Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Lion and the Lamb.

So we have all heard the Statement: "The Lion shall lie down with the lamb". We have all heard it used by pastors and teachers alike. But where is that verse found in the Bible? Word for word it is not in the Bible. However, there are two verses very similar that I think it has been taken from.
~Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

~Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

So while at some friends house I saw the following and thought of that popular saying with a little different take on it. I guess we must be getting closer to the end if we have resorted to the dog and the rabbit. :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Amos 8:11&12

" Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, " That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

AMERICA! Land of who?

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

To be seen....

"It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up WHOLLY unto Him[God]!"

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Blessings of God!

A month and a half ago God looked down on me and smiled. He smiled on me in a way that I had never even dreamed about. Rewind about a month and a half. I was sitting with my family enjoying a nice traditional Sunday afternoon lunch. This week we had a couple over that we had known for a long time and worked with them in ministry. During the course of lunch the conversation between “Tom” and I rolled around to the subject of photography. Tom had been actively involved in photography until a health condition forced him to cut back several years ago. God had blessed him in a way that allowed him to have some VERY nice equipment including his own darkroom. Over the course of our discussion Tom mentioned that he no longer used any of his old film equipment because of his health limiting his activities. He talked of all the dust they were collecting and the space in the hall closet they were occupying. Then he turned to me and said, “Richard would you or your sister like any of my old film cameras. They are top of the line the best money could buy, really nice equipment!” And without even allowing me to answer he went on, “How about you call me next week and I will see what I can do. Meanwhile, I am thinking to myself, “hmmm, film, I would not really use that much.” But he was adamant about giving Elizabeth and I SEVERAL of his old film cameras.

Two weeks went by with us playing phone tag and missing each other every time we called each other. Then I was gone from town for a while and he left just before I got home… So now April 16th, 2010 8:30am. I am working away trying to finish up a pile of work so that I can be gone to ALERT to teach at the Leadership Training Camp and ATI Regional Conference. My phone has been ringing off the hook, emails coming in faster than they are going out, needing to install a revolving door on the front of my office; it was a real zoo! 8:31am my phone rings, I recognize Tom’s number and answer it. “Richard! Are you busy this morning? Once again no time to answer…. So I have been telling you I wanted to give you a camera. Well, I finally got it out of the closet and have it sitting here; can you come by this morning within the hour?” CRINGE Everything I have to do prior to my 4pm departure flashes back. What to do, what to do? “Let me check with dad and see if that works and I will get back with you…” Whew, ok deep breath and down the hall to see dad I go. Dad simply says, “Yes, you should go we will make do with whatever you get done today or don’t get done”.

Off I go across town and then some. I walk into Tom’s house and he is ever so glad that I could come. He walks over to the buffet in the entry and hands me a BRAND NEW, NEVER USED, Canon 5D! NEW, NEVER USED. I stand there gasping for words and thinking to myself, “Say something intelligent Richard”! Whoa God, You are amazing, Far above all I could ever ask of think. SO blessed, after talking for a while I headed over to the church to pick up some sound equipment we were donating to ALERT and headed back north to the office. And God worked everything out so that I was able to get everything done that I needed to that day. Praise Him.

His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are NOT my thoughts! Praise God.