There is power in music, especially praise music. Even if all you have is just an acapella voice.

I used to blank my mind out and sing "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so" when the dark times would come. They would pass, and life would go on.

It certainly does.

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Paul reminds us that we are to present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," and that this is merely our "reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16), praise His holy name, and look forward to "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)!

I believe that this is the kind of sacrifice that is pleasing to God, to praise him in the midst of pain, sorrow, suffering, fear as well as blessings.
I feel it is then that we can feel joy in spite of loss, or disappointment, or other grievous thing, and that is His grace working in us.

ROMANS4:13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law,but through the righteousness of faith

Psalm 27:10 & Psalm 25:1-2

Psalm 27:10
Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord wil take me up (adopt me as His child). amplified version

Psalm 25:2a
Oh my God, I trust, lean on, rely on and am confident in You.

I kind of like these...


1. I am the Lord thy God, Which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

6. Thou shalt not Kill

7. Thou shalt not Commit Adultery

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidserveant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Exodus 20: 1-17

and

John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

James 1:5-6

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and Upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that waivereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.


James 1:13

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

I just made a pot of coffee

cause Hebrews says I do




Thanks for that one (( Britty ))

Hebrews 2:18

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (aid) them that are tempted.

goes well with 1 Cor 10:13 as well

Thank you Tom, you make good coffee!!!!!

God's Message to Woman
author Unknown


When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do.

Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.

Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side. You are my perfect angel. You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtue in your heart. Your eyes -- don't change them. Your lips -- how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch.

I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep; I've held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you: my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support.

You are special because you are the extension of me. Man represents my image -- woman, my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man -- "treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile". In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:3-4)

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. (John 10:26-30)

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth (John 17:15-19)

"father forgive them for they know not what they do" say's a lot to me! how in the world can someone not know what they are doing? any ideas? I think I might know because of what someone else pointed out to me a coup[le of months ago, but I'm not sure, so I will keep my thouhgt on it to myself until I here and study more about the subject.

I am thinking that in verse you are speaking of:

Luke 23:34 "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

this is an example of the ultimate passion of Christ. Here is a picture of the world, actually his fellow Jewish people, who had demanded of Pontius Pilate to "crucify him, crucify him" (Luke 23:21) and Christ's answer from the cross was one of compassion on even those who had demanded His death.

This chapter shows the death of Christ but the story does not end here. The true glory of Christ and to every Christina who believes on Him fron that day until this very day, is that the grave could not hold this man. Luke 24:6 "He is not here, but is risen..."

And also in Luke 24:44-53

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen

********************

This is really what it is all about. That Christ died but was risen from the grave, that we all who believe on Him will also one day live with Him in heaven. That He could forgive those who insisted He be crucified, even while He was hanging on the tree, that is the ultimate compassion on humn kind.

"Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Wow... I hope I got enough strength in my last few momenbts to have that kind of compassion...

As it has been explained to me, that the Jewish people at the time of Christ had slipped into a back-slidden state and had become way too encaptured with the tradions of the Law and had slipped away from truly knowing God. That is why they did not recognize Christ when he arrived, and why they were blind to who he was. In this thought, they did not know what they were doin, in that they had demanded the crucifixion of God's Son Jesus. But it has to come to pass this way because it was foretold by the prophets, so that Christ did indeed fulfill all of the Law and the Prophets as he said he did.

Everyone please feel free to ask sincere questions here within the parameters of the moderators rules set forth for this portion of Mingle2. And in this thread, folks please try to give as honest an explanation to honest, sincere, truth seeking folks as possible.

God bless you all as you seek His will and understanding of the Holy Scriptures. May He by his Holy Spirit open our understanding so we can all more rightly know Him. Amen.

Well put TM.


MartyMark, good to see you hear and it is good for Christians to try to reach a better understanding by asking questions.

I might get back to this a little later.

In context:

" Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And as they divided His garments, they cast lots. Now the people stood by observing and the rulers among them were also deriding Him, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ, the chosen of God.' "(Luke 23:34-35)

The fact that Jesus, whilst dying on the cross stated they did not know what they were doing, implies that one day they will understand what they did and at that time they will repent.

Matthew 23:37-39 :
" O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. "


The Jewish leaders who had Jesus crucified, read the scriptures, but did not realize they needed salvation, and they were blinded to who Jesus really was. In their own minds they thought they were right to try someone they thought was blasphemous. Holding the trial at night with false witnesses was not a legal thing for them to do however.



In connection with your question, how can a person not know what they are doing?
Quite easily I think.

Children do it when they taunt one another unmercifully. I don’t think they all do it with the intention of being cruel, they just don’t think about the consequences.

Adults do it when they say unkind and harsh words to a child (or worse). Do you think that all of them stop to realize the results their cruelty can have on the spirit of a child?

When a drunk gets in a car and drives, do they stop to think about what they are doing
or could do?

The above are just a few things that came to mind when reading your question.

if we as a people can get to the point of understanding the seperation of the spirit and the physical, we might have a chance of actually experiancing "heaven on earth". if not we will destroy ourselves in pursuit of earthly goods!

A very good thought, so true, certainly something to strive for.