“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
Be glad of heart, O believer, but take care that thy gladness has its spring in the Lord. Thou hast much cause for gladness in thy God, for thou canst sing with David, “God, my exceeding joy.” Be glad that the Lord reigneth, that Jehovah is King! Rejoice that he sits upon the throne, and ruleth all things!
Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That he is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That he is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That he is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That he is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour.
That he is full of grace, that he is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant he has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory–all this should tend to make us glad in him.
This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.
The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. The Psalms show us that God’s people in olden times were wont to think much of God’s actions, and to have a song concerning each of them.
So let God’s people now rehearse the deeds of the Lord! Let them tell of his mighty acts, and “sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously.” Nor let them ever cease to sing, for as new mercies flow to them day by day, so should their gladness in the Lord’s loving acts in providence and in grace show itself in continued thanksgiving.
Be glad ye children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God.
~ Charles Spurgeon
Psalm 149 – Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment
1 Praise the Lord! [Hallelujah] Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.
5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7 To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; 8 To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints.
This Superlative Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for your fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.
The Storm is upon us. Please remember to Pray for our President.
AND WHAT TIME IS IT? TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!
It’s time to replace a failed and CORRUPT political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. ~ Candidate Donald J. Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
And,
On this day and every day –
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
How should Christians react to the death of evil people?
Christians are often left wondering how they ought to feel when an especially evil person dies. For instance, at the death of Kim Jong Il, Osama bin Laden, or even in history at the death of Hitler, are we to rejoice/celebrate? Interestingly, the authors of the Bible seem to have struggled with this issue as well, with different perspectives being presented in different passages.
First, there is Ezekiel 18:23, “’As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’” Clearly, God does not take pleasure in the death of evil people.
Why is this? Why wouldn’t a holy and righteous God take pleasure in evil people receiving the punishment they deserve? Ultimately, the answer would have to be that God knows the eternal destiny of evil people. God knows how horrible eternity in the lake of fire will be.
Similar to Ezekiel 18:23, 2 Peter 3:9 states that God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” So, in terms of the eternal destiny of evil people, no, we should not rejoice at their eternal demise. Hell is so absolutely horrible that we should never rejoice when someone goes there.
Second, there is Proverbs 11:10, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” This seems to be speaking of the death of evil people in an earthly/temporal sense.
When there are fewer evil people in the world, the world is a better place. We can rejoice when justice is done, when evil is defeated. A mass murderer being removed from the world is a good thing.
God has ordained governments (and the military) as instruments of judgment against evil. When evil people are killed [referring to lawbreakers, specifically], whether in the judicial system via the death penalty, or whether through military means, it is God’s justice being accomplished (Romans 13:1-7). For justice being done, and for evil people being removed from this world, yes, we can rejoice.
There are many other scriptures that could be discussed:
Deuteronomy 32:43 – “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.”
Job 31:29 – If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him . . .
Psalm 58:10 – The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
Proverbs 17:5, 24:17-18 – Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Jeremiah 11:20 – But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.
Ezekiel 33:11 – Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
but Ezekiel 18:23 and Proverbs 11:10 are likely sufficient to help us achieve this difficult biblical balance.
Yes, we can rejoice when evil is defeated, even if that includes the death of evil people. Ridding the world of evil people is a good thing. At the same time, we are not to rejoice at the eternal condemnation of evil people.
God does not desire that evil people spend eternity in the lake of fire, and He definitely does not rejoice when they go there. Neither should we.
As sort of a wrap-up here . . . if we claim to be Christians, we claim to be followers of Christ. So what did Christ have to say that might bear on this issue?
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Love, bless and pray for . . . difficult tasks? Surely. Impossible for imperfect humans. But those are our goals and those goals should be foremost on our minds as we work through not just this particular situation, but those that we will with certainty encounter in the future.
This is our role. God has got the vengeance and justice side of this equation well in hand.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit.
True Pattern of Prayer
Jesus’s redemptive work does more than bring us to God; it also creates a pattern of communion with God, and therefore a pattern for prayer. We see this in Ephesians 2:18: “For through [Jesus] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
John Bunyan built his definition of prayer on this structure: “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit.”
We pray to God the Father, as Jesus himself taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9), as he regularly modeled in his own prayer life (Matthew 11:25; 26:39; John 17:1), and as the apostles prayed (Ephesians 1:16–17).
Because our access to the Father is through the atoning death and continuing advocacy of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:34), we approach the Father in Jesus’s name (John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23–24, 26). We come “with confidence” because we’re “in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11–12). Jesus, the Son of God by nature, makes us sons of God through adoption — and children have access to their parents. It’s like that for us because of the work of Jesus Christ.
And, as Bunyan says, we pray in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us (Romans 8:26). So, we have double help in our prayers. Both God the Son and God the Spirit speak to God the Father on our behalf.
This pattern encourages us in our prayers, praying to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit. Jesus’s passion, pleasure, and purpose is to bring us into the presence of the Father — and the Holy Spirit shares this passion.
From God, Through God, To God
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis memorably expressed the wonder of prayer to God:
An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God — that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him.
You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying — the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on — the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal.
The whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. The man is being caught up into the higher kinds of life . . . he is being pulled into God, by God, while still remaining himself.
There is major help and encouragement here for us, as we learn to pray, as we come alive to the massive privilege of access to God our Father, as we marvel that the Son and the Spirit intercede for us. And so we pray with a sense of wonder and a settled confidence.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
This Superlative Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for your fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.
The Storm is upon us. Please remember to Pray for our President.
AND WHAT TIME IS IT? TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!
It’s time to replace a failed and CORRUPT political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. ~ Candidate Donald J. Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
And,
On this day and every day –
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.
16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
America is a Christian nation. We are one nation under God. Our Founding Fathers and others in American history endorsed God in government. Historically, our congress recommended Bibles for America and funded Christian missionaries. Our national motto is “In God we trust.”
Christians uniting in Christ is our nation’s source of unity.
We are now in the midst of a national uprising of Leftists, who are testing whether America can survive under its present form of God-given rights, constitutional government and practices, and its present overriding principles of Liberty and Justice.
The farthest thing from these Leftists’ minds is whether or not their actions bring credit to and are being done for the glory of God. They are godless and anti-Christian to their core.
Let’s remember, from history, the integral relationship of God with the founding and development of America.
“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” – George Washington
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable.” – George Washington
We have this day [Fourth of July] restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His Kingdom come. – Samuel Adams
The name of the Lord (says the Scripture) is a strong tower; thither the righteous flee and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Let us secure His favor and He will lead us through the journey of this life and at length receive us to a better. – Samuel Adams
The rights of the colonists as Christians…may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutes of the Great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament. – Samuel Adams
By Law the United States Congress adds to US coinage: “In God We Trust” – United States Congress 1864
The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. – John Adams
The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. – John Adams
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity. – John Adams
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. – John Adams
[The Fourth of July] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. – John Adams
As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him. – John Adams
God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever. – Thomas Jefferson
Education is useless without the Bible. The Bible was America’s basic text book in all fields. God’s Word, contained in the Bible, has furnished all necessary rules to direct our conduct. – Noah Webster
In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed … No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. – Noah Webster, Preface Noah Webster Dictionary, 1828
“I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society. One of the beautiful boasts of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is a part of the Common Law … There never has been a period in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying its foundations.” – Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story
“[The Bible] is the rock on which our Republic rests.” – Andrew Jackson
In regards to this great Book [the Bible], I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it. – Abraham Lincoln
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God … and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. – Abraham Lincoln
Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh. (Matthew 18:7) – Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Memorial
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. – Abraham Lincoln
“Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulties.” – Abraham Lincoln
“We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.” – James Madison
“Religion [is] the basis and foundation of Government” – James Madison
“Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.” – James Madison
“The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” – Calvin Coolidge
“The fundamental basis of this Nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul.” – Harry S. Truman
“This Nation was established by men who believed in God. … You will see the evidence of this deep religious faith on every hand.’ – Harry S. Truman
“Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Thus, the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“I believe that the next half century will determine if we will advance the cause of Christian civilization or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“This is a Christian nation.” – Harry Truman
“[The United States is] founded on the principles of Christianity” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible. – Ronald Reagan
Deep religious beliefs stemming from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible inspired many of the early settlers of our country, providing them with the strength, character, convictions, and faith necessary to withstand great hardship and danger in this new and rugged land. These shared beliefs helped forge a sense of common purpose among the widely dispersed colonies — a sense of community which laid the foundation for the spirit of nationhood that was to develop in later decades. – Ronald Reagan
The Bible and its teachings helped form the basis for the Founding Fathers’ abiding belief in the inalienable rights of the individual, rights which they found implicit in the Bible’s teachings of the inherent worth and dignity of each individual. This same sense of man patterned the convictions of those who framed the English system of law inherited by our own Nation, as well as the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. – Ronald Reagan
For centuries the Bible’s emphasis on compassion and love for our neighbor has inspired institutional and governmental expressions of benevolent outreach such as private charity, the establishment of schools and hospitals, and the abolition of slavery. – Ronald Reagan
Inside the Bible’s pages lie the answers to all the problems that mankind has ever known. I hope Americans will read and study the Bible. – Ronald Reagan
Our founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. Our currency declares “IN GOD WE TRUST.” And we place our hands on our hearts as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance and proclaim that we are “One Nation Under God.” – Donald Trump
May we never forget that prayer guides and empowers our Nation and that all things are possible with God. In times of prosperity, strife, peace, and war, Americans lean on His infinite love, grace, and understanding. – Donald Trump
There is hope for us yet, as Christians across the USA declare: The Lord is the God of the USA and we are His people,
This battle is the Lord’s and through it God’s purpose and perfect plan will be accomplished.
God has mightily blessed America. May He continue to do so.
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. – Romans 3:19-20
When we read this terrible description of the human race as God sees it, it is almost impossible for us to believe that God is not going to say, Enough! Wipe them out! If all he sees is wretchedness, misery, evil, deceit, hypocrisy, vulgarity, profanity, slander, and all these evil things that are in every heart — every one without exception — our natural instinct is to say, “Then God doesn’t want us”.
The amazing thing is that in addition to this verse, God says that He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God did not send the Law to destroy us (and this is very important); he sent the Law to keep us from false hope.
The worst thing that can happen is to be going down a road to an important destination and think we are on the right track and spend all the time necessary to get there only to discover that the road peters out into nothingness. We find we have been on the wrong track and it is too late to go back. That was what was happening. So God, in his loving kindness, has given us the Law to keep us from taking a false path. Though the Law condemns us, it is that very condemnation that makes us willing to listen, so that we find the right path.
Paul says the Law does three things to us: First, it stops our mouth: We have nothing to say. We can always tell someone is close to becoming a Christian when they shut up and stop arguing back. Self-righteous people are always saying, “But — but this — but I — yes, but I do this — and I do that”. They are always arguing. But when they see the true meaning of the Law, their mouth is shut.
Second, Paul says, the whole world is held accountable to God. That makes us realize there is no easy way, no way by which death suddenly is going to dissolve all things into everlasting darkness, forever forgotten. The whole world has to stand before God. Hebrews puts it so starkly, It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27 KJV).
Finally, the Law reveals very clearly what sin is. What does the Law want of us? Jesus said that all the Law is summed up in one word: Love. All the Law asks us to do is to act in love. All these things the Law states are simply loving ways of acting. When we face ourselves before the Law, we have to confess that many, many times we fail in love. That is what the Law wants us to see, because, then, when all else fails, we are ready to listen to what follows.
God loved us enough to shut up all other ways — to block them out and tell us they are wrong and they do not lead anywhere — so that we give up trying to make ourselves good enough to belong to Him. He gave us the only way that has ever been provided, a righteousness that is given to us, that we never earned, but which is ours because we believe and trust in the Lord Jesus.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
This Superlative Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for your fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.
The Storm is upon us. Please remember to Pray for our President.
AND WHAT TIME IS IT? TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!
It’s time to replace a failed and CORRUPT political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. ~ Candidate Donald J. Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
And,
On this day and every day –
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Awakening or Cleansing?
wheatietoo September 4, 2020 at 00:53
“20/20 vision” has long been used to refer to ‘perfect vision’…right? What better time to have the Great Awakening than in the year 2020.
I don’t know if Wheatie was referring to a spiritual Great Awakening or also included an awakening of the general populace to the depths of corruption in our nation’s and world’s governments. (or verse vica)
Be that as it may, her post got me thinking about how beneficial a spiritual great awakening would be to us today.
In many ways, before the Great Awakening, Christian worship had become more formal and less personal, relying on a minister and church rites and formalities for their worship. Christians were feeling complacent with their methods of worship. Many began to crave a return to religious piety.
The Great Awakening reinvigorated Christian worship in America at a time when it was steadily declining. Ordinary people were encouraged to make a personal connection with God.
Although the details of the Great Awakenings are varied (most say two Awakenings, some say three), their messages served the same purpose: to awaken and reenergize the waning Christian faith and return to worship practices that directly involved the people of the day.
At the present, I don’t know of any general worship movement away from the personal and toward the formal, but for years there has been a general movement away from God, and toward “other gospels”, more secular emphasis, social wokeness influence and even involvement with spirits, witchcraft and devil worship.
Yes, we could benefit greatly from a revival now. The time is certainly ripe for that.
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
And then Wheatie’s road made me think of “From Here to Eternity”, not James Jones’ fictional novel (although there are definite parallels there), but an allegory to reality, with our present broad, evident road dwindling in the future to a pinpoint, leading to the Narrow Gate into eternity.
The road we see at the present is broad, encompassing all the paths available to us these days, both beneficial and harmful, that we may willingly or become enticed to travel down.
As the road advances into the future, we see human refuse off to the side . . . those who have chosen not to travel The Way, until it ultimately reaches the Narrow Gate.
Dora, not to be outdone by Wheatie, adds that the Lord “will clear his threshing floor and gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” (Mt. 3:12). This sorting-out process has been taking place, to one extent or another, throughout the Church’s history, but now it seems to be intensifying or approaching a climax. Not only do the tragic and degrading trends within our society and the larger world suggest that things cannot continue as they are for much longer; the various difficulties and divisions with the Church—most especially those involving the sexual abuse scandal—strongly suggest that a painful but necessary purification process is underway.”
All of this is true, and whether by Revival or Cleansing (or both), we now find ourselves at what I believe will prove to be a momentous crossroads in history.
Wheatie, obviously working overtime, adds “In this world you shall have tribulation. But have confidence, for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
As we look around our country and the world, we should not fear that the widespread corruption will engulf us to our destruction. We are not of this world. The godless world has and will be judged to its own destruction. The war has already been won and the victory is ours.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
22nd Ordinary Sunday August 30, 2020 “Not Quitting”
Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord –
Most of the truly worthwhile things we can do in life take much, much more out of us than we initially bargained for. Most of us get really excited and enthusiastic about something important that we undertake – only to discover that it requires more of us than we ever thought possible. Getting married, raising a family, becoming a professional, deciding upon an occupation, entering the military, becoming or even remaining a Catholic Christian – all of these are much more demanding than what we could, at first, see or appreciate.
Of course, when what we have chosen becomes difficult – when we see no end, to the stress and hardship, in sight – we are tempted to quit. It doesn’t matter that God guided us into that position to start with – because we can even become angry with God as His will and plan for us unfold in our life.
Jeremiah certainly felt this way in the first scripture for today. He laments that God duped him – God seduced him into being a prophet – into speaking for God to the Chosen People. Perhaps, Jeremiah’s ego was involved when God honored him with the prophetic calling. To be someone who spoke for God would be a truly wonderful thing!
However, no one listened to Jeremiah! They hated him and refused to change their hearts and lives. They despised him, mocked him, and tried to kill him. Consequently, Jeremiah decided to quit. He would speak God’s words no longer. But God still worked on Jeremiah. God hounded his soul and spirit. So, Jeremiah knew that he could have no peace if he did not live in God, follow God’s will, and speak the unwelcome truth to the Chosen People!
Sometime, during his ministry, Jesus realized that things would not turn out well for him, humanly speaking. He could see the growing opposition and hatred of those in power. Furthermore, Jesus understood that there was no way to escape a terrible end if he stayed faithful to the Father’s call and will.
However, when Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for what was surely to come, they would have none of it. “Jesus was the Messiah!” “Jesus came to save the Chosen People and deliver them from the Romans!” “He was a wonderworker who was loved by those who were touched by his words!” “There was no way that Jesus could come to a tragic end!”
Consequently, Jesus reprimanded them. He called Peter a satan – a stumbling block! Peter was thinking in human, worldly terms, instead of divine and spiritual ones.
Peter and the others had followed Jesus because Jesus was captivating and had a wonderful message. But the disciples were not prepared for all that a true disciple would have to sustain.
Besides the ministry of discipleship, they would also suffer greatly, if they stayed committed to their calling from God. Thus, the cross would be part of every disciple’s life.
A crucifixion was not uncommon in those days. It was “the proverbial symbol of suffering and agony.” Moreover, every disciple, then and now, must bravely accept whatever cross that doing the Father’s will entails. Nevertheless, therein lies our salvation and our ultimate glory!
St. Paul reiterates this in the New Testament passage for today. We must not become like those of the surrounding culture or the present age. Instead, we must be transformed by the healing grace of God and the power of Jesus Christ. We must be prepared to offer whatever we suffer – in body or mind – to God. For whenever we do the right thing and follow God’s call and will – we are actually making an act of worship.
Brothers and Sisters, we all know of people who have left their original commitment. If God did not direct them to leave, they are, most likely, not really happy or at peace. Real happiness is in the kingdom of heaven. But inner joy – and peace – are, truly, possible here. These gifts can be ours whenever we say “yes” to God’s call and to the task He lays out before us. They can be ours despite the struggles and hardships that we suffer doing the will of God.
So, let us pray, today, that we never let the things of this world – the culture or the words of others – keep us from the eternal life to which God has destined us.
May we do God’s will in all things and never count the cost!
[I was a bit hesitant to post the following article, but did because the overall message is good and pertinent.
Most, perhaps all, of those of us who are Christians at The QTree have some doctrinal differences between us, but we can’t let minor doctrinal differences divide us.
In the essentials – Unity; in the non-essentials – Liberty; and in all things – Charity (agapé love).
The difficulty lies in the specifics of what a person considers to be the essentials and non-essentials of the Christian faith. I’ll certainly not even attempt to resolve that issue here, although I believe that a true statement of faith can be quite brief.
In the following article, this issue would be addressed in the specific definition of a “fellow with a pure heart,” a definition that is not provided.]
A Christian brother was upset with me. So upset that he was considering rescinding his invitation for me to speak to his group. Seems he’d heard I was pretty open about who I have fellowship with. He’d read the words I wrote: “If God calls a person his child, shouldn’t I call him my brother?” And, “If God accepts others with their errors and misinterpretations, shouldn’t we?”
He didn’t like that. “Carrying it a bit too far,” he told me. “Fences are necessary,” he explained. “Scriptures are clear on such matters.” He read me a few and then urged me to be careful to whom I give grace.
“I don’t give it,” I assured. “I only spotlight where God already has.”
I hope to see him today. If the subject resurfaces, I’ll give him a thought that came to me. But in case it doesn’t, I’ll say it to you. (It’s too good to waste.) Just one sentence:
I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace.
God’s judgment has never been a problem for me. In fact, it always seemed right. Lightning bolts on Sodom. Fire on Gomorrah. Good job, God. Egyptians swallowed in the Red Sea. They had it coming. Forty years of wandering to loosen the stiff necks of the Israelites? Would’ve done it myself. Ananias and Sapphira? You bet.
Discipline is easy for me to swallow. Logical to assimilate. Manageable and appropriate. But God’s grace? Anything but. Examples? How much time do you have?
David the psalmist becomes David the voyeur [and adulterer and murderer], but by God’s grace becomes David the psalmist again.
Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ.
Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money he’d laundered. But Jesus still had time for him.
The thief on the cross: hellbent and hung-out-to-die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.
Story after story. Prayer after prayer. Surprise after surprise.
Seems that God is looking more for ways to get us home than for ways to keep us out. I challenge you to find one soul who came to God seeking grace and did not find it. Search the pages [of the Bible]. Read the stories. Envision the encounters. Find one person who came seeking a second chance and left with a stern lecture. I dare you. Search. You won’t find it.
You will find a strayed sheep on the other side of the creek. He’s lost. He knows it. He’s stuck and embarrassed. What will the other sheep say? What will the shepherd say?
You will find a shepherd who finds him. (Luke 15:3-7)
Oh boy. Duck down. Put hooves over the eyes. The belt is about to fly. But the belt is never felt. Just hands. Large, open hands reaching under his body and lifting the sheep up, up, up until he’s placed upon the shepherd’s shoulders. He’s carried back to the flock and given a party! “Cut the grass and comb the wool,” he announces. “We are going to have a celebration!”
The other sheep shake their heads in disbelief. Just like we will. At our party. When we get home. When we watch the Shepherd shoulder into our midst one unlikely soul after another.
Seems to me God gives a lot more grace than we’d ever imagine. We could do the same.
I’m not for watering down the truth or compromising the gospel. But if a fellow with a pure heart calls God Father, can’t I call that same man Brother? If God doesn’t make doctrinal perfection a requirement for family membership, should I?
And if we never agree, can’t we agree to disagree? If God can tolerate my mistakes, can’t I tolerate the mistakes of others? If God can overlook my errors, can’t I overlook the errors of others? If God allows me with my foibles and failures to call him Father, shouldn’t I extend the same grace to others?
One thing’s for sure. When we get to heaven, we’ll be surprised at some of the folks we see. And some of them will be surprised to see us.
“I took the deed of purchase — the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy — and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.Jeremiah 32:11-15
What a ringing testimony to the power and greatness of God! God had said the land ultimately would be restored, and this deed would be valid. Therefore, it was to be put in a safe place. That is what Jeremiah did. He sent Baruch down to the title company and had him bring a deed to be signed. He acted before witnesses, and had the witnesses sign the deed and the copy — one to be sealed in a safe deposit box, the other to be kept by Jeremiah himself and passed on to his heirs, so that eventually they might claim title to this land. He worked in this normal way, and then clearly announced the purpose of it all: It is because God says there will be houses and fields and vineyards bought in this land again.
Faith takes no halfway measures. There is no hedging of Jeremiah’s bets here, no saying to these people, Well, I’m just buying this property on speculation, hoping it will all work out, but it’s just a gamble, a shot in the dark. No, he assures them that God has spoken, and that everything he is doing is consistent with the word of God.
Later in chapter 32, another quality of faith comes in. Beginning with verse 16 and continuing through verse 25, a remarkable prayer of Jeremiah is recorded. These are Jeremiah’s private thoughts about this deed. Before men this prophet is bold and resolute and confident. But before God he admits that he is not quite so sure this is all going to work out. He says to the Lord in verse 25, And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed. I am glad this account is here, because this is what we might call the doubtings of faith.
Faith always has its doubts. I once had the impression that if you doubted, you could not have faith — that faith and doubt were contrary to one another. But I gradually began to understand that this is not true. Doubt is the proof of faith. Doubt is actually an attack upon the very faith we have. You cannot have doubts unless you have faith. Faith is the way God works, and so the enemy is bound to attack your faith immediately as he sees you beginning to act and live and walk by faith. Therefore doubts will begin to arise — as a result of Satan’s attempt to overthrow your faith. There is no faith without doubts.
Jesus himself, though he always lived by faith, and everything he did was by faith, nevertheless was subjected to times of severe doubt. Otherwise he was not one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning, (Hebrews 4:15 RSV). Doubt is part of the life of faith. If you are trying to walk by faith in a promise God has given you, and you are troubled by doubts, this is the proof you are really living by faith. Hang in there! Do not let your doubts overthrow you.
He who believes in Him [Jesus] is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
This Superlative Sanctuary Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It is also a place to read, post and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for your fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name calling, ridicule, insults, baiting and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
Let’s not give the Internet Censors a reason to shut down this intellectual haven that Wolf has created for us.
The Storm is upon us. Please remember to Pray for our President.
AND WHAT TIME IS IT? TIME TO DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!
Our movement is about replacing a failed and CORRUPT political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. ~ Candidate Donald J. Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
And,
On this day and every day –
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, you can find something here that will build you up a little . . . give you a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
From the time that Joshua died until Saul took the throne of Israel, the Hebrew government was not a monarchy like most surrounding nations. Theologians refer to it as a theocracy—”God-rule.” The Lord ruled over Israel, issuing His decrees and governing through prophets and priests. Each major region looked to a judge for what most other cultures would expect from a king. He (occasionally, she) led the people in battle, decided civil cases, and enforced God’s laws.
Samuel judged all Israel with God reigning as king over the Hebrew people. In this way, the Israelites were like no other nation on earth in that they could claim God as their leader, the invisible Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Almighty One who crushed Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and conquered Canaan. But, much in the same way that the wandering generation tired of manna, the people grew tired of the theocracy. Three factors drove their desire for a king.
First, Samuel was old and no longer able to keep pace with the demands of the nation. Second, his sons had disqualified themselves by losing the respect of the people. And third, “we want to be like all the nations.”
This was a pivotal moment in the life of Israel. Take special note of the Lord’s assessment of their decision. “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them [8:7].”
In effect, the Lord said, “You are determined to go down this path—one that will certainly cause you sorrow—and I will not stop you. You have rejected My way for your own. Therefore, you will lie in the bed you have made.”
You will lie in the bed you have made. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.”
“I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.”
“I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place[a] among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.”
“But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.”
At this time Israel was under the Law, and God was clear through Moses, Prophets, Priests, Kings, and His written Word, what He wanted Israel to do, the rewards of obedience, and the consequences of disobedience.
We are under God’s Grace now, but He is no less clear that we are to obey Him, and the benefits of that obedience, and the consequences of disobedience.
And this is His [God’s] commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He has commanded.
Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son. And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life . . .
And the two greatest commandments . . . Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.
And a top level list of the character traits God wants Christians to have . . . . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
And yet, these days, wherever we look, we see Leftists in their roles of disrupters, looters, attackers, arsonists and anarchists, aided and abetted by corrupt Leftist Mayors, Governors, District Attorneys, Judges, Representatives and Senators exhibiting, on a daily basis, none of the desired character traits. By their fruit you will know them.
And, since the consequences of those Leftist’s actions have a large possibility of greatly negatively affecting our lives, we tend to spend a significant amount of time involved in those matters, either actively or passively.
As difficult as it might be, as this episode of life unfolds, let’s be sure we keep our main focus and hopes for the future firmly focused on things above, for “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” and “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
