a prophet is not honored in his home

Luke 4:24-27

Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when heaven was shut up three years and months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Commentary from Bible Gateway

…Jesus quotes the proverb that a prophet is not honored in his home. This remark reveals Jesus’ understanding of Old Testament history. He knows how repeatedly God’s messengers were rejected. This theme will also surface continually in Luke (11:49-52; 13:32-35; 20:10-12: Acts 7:51-53). God’s message is often met with rejection. The proverb also serves as a prediction that for many in Israel Jesus’ ministry will fit into this tragic mold.

… Jesus recalls the history of Israel in the period of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17–18; 2 Kings 5:1-14). The history lesson is a warning. That period was a low point in the nation’s life, when rejection of God was at an all-time high and idolatry and unfaithfulness ran rampant. So God moved his works of mercy outside the nation into Gentile regions, as only a widow in Sidon and Naaman the Syrian experienced God’s healing. The price of rejecting God’s message is severe: mercy moves on to other locales. It is quite risky to walk away from God’s offer of deliverance. This exchange reveals the basic challenge of Jesus’ ministry: the choice he presents carries high stakes.

The Rights of the Land

…
When God ordained ‘a sabbath of solemn rest for the land’, it was a reiteration of the instructions given to Adam in the Garden of Eden – ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it’ (Genesis 1:28). Man was intended to replenish the earth by looking after it, being its lord not its tyrant; sin has made man its tyrant (Romans 8:19). …

~Oswald Chambers, “Biblical Ethics”

Leviticus 25:1-55, Psalm 28:6-9, Proverbs 10:19-21, Mark 6:30-56

Know What You Should Do – Mark 5:28

Today’s reading (57) is Leviticus 21:1-22:33, Psalm 27:11-14, Proverbs 10:13-16, Mark 5:21-43.

The focus of the devotional is Mark 5:28 and here is an excerpt from the devotional from Oswald Chambers’ book, “Our Brilliant Heritage”:

It is a dangerous thing to refuse to go on knowing. When the Spirit of God has opened your mind by His incoming and you are determining to know more, you will find that external circumstances and internal knowledge go together, and by obedience you begin to fulfill your spiritual destiny. It is a great deal better to fulfill the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than it is to perform great acts of self-sacrifice.

Notes on Aube Nouvelle

I crocheted a scarf I named Aube Nouvelle.

After looking at the colors, it reminded me of a sunrise and the name New Dawn seemed to fit. Since the designer of the scarf named her design La Mer, I thought I’d stick with the French theme.

As I was writing up a card to go with the scarf, I did a quick search on Bible Gateway for new dawn. The bible verse I was originally thinking of was Isaiah 60 but the verse that came up was Isaiah 62. Interesting because I just posted on this chapter, today. I think this chapter and that song are for the person who gets this scarf. 🙂

An Oath He Means to Keep

I’ve posted watchmen on your walls, Oh Jerusalem
Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out
Reminding God to remember
They are to give Him no peace
Until He does what He said
Until He makes Jerusalem famous
As the city of praise

God has taken a solemn oath
An oath He means to keep
Never again will I open your grainfield barns
To your enemies to loot and eat
Never again will foreigners drink the wine
That you work so hard to produce

Know the farmers who grow the food
Will eat the food and praise God for it
And those who make the wine
Will drink the wine in my holy courtyards

Walk out of the gates!
Get going!
Get the road ready for the people
Build the highway
Get at it
Clear the debris
Hoist high a flag
A signal to all the people

Yes, God has broadcast to all the world
Tell your daughter Zion, Look, your Savior comes!
Ready to do what He said He would do
Prepare to complete what He promised

This comes from Jonathan Helser’s album, “The Reward”. AWESOME music.

Under the shadow of the Almighty

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

Emmanuel Banner

9/30/07

I am going to be crocheting banners/ribbons with words from the scriptures prophesying the Savior’s birth. I was inspired by the works of Ashley V. Blalock. So far, I’m using white #10 thread and a 7 hook.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was inspired by Ashley Blalock and created this banner which I plan on hanging at my church above my table which shows some of my crochet work.

I used size 10 crochet thread, a 7 hook and FFF Kristha ribbon and an L hook.

For more pictures, see here.

Love your enemies

Conversation between Kenny (age 5) and Jordan (age 9). They are in the kitchen. Jordan is washing dishes and Kenny is “helping”.

Kenny: You have to love your enemies
Jordan: I love all my enemies except the devil
Kenny: Then you don’t love your enemies

I had to explain to Kenny that there IS a difference between human enemies and the devil. It’s ok not to love the devil.

His soul could no longer endure

I’ve been reading the book of Judges. It is interesting to read how the Israelites would follow the Lord under one judge, but then go back to worshiping false gods under another. And the Lord looks on that like adultery. His anger would burn against Israel and He would deliver them into the hands of their enemies. And after a few years, they would cry out for deliverance.

In Judges 10:14-16, the Lord responds to the cries saying, “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.” The children of Israel admit that they have sinned and deserve whatever the Lord will do to them, but they plead for deliverance. They then put away the foreign gods and served the Lord. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

So, because the Lord had a covenant with them and because they were His chosen people, He could not turn from them. Even though His anger burned hot against them for turning from Him to false gods. When they finally came back and served Him, He could no longer endure their misery.

I take comfort in knowing that when I put my trust in anything but Him, I can still return and He will not be able to endure my misery. The knowledge also helps me to not want to turn from Him and serve Him even more. Think about it. God’s soul could no longer endure their misery. His love is so great that when His children turn back to him, He is not able to endure their misery. THAT’s the God I want to serve.

Victory with 300 men

Judges 6:27-7:23

The Lord caused Gideon to do something that made the Midianites angry enough to come against Israel to fight. Remember that the Midianites had forced them out of the land into caves and ruined crops and killed their animals.

The Lord had Gideon bring together men to fight the Midianites, but said that the 32,000 that were there were too many. He brought the numbers down to 300 so that Israel would know that this was done by the Lord’s hand.

The army gathered around the countless men of the Midianites and Amalekites and did as the Lord had said. This caused the enemy to turn against themselves.

I take from this that no matter what comes against us, no matter how difficult things may seem, if we seek the Lord and do what He tells us, no matter how strange it may seem, He will prevail.