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.