The Dead Sea Scrolls

If history and the Bible fascinate you, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition currently on display at the Science Museum in St. Paul, Minn., may be worth checking out. In fact, my husband Jim and I are doing just that this weekend. The exhibit, created by the Israel Antiquities Authority in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, opened March 12 and will be on display through Oct. 24. The following video presented by scroll experts and exhibition advisors Dr. Michael Wise and Dr. Alex Jassen give an overview of the exhibit.

notes worth remembering

Do you write in your Bible - make notes to remember later? I do sometimes, more frequently a while ago than current days. Today though, in reading Max Lucado's devotional, "Grace For the Moment," I came to Hosea 2:19 and his comment -- "God's goal is not to get you what you want; it is to get you what you need."

This last part made me think of all my notes, which are really there for what I need, and since I was in Hosea, I thought I would share my notes from there. My comments are in (purple).

Hosea 4: 1-2: "...There is no truth (faithfulness) or mercy (faithful love) or knowledge of God in the land,
By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed after bloodshed (rebellion, full strength)."


v. 6a: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. ... "

6:6: "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice. And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (God wants more than ritual, more than an attitude of merely paying dues to stay in the club.)

14: 4-6: "I will heal their backsliding (God will heal us when we have turned away), I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. ... I will be like the dew (God's life-giving power) to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, and strengthen his roots like Lebanon (His word has great value). ... His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon (fruitfulness)."

v. 9: "Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them."


Acknowledging God means more than having a head knowledge. To acknowledge Him means that we allow Him to invade our lives for His purposes. We acknowledge Him when we give action to our lip service about what we believe.


The way of the Lord is always right ... and true ... and just. 

He is in the midst of life

From the pen of Dietrich Bonhoeffer we read, "We are supposed to find God in what we know, not in what we don't know. ... The revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ - He is in the midst of life." 

Seek Him

He has already found you.

Know Him

He knew you before you were even born.

Follow Him

Listen to Him

Obey Him 

Trust Him

He wants a relationship with You.

Love Him

He loves you. 

God sent His son, Jesus, to die at Calvary for the sins of You and of Me, all who were, all who are, all who will come. 

God is everywhere. Not just in death ... or suffering ... or sin .... or guilt ... not just negative aspects, not just ... but all ... all of your life, all of my life, all life, all aspects of life. 

Have you found Him? Do you have a relationship with the One who matters most?

a blessing

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21b)

In this morning's devotional by Dietrich Bonhoeffer quoted another source saying, "I am too proud to think of myself as unfortunate. Just grit your teeth, and let the boat go where wind and waves want to take it. It is enough that I not want to upset it myself!"

This morning too my husband and I got frustrated and a little testy with each other. The relationship is repaired now, but the disenchantment for the moment really didn't need to be there. There really was no good reason. All these thoughts swirling in our heads and they came out wrong. And then we got upset. Oh Satan was enjoying that I bet. And God was disappointed in His children.

If only we could think ahead and be a blessing to the Lord as He is to us rain or shine, in sickness and in health, always, no matter what comes or doesn't come our way.

Addendum: I got to thinking about this some more Monday morning, and thought ... we shouldn't give in to life, whatever comes along or doesn't. Our focus should be on the Lord, not the world.  We should give in to the Lord. What He brings, He will bring us through as well when we are with Him. So when He brings us to a place of pain or panic,  anywhere He brings us, we should grit our teeth and go His way. We will be better off for it.

A relationship with the Lord

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)

Fear, reverence of the Lord is the beginning of our understanding of what wisdom is. It requires a relationship with the Lord, a righteous one, not haphazard. Haphazard is nothing.

But there are many who do not want the relationship, see no need for it, think the life they have is just fine.

These who see no reason for anything beyond themselves are fools and stupidity wreaks havoc. They do not live responsibly, they do what they deem right in the eyes of only themselves.

They need the Lord, but do not know it.

The Lord seeks them and has found them as well, but until they have accepted His presence in their lives, He watches from the sidelines, often dismayed over their actions of foolery and stupidity.

Of course being stupid and acting the part of a fool is open to all ... those with and without a relationship with Christ. Those who have a relationship with the Lord and act stupidly know it is a sin and must confess and truly repent, regaining the relationship of Father/child, Teacher/student. Those who do not have a relationship with the Lord unfortunately have no clue. ... they need the Lord, but do not know it. They need a relationship with the One who matters most, but .....

Only Jesus

"Jesus said ... I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6 NKJ)

26 "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27 NKJ)

Jesus came. He died. He became the sacrifice for all of our sins - the sins of the entire world.

When an individual rejects the truth of Jesus' death for sin, only judgment remains, for there is no other way to be assured of eternal glory.

Do you know the Truth, do you abide with Him, Is His life your life, Is His way your way, Are you a child of the King?

We are to pray

We are to pray for all unbelievers - and that encompasses a rather large group of people here in the United States and all of Europe and Third World countries.

The Lord tells us what to do. It is up to us to be obedient.

2"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving; 3 Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4: 2-6 NKJ)

The Lord will guide you

1"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 3Why have we fasted, they say, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice? In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? 6 Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought. And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13 If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 58 NKJ)

There is a lot said in these verses. My devotional on Thursday brought me to verse 11, which says "The Lord will guide you continually," but of course I had to read the entire chapter and then re-read it. It is stimulating reading.

The Lord says we should not fast just to get it done, not just go through the motions, because nothing worthwhile is being accomplished. This is what the Sadducees and Pharisees did in Jesus' time. They added to or subtracted from God's ordinances and made them law. It was no longer what God said, but what they said that counted. The same happens today. God's law has become unimportant, irrelevant. Individuals believe He didn't really mean what He says in His word, or worse yet that He doesn't exist, that they know what's what, what is more correct. Poppycock!

God tells us the right way and the wrong way, yet we pass right over it. Our perceptions are correct and we behave based on them. We do not see God's rules, plans for us. We miss the mark.

"The Lord will guide you continually" -- Yes He will. But to do so, we have to be in His word, studying, walking, honoring. If we walk alone, God will not provide the guidance we so desperately need.

Lose your anxiety

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NKJ)

A blog I follow recently wrote about Anxiety. Here is the link: http://mypersonalramblingsandopinions.blogspot.com/2010/08/are-you-anxious-start-praying.html

This past Sunday we had a guest speaker, a former director of missions. He too spoke about Anxiety and so thought I'd add my two cents worth here.

Three points -

1. To move from anxiety to peace, REJOICE in the Lord always. Focus on the Lord as you go through life, instead of on yourself and your problem. Consider how Jesus is going to tackle this.
2. BE GENTLE, be considerate, be reasonable to everyone, instead of anxious.
3. PRAY with thanksgiving about the anxiety. Live in view of eternity and not present circumstances.

By rejoicing in the Lord and praying to the Lord, our focus is taken off ourselves, and God's promise of PEACE invades our hearts and minds.

Obedience?

"But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.

... For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure ...

... The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number ...

but because the Lord loves you, ... the Lord has ... redeemed you from the house of bondage...

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

And He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack (delay) with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face." (Deuteronomy 7:5-10 NKJ)

Do we obey the Lord?

How do we deal with the enemy, the ones who hate the Lord and His children and what He is about?

Do we still act, behave as though we were never set free? Jesus went to the cross for our freedom. Have we forgotten? What have we done to honor Him?

God will repay all that is evil ... But are we to simply sit by and watch or are we to go and do ... His will, not mine.

What is your true heart prayer?

What do you choose?

We face the consequences of our actions. God's judgment is released once we have come against/been disobedient to the Lord. The consequences of events that transpire are a result of sin that ultimately began the day Adam and Eve followed their own desires, their own wants.

Not all events are a result of sin, however, by refusing to believe in and follow the Lord Jesus, we travel dangerous waters.

All people have worth, but we are not whole, complete. We have defects, blemishes, not just the outer covering that you and I see, but inside, which God sees. And God judges.

He is love and loving and as such, He allows us all, each of us to make our own decisions, right or wrong. God wants us to be His very own child, but it is up to you and me to decide the route we will take.

Do I believe

Do I accept

Do I follow

Do I obey

Do I listen to the teacher, the disciplinarian, the judge, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is my friend. Friends, even our eternal Lord and Savior, allow choices.

What is yours?

What road am I on?

What road Lord do I travel to do Your will

Am I on that road now

or have I taken a turn;

was there a fork in the road

which I took

and am now embarking on a new

and more dangerous route

Tell me Lord.

Am I going the way

of Your desire

or

have I superceded

Your plans, Your goals

for me

and gone a route

of ill repute.

I would know

would I not?

... maybe not.

Am I following You

in the ways You desire

And

if I am not,

Please

show me the way.

Please

lead me.

Please

stay in front and behind and on either side of me.

Please

show me

the way of obedience,

fruitfulness,

usefulness,

love.

Cathy Orrick Luders

8.15.2010

Worthiness

"We must learn to look less at what people do or don't do and more at what they suffer." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

That's kind of hard to do, don't you think? We read daily about people who destroy their own lives and others. I doubt our thinking leads us to what they are suffering, but more along the lines of what were they thinking?! We are saddened, distraught about the life that has been destroyed and are angry at that one who caused it to happen. We often don't think about what was going on in their own life to reach this point of extreme despair. I suppose that is the point of a court trial. But not everything that is comes out in court.

God says all of life is worth living -- the life that was snuffed out, the life of the one who did the snuffing. He does the judging as well.

Each.

You

and

me

worthy

of

God's love.

He is

creator

sustainer

redeemer.

We

walk

in

view

of

Him.

He

sees

all.

Our

secrets

are

known

to

Him.

Our

actions

reveal

our

heart.

God

sees

all.

All

that

we

do

or

don't

do

God sees.

All

of

everything

you and I

do or don't do

will be judged.

Jesus,

The Almighty One,

The One Most High

He

rules

yesterday

today

tomorrow

No other

before

or after

has

this power.

He rules.

We will be judged.

Not all

will be

judged

righteous.

Some will be damned.

Cathy Orrick Luders

8.14.2010

God has, God is, God does

When we become one of His, the work the Lord has begun in each of us will continue until the day of His son Jesus' return.

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

He does not give up on us, although we tend to give up on ourselves. The trials/struggles we face produce patience. Patience, character; and character, hope. Without hope/love, we are, we have, nothing. For Jesus died for us, because of the Lord's great love for us.

"...We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us ....

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:3-5, 8

~~~~~

If you don't listen to and follow the Lord while walking upon the earth, there is no chance of eternal glory when you have died. You have missed your chance.

Read the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 which shows that no matter how worthless you feel your life is, God has deemed all life to be worth living. God is the creator, sustainer, redeemer of life.

Mumblings

I think
Therefore I am
If that were true,
I would be much more
than I truly am.

Sometimes thought is just mumblings
Sometimes too life is the same
We stop and think
and think some more
and wonder why we've missed the point
and missed the boat - just didn't get on
when the boat docked for us.

Reading my journal
I see
so much pain
and wonder the whys and wherefores of it all

There are other souls
with more pain
than I
who am I to dwell on it
why should I

To do
what should I do
what should I remember
when should I remember whatever it is

I remind myself of
college days.
oh that was years ago.

sometimes what seems different
is not
it is the same

years go by
but events ...
round and round they go

and vice versa.

however dreary
or elegant
exciting
or blah

I am thankful

for
Jesus

who pursued me
relentlessly
endlessly
continuously

to get my attention
to become His child.

I am thankful
He never gave up
on me

I am thankful
He is my present
and my future

and He knew me
in the past
even
though
I knew Him not.

Cathy Orrick Luders

8.11.2010

I believe

"I believe in the sun, even though it doesn't shine,
I believe in love, even when it isn't shown.
I believe in God, even when he doesn't speak."

Max Lucado wrote these words penned from a prisoner in a concentration camp many years ago.

They are the words of many, come and gone.

I believe.

What about you? What do you believe?

Do you have to see to believe, or does that which is unseen bring you to the place of I believe ...

in God, the Lord Almighty, the One who was, who is and who is to come ... Jesus.

Questions

What do you have that matters?

Is it a house over your head?

Or a job to pay the bills?

Or wheels to get you places?

Or good health?

Or friends of one or two or more?

Or family ... parents or siblings or husband/wife or children?


Or is there something else?

Perhaps your faith?

Faith in God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is it enough?

Is it all you need?

Ask ... seek ... find
To get you started, check here

Whose truth? Part II

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face." (Psalm 89:14 NKJ)

Truth ...God's Truth. Truth is revealed only by Scripture; not by our ideas, not by our opinions. Our ideas and opinions do not count.

Truth, God's Truth is true. Falsehoods are never true, are always false, even if everyone believes otherwise. So says Dr. Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, who was a recent speaker at the Cedar Falls Bible Conference. Belief and behavior go hand in hand, as does head and heart. Mercy/love and truth.

We can not define truth. We think we can. We think our ideas and opinions define it. But it does not. Truth is defined by God and what He alone says. Love is part of Truth. You cannot have one without the other. "For God so loved the world..."

To read more about "Truth" by Dr. Piper, click here.

What change do you believe in?

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2 NKJ)

At the recently held Cedar Falls Bible Conference, Dr. Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, spoke about the change you can believe in - and that is Jesus, Our Savior.

Change can be good or bad ... it will either advance us or move us backward ... Change is not about me, not about you, not about our culture, not about political campaigns ... not about so-called promises ... not the container itself.

You are the container. Change is what you put in.

Change begins within our heart.

Are we one with the Father or have we rebelled against Him?

Have we turned our lives away from Him and toward ourselves?

Do we live with the Lord God Creator in charge or do we say and act like another is leading the way?

Do you believe in the primacy of Jesus Christ?

Do you believe in the priority of Scripture?

Do you believe in the pursuit of Truth?

Do you believe in the practice of Wisdom?

Or have you gone astray?

"O Jesus, I Have Promised"

This past Sunday, Aug. 1, my husband and I returned from a week-long Bible Conference in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is a shame more Iowans do not know about it and utilize all that is offered to children, youth and adults. This is its 89th session and is operated entirely on faith - you donate whatever the Lord instills in you to give.

This year, for the first time, we scheduled our vacation during this week and stayed in a cabin on the Riverview Conference Grounds. We attended morning and evening sessions, renewing friendships from previous years and making new friends too. We hope to return next year for the 90th session.

I sing in the conference choir and there is lots of additional singing as well by the congregation and artists from all over the country. One particular congregational hymn was "O Jesus, I Have Promised," a Finnish folk melody written by John E. Bode (1816-1847) (Bode1) (Bode2), with music by Arthur H. Mann (1850-1929) (Mann1) (Mann2). It is a beautiful old hymn and I decided to share it with you here.
I found several versions on YouTube.com and have included two of them here. Take your pick.