Evening Song - Mercy Tree

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

The Thousand Word Project - Texas Blue Beauty

Thoughts from the Past – Remember God IS Holy

Written Feb. 3, 2006, edited 2011.

In reading Psalm 97 recently, the last verse struck me as it hadn't before, 12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

One of the marks of false gods is that they are not holy. Even "the best" of them have some immoral aspect or legend about them. At best they are mere men - creations of the Creator. Most are decidedly UNholy. (All the so-called goddesses are unholy too, by the way.)

The Lord God Almighty is not so. He is holy. There is no sin in Him. There is nothing in Him that we should be ashamed of. This is something we must remember as we watch the unholiness of the world around us. More than that, we should give thanks when we remember that He is holy. And, truly, it is something to be thankful for.

Have you ever contemplated how hopeless it is to trust in a god who is not better than ourselves? Many do. In fact, some gods could actually be proven to be worse than their devotees. How pathetic! Then too, how pointless to worship a god who needs his followers to protect him. The true God never has and never will, despite what some people think. He was there before we were and nothing takes Him by surprise. He is in total control of His entire creation (including Satan, see Job 1-2).

More than that, His holiness is "equal to any occasion," in a manner of speaking. That is, He always will do the holy thing. We never have to worry about Him doing wrong. Have you stopped to think about what a blessing and comfort that is? Many people throughout history, and at present, cannot have that confidence in their god. Sadly, many people who profess to worship the God of the Bible do not have that confidence in Him because they do not remember His holiness and they do not believe His word.

Yes, the Lord's holiness is something to remember, not just with reverent fear but also with thankfulness!

Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Evening Song - There Is A Fountain Filled with Blood

Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

Garden Memories - Lady's Slippers

These photos were taken in a green house at the Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange, Texas. 

Myths About Suffering: Better than Jesus

This is a topic that may develop into a short series eventually, we will see what happens. This first article deals with the topic of the problem that can occur when Christians begin to think more highly of themselves, or their suffering loved one, than they ought to think and so develop ideas that are not only unbiblical but actually imply that we can endure suffering better than Jesus Christ Himself!

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Hebrews 5:8-9 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Suffering is a subject that holds a lot of fascination for mankind. Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden one of the things that has defined the human condition on many levels has been suffering. Modern medical solutions have helped in many ways to reduce certain types of suffering, or to at least mask the affects so that we don't notice them so much. But, in the not-so-distant past  people endured some dreadful things in the way of pain, illness, quarantine, torture, and other things. Death was often times much harder than it is now, and even yet it is often enough quite dreadful.

One peculiarity of this is that a certain element of self-righteousness arises in some Christians around the subject of suffering...

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - Softly and Tenderly

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Thousand Word Project - Vinca Major

Vinca Major or Periwinkle

In a corner solitary, 
Smiling brightly at the sun, 
A Periwinkle there does tarry, 
For she is the only one.

Excerpt from "Periwinkle Blue"
by Juan Olivarez

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

I hope that you will take the time to go over and read this moving poem on the Home Maker's Corner. It is a sober and profound contemplation of the crucifixion, something which we should be meditating upon this month as we look forward to the remembrance of Resurrection Sunday on April 1st.

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

Stricken, smitten and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He.
'Tis the long expected Prophet,
David's son, yet David's Lord;
By His Son God now has spoken:
'Tis the true and faithful Word.

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - O,Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. 

Sew Happy Friday - Tutorial for the Summer Camp Quilt from Jenny Doan

Here is another tutorial from Jenny Doan at the Missouri Star Quilt Co. This is a cute and easy quilt to make with 2" strips. This would be a good way to use up scraps. The way she shows it here the pattern would not be necessary, unless you need more detailed instructions for finishing it up. The diagram is linked below.



Here is the link for the diagram that she mentions.

The Thousand Word Project - Life Giving Water

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

Thoughts from the Past – He Will Not Remember

May 24, 2006; edited March 2018

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Here is a beautiful verse! The Lord is speaking to Israel here, but we can get in on the blessing of it as it is in keeping with New Testament teaching.

First of all, God says that He blots out our transgressions for His own sake. That means that although there is nothing we can do to deserve having our transgressions blotted out, it is for His own pleasure that He saves us. Therefore, our unworthiness as sinner in and of ourselves does not affect this, because He is worthy. It pleases God to do this for His own sake that He might enjoy the friendship and fellowship of His creation. That is a tremendous thought and I suggest you stop and ponder it!

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Emphasis added]

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Secondly, God says He will not remember our sins! He Will Not! Read that again - He WILL NOT remember our sins.

By an act of His sovereign will God chooses not to remember my sins. He chooses not to remember your sins if you have also believed on Christ in faith. For us this act of willful forgetfulness is applied through ...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son [which] cleanseth us from all sin. (1John 1:7-9).

The doubters who wish to question their own salvation or the salvation of others may ask, "But what if He decides to remember?" In the modern expression, "What don't you understand about 'will not'?" It is a promise not up for debate. If God does not keep His word, He's a liar and you shouldn't believe in Him anyway! But we read in Romans 3:4, ...yea, let God be true, but every man a liar... Every time man contradicts a clear, plainly spoken promise of God, it's man that is lying, not God! That includes your own deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9).

We have no cause to fear man's threats nor ourselves, for nothing rests upon our worthiness or upon us - even with all our discouraging tendency to sin. The Lord says He will not remember our sins, and that He blots out our transgressions for His own sake. Believe it! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 130 ¶ A Song of degrees.
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 ¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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First published here 12/2011.

Evening Song - Like A River Glorious

Psalm 46:4-5 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

FREE Scripture Graphic - Draw Near to God (Psalms)

Here is another remake of a vintage graphic that I edited. I got the original graphic from The Old Design Shop. I made some changes and added the verse. You can save the image from here, or you can go over and download it here. (Use the download button in the lower right corner.) Note: I do not thing this will be a good size for printing if you save it from here since the size is restricted.

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you. [Note: It's ok to link from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media. :-) ]

Enjoy!

Creatures Great and Small - Flying Art Deco