Willa

Mormons would love to marry off Jesus. Of course, if the Catholics would adopt this tradition, the children would also need to be concieved by the Holy Spirit, as would His wife, who also would have to be resurrected and ascend into heaven. And they would have a whole new source of relics and statues to make to perform more miricles.

Occasionally I have sat with my fingers in my ears in hopes that the person in the sound booth would get the hint. But I have found that some sections are worse than others. Now they seem to have got new speakers and have placed they differently. And we now sit half way back and to the side. I still worship best to music that does not drag. If it is too slow it either puts me to sleep or my mind wanders. So I like a faster, joyful tempo. It doesn't seem more holy if it is slow. It just gets boring. How are we worship in joy and triumph to music that sounds like a dirge? But loud music in restraunts is just as bad. If you can't hear the person beside you and the waiter cant hear you, it is dangerous.

Each of us must do as the Lord directs . I am looking for the appearing of our Lord Jesus to snatch me away. Meanwhile I am storing up treasures in Heaven by giving to His work, praying for others, giving to the poor, and witnessing whenever I can. I am especially praying that some of my friends learn to trust and treasure God's Word, which is my greatest earthly treasure. And I am praying that all our grandkids be saved, learn to hear God's voice and choose to walk with Him. For He is able to both make us willing and enable us to do His good pleasure. As I said, each must do as God directs us, and we answer to Him alone. Off topic, the Kangaroos played a great game against the Kiwis this week. Congrats!

Acts 7:25 NKJV For he supposed that his brethern would have understood that God would deliver them by His hand. Moses apparently had been called by God from an early age to deliver his people. But he did not wait on God to do it in God's wisdom and power. Instead he went about it in his own strength and wisdom, presumptiously, and got himself into trouble. It took 40 years on the back side of the desert for Moses to learn his own shortcomings and to do things God's way. Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

So often we try to fix things ourselves, as Sara and Abe fixed her being barren by providing a servent to provide an heir. God had promised and heir so they helped Him out. Then they had to live with the hostile peoples that were born by their self effort. It is much better to let God do things His way, even if we don't understand what is going on. We need to wait patiently for Him, even if it seems impossible. We serve the God of the impossible. When we look to Him for direction in all that we do, He will not fail us. Moses was an educated man when God told him he was to deliver his people. So he went out and saw an Egyptian abusing one of his people and killed the guy. Self effort. Running from the law to the back side of the desert, he had to wait till he was old and knew his limitations and insufficiency for God to be able to use him. Then He called to Moses from the burning bush to lead His people out of slavery. Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.

8. It is actually a tree that bends with the winds that survives. We live in an extremely windy area and even now I am watching a small but brittle tree that amazingly bends in the wind. The tree breaks or splits that pridefully resists God's dealings with them to establish deep root. We need instead to bend with His dealings and receive them as ultimately for our good and for our blessing.

I was also thinking you had mentioned that you enjoyed grade school more. Pre school kids have much shorter attention spans. But they can be taught. That is why they started using advertising techniques to reach them--short, fun, and grabs their attention. Since they are hiring for a new school year now, get out your application for schools again. They are more apt to hire someone who is presently employed. Meanwhile, as several have said, thank God for the job He has provided and start praising Him for everything that is good, especially that Jesus died for you. I also had to retrain my mind to be a cup half full person. And I used the Philip. 4:4-8 passage to force my self to be thankful and to think on things that are good. That even meant turning off news, soap operas, TV dramas, and watching funny shows and old reruns. A merry hearts does good like a medicine. Prov. 17:22. I am not good at hiding my feelings or "putting on" a happy face when my heart is breaking. But I can thank God for answered prayers. I can look for the humor in life and remember the funny things kids do and say. So from being a very depressed, lonely personality who people regarded as being unfriendly and aloof I became known as a jolly person who always was smiling. This fact really amazed me. And it all started with the Phillippeans formula. Pray , with thanksgiving make my requests known, receive God's peace. Then think on things that are good and lovely. This took persistance. But it was not as gradual as one would expect. It also was a part of becoming less focused on self and more focused on God's faithfulness and loving others, and upon the beauty in nature. Right now I am watching a squirrill bury something beneath our dogwood. It is probably a peanut that hubby has been supplying our neighbor who feeds them. The silly thing keeps going back to see if it is still there. Love to watch them. This is the 8th time it has gone back or made false trails and digs. Blessings, Willa

A group of JFJ came to our church several times in the 70s, including Moishe Rosen. I so enjoyed their sense of humor and for some time ordered and distributed their tracts. However, I learned that not everybody understands their ethnic humor and not many responded well to the tracts. Their witness in San Francisco was a bright light in a very dark place.

He has created us in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 I imagine that as we are still doing whatever works that He has appointed for us, we will be enabled to continue to do them until such time as He calls us home. Ecc. 3:1-2 To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born And a time to die; So I believe that we were created for a purpose, that we came into the world to fulfill that purpose and believers will remain to glorify God, or will die to bring Him glory. Either way we shall be with Him for eternity. The unrepentant will never know the joy and fulfillment of walking with God, but may be used by God in spite of themselves as vessels of dishonor, as was Judas and king Saul. Hummm. I see you beat me to it again, Kwik. Blessings anyhow.

1 Thess 4:17 speaks of our being caught up together with them in the skies. The word caught up is also translated snatched up, or in the Latin Vulgate, the verb rapturo is used from which we get the word rapture.

Jesus did say that Elijah would come back. He said that John the Baptist was an Elijah, but that he would come again. Matt. 11:14. So he should be included among the suspects.

Jesus, of course. I find other points of interest. The Mercy seat upon which sat Yahweh was meant to be carried by men, not beasts. The glory of God was to be enclosed in the flesh of a tent, not in stones. Not till later did God agree to that gift by David. This was God's original plan to dwell in men of flesh and to be carried upon the shoulders of priests who worship Him, but not taken lightly nor disrespected in any way. To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen Rev. 1:5b-6 Contained in our mercy seat is: new life of leaves born again by God from Aaron's rod, once a dead stick, just as we were dead in sins but were given new life by the Holy Spirit; hidden manna of the bread of life, the very words of life spoken by Jesus which sustain us; and even the law was written on our hearts of flesh to be used as God had always intended. He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

God's grace is incomprehensible.

Since only the Father knows the time of Christ's return, it seems to me that He is in control of that and not satan. For 2 Peter 3 has bearing on this, saying that He is longsuffering toward us, not wanting any to perish and that is why it seems He is slow. The subject of 2 Thess. 2 certainly is the arrival of the Lord Jesus and our gathering to Him. Try outlining the passage. The apostacy must come first The man of sin must first be revealed It does not make sense that satan will be removed because the lawless one derives his power from satan. v 9. Prior to his enthroning himself as God in the Temple, the lawless one is deceiving the world with signs and wonders among those who are perishing. These did not love the Truth soas to be saved However, these events must occur prior the the appearing of Christ. I do see that the removal of the church, whether by snatching up or by martyrdom, is that which restrains.. Only the Power of God can restrain evil and only God's plans will succede. It is so important that we let our lights shine and that we be salt. Satan was overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testamony. So this had to be removed since the church certainly seems to be restraining at that point. I believe God snatched away His church because she is not destined to endure the bowls of God's wrath that were poured out on mankind in the 2nd 3 1/2 years. The hardended hearts of those that did not repent came after the wars, starvation and pestilence of the first 3 1/2 years, when the bowls of Gods wrath were poured out during the last 3 1/2 years. Prior to that time many appeared in heaven, a great number out of all peoples, who came out of the great trib. of the first 3 1/2 years in Rev. 7. That was also when the 144000 Jews were sealed, a remnant that will also survive. But it is hinted than many Jews also believed when the 2 witnesses came back from the dead and the antichrist set himself up as God. Blessings, Willa

Perhaps her lack of status as a female child gave her little choice in the matter. The father did not plan for his child to be sacrificed but this was a hasty decision. The child was not of the age of maturity. She did not die to demonstrate any plan of redemption, such as did the story of Abe where God provided a sacrifice. She did not rise from the dead nor was she spared. I just don't think there was a parallel other than that she was a first born and only child and her death at his hands cost him dearly.

Such a diminutive critter. I would say cute, but it does look like a mouse.

And watermellon do not grow on trees. lol. Some think that the forbidden fruit was a pomagranate. Try taking a bite out of that!

This is truly an inspiring meditation. One problem. Jesus was not at a table. He was in a grave. Had He done this at the Last Supper it would have meant a lot more since it would have been in context. Other translations call it litteraly a face cloth or even handkerchief. That does not negate the fact the He is coming again. Blessings, Willa

Our grandson is on meds for a tic which had made it difficult for him to study. A friend's daughter was on meds for ADD when she was actually bi-polar. Her biological parents abused drugs and alcohol. A lot of genetic damage is done by this today. One kid was put on ADHD drugs when he was normal. His mom was sick and couldn't watch him so she claimed he was hyperactive. Another kid was unsupervised by mom and abused by dad. They kept him in a fog on drugs, too. I only remember one kid who was hyper when I was growing up. Most of the kids in my class were poor but most could hold still and concentrate on their work. However, several of us were dyslexic. Some kids can't concentrate due to severe family problems, abuse or splits, some because they are being bullied and threatened at school by staff or students. Even constant disapproval can make it hard to achieve. No one should have to earn their parents' love or protection. And a pill is not a cure all. A huge problem today is a lack of supervision, and requirement to do supervised chores and homework. Many are latch key kids who are just bored or entertained by TV and electronic games. No creativity. It is true that kids need to be trained in the way they should go in the same way as God trains us. He sets clear limits. He rewards and blesses us for good behavior, encourages us, then warns us and teaches us so that we can learn from the mistakes of others; occasionally He disciplines us when we are rebellious toward authority, and disrespectful to Him, others and their property.. Most of all He is consistant and constantly watches over us so we know He is fair and that He loves us.

My grandfather died when I was in preschool. But my mom told me how he was not a Christian but was in the occult. He consulted ouigi boards for investments and lost all their money. But she said she saw him and my aunt make the ouigi move without touching it and also practice levitation. So I don't even read fortune cookies because i want nothing to do with the occult, once I learned it is from satan. There was a lady who was supposed to be saved and in another church. She had been a fortune teller who said she could tell how much money was in your purse when you walked in the door of the "family business'. I have seen that her shop is back in business again. There was something wrong with her testamony. She had no thanksgiving, joy or genuine love toward God or others. She still spoke in awe about her former sin, and seemed to fear it or the power behind it rather than to fear and love God. Does that make sense to anyone?. I tend also to be suspect of people who are boastful about their "former" sinful lives, talking mostly about that. Most people are ashamed and barely mention it unless necessary to warn others..

I had one neighbor named Zella and another named Ngaire. It took me 5 years to remember the latter.

I agree with Joe. We thank and praise God for His victory! He is the God Who watches over Israel! Thank you Jesus.

Yah, it is the cults, the pretenders and those full of lies that are the most dangerous. They keep people from truly believing by misleading them away from Christ to put their faith in something else--a church, a saint, a good person, a lie. It can be very difficult to convince the deceived that they have bought a lie or are worshipping something that is false. They have been convinced that everyone else is wrong and only their belief is right. It was satan who said in the garden, Has God said? The worst lies are those that cause us to doubt God's word, or to believe it when taken out of context such as when satan twisted the Word of God to tempt Jesus to sin.

Q. Does God make mistakes? A. NO Perfection is incapable of mistakes.

I went to the web site of the group in question. It quotes the koran, the Muslim holy book. It speaks of a lot of mysticism and meditation, reincarnation, karma, telepathy, auras and such that is new age garbage and more like an eastern religion of hindu origin--defenitely not Christian and not of God.