Thursday, November 21, 2024

Walking in the Truth

 

..."Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.


For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.


I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth."...

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-internet photo

This was my own choice of Scripture for my own treasured children.

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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

These things speak and exhort and reprove.

~Yellowstone FB
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"But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.


Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.


Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.


For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.


These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. 

Let no one disregard you."
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Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Joy is in Its Season

Autumn is such a lovely month.

All the harvests, all the changing of colors, the fresh clean air, and all the memories of families throughout the years.


All the baking, the autumn recipe aromas, the clearing out of the yards, and the cleaning of the house to decorate for autumn. The pumpkins from your garden which surprise you, and the placing of them on the porch.

All the get togethers with friends, specials church suppers, autumn drives to see the trees, and field trips with other seniors...

Autumn is Joy in Its Season!
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Monday, November 18, 2024

Sunday, November 17, 2024

God's Handiwork

 Psalm 19


The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, 
rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, 
enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, 
yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey 
and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? 
Acquit me of hidden faults.

Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and 
the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. 
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Monday, November 11, 2024

Veteran's Day: Our Freedom Protected by all Branches of the Armed Forces



Thank you all!



Meanwhile, Jesus paid it ALL!
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Colossians 1:13-14 ..."For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."...
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Saturday, November 9, 2024

Standing on Level Ground

-Scotland FB
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Psalms 26

Vindicate me, Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,

And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.


Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;

Refine my mind and my heart.


For Your goodness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.


I do not sit with deceitful people,

Nor will I go with pretenders.


I hate the assembly of evildoers,

And I will not sit with the wicked.


I will wash my hands in innocence,

And I will go around Your altar, Lord,

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving

And declare all Your wonders.

Lord, I love the dwelling of Your house,

And the place where Your glory remains.


Do not take my soul away along with sinners,

Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

In whose hands is a wicked scheme,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.


But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.


My foot stands on level ground;

In the congregations I will bless the Lord."
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One Room School

-internet; Iowa One Room School, Forest Grove near Bettendorf

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Just over the Rainbow
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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

The Walking Wounded

-Schulz
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"... if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another. 

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. 

The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 

Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
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Monday, November 4, 2024

"You Do Not Oppress or Mistreat Others."

 -Warthog
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The LORD doesn't just award and bless "you and you and you....."

He doesn't give everyone a "red star" so others think you are wonderful.

The LORD doesn't think "you and you and you..." are better than everyone else, and so discounts everyone else.

He doesn't think "you and you and you..." are the best Christians out there because you do "this and this and this...".

He despises those who twist His own Words to use against others...so be very careful, you who think you are better than all others!

In fact He doesn't appreciate show offs and He hates false pride.

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"He wants His servants to be people of a pure heart and a clean mind. 

That sense of character is indispensable for believers to be effective in serving Christ. "
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"According to the Bible, God wants people to be kind, humble, and have a pure heart"
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"Micah 6:8 is a clear, crisp, and simple summary of what God expects from you and me. 

These three things that matter so much to God are the three things God wants to see in us: 

justice, kindness, and humility. 

To act justly is to treat people fairly and respectfully. 

You do not oppress or mistreat others." 
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..."He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?"...
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..."This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time."...
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..."Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."...
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..."since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,"...
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..."But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"...
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Go then and do likewise :o)
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Saturday, November 2, 2024

You encircle me with Your strength

-internet Scotland

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Psalm 18

-Abridged


“I love You, Lord, my strength.”


The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

............


In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

..............

He also brought me out into an open place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.


The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.


For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.


For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.


I was also blameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my wrongdoing.


Therefore the Lord has repaid me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.


With the faithful You show Yourself faithful;
With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless;


With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.


For You save an afflicted people,
But You humiliate haughty eyes.


For You light my lamp;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.


For by You I can run at a troop of warriors;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.


As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is refined;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.


For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God,


The God who encircles me with strength,
And makes my way blameless?


He makes my feet like deer’s feet, And sets me up on my high places.


He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.


You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me;
And Your gentleness makes me great.


You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped

..............

For You have encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me.

 

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.

...............


You have rescued me from the contentions of the people;
You have placed me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.

................


The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,


The God who executes vengeance for me,
And subdues peoples under me.


He rescues me from my enemies;
You indeed lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from a violent man.


Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, Lord,
And I will sing praises to Your name.


He gives great salvation to His king,
And shows faithfulness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.

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