Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it…
As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, let us remember Who gave us life, that we are living, aware, breathing, and awake by the grace of God.
Life is not of ourselves. We are not responsible for our existence. God created.
By His grace, we are all here on this Earth, His creation, He created. God is beyond patient with how we steward His creation. He is beyond patient with how we as humanity treat each other, His children.
Job 34:13-14 If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.
We have life and we should be thankful for our lives.
Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
On this Thanksgiving, give thanks to the Lord. Because of Him, we have this opportunity called life.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Sin is staining and it’s color is blood red. Sin stains what is pure and clean. Without the cleansing soap of the blood of Christ, we are powerless to clean our clothing of our issues. No matter how many times we wash our clothes, no matter what we use, we cannot clear up our mess.
Job 9:30-31 If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, then You would plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes would loathe me.
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photo: iStock
Isaiah 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Note the company of this verse, “we” and “all“. This is the Hebrew word “kol“. There are no exceptions save One. We all sin. None of us are perfect in thought or deed. We are all dirty.
…and all our righteous deeds…
What and who motivates our actions? Be careful, this is a slippery slope. Do we do “the right thing” as we see it? What is our motive for serving others? Are we doing something to look good as our fellow man sees it? Are we looking to draw attention to ourselves? Or are we doing these good works for the glory of God?
This verse could also be translated as “self righteous deeds”. The problem is we may not realize our deeds are “self righteous”. We may be blinded to our own selfishness, pride, and arrogance.
…are like a polluted garment.
Translators have done us no favor with this particular portion of the verse. The “polluted garment” happens to be menstrual flow, flux and soiling. There is an implication of deceit and treachery. Our works on our merits are like a nasty, bloody rag apart from God.
We all fade like a leaf…
Like a leaf, we lose our color. As a leaf turns color from health, lush green with moisture, our skin dries and itches. Lotions try to replenish but to no avail. As a leaf dries, crumbles and becomes mulch, our skin shrinks, wrinkles and hangs off of our bones. We bruise, tear, and break with greater ease.
…and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
We are guilty and deserving of just punishment. Because of our sin, we are blown away by the wind (Spirit?).
Of note, the translated Hebrew word for “wind” is ruach. This word is also translated as “spirit”, as in the Holy Spirit.
Authentic good works are noted below. True good works were created by God before our time.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The reality of our heart and attitude in whatever we do should be as stated by the Apostle Paul. Imagine taking the time before doing and talking and considering how speech and actions would reflect on God’s character. Are we respectfully representing the Creator?
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
My choices that day haunted me for years. After I got clean and was in college, I attempted to find information about my daughter. No luck. I had abandoned her. If her adoptive family had told her she was adopted, I might have a chance to connect with her when she was an adult. I prayed that if it was God’s will, it would happen.
Then one day it happened. I got a private message. I had been in the hospital for a number of weeks, unable to walk due to complicated medical issues. I was reviewing my dozens of messages, and there it sat: a private message introduction from the woman who had adopted my little girl.
She knew who I was. She said she had kept track of me for a while. She said that little girl knew who I was, too. I wept.
I was facing life–threatening situations, and yet a long–held prayer was being answered. I finally knew she was okay, she was safe, and, most of all, she was loved. But I had not met her and wasn’t sure if that would happen.
Then one day, in August 2015, I was preparing to speak to a room of about 200 individuals about human trafficking. A woman approached me and said, “Hello. I’m the woman who adopted your little girl.”
I paused, and my heart skipped a beat. Then I heard another voice say, “And I’m your little girl.”
“What?!” That is all I could say. I stood and asked if I could touch her. Was this real? Could it be? It was indeed.
It was time for my presentation. I told them both I wasn’t sure I could speak for 90 minutes and not share what had just happened. I asked if they were okay with my sharing about them being there. They said of course.
About four or five minutes into my speech, I could hardly talk. I was trembling. I had to share. So, to that room of strangers, in that church, I shared the blessing from God with all in attendance. We all wept together. And we all rejoiced together.
The courage that my baby’s adoptive mom, who I am proud to call friend, had to bring her that day astounds me. She gave me the chance to meet that little baby I had fallen in love with so long ago. I know today, without a doubt, that I made the best choice I ever could have for her little life.
One thing I have learned is that if I continue trying doing the best I can, God is faithful. He throws amazing situations, and gifts such as this one, to confirm His grace and presence in my life. Although mankind still judges me, holding against me the stigmas of my past, the Creator of All continues to shower me with love and grace.
We have had chances to visit a few times and to continue to grow and get to know one another. I am truly humbled that God would find me worthy of such a gift. I am excited to be a part of her life, and am continually thankful that God used this as a piece of healing for me—as well as, hopefully, for her.
Key verse: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1).
@beholy404
Any presentation that proclaims the Irrefutable greatness and glory of the Creator of heaven and earth must itself be great! Anything that celebrates the majesty of Jehovah and His “handiwork” is itself distinguished.
Since the world has turned into crowds of gainsayers who do not accept the fact of a galactic system put in place by a Designer, believers like David and followers of Jesus Christ cannot but constantly join “the heavens (to) declare the glory of God”. That is what the “sweet psalmist of Israel” harps on as he reveals that it is impossible to have a great design (the universe comprising heaven, our planet, the sun, moon, stars, outer space, etc.) without a Designer – God.
His works assert the matchless magnitude of the One who brought them into existence. They do not need evolutionists or scientists to tell them the creation story. They, the work of His hands, constitute enough evidence of the creative force that spoke the planetary system into existence. That knocks out all other contrary claims and renders them unacceptable by heaven. Beyond that, they serve as a perpetual pointer to God’s existence.
If these non-living works of creation would recognize and honor their Creator, He deserves infinitely greater acknowledgement from those He formed in His own image. He needs the believer’s worship in complete holiness. He wants the sinner to receive the salvation plan He worked out through the death and resurrection of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. He expects the backslider to return to the narrow path of righteousness. Above all, He wants us to obey His commandment to preach the gospel to the entire world without ceasing.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Preaching salvation to the lost amounts to aligning with heaven to declare the glory of God.
Leviticus 11:13-19 Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the ostrich,the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
April 2020: Recently, The Guardian posted a story on the origins of the Coronavirus. Many studies were compared from scientific experts from around the globe.
Scientists think it is “very likely” or “most likely” the COVID 19 coronavirus has its origins in a bat. But… Science is not really “sure”.
The Guardian best captured the spirit of the article with the disclaimer at the end.
Due to the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, this article is being regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation at the date of publication. Any significant corrections made to this or previous versions of the article will continue to be footnoted in line with Guardian editorial policy.
The bat is mentioned three times in Scripture. Twice the bat is mentioned in the context of the Law. At that time, God told Moses bats were “detestable”. Another appropriate translation would be an abomination. The Jews were told not to eat certain kinds of birds.
The “bird” is ceremonially unclean. Notice, the Creator of the universe states the bat is a bird. Leviticus 11 is the first time the bat is mentioned in Scripture. The bat is included in an extensive list of birds. The bat is the last bird mentioned. God says the bat is a bird.
Science tells us bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera; with their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more maneuvrable than birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. -Wikipedia
Imagine that. God’s classification system is different than the modern day altar of Science. God’s order and humanity’s order are not the same. See multiple examples provided in the links below regarding the topic of creation.
“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…it is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw(s) and holes as sound parts.” –Charles Darwin to Asa Gray
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From the time of Moses, fast forward to the days of the apostle Peter. Christ has died on the cross for sin. Christ has fulfilled the Law.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Peter in Acts 11 has an encounter with the Lord regarding the Law and unclean food. Restrictions on food consumed are being lifted. Granted, the greater issue is not about food but food is used as the example.
Acts 11:6-9 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. “I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ “But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’
Granted, we are not under the constraints of the Law. We have freedom because of Jesus Christ. But, we may want to think twice about exercising this freedom of handling, preparing, and eating bats.
You are omnipresent. That means that you are everywhere at once, ever present everywhere. That’s amazing to me. You are God, so I don’t struggle understanding that.
You are omniscient. That means that you know everything. That blows me away, yet, because You are God, I have no problem understanding that.
You are omnipotent. That is almost incomprehensible, yet, because You are God, I get it. You have always existed.
You have no beginning and no ending. I don’t really understand that with the finite mind that You created me with, but by faith I believe it wholeheartedly.
You created everything out of nothing but Your Word. I’m flabbergasted, yet, You are God, so it was really not a big effort for You at all.
You spoke light into utter darkness just by saying “LIGHT”. Okay, then! That’s all it took, because You are God.
You humbled Yourself and became a man to show us that we could be sinless and full of love, then You gave Yourself as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, taking our place so that we may live with You forever. That’s amazing love. I accept that. I receive that.
Here’s the part that baffles me, though, Jesus; when we believe on You and confess You as LORD, You forgive every single sin that we have ever committed. Not only that, but You take it a step further and You forget every single sin that we have ever committed. WOW! That is mind boggling! How do you DO that, Jesus?
I have a hard enough time just struggling to forget a single mistake, yet You easily forget every horrible thing that I’ve ever done! You separate my sins from Yourself as far as the east is from the west. That’s immeasurable! How do you DO that, Jesus? Your Word says that You cast our sins into the sea of forgetfulness, to never again be remembered. How do you DO that, Jesus?
Why do I continue to compare Your ability to forgive and forget with mine, or anyone else’s? That’s really not wise. You ARE God. Nothing is impossible for you. When the enemy comes to me to remind me of bad things that I have done, and I bring them back up to You, Your reply is always, “What are you talking about? I don’t recall that. You’re forgiven. It’s forgotten. Don’t look back. Keep moving forward. Trust Me.” It’s time that I stop listening to the accusations of Satan, and start listening to the truth of who You are in me. You gave us all of Your power and authority.
It’s time that I started using it. Once we as Believers, as Followers of the Way, as Christians – once we all begin walking in the authority and faith that you gave to each of us, we CAN turn the world right-side-up for You, Jesus. How do we DO that, Jesus? In Your name! THAT’S how! Thank You, Jesus!
Our compassion should be guided by God’s compassion, not dependent on age or gender or how a person got in their situation in the first place. After all, when we engage with these individuals who are over 18 and learn how they entered the world of commercial sexual exploitation, we find that more often than not their victimization began as a child. Why then do we have such a hard time viewing adults as victims and worthy of our love when they are recovered or reach out for services?
It is because we, the outsiders, looking in with our judgments and our continued labels, have built these barriers. These barriers, coupled with the existing internal challenges these individuals face, stand in the way of their chance to soar and flourish into the creatures that our Creator has designed them to be.
I could go on here, but the point is simple: The hurt caused by trauma is the very same to the prostituted individual as it is to the homeless person, or to the individual suffering from mental illness, or the college student, or the elderly lady down the street, or the professional, or the fellow church members. We must recover compassion.
“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald
Isaiah 10:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.
How effective can a tool be if it is not directed by somebody? What good is a tool if it is laying on the ground or hanging on a nail in shop? A tool is made of separate pieces or crafted into use by a creator. A tool is forged into existence. This tool, the king of Assyria, thinks he is greater than the Creator. He thinks he is smarter than the One who made him. The king thinks he is stronger than the hand that is holding him and using him. To the king of Assyria, you are a tool.
Romans 9:20-21 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
In this example, God is the potter. We the people, are molded objects made by God. What right does humanity (the pot) have to question God’s intent when it comes to our lot in life? Like it really matters what we think. A modern day translation would be, “Don’t talk back to God.”
Does humanity think they know what is best? That is what is happening in effect when we question God? We are questioning God’s intention, plan, and purpose for us.
We all have strengths and weaknesses. Yes, we have the capacity to improve and get better. But ultimately, our abilities whatever they may be are limited.
God made some of us to be honorable. The Greek work for honorable is time (tee-may). It means special, reverence, deference, expensive in cost, precious. Some people were made to be fine, ornate vases for display. They are put on a pedestal.
God made some of us for common use. The Greek word for common is atimia. Translators were being kind when they used the word “common”. Atimia means dishonor, ignominy, or disgrace. Some people were made to be toilet bowls and defecation comes their way.
Whether we are an implemented tool or a molded pot, we are not responsible for our existence. We did not create ourselves. We are all made for God’s purpose.
Isaiah 17:7 In that day man will have regard for his Maker and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.
Things get so bad, the only solution is to turn to God. Have we personally been in this place before? Circumstances are closing in and the only place you have to turn is to God. It is our nature to avoid God unless we are in deep trouble. We know the plea bargaining with God. Dear God if You will get me out of this one, I promise I will…
There are two references to vision or eye gaze in this verse. The language is specific, humanity will physically look with his eyes. The Holy One of Israel is God the Man. Is this a time marker regarding the return of Christ?
Isaiah 17:8 He will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands, nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, even the Asherim and incense stands.
Asherim is the plural form of Asherah. Like the Hebrew, the pagans used the plural form to express the greatness and magnitude of their goddess. Asherim is the primary goddess of the area of Tyre and Sidon (modern day Lebanon, north of Israel). Asherah appears by the side of the masculine Baal. She is seen as a nude woman with a lily in one hand and a serpent in the other hand. She symbolizes grace, sex appeal and fertility. Worship often resulted in ridiculous sexual perversion. Another name for her is Qudshu, which means “the holy one”. —New Unger’s Bible Dictionary
These verses are a head on address to the false “holy one” that is Asherah. Man will turn from their created god to the creator God. What is left will no longer worship a tree or a pole but worship the God who created the tree. There is a change from the “holy one” of pagans to the “Holy One” of Israel who is the Creator. The wooden idols and incense are out. They are of no use and not helping in their current calamity. Things decline to the degree, man will ditch his idols and turn to the true Holy One.
The reality of the comparison is this. Do you trust a goddess who is worshiped with sexual perversion and prostitution? Or do you believe in a man who died on a cross for you?
