Feeding about 5 thousand

John 6: 1-14
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, "It would take almost a year's wages [a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Believe Moses

John 5: 31-45

31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41 "I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"

God is always working

John 5: 16-30

16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Let nothing be wasted

John 5: 1-14

1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Greater witness

John 5: 31-47

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Just Judgment

John 5: 16-30

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.

17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,

23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice

29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Walk!

John 5: 1-15

1 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades.

3 Within these lay a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water,

4 because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had] .

5 One man was there who had been sick for 38 years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to get well?"

7 "Sir," the sick man answered, "I don't have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I'm coming, someone goes down ahead of me."

8 "Get up," Jesus told him, "pick up your bedroll and walk!"

9 Instantly the man got well, picked up his bedroll, and started to walk.

Now that day was the Sabbath,

10 so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "This is the Sabbath! It's illegal for you to pick up your bedroll."

11 He replied, "The man who made me well told me, 'Pick up your bedroll and walk.' "

12 "Who is this man who told you, 'Pick up [your bedroll] and walk?' " they asked.

13 But the man who was cured did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, "See, you are well. Do not sin any more, so that something worse doesn't happen to you."

15 The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Ripe for the harvest

John 4: 27-54

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,

29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"

30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"

34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true.

38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."

40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.

41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

43 After the two days he left for Galilee.

44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)

45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.

47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.

52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee

Worship in spirit and truth

John 4: 1-26

1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John,

2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.

3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria.

5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

1 2Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

17 "I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.

18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Ceremonial washing

John 3: 22-36

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.

23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.

24 (This was before John was put in prison.)

25 An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.

26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.'

29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

30 He must become greater; I must become less.

31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.

32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.

33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.

34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

The Verdict

John 3: 1-22

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.

2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 "For 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.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Miraculous signs

John 2

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there,

2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so,

9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

16 To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"

21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.

24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.

25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

Teachers

John 1:35-51

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).

42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."

51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

I can remember some of the grade schools I attended and teachers I had while I traveled with my Army parents, but most memories have slipped away. I remember 4th grade in Lawton, Oklahoma and standing out between buildings with the wind spinning around in little whirlwinds around the courtyard. I was amazed. I remember Mrs. Bolton in 7th grade at Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina because she was an artist and I thought that was wonderful. I remember 5th grade in Mrs. Langford’s class and staying inside during recess because a boy had passed a note to me and our punishment was to write on the chalkboard using long hand. Mrs. Langford had an ulterior motive because Clay really had the loveliest penmanship and I did not. His job was to teach me, and best I can remember, he was successful. Our life teachers are so important and the impact they make are the foundation for what we all become.

John the Baptist was a teacher or as we might call him today, a preacher. He followed behind other Hebrew prophets living a simple life, calling on reform of sinful rules, preaching repentance and promising God's justice. He had his life goal and position set before him and he must have been very good getting his message across. I can't imagine what it must have been like to realize that what you had been preaching about, the coming of the Lord, had actually happened and you saw The Lord walking on the same ground you were walking on. It must have been exciting for John to shout out this news and then see his students immediately started to follow Jesus, the Son of God.



Today as I think on these verses I'll be thinking of teachers and what a big influence they have on our lives... what a big job they have to guide us in the right direction. I've never thought about it before, but Jesus was a teacher. How cool.

John's baptism

John 1: 29-34

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'

31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

I listen to NPR most days while I go about my daily routine. On NPR there is a challenge called "This I believe" where people submit what they believe and their words are read and posted on the "This I Believe" site. Some of the writing are quite moving and have made me stop and think about what I actually believe about many topics. While I don't think anyone has ever talked about baptism on NPR, the Bible does. The old testament is full of references to using water in rituals to symbolize cleansing. Certainly water does that better than anything. Not only does water clean, it refreshes. Jumping in the shower after you've been out in the hot Georgia sun will remind you of that.

John's baptism was just that, a ritual of cleansing by water to show putting away old life and beginning new or in their view, being cleansed from old ways and starting over. In 2 Kings 5:10-13, Naaman washes in the Jordan River to be rid of his leprosy. From a symbolic, spiritual view, this fits the baptism that John was offering. Also in Isaiah 1:16 there is the command to "wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My (God's) eyes."

I remind myself again that the people who were being baptized by John weren't Christians. The baptism of John was a Jewish baptism. Christ had not come yet! These were people that were following rituals they were accustomed to. The verses today hold deep meanings on so many levels and I'll be thinking on these today. In John's own words ...."the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." It always helps to have someone introduce you to new people doesn’t it? Those that introduce us are just as important as the words they use. The introductory words and the person delivering them sets the tone and opens the door to understanding the message to come.

Testimony

John 1: 19-28

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."

22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.

27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John's testimony was a powerful one. Not only did he let people know that they should not look at him as the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, he let the Pharisees who were sent to question him know that the Christ was coming.

I often try to put myself in the shoes of the Pharisees or other groups or people in the Bible, but my limited knowledge doesn't quite get me there. I have to study to understand and confess I don't study as deeply as I should. Sometimes I think I'll just begin to understand by osmosis, like just holding my Bible or keeping it on the couch by me while I read a different book. Sigh.

Today these verses set the stage for me to better understand the history of the people that lived by the scriptures they had at the time before Christ and the fulfillment of those scriptures we live by today.

In these verses and much of the Gospel, John explores what it means to confess that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of God". Even though John was written for a local church that had been closely related to Judaism to help them become stronger in their faith, the same message that they needed to hear is the same message I need today. I am thankful that I have these words to help me understand and guide me into deeper understanding even when taken little pieces by little pieces to dwell on daily.

Recipe





Party Vegetable Pizza

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
16 Ounces cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package ranch dressing mix

Assorted chopped veggies like:
Cauliflower
Onion
Carrots
Cucumber
Green Pepper
Red pepper
Broccoli
Tomato
Mushrooms,
any veggies you like.

Grated Cheddar or other cheeses, or maybe a mixture of several.

Spread crescent rolls out in rectangle on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown; cool. Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise and dressing mix; spread over crust. Top with chopped vegetable and cheese. Cut into squares and serve. Can make ahead and refrigerate over night.

Or try

1/2 cup sour cream & 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead of mayo and ranch dressing.

Or try

English muffins instead of cresent rolls. Cut halfs in four triangles to serve.

Children of God

John 1: 6-18

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "

16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

All children love to hear stories about how they were born and the things that happened when they were babies. They want to hear the same stories over and over just like it was new. These verses are like newborn stories to me and I love to hear them over and over. The truths are there nestled with words of comfort to know we are His children and because of that we all receive one blessing after another. That's a lot to be thankful for!

Far away Friday

Travel with me today to The Little White House located in Warm Springs, Georgia. It's another great place to visit close to where I live. Enjoy.

The Word

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Such beautiful words to dwell on and be thankful for.

Garbage in, garbage out

John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I love the words 'springing up into' in this passage from the KJV bible Where Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. I remember going down to the spring behind my grandmother's house, drinking from it and wondering where the water came from. The spring was on the bottom side of a small hill surrounded by lots of trees. There was a cow path leading right to the place the spring water first appeared out of the ground and the path continued on down to a small pool of water that I am sure was the result of many hooves and thirsty mouths pressing into the damp earth.

My grandfather had built a rock basin around the spring mouth high enough to keep the cows from drinking the clean water as it came up from the ground filling the basin. As the basin filled, the water flowed out into a wooden trough and from there down to the ground and into the small cow pool. The extra cow pool water then made a stream of water that continued to the creek where the waters merged. The cows loved it and so did I. That water was the coolest water and to me, as a little girl, a mystery of invention as the water spilled out over the rock basin into the cow pool giving life to the most wonderful tiny ferns, mosses, pitcher plants, wild violets and other plants I would grow to love but never know their names. Those were carefree innocent days full of the wonder of growing.

Today as I think about the words of Jesus in this passage, and thinking about my grandmother's spring I'm seeing our lives like basins catching God's spiritual goodness then filled to the top and spilled out. It's for that reason we need to take care of ourselves spiritually and physically. "Garbage in, garbage out" as the young folks say. :)

Wellness tip: Drink your water. :)

It's all in the translation

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 KJV
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 New American Standard
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Amplified Bible
Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all.

My plans for a picnic with my Mother on Mother's day were changed by an F2 tornado that whipped across the counties surrounding where we live. The strange thing is that my mother and I only knew that the wind was blowing really hard and the rain would come and go in bursts like running through a car wash and then getting the blower to push the remaining water drops off. I did get up several times Saturday night to check and make sure it was just high winds, but for the most part I was comfy in my bed with Cocoa Puff by my side.

Before church I called to make sure my Mother was okay and told her we would just go somewhere for dinner and do some shopping at the mall. She said that was fine with her. I should have turned on the news, but I didn't. As far as I could see, all was well. I did have a messy yard, but nothing but downed leaves so I wasn't concerned. At SS and church I heard nothing about any bad weather, so it was a surprise to both my Mother and me when we learned that Macon had sustained an F2 tornado.

We had driven to Macon to eat at my Mother's favorite 5 star restaurant "Cracker Barrel". :) It was closed. We had noticed choppers in the air, but thought they were over a car wreck or something. We had noticed a few trees down, but thought it was probably because of last year’s drought. We had noticed that there were lots of police cars on the road but as soon as we got off the interstate we realized something huge had happened and we were going to be eyewitnesses to the aftermath.

Not only was Cracker Barrel closed, all the other places including both malls were completely closed. Some of stores and eating places we could tell had lots of damage to the outside of the buildings and there were no traffic lights working. Police men and volunteers were out trying to direct traffic as emergency crews worked to clear the roads of downed electrical lines, trees and building debris. It was surreal, like being in a war zone. There was mass confusion all over and many of the roads were still blocked. We had to turn our car around the same as so many other that I know were trying to get across town probably to check on loved ones or maybe even get to emergency care. It did frighten me as we tried to weave our way back out and make some sense of what we had gotten ourselves into.

We ended up getting back on the interstate and driving up closer to Atlanta. The interstate looked clear and traffic was moving nicely. About 30 miles up the road we stopped and at a Shoney's. That was around 3:00 pm and both of us were getting hungry. We did have to wait a bit to be seated and while we waited we talked with others in the line. It so happened that the people before and after us were both from Macon and had come to find something to eat because they had no electricity. They both stated how lucky they were to be alive and told us their stories about the F2 tornado. Mother and I listened with complete interest shaking our heads back and forth as they poured out their words as fast as I know the F2 had struck. We could tell they were still shook up and this was HOURS after the event. They needed to talk. We needed to listen. All those around us shared how good God had been to protect them through it all and we agreed bobbing our heads like little toy bobble heads, just listening, agreeing and letting them get it all out.

Needless to say, Mother and I made the loop back home safely and watched the Macon news channel that night to see horrible damage done to the very section of Macon we had tried to get to.

This morning I read different translations of 2 Thessalonians 3:16 and am reminded again what huge job translators have. Just like me trying to describe the F2, there is so much more feeling that just can't be put down in words. Some say that much is lost in translation and I know that's true just with my feeble attempts to describe the F2. You almost have to be there. That's why I know it's so important to let God's word speak to you and tell you what He wants you to hear each day.

Tuesday's Treasure



This vase is just about three inches tall and has held many tiny flowers given to me by tiny hands eager to share a bloom found or sometimes just me finding little blooms or weeds to enjoy. This spring it held flowering quince picked by Carley Ann. I'm so glad the vase is still around and the tradition continues. It makes a great centerpiece for stuffed bear tea parties. :)

Conversations

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

In my Sunday school class yesterday our teacher Beth talked about how different growing up is for our young people than anytime in history. Our lessons are coming from 2 Samuel concerning the wars between the house of Saul and the house of David. Now that was one more mess. I was thinking how different our culture is from the times of the Old Testament, but then again how much of the struggles they had are the same struggles we have today. There certainly are lessons to learn from the stories of the Old Testament even the war stories I don't like to read about. The more things change, the more things stay the same as the old saying goes. We can't turn back time for the sake of having our children grow up the way we did even if we want to, but we can work with what we have and make the best of what God gives us. The thing is, no matter what generation or culture you come from, God is right there too.

Mustard Seed:
Beth encouraged us to try to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ in our everyday conversations. I really had not thought about doing this but I'm going to take her challenge and see what I can do. I do know one thing, inviting God into each conversation I have will certainly make a difference. hummmmmm...

Brother, Sister and Mother

Matthew 3:34-25
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Yesterday I met my Mother at her church for the annual Mother's day photo shoot. I hate going. I protest each year that rolls around and it always makes me physically sick. She knows how much I don't like going, but I do it because she is my mother and I would feel guilty not showing up. The truth be known, I feel guilty anyway because I am doing something in her honor that I don't actually have my heart in. When I search my heart to see what might be my problem, all I find is guilt.

Today will be much better. Today I'll be able to tell my mother in my own way how much love I have for her. She is an inspiration and while I don't aspire to be like her, she has and does influence my life in ways I am proud of and I'm thankful I have her for my mother over any mother I know. :) I'm also thankful that I can go to her anytime for any reason and she is always there with open arms.

Annette, a friend of mine, said that on this blogosphere we become like mothers to each other. I agree, so with that I wish you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Praise the LORD

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

The LORD is his name

Jeremiah 33: 1-3

1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time:

2 "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name:

3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

My eyes almost fill with tears feeling just how much God loves us. Just as God spoke to Jeremiah, He speaks to us today and tells us great and unsearchable things we don't know.



Travel with me today to Hills & Dales Estate a historic property of the Fuller E. Callaway foundation located in LaGrange, Georgia. You can read and see all about it here. Enjoy. I hope to picnic there this Mother's day.

Blessings

Romans 15: 1-7

1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Sometimes I feel that I am a giving person and other times I think I'm selfish. Part of this, I know, has to do with my history. Growing up an Army brat found me many times having to give up most of the toys I had each time I moved to a new place. I resented having to give up my toys even if they were ragged. They were mine and I wanted to keep them. After I was married, I found myself in a situation where we needed to save every dime we could get our hands on. My husband was concerned about our future and had vowed that we would never be in the position of having our appliances taken away like he sometimes had to do on his job.

As I grew in my Christian faith and of course found myself living a comfortable life with both my husband and I having good jobs, I gave money to those less fortunate as often as asked but still I don't think I ever went out of my way. That's why I sometimes think of myself as selfish. In my heart I know that God loves me, wants the best for me and will always provide for me, but still there is a nagging fear of losing everything.... all my worldly possessions I've worked so hard for. And, yes, I know that I should think more about heavenly treasures and not put so much value on worldly treasures. I know, I know.

On this Thankful Thursday I am thankful that God continues to work in my life molding me and making me the person He would have me be. I pray that I can consecrate my gifts to God whether they be time, talents or worldly possessions and give of those unselfishly so that the blessing He has given to me I can give to others. The movie "Pay it Forward" comes to mind this morning thinking about how each giving action we take can make a difference in someone's life no matter how small or large that gift might be.


Prayer:

Lord help me find ways to be a giving person without first being asked. I want to stay strong in You and do the things You would have me do. I want to receive Your blessings so I might be a blessing to others.



Callaway Gardens Wild Verbena - May 7, 2008

Born again?

John 3: 3

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Born again, what exactly does that mean? Of course Jesus wasn't telling Nicodemus that he had to be physically born again. He meant spiritually Nicodemus, and in turn we, must be spiritually born again before he or anyone could see the kingdom of God.


For the life of me I can't understand why some people are turned off by the phrase "born again Christian", but they are. Sometimes you can see an immediate change in a persons demeanor once you tell them you are a born again Christian. I think sometimes they feel it's a disease. However, if they truly want to get to know you and be your friend, they soon realize that being a born again Christian doesn't mean you are perfect, but rather you just believe in Jesus.

A few days ago I had this experience with a new acquaintance and a funny thing happened. Once I explained what a born again Christian was, he said, "oh yeah, so am I, I just thought I was only a Baptist". :) I laughed to myself thinking now on to telling him what a Baptist is.



Wellness tip: Don't eat bad stuff for a whole week. :)

The very best

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I forget who uses the term "keep your eyes on the prize" but to my estimation that's a bit selfish. Surely there has to be more than just getting to heaven and enjoying ourselves. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what heaven will be like. In Revelation 21:18 we read

"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."

So, heaven will be pure gold? At first glance this seems a bit of a contradiction because gold is an earthly treasure and we are taught that we shouldn't put our faith in earthly treasures. Songs have been written about walking the streets paved with gold. Still, we have to remember that heaven will not be like anything we can actually describe with our limited knowledge. I've experienced the task of trying to describe something fantastic to a friend and finding out that my words just couldn't do it. Being there is the only way to truly understand. The gold in heaven that John described was clear, see- through glass. I don't know any gold that you can see through, so even John was having a hard time describing heaven.

Still, I like this analogy of running a race for the prize set before us. Whatever heaven is like, I'm sure it's the very best because that is all God wants for us... the very best.

Tuesday's Treasure



Now don't get confused... the treasure is not me. :) Look behind me and you will see a little warrior statue. I move it around from room to room like I do many of my decorative things but this little statue means more to me than what most people think of.

China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huagn, in search of immortality over 2,200 years ago ordered the construction of a vast army of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors. I think at some point in all our human lives we begin to think of how short our time on Earth really is. My little decorative statue reminds me that no matter how much we as human being try to extend our lives or make them more than what God has intended them to be, we will fail. Living eternally is only offered to us by God and it's good to be reminded of that every day.

History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

Forgetting

Matthew 18: 21-35

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Don't you just love the parables? Sunday I took the opportunity to visit the Baptist church in Pine Mountain. The pastor there spoke on the verses above making contemporary references to the October 2, 2006 Amish school children shooting tragedy and how quickly the Amish were to forgive. They have a lot to teach us about forgiveness and I don't think I had quite grasped the true concept of forgiveness until Sunday.

Forgiveness should be immediate. We shouldn't have to stop and take time to think about it and then decide we will forgive. Forgiveness is not forgetting. You will never forget a wrong thing you did or someone did to you. That act will always come to the surface one way or another. Forgiveness is coming to the point that you no longer need to be punished for what you did or feel the need to punish someone for what they did to you. If we could learn to forgive immediately living our lives in a continuous state of complete forgiveness we would save ourselves a lot of grief for sure.

I think for the longest I've been confusing forgiveness and forgetting. My prayer to God today is one of thankfulness for His gift of forgiveness to me and the lessons of forgiveness He has left for us to study and grow from.

Putting on

Acts 5:29

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!

I'm the worlds worst and worrying what folks will think of me. When I meet new people I always try to put on my best personality, but somehow what they get is just the same old Phyllis. I don't know why I even bother to worry.

This reminds me of the day a friend of mine and I found ourselves eating lunch at a local tearoom and the proprietor came over to ask where we were from. When we told her she said she knew a little girl that had moved to Thomaston and asked if we knew her. When we said we did, she asked, "does she still put on?" Well, the term "putting on or put on" in the South means that you are pretending to be something you are not to make people think more highly of you. We laughed, smiled then sniggered and admitted she did still 'put on. Silly us, or I should just say silly me.

I catch myself from time to time 'putting on. The thing is, I shouldn't because in the end it doesn't matter what others think of me, it matters what God thinks of me.

Holding ones tongue

Proverbs 17: 27-28

27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Edit: I first published this post with no comments and then thinking further realized what a trick I had played on myself. What, me, wordless? Surely I jest! Yes, I did.

There is something to be said about holding ones tongue though. I'm reminded of how aggravated I get when I try to watch some talk shows and everyone talks at the same time. You can't understand a thing they are saying. Is it found in Proverbs that silence is golden? I've always heard that but never quite get there even when I'm alone. I talk to myself at times like that. :)

From God's little devotion book: " Never pass up a chance to keep your mouth shut."

Soup et al.


Baked Asparagus Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter browned first
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Adjust soy sauce and vinegar to taste as you learn to prepare this dish to your liking.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus about 12 minutes in the preheated oven until tender. Watch asparagus very carefully. You want the asparagus to be tender but still have a little crunch.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and brown over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

Your opinion is showing

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

In a book I'm reading a page has as it's caption "The hardest secret for a man to keep is his opinion of himself." How true that is. With every breath we reveal who we are and what we are about. Some days I think highly of myself and other days I'm the scum of the earth. There are times I have to check myself when I make judgments that I shouldn't and think I'm better than some when, in fact, I don't know them at all. On my scummy days I have to remember who I am in Christ. I mess up constantly, but at least recognize the error of my ways and can ask for forgiveness.

We all fall short and do, say or think things that we shouldn't. The important thing is to keep reaching for the goal that we all know is before us one day at a time, step by step, breath by breath.

Hope you have a good day today.

Words

Words from Jesus: Matthew 12: 33-37

33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

It's been said that your eyes are windows to your heart. Maybe so, but I think it's also your words that tell everything about you heart, your soul and everything that makes you you. Today I pray that the words that come out of my mouth will be fully acceptable by God now and on the day of judgment. This is yet one more reason I am thankful that I have Him in my life to direct my days.

National Day of Prayer

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Today is the National Day of Prayer.