Luke 19

God does not care if you are rich in money or poor in spirit, or the reverse. If you seek Him, you will find Him! The religious group will always wonder how He could save a sinner
like that. The one seeking will always wonder how He could save a sinner like me. We must quit judging others on external appearances. We do not know the spirit of a person, only the Spirit knows the spirit of a man. The Father sees the heart of a man
and loves him still. He gave His only Son, out of His great, agape love for His creation. Imagine, the Creator of the world, wants a relationship with me and with you! God has given each of us a talent, His gift to us, and we are expected to make the most of that gift. We are rewarded for our faithfulness in multiplying the talents He has given. We are to be very thankful for what He has provided and use them for His glory. Entrust everything that you are, everything that you do, everything that you possess into the loving hands of the Father……He cares for you and in Him alone you will find peace!

19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."

9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

15 "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' 19 Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

20 "Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

24 "And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25 (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 26 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' "

37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:

" 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!'

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."

40 But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

The NKJV Study Bible says this: Zacchaeus, as chief tax collector, most likely bid for the right to collect taxes and then hired another tax collector to actually gather the money. The crowd was not happy with Jesus' choice of whom to honor with His fellowship. In the crowd's opinion, Zacchaeus was a sinner. Since tax collectors often took for themselves a high percentage of what they demanded, they were hated and despised in ancient Israel. Zacchaeus determined to deal generously with others. ). The servants represent Jesus' followers. They are to serve faithfully until Jesus returns. The master, symbolizing Jesus Himself, wants to see fruit, or dividends from his investment. Did his servants put the money they received to good use? Having returned with authority to rule, the nobleman asks the servants to give an account of their labor in his absence. Faithfulness is commended and rewarded with greater opportunity. The disciples recognized that Jesus was the promised King sent from God. He is the One who brings peace to the relationship between people and God. The holy place of worship had become a site for taking economic advantage of people. Jesus' actions at the temple, the most sacred location for Jews, caused the Jewish religious leaders to strengthen their resolve to destroy Him.

 

 

 

 

 

Amos 5

I think that the prophet Amos in these passages says it all. We must do what the Lord requires of us. We must Be Fair, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with our God. To oppress the poor, to think we are above others is abhorrent to God. To turn aside justice and equality for all is the beginning of the end of a nation or a people that calls upon God as their Savior. God hates pride and arrogance
and does not tolerate building wealth upon the misery of others.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

"Seek Me and live;

6 Seek the Lord and live,

Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

And devour it,

With no one to quench it in Bethel—

7 You who turn justice to wormwood,

And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!"

8 He made the Pleiades and Orion;

He turns the shadow of death into morning

And makes the day dark as night;

He calls for the waters of the sea

And pours them out on the face of the earth;

The Lord is His name.

10 They hate the one who rebukes in the gate,

And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.

11 Therefore, because you tread down the poor

And take grain taxes from him,

Though you have built houses of hewn stone,

Yet you shall not dwell in them;

You have planted pleasant vineyards,

But you shall not drink wine from them.

12 For I know your manifold transgressions

And your mighty sins:

Afflicting the just and taking bribes;

Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.

13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time,

For it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil,

That you may live;

So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,

As you have spoken.

15 Hate evil, love good;

Establish justice in the gate.

It may be that the Lord God of hosts

Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

For what good is the day of the Lord to you?

It will be darkness, and not light.

19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion,

And a bear met him!

Or as though he went into the house,

Leaned his hand on the wall,

And a serpent bit him!

21 "I hate, I despise your feast days,

And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.

23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs,

For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

24 But let justice run down like water,

And righteousness like a mighty stream.

27 Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,"

Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Warnings to Zion and Samaria

To whom the house of Israel comes!

The Study Bible says this: The land had been God's gift to Israel. By their faithlessness, the people had turned God's gift into the place of their death and burial. Rather than saving Israel, its armies would themselves be decimated. The house of Joseph here refers to the whole nation. On several occasions, the Israelites were encouraged to seek God by preparing their hearts for God through humble repentance. One of Amos's primary responsibilities as a prophet of God was to announce the "day of the Lord," the time of God's judgment of wicked Israel. The God who created and sustains the processes of all the universe surely can bring His judgment to bear, even upon the strong of the earth and their fortresses. Taxes were collected in kind from those with few resources of silver and gold. To take grain taxes from the poor was to put them at risk of starvation if the harvest had not been bountiful. Yet the rich and powerful had sufficient resources to build luxurious houses of hewn stone for themselves. God promised that the rich would not enjoy their luxury stolen from the lifeblood of the poor and powerless. Israel's leaders did not sin incidentally or furtively; they sinned brazenly and habitually, as though God had never revealed Himself and His standards of justice and mercy. The prophet interrupted himself, as it were, to plead with Israel to return to God and avoid the judgment He otherwise would bring upon them. Worshiping in the Lord's name, the Israelites invoked the Lord's presence with them in their spoken prayers and blessings. If they began to live as God had taught them in the Law, He would indeed be with them. A visit from God is a dreaded and mournful event for anyone not ready to meet Him. The popular theology of Amos's day apparently looked forward to the day of the Lord as the time of Israel's restoration to military, political, and economic greatness, perhaps to the greatness of the reigns of David and Solomon. Amos declared such hopes futile, even pitiable. What the people looked forward to as a day of light and triumph would rise upon them instead as a day of darkness and ruin. God had promised that if the Israelites honored Him with their lives, He would savor, accept, and regard Israel's sacrifices and hear their words. By stating He would no longer accept Israel's sacrifices or listen to them, God was rejecting Israel's worship as hypocritical, dishonest, and meaningless. God called for the honest tumult of the rolling waters of justice and the perennial stream of righteousness, the only foundation for true praise and worship of the Lord. Israel had not worshiped the Lord exclusively, even in the earliest wilderness days. At the time of Amos's prophecy, Israel and Judah together had enjoyed about a generation of military might and economic prosperity. It became natural for officials in Jerusalem and Samaria to regard themselves as notable persons. It was the boast of Israel's elite that
no other nation was greater than they were. Luxurious palace strongholds represented both the pride of Jacob in their own strength and the oppression of the powerless, whose stolen wealth had financed the construction of these palaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Timothy 1

It is hard sometimes to stand up for what we know is right and just in God's eyes. There is a good chance that we will suffer for our beliefs. People are not always receptive to the truth if it is contrary to their own prejudice. We were chosen
to be examples of His power to save, not ours.
We are to extend
His mercy, His grace and His peace to all who accept it in Christ Jesus. Our prayers are passed down from generation to generation and are powerful for good in the hands of a loving, merciful Father. This gift is offered from generation to generation but we must accept it. God was made manifest to man when Jesus walked the earth. Jesus had no problems with the ordinary, the sinful, the sick, or the weak. They were teachable. He had great problems with the self righteous, power hungry, who thought they had nothing to learn. They crucified the Word made flesh to keep their own power and control. They tried to keep the truth from the masses for they knew the truth would set the people free. Truth could not be silenced.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to
the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, a beloved son:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers
night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

The NKJV put it this way: Paul considers himself a bearer of a life-giving message. This message of life stands in ironic contrast to the fact that Paul was writing from a Roman prison, facing his execution. Christian service and worship go hand in hand in ministry. No matter what their circumstances, believers should pray to their heavenly Father, committing everything to His loving hands. Paul rejoices when he recalls Timothy's faithful grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, whose name means "Good Victory." The prayers, witness, and faith of his godly mother and grandmother were central factors in the spiritual development of Timothy. Timothy is urged to rekindle his spiritual gift. The constant struggle of Christians is to be diligent about our work for God and not to slacken our pace in this spiritual race. We need to make a conscious effort to exercise our gift for the common good of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us spiritual gifts and empowers us to use them. God's Spirit does not impart fear or cowardice, but power, love, and a sound mind, or "self-control." The Spirit imparts power for the various circumstances of ministry. The love the Spirit gives to us should be directed toward other individuals. Paul is concerned that in the face of vehement opposition Timothy might be afraid to witness. Share with me in the sufferings indicates that at times a faithful witness for the Lord will involve adversity. Paul's confidence in the gospel and his Savior enabled him to suffer without any shame. The phrase whom I have believed expresses Paul's unshakable trust in his Savior. God will protect us in life and in death. He will not forget a life of faithful service to Him when He returns. The Handbook for a Life's Work In his final and intimate letter to his "son in the faith," Paul reminded Timothy of the essentials of the faith, the basis of Christian ministry. Paul did not want Timothy to drift away from the truth. Timothy's authority would not come from his own wisdom, Paul's endorsement, or the acceptance of others. His teaching would stand only to the degree that it was based on Scripture. If we teach the truth but do not teach the source of truth, we will not succeed in passing on our faith. Our affirmations and actions have to be founded on God's Word or they will be little more than wishful thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st John 1

How do we convey the realness of God to those who question His existence? I find it is so terribly sad that the Maker of the universe, who gave His life in exchange for ours, is not known by some of His very own creations. Do they believe that the Lord of the world cares for them and wants a relationship with them? Do they believe you when you tell them that if they ask He will hear them, heal them and make them whole? I pray. I speak and wonder if my words reach the very ones that He is calling to Himself. Dear Father, open their eyes that they may see You, their ears that they may hear You, their minds
that they can perceive You and their hearts that they may receive You.

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

The NKJV says this: The memory of Jesus Christ burned in the mind of John as he reflected on the three and a half years that he and the other disciples were with the Lord. Now he wanted to be sure that the churches under his care enjoyed fellowship with the resurrected Lord and with other disciples. This life is a gift from God, a gift that cannot be earned or taken from us. The life was not hidden or obscured so that few, if any, could find it. Rather, this life was made known openly and had its origin in God the Father. God had provided truth about Himself in nature and through the prophets of old, but the revelation in His Son
is God's finest and clearest presentation of Himself. Fellowship carries both the idea of a positive relationship that people share and participation in a common interest or goal. God is holy, untouched by any evil or sin. To claim fellowship with God without living a moral life or practicing the truth is to live a lie, since God cannot compromise His holiness to accommodate sin. Guilt exposes the truth that we wish to avoid: we have all sinned. John puts it this way: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us". But John does not leave us with this dismal picture of ourselves. Instead he goes on to paint a glorious portrait of a forgiving God. This is our only hope: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". But John does not leave us with this dismal picture of ourselves. Instead he goes on to paint a glorious portrait of a forgiving God. This is our only hope: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". . Only when we admit that we are sinners, unworthy of God's grace, can we make a fresh start. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin, making it possible for imperfect believers to have fellowship with a holy God. To have no sin is to have no need of a Savior, which would make the coming of Jesus unnecessary. . If a believer confesses his or her specific sins to God, He will cleanse all unrighteousness from that person. Forgiveness and cleansing are guaranteed because God is faithful to His promises. Those promises are legitimate because God is just. God can maintain His perfect character and yet forgive us because of the perfect and righteous sacrifice of Jesus, His own Son. We may admit to having a sin nature while still denying any personal sin and therefore any need for confession. The Greek verb translated we have not sinned indicates a denial in the past that continues to the present. . In other words, a person who denies committing sinful acts does not have the Word of God changing his or her life. God demonstrated His love and justice by providing His own Son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Habukkah 1

Today is Memorial Day. It is a day set aside to give tribute to those who have fought for our freedom. It should also be a day to remember our victories as well as our failures as a nation and pray for change. We are in a unique time of history, for the first time, we can be a truly united nation. United as a people….rich or poor, male or female, black, white, red or yellow we can accomplish God's plan for us. Can we stand together and make America the way God desires her to be? For what does God require of us? He require us to practice equality, exercise mercy
and to walk humbly without pride and arrogance in our life here on earth. God will not be mocked….we need to be doers and not just hearers of His word. We need to
love God with all our heart, mind and spirit and to love each other as much as we do ourselves. God loves all His creation.

1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet's Question

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry,

And You will not hear?

Even cry out to You, "Violence!"

And You will not save.

3 Why do You show me iniquity,

And cause me to see trouble?

For plundering and violence are before me;

There is strife, and contention arises.

5 "Look among the nations and watch—

Be utterly astounded!

For I will work a work in your days

Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,

A bitter and hasty nation

Which marches through the breadth of the earth,

To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and dreadful;

Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.

13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,

And cannot look on wickedness.

Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,

And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours

A person more righteous than he?

15 They take up all of them with a hook,

They catch them in their net,

And gather them in their dragnet.

Therefore they rejoice and are glad.

16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net,

And burn incense to their dragnet;

Because by them
their share is sumptuous

And their food plentiful.

17 Shall they therefore empty their net,

And continue to slay nations without pity?

The NKJV says this: The deterioration of society had become a cause of frustration and disappointment for the godly. Abuse of power, acts of injustice, and oppressive deeds were common in Judah. The people of Judah argued with each other and were involved in destructive litigation. The revelation of God given at Mt. Sinai had little impact on the hearts of people whose lives were focused on material success. These people had little interest in living by God's definition of what is fair and humane. God's chosen people committed and tolerated heinous acts through corruption of the courts. There were always people who were faithful to the Lord, a righteous remnant. Here the godly were restricted in what they could say and do because of the evil that surrounded them. The powerful people of Israel corrupted justice. God controls the nations for His own purposes (see Dan. 2:21), sometimes indirectly and at other times directly. Far from being humane, the Babylonians prided themselves on their arrogant use of raw power. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves: The Babylonian system of law and order had no regard for other legal systems.

 

 

 

Zechariah 10

Ask God! Just ask Him, and He will give to you abundantly more than you could ever think to ask.
Everything is in His hands! He wants us to know the way, the truth and to receive the light of Jesus Christ into our lives. It is within any persons grasp to hear Him. All who seek Him will find Him.
All who knock will be welcomed at His door. Ask Him and it shall be given. When you hear Him calling to you, listen and invite Him back in, for He cares for you. Praise be to God, Almighty, powerful and true!

10 Ask the Lord for rain

In the time of the latter rain.

The Lord will make flashing clouds;

He will give them showers of rain,

Grass in the field for everyone.

2 For the idols speak delusion;

The diviners envision lies,

And tell false dreams;

They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wend their way like sheep;

They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.

3 "My anger is kindled against the shepherds,

And I will punish the goatherds.

For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock,

The house of Judah,

And will make them as His royal horse in the battle.

4 From him comes the cornerstone,

From him the tent peg,

From him the battle bow,

From him every ruler together.

6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah,

And I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back,

Because I have mercy on them.

They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;

For I am the Lord their God,

And I will hear them.

7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,

And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.

Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;

Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.

8 I will whistle for them and gather them,

For I will redeem them;

And they shall increase as they once increased.

The NKJV says this:
The latter rain (Deut. 11:14) refers to the rain that comes in late spring and is essential for an abundant grain harvest. God will strengthen the house of Judah as an instrument to overthrow these oppressors. The poetic metaphors in these verses reflect the strength, stability, and victory that God will impart to His people. Cornerstone is an image of steadfast strength or stability, coupled with beauty and honor. A tent peg firmly in place suggests permanence and endurance. The battle bow as an image pictures the strength necessary for military conquest, I will bring them back is a promise of restoration. As a shepherd signals his sheep, so the Lord will whistle for His people to return to the land. God will deliver them from sin (3:4, 9) and from the bondage of captivity. God promises spiritual life and blessing to the repentant. God would remove any impediment to Israel's return. The regathering will be accomplished by God's power as He gives strength to His people.

 

We are off to the Carolina's to take my parents to visit my sister and her family. Have a blessed week!

I received this in my email just now...affirmation to me!

Focus on the Task at Hand

by Max Lucado

Life is tough enough as it is. It's even tougher when we're headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. Not once do we find him walking down the wrong side of the fairway. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff; yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept his life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of his future, he could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which he could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. He could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal bodies. But in the end he chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus himself. "The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them" (Luke 19:10). "The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people" (Mark 10:45).

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day he left the carpentry shop of Nazareth he had one ultimate aim—the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that his final words were, "It is finished" (John 19:30).

How could Jesus say he was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could he say he was finished? Simple. He had completed his designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put away his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn't you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn't you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?

2 Chronicles 35

We can do the wrong thing for the right reason, the right thing for the wrong reason OR with God's hand upon it, the right thing for the right reason. Josiah put things in order in the church. He encouraged the people to prepare themselves according to God's word. Everyone was in their place and doing the work that God had called them to do. After all the good that Josiah did, Josiah went to battle, in a fight not his to fight, and it ended in death. We need order and unity in God's church. We are not called to fight battles that He doesn't give us to fight. Not all things, even those that seem to be the Godly choice, are in God's will for us. Help me Father, to hear and to understand Your will for my life and my place in your Body.

35 Now Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of the Lord. 3 Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord: "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves according to your fathers' houses, according to your divisions, following the written instruction of David king of Israel and the written instruction of Solomon his son. 5 And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers' houses of your brethren the lay people, and according to the division of the father's house of the Levites. 6 So slaughter the Passover offerings, consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses."

7 Then Josiah gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand cattle; these were from the king's possessions. 8 And his leaders gave willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites.

15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer. Also the gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position, because their brethren the Levites prepared portions for them.

17 And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

Josiah Dies in Battle

20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, "What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you." 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.

So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

Obadiah

In all the years of my Bible Studies there is one characteristic that I know that God hates and will not tolerate…pride
and the arrogance that comes with it
and
God protects all of His children. Even when those closest to us disagree with us, we still love them, we still stand up for them, we still want the very best for them. It is the same but magnified with the Father. He hates our actions, but He loves us. He loves us as we are but too much to leave us that way.
We are all His children who believe that only in Jesus Christ are we saved. We need each other and we need to be His loving arms to others. Only by the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, do we have any hope. Faith is a gift. It is nothing that we earned or deserved. It is the ultimate gift of a loving Father who reached out to save us by giving His only Son. We have no reason to be anything but humbled. We will learn our lesson, the easy way OR the hard way, but we will learn the lesson.

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,

You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,

Whose habitation is high;

You who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

4 Though you ascend as high as the eagle,

And though you set your nest among the stars,

From there I will bring you down," says the Lord.

10 "For violence against your brother Jacob,

Shame shall cover you,

And you shall be cut off forever.

11 In the day that you stood on the other side—

In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,

When foreigners entered his gates

And cast lots for Jerusalem—

Even you were as one of them.

12 "But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother

In the day of his captivity;

Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah

In the day of their destruction;

Nor should you have spoken proudly

In the day of distress.

13 You should not have entered the gate of My people

In the day of their calamity.

Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction

In the day of their calamity,

Nor laid hands on their substance

In the day of their calamity.

14 You should not have stood at the crossroads

To cut off those among them who escaped;

Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained

In the day of distress.

15 "For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;

As you have done, it shall be done to you;

Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.

17 "But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance,

And there shall be holiness;

The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,

And the house of Joseph a flame;

But the house of Esau shall be stubble;

They shall kindle them and devour them,

And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,"

For the Lord has spoken.

21 Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion

To judge the mountains of Esau,

And the kingdom shall be the Lord's.

The NKJV says this:

Edom's physical location became a metaphor for the proud and haughty spirit that the nation had displayed at the time of Judah's distress. Trusting in its high places and mountainous strongholds, Edom reckoned that no one could bring it to account for its actions. Pride incites insolence and rebellion toward God, and it brings shame. The "pride of your heart" of which Jeremiah speaks is "presumptuous godlessness," the arrogance of those who think that they can thrive without their Creator. Esau and Jacob were brothers, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Edom was descended from Esau; Judah was descended from Jacob. It was one thing for the Babylonians to attack Judah; for a nation like Edom to join the Babylonians against their own brothers was unthinkable. God would judge all the nations, including Edom, that had participated in Judah's destruction. As you have done: The nature of God's judgment always reflects the nature of the sin being judged. The Lord still viewed Jerusalem as His holy mountain because He intended to reestablish His presence there. God intends to rejoin the kingdoms of Israel and Judah as one people again. These were Obadiah's last words against all human arrogance, pride, and rebellion. Edom had thought itself indestructible; but the Lord humbled that nation and restored the fallen Judah. Many people are tempted to consider themselves beyond the reach of God. But God will bring them low, just as He will lift those who humble themselves before Him. And one great day, He will establish His just rule over all.

painting shoes...OK!

I just finished painting shoes for centerpieces for our Mother/Daughter Tea at church. It seemed like a small thing until I painted about 30 of them!!

Make straight paths for your feet

1 Peter 3

A quiet, gentle spirit of submission is pleasing to God. This is a hard one for me. Abused as a child, and as an adult in an alcohol ridden marriage, I ended up distrustful and afraid of men. For the first 15 years of my marriage I was submissive, to the point of completely losing any sense of where my husband started and I began. It did not equate to a happy home. The marriage ended in divorce 24 years later. Now I am in a good relationship with a caring loving man who I am totally safe with, both physically and emotionally. I would not have thought this existed. I find myself receptive to letting him lead. How freeing it is to let someone else, with your best interest at heart, lead. What a wonderful way to live. My husband thinks that I am sometimes too submissive. To me it is a matter of heart, I no longer have to protect myself, someone is near who cares. As a child of nine until this day, the only one that I totally trust is God, period. Until this marriage no man was allowed near that had the power to hurt me. It worked well in building walls of defense. It took being completely vulnerable, after the loss of my only son, to let God place someone in my life who actually cared for me. There is big difference in loving someone and obsession. I am so understanding of children or women trapped in relationships of abuse. Lord, help me to understand how to help them and still keep your precepts in the situation. God does not approve of abuse, in any form, but in His infinite wisdom He made man the head of the family to create order. Thank goodness we need only be submissive to our own husband. I want to be a doer, not only a hearer, of God's word. Lord, help me to understand your ways.

3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 

 

Hosea 6

It is so hard to comprehend the love of God for His children. We want to understand Him through our feelings and emotions and it does not and will not work. If you have been touched by Him you know how fully He exists in the lives of those who put their trust In Him. Someone is unfaithful to us and we want nothing to do with them. We are unfaithful to God and He wants us to return to Him. He only wants mercy and goodness
for us. He chastises those He loves because He wants us to live with Him for eternity and He is holy so we must seek to be holy. He heals our wounds and when everyone else has abandoned us He stays with us and holds us in His arms. He is beyond our wildest hopes or dreams for finding that special someone who will love us totally and want us for eternity. We need to return to our Father, seek His ways and do all that we can to bring back those who are lost or driven away by sin. Do you love Me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Then feed My sheep. May we never say that we belong to Him and turn our backs on those that He loves. For He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whomsoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. He wants that no one perish, no one! Who are we to disagree with the maker of the universe?

Come, and let us return to the Lord;

For He has torn, but He will heal us;

He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

3 Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

His going forth is established as the morning;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Impenitence of Israel and Judah

4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you?

O Judah, what shall I do to you?

For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud,

And like the early dew it goes away.

6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 "But like men they transgressed the covenant;

There they dealt treacherously with Me.

10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel:

There is the harlotry of Ephraim;

Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you,

When I return the captives of My people.

The NKJV explains it this way: After being torn by the divine lion the people would come to their senses and seek to renew their allegiance to the Lord. When God's people truly repent, God is eager to restore His relationship with them. God's restored presence and blessings would be like the rain that waters and renews the earth. The latter rains of Israel came in the spring and caused the plants to grow. The former rains came in the autumn and softened the ground for plowing and sowing. Knowledge of God does not refer to mere head knowledge, but to a genuine recognition of God's authority that produces obedience to His commandments.

 

 

1 Peter 2

Our Life on earth is limited and finite. It is our privilege, as believers no longer living in darkness, to know that any good we do on earth is through the grace of God. Everything, absolutely everything, is to glorify Him, and to bring others to His saving grace. Our good days, our bad days, our failures and our successes should all be given to God. When we believe in His Son, and the ultimate sacrifice that He made on the cross, He will change us. He will take those things meant to destroy us and turn them for our good and His glory.

2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord
is gracious.

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

"Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

"The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,"

8 and

"A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense."

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they
observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 "Who committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth";

23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd
and Overseer of your souls.

The NKJV says this: The purpose of studying God's truth is not only to learn more, but to become mature in the faith. Not to receive Christ is to reject Him. Unlike the OT priesthood, in which only those who were born into a certain tribe could be priests, all who are reborn into God's family, that is, all believers, are priests who have the privilege and responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices to God, The word of the Lord" is the gospel message about the Lord Jesus Christ. This word can regenerate
men and women. In ancient buildings, the cornerstone was first situated on the foundation and then all of the other stones were aligned to it. Thus as part of the house of God, we need to keep our focus on our Cornerstone. Those who trust in Jesus will never be embarrassed by making Him the focus of their lives. Unbelievers, because they do not follow God's Word, find Jesus to be repugnant, an obstacle in their way and a cause for disapproval and anger. Believers are a unified group of people who are set apart for God's use. His own special people: God protects those whom He has adopted into His family. Although we once deserved condemnation because of unbelief, we no longer are under the sentence of judgment. We must distance ourselves from our own self-indulgent urges. The Holy Spirit of God, who indwells us at the moment of salvation, is able to transform us. By the power of the Spirit we find the ability to "abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul". ). As we yield ourselves to God, and as we soberly and vigilantly resist the devil and all his temptations, we will find that God is able to "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us. Peter forcefully commands Christians to submit voluntarily to governing authorities. He does not make submission a matter of personal conviction or choice. He decrees that it is an obligation for all Christians. We should submit all our actions to God, for He is our Master. Our reverence for God should be the basis of our relationships with others. All people are created in His image, and He is the One who has placed some people in authority over us. Therefore we should treat everyone with love and respect. Christians are to serve even the worst of bosses with respect. Believers are not merely to survive the difficulties that come their way, rather they are to bear patiently their heavy loads. There is no advantage to believers for successfully enduring a deserved punishment for wrongdoing, yet there is great value when we honor God with our actions when we are unfairly condemned by others. Christ was perfect in everything He did, even when He was wrongly condemned to death by the world. It is our sins that Jesus bore on the Cross. The purpose of Christ's bearing our sins is that we might live to please Him. Thus our spiritual healing comes neither from Jesus' day-to-day sufferings nor from His sufferings that led to the Cross, but from the one ultimate wound—His death. The life of Jesus, a life of suffering, is just such a tracing tablet. We, the learners of Jesus, are to trace this life, beginning from alpha and going on to omega. No one else is qualified to be the one Shepherd and Overseer of our souls—only Christ is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max Lucado

The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim God’s plan to save his children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is God in the flesh sent to save his children.
Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme—salvation through faith in Christ. Begun by Moses in the lonely desert of Arabia and finished by John on the lonely Isle of Patmos, it is held together by a strong thread: God’s passion and God’s plan to save his children.

2 Corinthians 3

God declares righteous those who believe in His Son. We are justified by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Christ died for us and took upon himself our sin so that we can stand before God in Christ. The Holy Spirit changes us, precept upon precept, into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. We become living epistles of God's agape love, mercy and grace.

3 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The
NKJV
says this:

Paul asked if he needed a letter of commendation to back him up, as some others did. The Corinthians were Paul's letter of recommendation. Paul's love for the Corinthians was known to all who were acquainted with his ministry. One of the qualifications for ministry is love for people, both God's people and the lost. God had changed them. Paul was convinced that Christ would make his ministry effective. Paul placed his confidence not in himself or his own abilities but in the Lord. The letter kills because all break the law, and the penalty is death. The ministry of the Law is the ministry of death, whereas the ministry of the Spirit is the ministry of life. The Holy Spirit produces eternal life. God declares righteous
those who believe in His Son, and then the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to live righteously. This first work of God is called justification, and the second is called sanctification. Whenever Moses turned to the Lord, he took off the veil. Likewise, we find freedom in Christ by looking to Him. The Spirit gives us freedom from sin, death, and the condemnation of the law. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, like the Father and like the Son. As believers behold the glory of God in the Word of God, the Spirit of God transforms them into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is a description of the gradual process of sanctification. Paul defended his ministry because it was based on the truthfulness of the Word of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John 9

Sickness and disease happen in life. They are not the punishment of God for sin, BUT, they can be used for His glory. This past week our pastor's Father, in his 60's, died from an invasive cancer. His Father was a man of God and a Pastor. Throughout the last nine months many of those closest to him made the statement that
he had shown them how to live
and
he had shown them how to die.
Their witness touched many others who heard this. He gave God the glory of his life and
the glory of his death. We prayed for a miracle but
he considered both, life or death,
a gift of God.
God allows life to happen. Sometimes He steps in with a miraculous touch,
sometimes death is that miraculous touch. To those who have had their eyes opened to the truth of Jesus Christ it is not the end of life but just the beginning of an eternity spent with God. In all things to God be the glory!

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."

16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

20 His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."

25 He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

26 Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"

27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?"

33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."

34 They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"

36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"

37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."

38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.

39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."

The NKJV says this:

It was commonly supposed that sickness was a result of sin. It would follow that sins committed by a baby still in the womb or sin committed by parents could result in a baby being born with a disease. Jesus rejected both suggestion.God allowed the man to be born blind so that Jesus could heal him and thus reveal the works of God, His healing power. John emphasizes that the name Siloam means "Sent," because Jesus had just announced that He had been sent by God. The Pharisees could not believe that Jesus was from God because He had healed on the Sabbath, thereby breaking the oral traditions that had grown up around the Law. But those who fairly evaluated Jesus' miraculous signs came to the conclusion that He was from God. To be put out of the synagogue was to be excommunicated. These judgments were very serious because no one could conduct business with a person who was excommunicated. ). Attempting to put words in the man's mouth, the Jewish leaders said they knew Jesus was a sinner. In their view, healing on the Sabbath was breaking the Law. So to them, Jesus was a sinner. John specifically mentions that this sign signified Christ's glory, that is, His deity. With this sign Jesus demonstrated His creative power over nature, and His disciples appropriately placed their faith in Him. The Jewish leaders' traditions and ideas kept them from believing in the clear signs of Jesus. Not even death could limit Him, for He was truly God. Jesus is God's only Son become man. Although He died for our sins, He was raised from the dead. Today, He still lives and intercedes for all who believe in Him. Faith must have a proper object. Jesus, not faith, saves. Faith is only a channel to the worthy object, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come into the world to execute judgment Nevertheless, the inevitable result of His coming is judgment, because some refuse to believe. As the light of the world, Jesus came that the blind might see and those who think they can see will be made blind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 3

God created man to work and to enjoy the fruits of his labor. This is our heritage as sons of God. He also made us to be doers of good in His name. In His timing all things are beautiful. We may not understand His purpose, but He does, and that is enough. What does are God expect of us? He expects us to be fair, forgive freely and be humble. He wants us to make the most of the talents that He has given us and to enjoy the life that He has given. Remember, all things come from God, all things, praise Him for His glory!! Oh what a glorious God we serve.

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

4 A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

8 A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is better
for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,

It shall be forever.

17 I said in my heart,

"God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

The NKJV says this:

Some regard the Book of Ecclesiastes as describing life apart from God, but clearly this text describes life that is lived in relationship with God. Rather, he teaches that all events are in the hand of God, who makes everything happen in the time He judges appropriate. God's plan includes both sorrows and joys. There is a period of life in which one wishes to accumulate things for enjoyment and memories; later in life, one needs to work out ways to dispose of what has been accumulated. The answer here is that all of life unfolds the appointment of God. All the toiling of man cannot change the times, circumstances, and control of events that God has reserved to Himself. All of God's creation
is beautiful. The point is that God makes everything that way in its time. From the divine perspective, there is no ugliness in the events of our lives. Thus the Scriptures call people to live in robust faith during times of trial and pain; in the grand scheme of things, God will make everything beautiful. Biblical faith is a call for joy, even when we live in a wicked world and under terrible stress; this is because we find true joy in the living God. . The Preacher warns the wicked judges that God, the final judge, will come, rectify all wrongdoing, and bring true justice. Death is the great leveler of all persons. In that regard, humans are no different than animals. There is a blessing given to humankind in terms of ordinary pleasures. The allotment that God has designated may include material possessions or the pleasures that come from them