Jesus' Request for Forgiveness...

Dear Jesus - We cannot even glimpse Your amazing love and forgiveness unless You give us the gift of Your Spirit.  Please give us that gift now that You may change our lives...

The other night I was puttering around idly listening as my husband read to my son from The Bible Story book for the night.  The evening's story was about the crucifixion.  The books are old.  Very old.  And very Biblically accurate.  However, something the author noted caught my ear.  I had to check it out for myself.

Context, Context, Context - and John 14:1-6

Dear Jesus - Thank You for Your amazing WORD...

Perhaps I have mentioned this before?  Since June of last year, I have an amazing prayer partner.  We meet on the phone on M / W / F of each week.  First, we discuss our Bible reading for the day.  We are both on the same reading plan.  Then we move into prayer.  Total time?  About 30 minutes.  Experience?  Priceless.

Anyway - we got to discussing John 14:1-3 yesterday.  Once again the value of context popped up.  Below is the expanded text in the NASB which provides a more literal translation.  Consider the question:  Where is Jesus going?

1 Verse Unlocks a Chapter

Huntingtower Castle, Perth

Dear Jesus - I just praise You for the literalness of the help You make available to me!  Thank You!

Ever just plain "had it" with the Pharisees?  Sometimes reading the Gospels can seem a bit hopeless as one gets a glimmer of the spiritual state of things.  Wooops - better check myself before I condemn myself!  Been attending a weekly study that is going through all 4 Gospels at one time in time sequence.  The latest study just blew me away as I sat there.  'Cause I saw myself - and well, the only good thing about that was the end of the story!

Jesus Stills the Sea

Dear Jesus - Thank You so much for my friend Don Herd who takes so many great pictures.  Please bless his talent richly.  Today, oh please please open our eyes to see the personal applications You have for each of us in this amazing story...

This is a familiar story so let's get right to it.  Below is the story Luke recounts (NASB). 

Getting My Walk On...

Don't you just love the Bible?  It is such an amazing, living, transforming, supernatural entity!  Uh - yeah - 'cause it's Jesus!   Getting fired up just thinking about this!

What Color Were the First 10 Commandments?

Sapphire Stone

Dear Jesus - Please circumsize our hearts so we can hear You speak to us!

Found this the other day - amazing!  Check it out yourself.  The link to the original is at the bottom...

Can Despising Be Good?

I'm on a 90-day devotional journey using the book Prayer90X - 90 Days to a Spiritually Fit You. 

Day 1 - mostly just freaked out.  Had to just repeat the Memory Text the E.N.T.I.R.E. day.  You can probably guess what that was:  Thou wilt keep her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Thee because she trusteth in Thee.  Thought I trusted God - and I do.  Just apparently not with my actual life.

Can I ___________?

Ask Jesus...

Seriously.

He loves you more than you can possibly understand - and He's done everything that can be done to win you over. 

Go ahead - just ask Him...

Aaron's Rod - What's That About?

This is sort of a continuation of the previous post talking about Eden and the rivers surrounding it.

Dear Jesus - Please open our minds to see ourselves in Your Word today...

Have you ever wondered about the story of Aaron’s rod?  It wasn't until I saw the rod in the context of the bigger picture that I understood the beauty of the story.  Before this - I just saw it as a test of leadership.  And while that was meaningful - to my mind it was more instructional that beautiful.  But - when I saw the rod transformed by the process of dwelling in the sanctuary - well that was beautiful!

For All Who Work to Exhaustion...

Dear Jesus - Thank You for the practicality of Your Word.  And thank You for the very personal message You've sent to me today...

Matthew 11 (NASB) - using the footnotes:

²⁸ “Come to Me, all who who work to exhaustion, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For My yoke is comfortable, or pleasant and My burden is light.”

The Ark Finds a Home in Jerusalem

Linen Cloth from Qumran Probably Used to Cover Scrolls

Powerful reading this morning for me - hope I can share in a way that does justice to it!  So very many jump-off points.  Oh - to stay focused!  Pray with me?

Dear Jesus - You are truly worthy of all praise.  I praise You today that You invite all of us to get into the ark while there is time.  Help me see with Your eyes today and I claim the promise You have given that Your WORD will not return to You void.

Brain Teaser!

A friend posted this on Facebook today and it reminded me of ANOTHER verse!  Check this out:

Where is God? He's Right Here With Me!

Mt Sinai Today

This morning I heard someone make a mistake.  Or did Jesus tweak my ears?  Hm...  During prayer, someone mentioned Mt Zion in relation to the children of Israel when God showed them His holiness.  The focus of the prayer was on the holiness of God.  My brain instantly said - oops, the speaker meant Mt Sinai and instantly I was intrigued by the following comparison - can I share?

Bible Filter - ACTIVATE!



Saw this today - what do you think?  Biblical or not?

Feed Your Faith and Your Fears Will Starve To Death!

Eden vs Snooze...

John Lubby Park

Sure - this picture isn't the Biblical Eden - but I love the suggestion it speaks to my mind about God coming in the cool of the day to visit Adam and Eve in their garden home.  Genesis 2 introduces us to Eden. Let’s look at the simplest elements of the story and ask God to open our eyes to see the message He has for each of us.

Bible Filter - ACTIVATE!

Bible Filter - ACTIVATE!



Check out the Meme below and apply your Bible filter:



Will I ever be strong enough to handle things all by myself?

Manna - What Is It?

Coriander Seeds

Dear Jesus – Help us to see the supernatural quality of the manna we read about in the Exodus experience.  Reveal to each of us the relevancy it has to our very specific lives.

What do we know about manna?  Possibly from childhood stories, we recall it was a rather mysterious food that fell from heaven providing sustenance for the Israelites during their days wandering in the wilderness.  Just that brief synopsis gives us much to think about.  Let’s do some comparisons:

Brain Teaser - Psalm 57:3

Brain Teaser

Here's a new feature I'm introducing called 'Brain Teaser'.  The idea is to stretch our minds regarding how we analyze scripture.  Below is our teaser verse:

A Consuming Fire. Can That be Good?

Our Sun/Son

Hebrews 12:29 - For our God is a consuming fire.

Now there's a rather intimidating verse at first glance.  Not a picture of a warm & cozy hearth fire is evoked, generally speaking.  Let's use the 'law of first occurence' to dig and see if there is something tasty in this.

Walking - A Neat Bible Picture...

A friend of mine did a great study on the word 'WALK' in the Bible.  Can't wait to share part of it with you!

Dear Jesus - Please help me see with Your eyes today that I may learn about the walk You have for me...

Studies like this are just great for sharing.  Because I'm certain Jesus has something for you that is different than what He had for me.