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Oh Lord, grant this journey the bounty of your favor, your honor, and your blessing! May all Glory be yours as you draw your Children before your throne as we bless one another in your Love; Your Joy; Your Peace. Our Lord, God, and Heavenly Father, may these words not be put to shame as we place our very lives within the presence of your Love.
Reflections on Joshua 11:1-12:24
Find Rest For Your Souls Joshua 11
In Joshua 10, the families of the Amorites and points South had risen against Gibeon for making peace with Israel. With the help of Joshua and the Heavenly host, they had been defeated. Joshua 11 records how many other Canaanite nations rose up against Joshua and were defeated. Except for Ai and Bethel, Israel has been on the defensive throughout their military conquest up to and including Joshua 11. Throughout, God has fought the battles for them, delivering their enemies into their hands.
In reflecting on Psalm 83 on April 14, the plight of Jabin and Sisera were mentioned in verse 9. This verse reflected back to the story of Judges 4. Judges 4:1-6 reads as follows: "After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading (judging) Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.
Jabin, king of Hazor was the king who gathered all these nations to fight against Israel in Joshua 11:1-4. It says of him in Joshua 11:10-11 "At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself. This brings up the strong possibility that some of the activity of Judges was already happening during the conquests of Joshua.
In the census of Numbers 26:1-51, there were over 600,000 fighting men. This did not mention women and children or older men or those unable to go to war. As Joshua mustered his men to go to war against Bethel and Ai, he chose 30,000 men. It would appear that although Israel had a military, the people had begun to settle the land. (This is reflected also in Joshua 11:7 [So Joshua and his whole army came against them]). There were stories that were told by various people in various ways and we have various accounts. The fact of the matter is, whether the conquest of Canaan came in the organized militaristic fashion given by Joshua, or whether it was more haphazard as reflected in Judges - or both - God fulfilled his promise to establish Israel in the land of Canaan.
Naivete in pursuing the scriptures as an inerrant truth has done more to shake faiths and cause controversies and divisions within the families of the Children of God than any benefit the theology has awarded us in our conquests for the Kingdom. The simple basic truths which God breathed into these reflections and remembrances written and told by man stand true regardless of the discrepancies inherant within. History itself glorifies the way, the truth, and the life found in a God of Peace as found within His Holy scriptures. History itself shall glorify his perfect, omniscient, and overwhelming Love against all odds! Therefore, without getting bogged down in factual basis, let's consider this passage as it agrees with the rest of scripture and history and find the truths that can be known about our Creator and His plan for our lives. Truly, we can leave the past behind and press on towards the future, full of Hope and Glory!
The fact of the matter is that over a period of time, God granted His children victory over their enemies as they attempted to purify the land of adversity and evil, according to the word of the Lord as it had been given them. All of the principal rulers within the land who wished to stand as adversaries or master's over their various captivities faced annihilation at the very hand of God through the careful planning and atacks of His Children who chose to honor His word and His will for their lives. Given their honor and obedience to His presense in their lives, they withstood adversarial forces much greater, stronger, and more organized than theirs. As they gained victory over their enemies, they devoted their enemies bodies of human flesh back to the ground from whence they came, but subdued livestock and vegetation to establish life and enjoy the abundance and provision of their Creator. They committed the remembrances of those men and their history of impure faith to the refinements of fire*
*But wait, thats not true according to this story, is it! According to verse 13, Hazor alone was burned. The other cities were left unharmed and the Israelites took them as booty.
Joshua 11:15 sounds like victory took but a moment in time. "As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses." However, given further Biblical reflection, this conquest appeared to take a much longer period of time as the children of Israel continued to fight the battles against the adversaries within their lands. Jabin, King of Hazor, ruler of the land had been defeated and destroyed. Hazor, capital of that impure land of Canaan, was burned! Yet, Jabin and Hazor still raised their ugly heads in the book of Judges.
The same can be said of the Christian era! The completion of all Jesus Christ was sent by God to do is reflected by His thoughts and words in John 19:28-30 "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
John explained his purpose for writing in I John 5:13-16a "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life..."
Just as Joshua had destroyed the evil forces in Canaan, Jesus has destroyed the evil forces on earth. Apparently, this has not put the powers of death itself to rest as they continue to haunt us and cause diversity and divisions among us. We use and abuse one another. We capture and destroy! We continue to perceive the enemy has power even though they have been conquered by our Lord and Saviour. Jabin and Hazor continue to inflict pain and sorrow on the Children of God as we struggle to believe that God Himself has conquered death and is drawing all men unto Himself.
Joshua 11:16 states "So Joshua took this entire land..." Verse 17b-19a "He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace."
In His establishment of purity and Holiness within His chosen land, "it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy," (Joshua 11:20)
As "Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions" (verse 23), "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
When we are able to accept this prince of our King of Peace; When we choose to lay down our weapons of hate and exclusion; When we cease to afflict our world through acts and attitudes of terror and judgment; When we reach out to help the poor and needy, financially, spiritually, physically, and emotionally through our positions of affluence, considering others better than ourselves and giving God the glory; Our lands also shall have rest from our hostilities.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK5x50_4tO8
Conquered, But Not Forgotten Joshua 12
http://www.bible-history.com/map-israel-joshua/index.html Canaan map in Joshua's time
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/1759_map_Holy_Land_and_12_Tribes.jpg Tribal Map from 1759 by wikimedia
http://www.mideastweb.org/misraeldetail.htm present day map of the region
Joshua 12:1-6 begins with a summary of Numbers 21 and 32 plus Deuteronomy 2-3. He then references the Canaanites who were conquered on the west side of the Jordan from the far Northwest near Sidon and Lebanon to the Southern border with Kadesh Barnea (Cades Barne on the 1759 map above), through the Seir Mountains to Zoar at the southern tip of the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). Joshua 12 also references the tribal allotments reflected in Joshua 13-21.
Although the conquests of the book of Joshua appears to be an abridgment of many stories of the ancient history of the region, Joshua 12 appears to be a super condensed version. Joshua 12 does well to document the Canaanites for the historical record. If the Bible could be considered the book of life, these people have not been forgotten. Many survived as cities in Israel and Judah, with further mention within the Bible and many still exist today. Jericho lays claim to being the lowest city and the oldest inhabited city in the world. Each of these Kings represent their people who have been removed from the land of the living. They each are united and represented under "One" king. Together, they could be represented by Jabin of Hazor, ruler of Canaan! Together, they could be represented with all of humanity under "ONE" King, creator of Heaven and Earth, who was, who is, and who is to come. Who knows what our Redeemer has up His sleeve! I can't wait to find out, but I know there's just something about that "One".
Reflections on Luke 17:11-37
Stop and Give Thanks Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued to walk with the crowds south toward Jerusalmem, he met with 10 lepers. The crowd, and the disciples were primarily Jewish, given the hostilities between the people and the communities understanding that the Jews were the only children of God. The lepers outside the city could well have consisted of several Jews, Galileans, and Samaritans - perhaps even some Greek. They were from the leprosy camp outside the city, not unlike the homeless camps today - the unclean!
Here are a couple verses describing the hostilities present between the peoples, and the belief systems Jesus was working with.
Matthew 10:5-6 "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel."
Luke 9:52-55 "And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them,"
Thus, Jesus took notice before the crowd that it was a Samaritan who had returned to give thanks, allowing the people then and now to know the importance of giving thanks and that salvation is not only for the Jews, or those some consider to be chosen or elect as opposed to those unclean!
Caught Up in the Call to Kingdom Service Luke 17:20:37
Luke 17:20-37 reflects Jesus thoughts on end times in response to a Pharisee's question. Similar thoughts are shared in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. The setting for this discussion was different, however. Matthew and Mark portray Jesus outside the Temple during Holy Week. At that time, His teachings were very much about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which were coming in 70 AD. Luke again shares this setting with prophetic teachings in Luke 21.
Luke's account in chapter 17 also speaks of the house of the Lord, but reflects this "House" of God within us (verse 21). Various translations render the phrase; "the kingdom of God is within you." (NIV, KJV, NKJV); "the kingdom of God is in the midst of you" (RSV, ESV); "the kingdom of God is in your midst." (NASB); "God's kingdom is here with you." (CEV); "God's kingdom is already among you." (MES); "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." (AMP);
Perhaps correlating this with another verse would be Matthew 18:18-20 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 'Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.'" Jesus goes on in this passage to answer Peter's question regarding the importance and continuation of living lives of forgiveness.
As Jesus speaks of the days of the Son of Man in Luke 17:22-37, it becomes very important to consider the context and the related passages in scripture. If we choose to consider this day to be a futuristic one of wrath and judgment, we will come away with a vastly different interpretation than if we consider our God to be one of Love, Joy, and Peace who provides Justice with Mercy and Salvation. Biased views of inclusion or exclusion can quickly taint this passage in scripture which is the reason I am providing my commentary with reflections on the whole of scripture. Any quick and easy answer will be too easily disputed and discarded as gloom and doom theologies have held the reign on our hearts and minds for far too long.
Unlike the other gospel writers, Luke speaks of the Kingdom referencing the coming of the Son of Man in several places throughout his gospel. Verse 22 of chapter 17 can be related to Luke 5:35, Luke 19:43, Luke 21:6-8. The most likely understanding of Luke 17 is the reference of Luke 5:35 "Jesus answered, 'Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'" This follows verse 21 well in that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus was there! He was judging them as they spoke! He spent much of his time refining the Levites (Malachi 3:3) in his ministry on earth.
Luke 17:23 reflects Luke 21:8 quite well which brings the teaching back to the traditional setting of Holy week and the visit to the temple the day after cleansing. There is a strong call in this passage not to go chasing after false gods or false teachings. Those who claim the Kingdom of God is not here, but is coming soon, imagining that war is justified in our world as Armageddon must be right around the corner completely misinterpret Matthew 24:7-8 in that Christ says this is but the beginning of the birthpangs. Too often there is a fetish with end times philosophies which desire to interpret a coming wrath and judgment upon our enemies, thereby justifying our righteousness in His sight. These philosophies fail to recognize the awesome power of the Love of God our Father and Creator which He holds over His creation. They also stand in violation of Luke 17:23. Again, it is good to remember that verse 21 and 22 spoke of the Kingdom being within them - the passage has not jumped to a Kingdom coming, it remains focussed upon a Kingdom come - and present.
Much of Jesus teachings can be related to Old Testament passages as He served as a teacher of the law. He spoke within the Jewish culture and was brought up on the word of God; Many even claim he was the embodiment of that word. Therefore, verse 24 may well be applied to Amos 5:9. Read it in the context of Amos 5:7-11;
"7 You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground 8 (he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land - the Lord is his name -
9 he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin), (Judaism & Jerusalem?)
10 you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth. 11 You trample on the poor
and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine."
It is difficult not to witness Jesus treatment of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law and not see that He treated all of their righteousness as dirty rags. It is tough not to read the accounts of His teachings with an open mind and realize He also treats all of our righteousness apart from Love for our fellowman as dirty rags also. His refining fires are still purifying hearts and minds worldwide and will do so until the end of this earthly age as He calls all men back the Love and Purity of our Father. The Light of the Father's Love can light our way on this earth, but when we claim it for our own, or imagine our efforts can be enough for salvation, run for cover as its strike will penetrate to the bone and leave us gasping for new life in Him. His Kingdom will be witnessed throughout the world; it "flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other." (vs. 24)
Up until this point, I believe Jesus has been answering the Pharisee's question of Luke 17:20 as he turned and spoke to the people of the Kingdom that was among them at that time. Following the end of verse 24 as the Kingdom would spread throughout the world, He referenced His coming crucifiction in verse 25. Along with verse 25, verse 26-29 equates His death with the flood and the refinement of fire upon Sodom and Gommorah! He died, as the sacrificial atonement of all men. Through His death, we all died to sin. Verse 26-29 sounds like bad news, yet it is perhaps the best news you have ever heard! God had just paid the penalty for all mankind through the death of Jesus Christ - no more sorrow, no more pain! The cross stands as a sign that we are reunited with God, just as the rainbow stood in the sky after the flood. Romans 6:10a references this judgment of God in this way: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son"
Therefore, if we truly understand that Salvation that has come through the mercy and grace of the Father through the revelation of the coming of this Son of Man, and through His death and resurrection, we cannot go back to theologies of wrath and judgment, imagining that the old ways of destruction are representative of mankind's present relationship with the Father. Romans 1:18-19 speaks of this revelation that has come to all man; "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them."
Do not turn back to old theologies! Do not judge so that you will not be judged! Romans continues with that revelation so important in Romans 2:1-11 "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.' (Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."
In devotion to God, we continue to seek to worship Him is spirit and in truth as reflected in Ephesians 5:15-21 "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
And yet, we must remember that our righteousness can never get us to Heaven! Our only route is Loving our fellowman according to that standby law "Love God + Love Man". This too, is not easy as we find in Romans 7:22-25a "For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Through His ministry, we continue to be refined in preparation for the Kingdom of God come and coming. We are not free to act as we wish, but continue to be drawn towards the Love of our Father through Him. Galatians 2:17-21 "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
In reflecting on Luke 17:20-32 then, it is quite possible we have not moved past the crucifiction. It is difficult to imagine that verses 33-37 would then suddenly jump to some distant future! It is also worthy of note that the correlating verses of Luke 17:23-37 found in Matthew 24:23-42 are rearranged. Therefore, any interpretation, even of those early gospel writers attempting to relate the words of Jesus and their meaning is an exercise in chance and guesswork. Imagining a coming Rapture based on these verses is nothing more than a theoretical interpretation, and not a basis in fact. If indeed some are taken and some are not, those who imagine their own righteousness will save them would just as theoretically be left behind.
As we consider Luke 17:33, we must consider the contexts where this phrase has been used elsewhere within the gospel, as there are many! Matthew 10:39 is a culmination of a chapter based on the requirements of discipleship and the things a disciple must give up in order to follow Christ, including family (note vs. 38). Matthew 16:25 follows a rebuke upon Peter for attempting to stop Christ from following the call of God on his life. Jesus again expresses what is required of a disciple of Christ. (again, note the preceding verse of Matthew 16:24). Mark 8:35 is the same story as Matthew 16:25. (as usual, note the preceding verse of Mark 8:34 and of course the following verse of Mark 8:36 for context). The same story is again told in Luke 9:23-25! So, instead of asking you to look each of these passages up, listen to the words of Luke 17:33 within context of Matthew 16:24-26, Mark 8:34-36, and Luke 9:23-25; I will quote Luke 9:23-25, but I invite you to check to see they are all essentially the same passage.
"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:23-25)
May I suggest that as each of these passages admonish us to follow the will of God, just as Jesus did as He marched resolutely towards Jerusalem and certain death, so we must take up our cross and follow Him? May I suggest that there is not some futuristic intent of Luke 17:33, but that it simply is stating what Jesus portrayed in each of these three gospels as He spoke of discipleship?
Therefore, as we come to verse 34, a spouse may be called of God to serve within the Kingdom of God and may be asked to leave his or her family obligations. Perhaps the church shall call one to be an elder within the Church! In verse 35, perhaps two women will be working within the same office, being best of friends, when the call of God comes to move to another town or city to do the work of the Lord's Kingdom! Will you take up your cross and follow the call of God to serve in His Kingdom when He calls? Will you Love God + Love Man even if your neighbor, or best friend, or church believes a different gospel? Will you spread this good news?
What then of those who do not feel some call to go to the ends of the earth to spread the good news? Will they too be saved? Matthew 10:42 makes it as simple as this; "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Verse 37 relates back to the darkness of that night when Jesus died. As He spoke of discipleship and following the will of the Lord in Luke 9, Jesus told the man who wanted to turn back to bury his father "Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:60).
Better yet, when God spoke to Job in Job 39, He related how He controls all of creation - the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. He is the master and designer of man. If we choose not to take up our cross and follow Jesus, we may not experience the light of day within His Kingdom here on earth. We may be stuck in our day of Armageddon; in endless conflict and war with our brethren! Listen to Job 39:25-30;
"At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!' He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.
Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he."
In answer to the Pharisee's question of Luke 17:20, the sign of the Kingdom of God was the peaceful purity, joy, and love of a baby, wrapped in simple cloths and lying in a trough used for feeding the beasts on earth! The Kingdom was alive then in Him. It is alive now all around you! It is among us, and we are its workers. The rules are as follow: Love God + Love Man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGr8as7pPBE&feature=related
Reflections on Psalms 84:1-12
The deeper and longer I study the Bible, the more I realize the Kingdom of God is completely about Love! Love is where God is! How beautiful then are these words; "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!" from Psalm 84:1.
Oh that we could all dwell in perfect love and unity, for these are the courts of grace and mercy of our God; our Savior; our Redeemer! May our Joy in Him provide strength and encouragement throughout these trials of life!
There is peace within this Kingdom of God where even the sacrificial sparrow can now rest and raise her young, no longer worried about the sins of man. Our offerings now reside in praise and thanksgiving before our Saviour and our King, our Redeemer of all of creation!
Truly, The Joy of the Lord is our strength! We shall mount up on wings like eagles, we shall run and not grow weary, we shall walk and not faint. We shall run to Zion, His Holy Hill in peace and unity with all those who bow before him and confess His Holy name - to all who seek our Creator, our Lord of Hosts? Who is this King of Glory? He shouts out from the Heavens; "I Am" All praise to His Holy name! (Nehemiah 8:10, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 45:23, Hebrews 11:6)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fCuyRD5iQY
In a desert place, our Lord sends the cleansing nourishment of His Spirit to lead our way and refresh our soul. We leap from joy to joy across His glassy sea, before His righteous throne!
Our adversity is doomed for the strength of our God is our shield and we seek His Holy face.
Surely, to live within the Love; The Joy; The Peace; of our Father, our God is better than anything this life has to offer. "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:2-4
I shall hold open the door to thy Kingdom that your children may enter! I shall refuse to ever again sacrifice my children on the fields of war, vengeance and bloodshed governed by the hostilities of man.
I long to be captivated within your Love, Oh Lord, grant this journey the bounty of your favor, your honor, and your blessing! May all Glory be yours as you draw your Children before your throne as we bless one another in your Love; Your Joy; Your Peace. Our Lord, God, and Heavenly Father, may these words not be put to shame as we place our very lives within the presence of your Love.
Reflections on Proverbs 13:5-6
Solomon spoke much of righteousness, but in the end, many question His salvation as He seemed to fall away, given the idols of His wives and the consternation witnessed within Ecclesiastes. Yet, He struggled with questions and morality like any mortal man.
If the law of the Lord is Love God + Love Man; The child of God must necessarily hate that which is not governed by Love. Yet those who would consider that hatred, envy, strife, or self-righteousness have a place within the Kingdom of God bring shame and disgrace to His very presence and His existence within our midst.
If Love provides freedom within the light of its purity, Hatred and enmity shackles the prisoner within the torment of its utter darkness.
Until Tomorrow
Rick
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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