Monthly Archives: May 2013

Time Is…

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The Passage of Time

The Passage of Time (Photo credit: ToniVC)

As some of you know, one of my favorite scriptures is Galatians 4:4.  When the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son…   It speaks loudly to me because my life has been full of instances where everything had to be ready for the next step to happen.  The fullness concept is that, over the millennia, God has put every person, place, event, and so on, in place, to reach that particular moment on the time line.  He does the very same thing for us.  Every one of our life events is ordered so that as time marches on everything is in place for the next event.  (I’m in no way saying we don’t have choices, it’s that our choices have ripple effects.)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 complements Galatians 4:4 by being more specific about the order of time.  This Old Testament writing has great relevance to the effect of time.

Ecclesiastes

These beautiful words have much to say about the fact that time effects every part of our lives.  We have to remember that there is a natural order to life events and it’s God’s job to create the sequence.  How would we know what death is without  birth, what weeping is without laughter, what silence is without speaking, what war is without peace?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time.’ reminding us that even though we may live in historical period and culture that says, ‘You can have it all and you can have it now!” that’s not God’s plan. The rest of this verse says, ‘Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end.’  Our desire to understand God’s sequence for our lives is not easily attainable, sometimes, we never do figure out the why’s of life’s events.  Even so,  as we grow and mature, more and more is made known to us.  For me, knowing that God is in control is enough.

hand footWorship Him with the beautiful images and music of In His Time.

Heavenly Father, teach us to wait on You.  Give us the Wisdom to know when the time is full for any of our endeavors.  Control me, Lord.  Give us strength and courage to model You and Your Word in every matter of our lives.  I lift this prayer in Jesus saving Name.  Make it so!

Heaven Is!!!

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thCA8GZJYEA sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, “Doctor, I am afraid to die.  Tell me what lies on the other side?” Very quietly the doctor said, “I don’t know.” “You don’t know?  You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?” The doctor was holding the handle of the door;  on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my god?  He’s never been in this room before.  He didn’t know what was inside.  He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.  I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing…” “I know my Master is there and that is enough.” On this Memorial Day Weekend take the time to remember those who have gone into the Master’s arms.

Oh, How He Loves You and Me!!! Worship Him in song…   Thank You by Ray Bolz.

Revelation 21:1-5      Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 22:1-5     Then the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.  On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse.  The Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night.  They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.  And they will reign for ever and ever.  

Revelation 22:20-21      He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.  Amen.  

Heavenly Father, make it so!

Love is …

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I thought, after the heaviness of the Melchizedek post, everyone might want a break from research and writing.  This post is meant to help you with the Spirit of Love that is in each of us because He lives and loves in us.  Just click on the picture and a song and video of praise for that aspect of His love will begin.  Enjoy!!!!

Heavenly Father, teach me to love like You!  Make it so!

Love 6Love 8

Love 3

Love 2

Love 1

Melchizedek

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While having a delightful conversation with one of my God-daughters, who called to wish me a happy Mother’s Day, the question came up — Who is Melchizedek?  She was reading our current Spirit Sisters Book Study, (Knowing God By Name by Bruce Wilkerson) and had never heard of him.  Although little is known about him, he is important in understanding Jesus’ role as the Great High Priest.

Seal of Melchizedek mosaic from a Christian church at Khirbet near Jerusalem

Seal of Melchizedek mosaic from a Christian church at Khirbet near Jerusalem

Melchizedek is mentioned only a few times in The Word.  In each of these passages we can discover bits of who he was and why his life has meaning for us.  In Genesis 14:18-20 he is introduced as ‘priest of God Most High’ who blesses Abram through God as Creator and Deliverer.  What is impressive about this record is most people in this period of history worshiped many gods created by themselves, while  Melchizedek worshiped only God Most High, leading to the conclusion that there were other Believers at the time of Abram.  It also mentions in this passage that when Abram visited him he served bread and wine.  An Old Testament way of saying he communed with Abram.  When we come across these words in the New Testament it is with Jesus’ words on how to remember Him.  There’s another phrase in these verses that point to Abram’s recognition of Melchizedek as God’s Priest.  “…Abram gave him a tenth of everything”.  It would be a few (many) years before Moses gave God’s commandment on tithing yet that’s surely what’s going on.

Lets look at Hebrews 7:11  If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood–and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood–why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?  In order to understand this verse we need to move on to verses 15-17  And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.  For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (NIV)  Christ and Melchizedek are High Priests because of their appointment by God.  Neither were of the Levites (or Kohen-the name of the Priests before the Levites) who were appointed by God to permanent priesthood.

Abram Being Presented with Bread and Wine by M...

Abram Being Presented with Bread and Wine by Melchizedek (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m pretty sure some of you are saying that’s about as clear as mud.  It’s necessary to dig in a bit deeper into a rather scholarly issue.  Melchizedek is regarded as a theophany (manifestation of deity in physical form).  This word is applied because he is regarded as holy and righteous, as priest, in how he served Abram (with bread and wine), that he is given a tithe, and that there is no genealogical record of his life.  In other words because many of his life characteristics modeled that of Christ he is revered as a physical precursor of Jesus.

More interesting facts about him…Melchizedek means “King of Righteousness”.  He was also the King of Salem.  Salem, meaning peace, later became Jerusalem.

Melchizedek is not a mysterious, mythical character, although some have tried to make that argument.   This quote says it all: “Melchizedek was a real, historical king-priest who served as a type for the greater King-Priest who was to come, Jesus Christ.”  (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.  pg. 695.)

(Some information in this post is from an article on about.com/Melchizedek.)

Take a Long Look in the Mirror

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After reading this post I went to the Barna site to read the survey and find the questions. I am not happy with me after reading the post and article and need to make some changes. This is really worth the read.