Consider it all joy, my brothers, when YOU meet with various trials, knowing as YOU do that this tested quality of YOUR faith works out endurance. But let endurance have its work complete, that YOU may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything. - James 1:2-4
Well my difficulties persist and this blog will still hang out in limbo until some issues get resolved. But I'm feeling quite good tonight so I just wanted to pop in here and update a wee-bit.
Our Heavenly Father is absolutely wonderful! You never know how much He'll carry you along and sustain you until you absolutely get down and out and have nowhere to go and no way to move. I have trials and I feel nothing but joy right now. Hopefully it is building endurance because as Jesus tells us at Luke 21:19 "By endurance on your part you will save your souls."
I'm keeping busy in study. I fell into the book of Exodus a couple of days back and haven't left. It is absolutely amazing the level of detail that lurks just under the surface of these Bible accounts. The incident with the golden calf is very, very provocative. So many questions to ponder and hopefully get some answers.
I just wanted to post this and let you all know that I'm doing good and have never been happier despite it all! The loss that I'm experiencing right now is absolutely staggering but I feel like Paul who wrote, "On account of [Jesus] I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ" (Phillipians 3:8) And as Jesus tells us at Mark 8:34-36, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and follow me continually. For whoever wants to save his sould will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for the sake of me and the good news will save it. Really, of what benefit is it for a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul?"
My love to all the holy ones scattered about outside the camp.
Hang on we are going to win in the end.
Yours in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Anthony
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Psalm 5:7
"As for me, in the abundance of your loving-kindness
I shall come into your house,
I shall bow down toward your holy temple in fear of you"
-Psalm 5:7
When Solomon inaugurated the newly built temple in Jerusalem he indicated that when a person prayed to Jehovah they would pray toward the temple. Since Jehovah's name rested on the temple by positioning facing His house they were in affect praying before Him.
"And you must turn toward the prayer of your servant and to his request for favor, O Jehovah my God, to listen to the entreating cry and to the prayer with which your servant is praying before you today; that your eyes may prove to be opened toward this house night and day, toward the place of which you said, ‘My name will prove to be there,’ to listen to the prayer with which your servant prays toward this place. you must listen to the request for favor on the part of your servant and of your people Israel with which they pray toward this place; and may you yourself hear at the place of your dwelling, in the heavens, and you must hear and forgive." - 1 Kings 8:28-30
Even after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 by the Babylonians captives like the prophet Daniel were in the habit of praying toward where the temple once stood.
"But Daniel, as soon as he knew that the writing had been signed, entered into his house, and, the windows in his room chamber being open for him toward Jerusalem, even three times in a day he was kneeling on his knees and praying and offering praise before his God as he had been regularly doing prior to this." - Daniel 6:10
It was in Babylon that the synagogue arrangement of worship and instruction was developed in absence of having a temple available. Synagogues were situated in such a way that those there faced toward Jerusalem - a tradition that has exists today.
"The Ark in a synagogue is positioned in such a way that those who face it, face towards Jerusalem. Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally face east, while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face towards Jerusalem. Occasionally synagogues face other directions for structural reasons, in which case the community may turn to face Jerusalem when standing for prayers." - Wikipedia; Synagogue
I shall come into your house,
I shall bow down toward your holy temple in fear of you"
-Psalm 5:7
When Solomon inaugurated the newly built temple in Jerusalem he indicated that when a person prayed to Jehovah they would pray toward the temple. Since Jehovah's name rested on the temple by positioning facing His house they were in affect praying before Him.
"And you must turn toward the prayer of your servant and to his request for favor, O Jehovah my God, to listen to the entreating cry and to the prayer with which your servant is praying before you today; that your eyes may prove to be opened toward this house night and day, toward the place of which you said, ‘My name will prove to be there,’ to listen to the prayer with which your servant prays toward this place. you must listen to the request for favor on the part of your servant and of your people Israel with which they pray toward this place; and may you yourself hear at the place of your dwelling, in the heavens, and you must hear and forgive." - 1 Kings 8:28-30
Even after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 by the Babylonians captives like the prophet Daniel were in the habit of praying toward where the temple once stood.
"But Daniel, as soon as he knew that the writing had been signed, entered into his house, and, the windows in his room chamber being open for him toward Jerusalem, even three times in a day he was kneeling on his knees and praying and offering praise before his God as he had been regularly doing prior to this." - Daniel 6:10
It was in Babylon that the synagogue arrangement of worship and instruction was developed in absence of having a temple available. Synagogues were situated in such a way that those there faced toward Jerusalem - a tradition that has exists today.
"The Ark in a synagogue is positioned in such a way that those who face it, face towards Jerusalem. Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally face east, while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face towards Jerusalem. Occasionally synagogues face other directions for structural reasons, in which case the community may turn to face Jerusalem when standing for prayers." - Wikipedia; Synagogue
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Discontinued
I'm pulling my blog offline for the time being. I'm going through some challenging times right now but Jehovah is helping me along. If you've got room for it please include me in your prayers.
"Jehovah is my strength and my shield
In Him my heart has trusted,
And I have been helped, so that my heart exults,
And with my song I shall laud him." - Psalm 28:7
"Jehovah is my strength and my shield
In Him my heart has trusted,
And I have been helped, so that my heart exults,
And with my song I shall laud him." - Psalm 28:7
Say Goodbye
No telling how this came to be
You ending up here when you didn't agree
But now that you're gone, when people fall wrong
You'll be the one who's missing the fun
No turning back to what you do
You'll float in the air and you'll savor the view
And when you get down, just look all around
It's all or none in what's to come
Picture so perfect you'll want to give
So lonesome a soul
Some reason to live
That's just how it goes, you and your wings exposed
You didn't ask for the part
It's all just breaking your heart
Your will is dying and they are crying out to you
Say goodbye to all your friends
Say goodbye to all your friends and all your lovers until the end
Who needs a myth when you're young and free
But you are the angel you're smiling at me
It's all just breaking your heart
Now that this time is feeling so new
You'll know what to do
Not to lose
The love you left behind
-Say Goodbye, Papas Fritas
You ending up here when you didn't agree
But now that you're gone, when people fall wrong
You'll be the one who's missing the fun
No turning back to what you do
You'll float in the air and you'll savor the view
And when you get down, just look all around
It's all or none in what's to come
Picture so perfect you'll want to give
So lonesome a soul
Some reason to live
That's just how it goes, you and your wings exposed
You didn't ask for the part
It's all just breaking your heart
Your will is dying and they are crying out to you
Say goodbye to all your friends
Say goodbye to all your friends and all your lovers until the end
Who needs a myth when you're young and free
But you are the angel you're smiling at me
It's all just breaking your heart
Now that this time is feeling so new
You'll know what to do
Not to lose
The love you left behind
-Say Goodbye, Papas Fritas
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
difficult days ahead
But because of the false brothers brought in quietly, who sneaked in to spy upon our freedom which we have in union with Christ Jesus, that they might completely enslave us— to these we did not yield by way of submission, no, not for an hour, in order that the truth of the good news might continue with YOU. - Galatians 2:2-5
. . .
“Happy are YOU when people reproach YOU and persecute YOU and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against YOU for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since YOUR reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to YOU - Matthew 5:11,12
. . .
“Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, YOU are always resisting the holy spirit; as YOUR forefathers did, so YOU do. Which one of the prophets did YOUR forefathers not persecute? Yes, they killed those who made announcement in advance concerning the coming of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers YOU have now become, YOU who received the Law as transmitted by angels but have not kept it.” - Acts 7:51-53
. . .
“But before all these things people will lay their hands upon YOU and persecute YOU, delivering YOU up to the synagogues and prisons, YOU being haled before kings and governors for the sake of my name. It will turn out to YOU for a witness. Therefore settle it in YOUR hearts not to rehearse beforehand how to make YOUR defense, for I will give YOU a mouth and wisdom, which all YOUR opposers together will not be able to resist or dispute" - Luke 21:12-15
. . .
Because if they do these things when the tree is moist, what will occur when it is withered?” - Luke 23:31
. . .
Hence Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us, then, go forth to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach he bore, for we do not have here a city that continues, but we are earnestly seeking the one to come. - Hebrews 13:12-14
. . .
. . .
“Happy are YOU when people reproach YOU and persecute YOU and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against YOU for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since YOUR reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to YOU - Matthew 5:11,12
. . .
“Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, YOU are always resisting the holy spirit; as YOUR forefathers did, so YOU do. Which one of the prophets did YOUR forefathers not persecute? Yes, they killed those who made announcement in advance concerning the coming of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers YOU have now become, YOU who received the Law as transmitted by angels but have not kept it.” - Acts 7:51-53
. . .
“But before all these things people will lay their hands upon YOU and persecute YOU, delivering YOU up to the synagogues and prisons, YOU being haled before kings and governors for the sake of my name. It will turn out to YOU for a witness. Therefore settle it in YOUR hearts not to rehearse beforehand how to make YOUR defense, for I will give YOU a mouth and wisdom, which all YOUR opposers together will not be able to resist or dispute" - Luke 21:12-15
. . .
Because if they do these things when the tree is moist, what will occur when it is withered?” - Luke 23:31
. . .
Hence Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us, then, go forth to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach he bore, for we do not have here a city that continues, but we are earnestly seeking the one to come. - Hebrews 13:12-14
. . .
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