders and tweed jacket types. This is simply trying to do you a favor.

In any case, one overplayed piece of the movie lay in its depiction of how Vardon focused the rest of the world out of his mind's eye until all he could see was the flag and the green and surrounding wide-open fields. Ouimet had a similar focus visual with shimmering flags and greens. Heard athletes tell of the zone experience, and know something like it actually exists.

It's a wonder that skill hasn't been practiced towards worship. You are brought to the house of the Lord to meet Him there, and imagine the changed flock whose focus was not on the cellphone rings of the ignorant, or the wailing of the little ones, or the murmuring from beyond the closed doors. Imagine that focus on a shimmering throne surrounded by wide-open fields. Imagine that singing of yours being lifted to the rafters lifted instead toward seated wonder.

Great plus and all being able to see the others before the throne with you on that Great Day, but I'll tell you what. I won't see a one of them, my gaze instead lifted toward the shimmering, nothing else in sight but the only sight I need to behold.

and by that law

"How Good is Good Enough?" {Matt5:17-20}
* Intro:
- How will you answer before the Gate? Why let you in?
- Most will use the excuse of goodness; but what is the threshold?
* Jesus came to fulfill Scripture
- Fulfilled messianic prophesies
- Fulfilled requirements of Law
- Revealed true meaning of Law
- Fulfilled sacrificial offerings
* Law is unchangeable
- Can be trusted to the smallest penstroke
- Not a pick up and choose gospel -- all truth
- Even under grace, Law important -- reflects moral character of God
* New kind of righteousness
- Based on internal, not external conformity (obedience of heart, not body)
- Based on transformation, not sin avoidance
- Based on relationship, not rules
- True religion far diff from burden of rules {Luke11:46}
- Threshold is perfection. Only through Christ.

you yourselves are my witnesses

I like Ps40:3 because of its clear focus on the Giver of all Good Things. "And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God." After the picking up and the setting upon a rock, after the saving and the settling, He heads to worship. It's the model of why God invented people. Jer29 says a similar thing. He has plans for us, for our welfare, and after, we will call to Him and He will answer and we will testify.

And it's not like we have to do anything in the testifying even. He's the one who placed the new song there. And not even a recycled one, but a personalized new one to replace that one we picked up from this world. The only part we played in this was the initial calling to Him in need. And that's certainly nothing to brag about.

There's a sermon in these notes somewhere. Too clouded right now to pick it out.

of all the wicked things

This should make more than a random EO posting, or a university rag sidenote. It should be, in fact, the headline of CNN and USA Today and the rest of MSM. It is more than their chaplain who has heard that it is a Godless place; and that is certainly more than the truth. It is in all sincerity the heart of evil in this country, and the sooner people realize that, the sooner the prayer cover can commence.

Encouraging news to hear that workers are headed to that barren field, and that the filters of evil aren't strong enough to keep out all men and women of faith. And perhaps that is why it isn't making the headlines it should be making. Too much attention. Too much attention.

And we know liar doesn't want that.

then watch out that the light

I'm astonished. And usually when I say that, I'm being sarcastic. But this time I'm astonished, for real. This has to have been the easiest thing to do -- make a blockbuster out of a bestseller. You have a built-in fanbase of 40 million plus, for crying out loud.

I'm astonished that liar isn't making better use of this opportunity. Wouldn't it be in his best interests to have made this a wondrous spectacle to behold? A flick all would flock to and see? Win an oscar and guarantee even more eyeballs glued to the big screen? All in the service of liar's kingdom? And instead, he lets the picture become bloated?

Maybe liar had the same thought as Sony Pictures -- with that big a guaranteed fanbase, maybe you don't care what happens, since the sheep will flock anyway. Why actively damn souls when they're actively damning themselves.

to keep calm and to do nothing

1Cor9 shows the humanity of Paul. Yes, he claims himself the least of the apostles, but really. You create flocks and bring the Good News to much of the known world, and that humility (while not false), not true. So one might think of Paul as a saint without struggle, one who -- unlike the ball-dropping post from yesterday -- asks for his props to be set on fire.

But 1Cor9 gives a small glimpse of human frustration. The rhetorical start seethes with underlying tension. The defense he begins in v3 reads more like rant than instructive epistle. But what's amazing is that by v17, he has focused his frustration to the reason he does what he does. Given that he always has the opportunity to stray from the path and embrace the world, why does he do what he does. And v19-27 is the answer in some of the most poetic prose in the Word, and a call for all to focus and persevere, and to do what he has done -- leave the frustrations to this world, breathe, breathe, leave the frustrations to this world and focus on the reason for all.

in charge of this task

Penned this a few months back. Back when the committing to memory was easier done than said. Now vv. Can't tell if it's going against the desire out of active blocking, or out of submission to the busyness of the world. In either case, more like slogging than automation. Juggling all these balancing aids on the path-walking is tricky. Focusing on one ball, drops another. Maturity, I suppose, is throwing them up with ease, eyes on the road-leader than the rotating and the whirling.

or who is the one

"The Magdalene Mystery"
* Who was MM according to Word?
- Devout follower & friend of Lord
- Introduced in Luke8
- First to see Him risen in John20
* Bachelorhood & celibacy condemned during 1st century?
- Norm to be married, but not impossible not to be
- No historical proof
- Prophets & other high clergy often single
* Lord & MM married? If so, then what?
- No Biblical or historical proof
- Even so, no impact on His deity
- Marriage (& sex w/in marriage) Biblical -- no inherent sin in marriage, ergo no effect
* MM in Last Supper?
- Gospel clear on 12 disicples there
- If MM, then where John, most beloved disciple?
- DaVinci painted all men effeminate (see King David pic)
- DaVinci noted as much in his notes
* MM sole successor to Lord?
- Based on gnostic gospel in reference to evangelism not church governance
- Eph2:19-20 clear that no successor, male or female, appointed by Lord
* Lord have children?
- No historical or Biblical record of such
- Even so, no impact on His deity
- Children a blessing from above; not sinful
* Jesus the original feminist?
- Yes, in sense of raised value of women
- No, in sense of equal roles

this liberty of yours

I like the scene painted in Ps124:7-8. v7 tells us that our souls can be caged like animals. It is possible for our souls not to be free. People think of their minds and souls as completely uninhibited, independent. It is clear from that line of thinking that they don't see the chains made to snare them. That trapper? Liar, of course.

Love that what makes the soul free is not some exertion of power by the soul. Rather, the snare is broken, allowing us to escape. v8 tells us where that escape route came from. Our help is in His name. Not in Him, but in His name. In the characteristics that make Him who He says He is. In the power of His name, a name whose very speaking can cause liar's helpers to flee. John8 informs us very clearly that the truth shall make us free.

That snare not broken by us, be clear on that. A blood-stained cross knocked that lock to bits, know that.

to be generous and ready to share

An interesting read. One sentence in there struck me as rather sad: "And there is little difference between the amounts that Christians and non-Christians earn, spend, save, charge, or donate to charities."

The earning being the same doesn't surprise me. All are called to be His followers, no matter where you fall on the income ladder. Yes, harder through a needle's eye and so on, not needing anything at the top. But on average, I imagine there should be no difference.

The spending/charging and saving doesn't surprise me either. Needs are needs no matter the end of the spectrum. Frankly, the teaching on not saving anything since you can't take it with you, probably has some affect on this statistic.

But giving the same? Lord says that even unbelievers will give their children bread when asked. How are we any different? I assume charities don't include church-giving, but maybe it does. But if His bride can't be any more generous than the world? Considering what I'm preparing for James 2:14-26 -- well, I'm surprised that I'm surprised really. Shouldn't be surprised at all.