If you have time look up this video it is really neat when you read along with the video.

http://media.creativepastors.com/mediapreviews/index.php?stream=Upside_Down_MPEG1




Merry Christmas everyone.
Jesus is the reason for the Season.

That is awesome sis.


I hope you had a blessed Christmas.

The character of Jesus


Isaiah 14.12-14

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

(some translations say Day Star instead of Lucifer)

Satan wanted to be like "the Most High." This title of God (El Elyon in Hebrew) literally means "the strongest of the strong."

Satan could have selected any one of the numerous names of God.

Satan could have used El Shaddai - "the breasted one who feeds His children." He did not.

He might have chosen "Yahweh Rohi" - "the Lord our shepherd" He did not.

Satan wants God's POWER and AUTHORITY, but he doesn't want anything to do with God's nurturing and leadership attributes. Satan wants absolute power, but without having responsibility to care for anyone but himself.

Notice the sharp contrast between Satan's "I will's" and the Lord's own attitude in the garden of Gethsemane.

Satan's attitude was totally self-centered, prideful, and arrogant.

The Lord's attitude, even though He was facing a cruel death on the cross, was that of complete meekness and submission unto God.

Three times Jesus prayed to His Father, saying, "NOT as I will, but as You will."

It is equally important to notice what the Lord taught you about YOUR attitude toward God's sovereignty.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches you to tell your Father in heaven, "THY will be done."

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there.'' He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'' (Mt 26.36, 26.39)

(Jesus said:) "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Mt 6.9-10)

Luke 10:17-20 (English Standard Version)

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" 18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Jacob's ladder.



I have a Jacob's ladder, a plant (at least one)
in the garden.

That will remind me of the verse you posted TM.

Spritual Curfew
Proverbs 31 ministries
Tracie Miles


“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NIV)

Have you ever felt like God’s Word has too many “don’ts” and not enough “do’s”? I have heard non-believers say that being a Christian is too rule-oriented, too strict, or simply no fun. At times, this could be the viewpoint of Christians too, who are trying to live a life for Christ but finding it difficult to turn from their old ways.

Sometimes it is hard to understand why God asks us to think a certain way, do certain things, or refrain from doing other things that are not indicative of someone living for Christ. That is where our faith must come in. Faith is our motivation to abide by the spiritual curfews that God outlines in His Word. If we doubt His reasoning, wonder why certain guidelines matter, or change the real meaning of a scripture to accommodate our own selfish purposes, then we are setting out on a path that will dishonor God and lead to sin.

I remember my mother telling me to choose my battles, since not every situation was worth fighting for. Living a Godly life is sometimes a battle. This is one battle we should always fight: to honor God’s Word. If we believe the Bible is truth, we should follow its guidelines. In a world where moral values are crumbling around us, Christians need to fight the good fight.

Christian marriage

From Ephesians 5.22-33 I see Christian marriage to a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the Church.

A Christian marriage should reflect Unity, love, Headship/submission (cooperation), and Perfection


Unity - "I and the father are one" (John 10.30)
Cooperation "My Father is still working, and I also am working" (JOhn 5.17)
Honor "Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you" (John 17.1)
Submission "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me" (John 6.38)

The husband and wife are to be one because they are both parts of the body of Christ (unity of Christ and the Church)

Epheisans 5:21: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (reverence for God)

The husband is commanded to love his wife, as Christ loves the Church. The term used here is agape love. This is the love that gives.

Philipians 2:2-3 "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

Titus 2.4 Paul commends the older women to sober the minds of the younger women so that they might love their husbands as friends, share interests, have discussions, enjoy being in each others company.

They are also commanded to respect their husbands.

In Christian marriage submission is based on unity and love.
It is not blind obedience and does not imply inferiority.
Rather the two should be subject to one another in reverence to Christ.

Such a marriage is a testimony to the truth and power of the gospel.

I've often noticed that the sinful nature of the human being is toward the things that Satan is best known for. When someone refuses to accept Christ as their Lord, they demand to be in charge of their own life, in affect, they want to be doing what God should be doing, in affect, they want to be God for their own lives, in affect, they want to "ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

In the Garden of Gethsemene, Christ's prayers were "thy will be done" instead of wanting his will, as a living breathing human being he may have been tempted to simply live and not lay down His life on the cross. But because he knew his calling, He went to the cross for us. In affect, He became the greatest servant to human kind to ever have lived.

Their are scriptures that reflect the example of Christ and His authority. The picture gleaned for them is that an example to us, in that in order to gain true greatness, we should as Christ tend toward servings others. The world view is to serve one's self. Christ's example was to serve others.

Britty, whereas you commented:

"Satan's attitude was totally self-centered, prideful, and arrogant."

... what I might comment is this, that the World's attitude is totally self-centered, prideful, and arrogant. Mainly because the World does not serve Christ, it serves the Enemy, therefore would model Satan's actions.

The Bible is an amazing philosophical book with an incredible psychoanalytical look at human nature and the human struggle with good and evil. Long before the science of psychology we know today was invented. Some portions written in manuscript prior to the great Greek philosophers in Socrates and Aristotle's day. It truly is an amazing document.

If it is the same from my Google search of the plant... it most likely is a pretty bloomer like this:



POLEMONIUM caeruleum

Jacob's Ladder
____________________________________

Type:
Perennial
Height: 2-3' (60-90cm)
Flowering Time: Summer
Flower Colour: Blue, white.
____________________________________

Botanical Classification:

Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)
Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)
Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder)
Order: Polemoniales (Jacob's Ladder Order)
Family: Polemoniaceae (Jacob's Ladder Family)
Genus: Polemonium (Jacob's Ladder)
Species: caeruleum (blue)
____________________________________


Polemonium caeruleum is an easy to grow plant providing flowers throughout the summer. It forms neat spreading clumps of light green pinnate leaves, with stems around 2-3' high bearing clusters of open or bell-shaped flowers in various shades of blue or white with contrasting bright yellow stamens.

http://theseedsite.co.uk/profile224.html

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They grow wild in Alaska:



http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/jacobs-ladder-wildflowers-seward-highway-alaska-10420-pictures.htm

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

Another view:



http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/specials.specDetail/recID/32/index.htm

Yes TM, that's the one.

oooh I like the pic of them in Alaska.
wow, that looks absolutely beautiful.

Another favorite scripture of mine:

1 Corinthians 9:22

v22 "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."


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


"I am made all things to all men".... I love that statement


It allows me to consider compassion as I see those less fortunate than myself... it is a portion of grace God gives to me to not look down my nose as I peer down the class separations... but God creates a miracle in that we can also relate to people in class status higher than our own

Where did the name Palestine come from?


The name Palestine refers to a region of the eastern Mediterranean coast from the sea to the Jordan valley and from the southern Negev desert to the Galilee lake region in the north. The word itself derives from "Plesheth", a name that appears frequently in the Bible and has come into English as "Philistine". Plesheth, (root palash) was a general term meaning rolling or migratory. This referred to the Philistine's invasion and conquest of the coast from the sea. The Philistines were not Arabs nor even Semites, they were most closely related to the Greeks originating from Asia Minor and Greek localities. They did not speak Arabic. They had no connection, ethnic, linguistic or historical with Arabia or Arabs.

The Philistines reached the southern coast of Israel in several waves. One group arrived in the pre-patriarchal period and settled south of Beersheba in Gerar where they came into conflict with Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Another group, coming from Crete after being repulsed from an attempted invasion of Egypt by Rameses III in 1194 BCE, seized the southern coastal area, where they founded five settlements (Gaza, Ascalon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gat). In the Persian and Greek periods, foreign settlers - chiefly from the Mediterranean islands - overran the Philistine districts.

From the fifth century BC, following the historian Herodotus, Greeks called the eastern coast of the Mediterranean "the Philistine Syria" using the Greek language form of the name. In AD 135, after putting down the Bar Kochba revolt, the second major Jewish revolt against Rome, the Emperor Hadrian wanted to blot out the name of the Roman "Provincia Judaea" and so renamed it "Provincia Syria Palaestina", the Latin version of the Greek name and the first use of the name as an administrative unit. The name "Provincia Syria Palaestina" was later shortened to Palaestina, from which the modern, anglicized "Palestine" is derived.

http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_name_origin.php

Verses on Patience

Seems to me the faster we go, the less patient we become. God anticipates our every need and every situation we face in life. His Word is full of answers for our needs. Let's look at some verses, (patiently), on patience. All of the verses are from the New Century Version (NCV).

Numbers 14:18 'The LORD doesn't become angry quickly, but he has great love. He forgives sin and law breaking.

Ruth 3:18 Naomi answered, "Ruth, my daughter, wait here until you see what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today."

1 Samuel 12:16 "Now stand still and see the great thing the LORD will do before your eyes.
Psalm 37:7 Wait and trust the LORD. Don't be upset when others get rich or when someone else's plans succeed.

Psalm 4:4 When you are angry, do not sin. Think about these things quietly as you go to bed. Selah

Psalm 37:34 Wait for the LORD's help and follow him. He will honor you and give you the land, and you will see the wicked sent away.

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me and heard my cry.

Isaiah 25:9 At that time people will say, "Our God is doing this! We have waited for him, and he has come to save us. This is the LORD. We waited for him, so we will rejoice and be happy when he saves us."

James 5:11 We say they are happy because they did not give up. You have heard about Job's patience, and you know the Lord's purpose for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is kind.

Psalm 86:15 But Lord, you are a God who shows mercy and is kind. You don't become angry quickly. You have great love and faithfulness.

Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD to help me, and I trust his word. I wait for the Lord to help me more than night watchmen wait for the dawn, more than night watchmen wait for the dawn.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be patient than to be proud.

Colossians 1:11 God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.

James 1:2-4 My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, 3 because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.
4 Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need.
________________________________________
Lord, forgive us for going to fast to slow down for you. Forgive us for being short-fused. Help us to be patient in all that we do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

http://www.cfdevotionals.org

GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD

When Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:20), the Israelites were left alone for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18). The people thought that he would not return and asked Aaron to make other gods for them. They built an altar in front of the golden calf and celebrated a “festival to the Lord”.
There were two phases of their idolatory. The first being a departure from the Lord by leaning on man: Moses. The calf was the second idol. They wanted to lower the standard to something they could feel and touch by making their own version of God.

God showed the Israelites that within His heart burns the jealousy of the loving parent who sees the possibilities and potential of His children, but is heartbroken for them when those things are not realized or wasted.

God cares. He loves and He alone saves.

"You are not your own; you have been bought with a price." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21)

Rightly dividing the word of Truth


Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:15-16 KJV



There is so much confusion and deception going on today. Rightly Dividing makes things clear as to what false teachings are out there, and what the truth is.


I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 KJV