GOD IS . . .

(Exodus 34:5-7 NIV) Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. {6} And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, {7} maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

(Numbers 23:19 NIV) God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

(Deuteronomy 3:24 NIV) "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?

(Deuteronomy 4:24 NIV) For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

(Deuteronomy 4:31 NIV) For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. {5} Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

(Deuteronomy 9:3 NIV) But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.

(Deuteronomy 10:17 NIV) For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

(Deuteronomy 20:1 NIV) When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

(Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV) For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

(Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'

(Joshua 1:8-9 NIV) Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. {9} Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

(Joshua 23:3 NIV) You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.

(2 Samuel 22:32-34 NIV) For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? {33} It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. {34} He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

(2 Chronicles 30:9 NIV) If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."

(Ezra 8:22 NIV) I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him."

(Psalms 10:4 NIV) In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

(Psalms 33:11-13 NIV) But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. {12} Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. {13} From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;

(Psalms 37:30-31 NIV) The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. {31} The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

(Psalms 46:1-2 NIV) For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. {2} Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

(Psalms 46:4-5 NIV) There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. {5} God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

(Psalms 48:14 NIV) For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

(Psalms 50:6 NIV) And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah

(Psalms 54:4 NIV) Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

(Psalms 59:9-10 NIV) O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, {10} my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

(Psalms 62:7-8 NIV) My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. {8} Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

(Psalms 68:19-20 NIV) Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah {20} Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

(Psalms 73:26 NIV) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

(Psalms 84:11-12 NIV) For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. {12} O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

(Psalms 94:22 NIV) But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

(Psalms 116:5 NIV) The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

(Psalms 144:15 NIV) Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

(Proverbs 30:5 NIV) "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

(Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, {2} to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, {3} and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

(Matthew 12:28 NIV) But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

(Matthew 22:32 NIV) 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

(Mark 1:15 NIV) "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

(Luke 7:28 NIV) I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

(Luke 10:9 NIV) Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'

(Luke 16:16 NIV) "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

(Luke 17:21 NIV) nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

(John 4:24 NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

(John 6:33 NIV) For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

(Acts 10:34 NIV) Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism

(Romans 5:5 NIV) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

(Romans 6:23 NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 7:1 NIV) Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

(Romans 14:17 NIV) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

(1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV) God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

(1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

(1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

(1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV) For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,

(2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

(Galatians 6:7-8 NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. {8} The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

(Ephesians 4:24 NIV) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

(Hebrews 4:12 NIV) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

(Hebrews 11:16 NIV) Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

(Hebrews 13:16 NIV) And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

(1 John 1:5 NIV) This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

(1 John 4:7-9 NIV) Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. {8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. {9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

(1 John 4:16 NIV) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

(Revelation 21:3 NIV) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

THIS IS GOOD!

The story is told of a king who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. In preparing one of the guns, the friend had apparently done something wrong, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"  To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in a dangerous area.  Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they approached to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So after untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"

"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

A pearl to string: Any time I look back while in a negative mood I am bound to succumb to a bout of narcissism: seriously, I just don't know what's come over me, me, me, me. In contrast if I look back with the intent of counting my blessings I can see how God is working in my life and I am blessed. Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear. If we love him and live our lives according to his precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit. Hold on... God is faithful! 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

This is good walking in Sonshine

and knowing you are loved

                                         Lyndi

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
'cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it's like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn't a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.

Reprinted with permission from the author
About the Author
David L. Weatherford is a child psychologist with published poems in "Chicken Soup for the Soul". If you want to enjoy more of David's beautiful writings, please visit www.davidlweatherford.com

Daisy Love

He loves me... He loves me not. Chance petal plucking won't give you love. Daisy love won't satisfy a hungry soul. Yet many a person will base their faith on the chance that mankind will do right by them.

I've been confronted of late with people who have left the church and no longer believe in God. I am always dismayed at how anyone could know Jesus and turn away. In my mind that is impossible. I can only surmise they never knew Jesus and put their trust and hope in man. Oh that's not good...... for man, not men, but mankind will always fall short of the glory of God. And yet as often as we feel troubled by a fresh discovery of human frailty, we feel strangely relieved by the company.

When the Lord doesn’t meet our personal expectations on earth we turn against Him!

Isn't it really that simple? As long as loving and serving the Lord is about our expectations our faith is shaky. It can be tossed and turned at a moments notice. Just let one little crisis enter the picture and many people climb upon the monster roller coaster of daisy love. I've taken a ride or two or forty myself.

In our everyday living mind we expect God to make our lives better. We want God to change things so we would be on the receiving end of worldly rewards and benefits. Stop and think about it - isn't it true? We want jobs or better jobs, marriage or a better marriage, health or better health. Really the list is endless. I could write a seventy three inch paragraph just listing the things I wanted out of this life. I wonder where on earth I got my ideas of what is good and pleasing? Did the Joneses write the book of "Want"?

The French make the most beautiful pastry in the world but if you bite into the confections expecting a sugary decadence of delight you will be sadly disappointed. And you can't sugar coat God with your grocery store tastes either.

A pearl to string: God had His focus on our eternal happiness and therefore His actions on earth were misinterpreted. A deeper grasp of Scripture is needed and that cannot be done with the Bible being stuck in the book shelves or still at the store. Going to church spotlights Scripture for practical purposes in living our lives. Personal study grows us in understanding and knowledge of God's heart and who we are in God's life. I study the word of God deeply because I don't want to wear the skin of religion and miss knowing the heart of God.

I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (Ephesians 3:17-18) Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14)

His love endures forever,
                                 Lyndi

Song of the Zapper

Since no one would describe themselves as perfect one might describe a family gathering as a commingling of imperfect people. That being stated you might picture in your mind the sound of a bug zapper going off every other second in almost melodious tones as normal situations produce trespasses among us.  Through generations of peoples families are notorious for nit-picking at each other and generally causing a raucous where many a gathering has been marred by such common occurrences. A good verse to carry in your heart at any gathering is from the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 verse 12 "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
 

We've been gathering yearly over the 4th of July as a family for 17 summers. Not exactly unusual for families to gather.... that's just what families do.  We have had members go sideways then high and off to the right a time or two but we as a group are intentional to guard against that and give each other room for our imperfections while forgiving each other our trespasses.

 

Wouldn't that be nice if intentionality of purpose were the answer?  It's just a step.... a good one albeit.  There are 19 of us now. It use to be just Coach Wonderful & I then we added sparkles upon sparkles upon more sparkles. Children, marriage mates and grandchildren.  We glow now with lots of personalities, opinions and thoughts with a myriad of ways to do things. Of course we share some common belief as we each walk with the Lord. Like everything else we are in diverse places but generally when you have a slew of creative, God gifted, original thinking and talented individuals with a shared last name.... ire happens. I think that's when the hairs on the back of your neck go up and frustration capitulates and the sound of the trespass zapper rocks out.

 

A pearl to string: Why? Because even with group purpose of intentionality individuals cannot do the 'goodness' thing on their own.  We have a sin nature and there is only one who can control it.  The Holy Spirit. We have learned through reading God's Word daily year in and year out as we grow more in love with Jesus that it is God's Word that equips us to receive the Holy Spirit and make the choices that follow God's goodness.  There is protection in God's goodness.  I am a witness to this. We had an extraordinary time together and I saw the Holy Spirit working in individuals when the trespass zapper sang. It's a beautiful sight to witness grace in your family. I see you Macs.  I love you MacFamily and I miss you already.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them". -- Psalm 126:2. amen....

Thank you Mike & Jenni for hosting our MacGathering for the second time in your beautiful home. We love your pool. Our Jenni was a phenomenal servant to her Mac family feeding all 19 of us multiple times a day and generally taking care of each persons needs.  Big thunderous shout of thanks Jenni you blessed us all.  Lucky Mike, Nick, Justin, Brandon & Lexa!

 

Sharing the love with you all,

                                          Lyndi

JERUSALEM Imax movie

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.