Something About The Joy

in my thinking. . About things—not what I can get, but how simply I can live. About leisure—not escape from something, but entering into something. About food—not what I have to give up, but what is good for my health. About tithe—not what I lose, but what God's Kingdom gains. About vacation—not doing whatever I want, but changing my pace. About time—not immediate and urgent, but restful and trusting. About God—not far away, but up close; not condemning, but loving; not emotionally distant, but relational. About salvation—not my doing, but His. About being loved—not getting hugs, but giving them. About church—not what I get out of it, but what I put into it. About life—not down here and short, but up there and eternal.

The view from below: Mark 15:1-15 (around 30 AD) Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate. He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Those are your words," Jesus answered. The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. Then Pilate questioned him again, "Don't you have anything to say? Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?" But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed. During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did. Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?" Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to h...

Belonging to Jesus doesn't mean nothing terrible will ever happen to you. It just means terrible things are temporary. That's enough. Revelation 21:4

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. Isaiah 64:6 I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. Romans 7:18 You were washed. . .you were sanctified. . .you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:11 Perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you, declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 16:14 I'm so proud of this photo, even if it was an accident. I just wanted a picture of a sea gull, and I grabbed it, not knowing if the bird was even in my sights at the time. I love what was caught by my camera lens in that fraction of a second. Yes, it is just a seagull. That unimpressive, annoying bird who struts awkwardly up and down the beach, looking at you out of the corner of his eye with that half defiant, half apologetic expression, as if he knows you don't like him and are about to shoo him away. The one who scuttles up to steal...

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. . . (Psalm 37:3-7) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17) I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destry; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (Jesus, in John 10:9-10) I hate when people tell me what's wrong with my life but don't tell me how to fix it. Yesterday I talked about what was wrong. ...

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness. . .' The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.” (Jeremiah 2:4-6, 8) Lately I've been wondering if Jeremiah's prophecy against the children of Israel might also be for me—for us as Christians in North America especially. I don't want to think so. How can it be? We love Jesus; We cry out to Him every day; We want Him to be our only God. But so did the Israelites. God said, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert.” (Jeremiah 2:2) This describes me. If this prophecy is still in the Bible, and the Bible describes the human con...