Would that same finger, scribble on the sand of my heart?

Conviction came to the mob, while Jesus scribbled. Justification came to the woman through His words, but those who were her accusers slunk away. Help us to be forth coming in our repentance to You, Dear Lord. I pray that I would not be the religious accusers, distanced from God by my self-righteousness, but one who feels the hand of Jesus upon me in my own "mea culpas".

God's care for His People!

I am grateful for the promises of God which are yea and amen for us, who make the Lord our trust.
 I don't think it is emphasized enough the fact and parallel that God makes between Abraham and the Church of Christ.  We tend to think that we can overcome with just ourselves and our great Lord and King.   We think that His cherishing is to us, individually and it is.  But, it is to us, in and through His Holy Church.  He makes promises to us, in so much that we are participants of the means of Grace, in relation to His Church.  It is all over the Scripture, but very minimized by our pagan and individualistic minds. 
Zeus may be a god of the individual, but the True and Living God promises to the individual through the Church.  He will build His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.  The gates of Hell may dominate anyone of us, as we individually take on the forces, if we are foolish enough to think ourselves a private entity.  When we divorce ourselves from the true doctrines of God's Church we are divorcing ourselves from God's promises.  He promises the grafting in of the gentiles, through His Church and then the cherishing that happens in Psalm 121 are ours.

Oh, the care and consideration for details of our Lord!

Exodus 39:27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, Exodus 39:28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, Exodus 39:29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses. Exodus 39:30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. Exodus 39:31And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.

It seems as though the Lord paralleled saved humanity in the stones on the Priests vestures. It also seems as though the Lord painted the picture of a New Testament world for the Old Testament saints in the details of the vestures, as well. It may be a stretch, but it seems to me that the structures of human care and upholding are paralleled in the garments. Fine twined linen and the colors of them. God lending His care of humanity to coordinated efforts of people, taught and prepared for serving Him, by serving one another. I imagine a garden (not my garden):plants left to fend for themselves: God's garden is tied, (it looks like) with special materials. Families that God planted on the earth, held up, by lace and linen. Kept from bruising themselves on the earth in the vicisitudes. Schools, hospitals and Insurance, etc. support in the structures of society, influenced by principles of the mercy of God, initiated in Moses and lived out, by the people of God in the Old Testament and then redeemed gentiles grafted in, keep their tomato plants aloft, insomuch as we maintain the cloth. Help us, Lord to cherish the structures handed down to us. Amen.

Remember Lots Wife!

Jesus surely came to seek and to save that which was lost. He bids us to remember Lot's wife in scripture, who turned back and was consumed into a pillar of salt. The mercy of our Lord Jesus who saves to the uttermost is highlighted by his remembrance of this silent subject of scripture. Jesus remembers the forgotten and unloved woman. Jesus remembers the forlorn and uncared for woman. Jesus cares and tends the smoking flax. Who would not have questioned the integrity of a man of God, who would send her children out to the mob and save strangers, whether they be angels or not. Jesus came to unravel the complicated heart of woman and meet the needs that men cannot see or experience. He who met the woman at the well, is the same God who is not like Lot, nor like the angel, who could only speak the word and grab the hand. The angel had not the power to change the heart of unbelief. Jesus has the power to remove the heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh. The disenchanted heart and the heart made hard from watching the people who claim to represent God hurt them in their callousness or in their forgetting. Jesus ready stands to save and to heal. Lots wife and Hagar saw themselves outside of the realm of redemption. God takes the opportunity to make Himself the stronger than the strong man in the New Testament. He ready stands to save us, full of mercy, joined with power. Remember that when "all men stand as liars", God alone is true. We don't come to an Angel or to a good or even great man, we come to the compassionate and faithful High priest of our souls, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Grant us grace to see Christ above, even the godliest of men. Amen.

Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

It is my opinion that the centurion would have been among the early church fathers to have assisted in putting the "Mass" together. This seems likely because of the placing of this phrase, so delicately at the communion meditation. Lord, I am not worthy, {no matter my station in life}. Rich or poor, bond or free, but what a testimony to the faith of one who had much in this world's goods. God is no respecter of persons and sometimes He uses such to publish abroad that real and heartfelt truth.

Jesus sought me, when a stranger

Wandering from the throne of God,

He to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

Bringing all of the offerings into the presence of the Lord

Exodus 35:5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass, Exodus 35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. What a beautiful picture of offering to the great and mighty God, Exodus 35 is. When God has shown Himself, it makes us want to give unto Him from our substance. Our hearts, we bring. The parts of us that are useful to Him and the parts that are able to be given. The willing heart gives, first himself and then his substance to the Lord. Some of us have much. Some of us have differing parts of ourselves and public and private offerings to give to the Lord. Some of us have little, perhaps only money and nothing else. But God stoops to receive our offering, as though we were children. He does not despise the "willing heart". He created the "willing heart". He made it willing. The Blood of Jesus cleanses and sanctifies the offering and makes it fit for the Master. Our Father shows us how and where and what to give of ourselves to Him.





Help us, Lord to respond to Your goodness with a "willing heart".   Amen.

God's Presence Scatters Sin

Exodus 33:2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Exodus 33:15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence






Throughout scripture, it is beautiful to me to see that the heart of godliness is desiring the presence of God. It is the highest posession, achievement, acquirement, to desire and enjoy the presence of God. Especially, when I look at Moses, this truth shines out at me. He had position. He was basking in the splendor of Egypt. But, there was more. He was humbled to the dust at one point in life, but there was more humility to desire. He had leadership of God's people, and so a spiritual identity, but there was more to be desired. What else could you want, we think to ask Moses? He missed the entrance into the Promised Land, but, He had talked face to face with God. There was no more to ask than that. Can I know You more, Lord? Was the quest of Moses. God granted him this. In the cleft of the rock he saw God's goodness. He had an understanding of the mind of God, that was awesome. God filled him to the human limit of His presence on earth, in the Old Testament. God had to clear all idolatry from the land, before inhabiting that area with His people and with His presence. He is Holy. He is so far above us and many times we are intimidated by holiness and flee from the presence of the Lord, when we are aware of His real graciousness. We needn't run from Him. He is just and the justifier of them that come to God through Christ.

Have we position? Seek the Lord's presence in our position. We have more than Moses had, in Christ. Have we privilege? Seek the Lord and see Him as the greater privilege. He will be the crown of privilege and the crown of position and the greatest treasure. Sometimes, He allows us to have these things so that He can show us that His presence is more satisfying. Lord, I pray that You would go with us into the new seasons of blessing and identity. Make Your presence the satisfying of my soul. Amen That is how Moses received friendship with God. He asked. Can I see Your glory? Yes, God responded. Can I know Your presence? Yes. All of the promises of Scripture are Yes, to the Christian, in Christ. Are we in awe of what Moses had with God? We have more, in Christ. We mustn't put on "invisopower" to God. It doesn't work. Sometimes, we want to blame our place in life, high or low for our paultry relationship with God. God is no respecter of persons. He met with those who had much and those who had little. It is the desire in my heart that I must deal with. The opposite is to cast your lot in with the "Jebusites, etc." The next time God scatters the Jebusites with His angels will be in Hell. We don't want to cast our lot in with them. Christ came to give us the presence of God in our lives. He paid it all for us to enjoy, His presence above all.