Thursday, October 20, 2016

Grass on the roof

May they (those who hate Zion) be like grass on the roof which withers before they grow). Psalm 129:6

In the dictionary of the Psalter you either love or hate: there is no middle ground.

The opposite of "grass on the roof" is "the tree planted by the streams of living water". Psalm 1:3



In Redding there is the greenway running alongside the Clear Creek stretching from the 299 to the hilly area where there is the veteran cemetery. This area is called greenway because it is green with green trees planted by the creek thriving year round no matter how hot or dry.




But the water in the creek is just water. It is not the living water.

Where then can one find the living water the streams of it?

Jesus answers responding to a woman who asked him the same question: whoever drinks from this well will go thirsty but "whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers (or streams) of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38

This Jesus is the Zion referred to in psalm 129 which was also seen by Ezekiel (47).

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Unless the Lord builds the house

Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

In reading today's daily bread Bible passage a number of questions came to mind:

- What does it mean for "the Lord" to build the house?
- What about the house (or rather shed at the Peace Camp) I am building? Is it going to turn out to be useless?
- Why "the" house? In the first place what does "the house" mean?

As I prayed further, the following occurred to me:

* The house refers to "the spiritual house" which the Apostle Peter referred to in 1 Peter 2:5.
* It is only the house (your person) which the Lord (Jesus Christ) builds. All the rest (people) no matter how much they try to improve will all be discarded like the fish which a fisherman throws out of the net at the end of the day.
* The Lord himself has been building the house from the Day 1 of man falling, by calling each person to repent, and be saved through faith in Him.
* Referring to the work product of this Lord, the Apostle Paul says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old  is gone, the new is come!"

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Our help is in the name of the Lord

In reading Psalm 124 a question comes to mind: "What does it mean to say 'Our help is in the name of the Lord'"?
Today it rained hard and in the course of taking kids outdoors to the Peace Camp I got wet. By the time I came to bed at night the question came to mind for I said to myself, "Well, if the Lord is my help, can he give me a relief from my bodily discomfort?" Then as I lied down on the bed and prayed for the understanding of the word the answer came: the help is in the characteristics of the Lord, thus in adopting into one's life and living according to who he is and how he is living!

This is like a man who understands how tools like generator or solar system work to get the power using them.

All of sudden I also could understand why trouble like prowlers flood raging waters comes if it comes. 

According to the Scripture while on earth in his body the Lord Jesus never grew sick. Rather because he was so healthy even the sick who touched him by faith got healed. Why? It was because He loved God the Father wholeheartedly walking in steps with Him.

So I said to myself: don't be/live like prowlers, flood, or raging waters! Repent turn to Him and live in Him! Then healing became immediate. I felt well and could sleep well.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

The Marriage Ceremony of Abigaelle J. LEIGH and Jeffery N. Zeilenga

On Oct 1, 2016 at 11:00 am there was a wedding ceremony between Abigarlle and Jeff.
Jeff is known for the gift of comforting people whereas Abigaelle is known for being joyful in suffering for the sake of gospel.
Their marriage key verse is:  Acts 20:24
"However, I consider my wife worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."