Retreat part 5

David shows us his style of worship in 1 Chronicles 16 starting with verse 8.

1Ch 16:8 Give thanks to Jehovah, call on His name, make known His deeds among the people. 9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him, talk of all His wondrous works. 10 Glory in His holy name, let the heart of those who seek Jehovah rejoice. 11 Seek Jehovah and His strength; seek His face continually. 12 Remember His marvelous works which He had done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

And he adds something incredibly important across the page in verse 29

1Ch 16:29 Give to Jehovah the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness.

Bringing our tithes and offerings is absolutely a part of worship. We are participating in a godly way in God's work when we tithe... It all belongs to Him anyway!

Do you remember seeing those snippets of newsreels showing the Beatles singing on stage and those girls just swooning and screaming, jumping up and down? That’s worship. That is idol worship and it is unholy.

Worship involves holiness. We saints are holy because of Jesus. We are sanctified because of His blood.

Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was a very evil king of Judah. He’s the one, remember, that sacrificed his son to the demon god Molech.

Looking in 2 Chronicles 29,

Hezekiah becomes king and he did right in the eyes of the Lord, all that David had done. That is high praise actually. King Hezekiah told the Levites to sanctify themselves. That word sanctify means the same as the word holy… to make or cause to be clean, to dedicate, hallow or keep holy. They did a LOT to make themselves holy in order to worship God and to keep the Passover feast.
Verse 17…

Verse 31 states, as many as were of a free heart brought burnt offerings. They sang, the trumpets blasted, the cymbals, harps and lyres just as David had commanded.
Verse 34 states the offerings were too much for the priests to handle so the Levites helped and were of more upright heart to make themselves pure than the priests.

The text doesn’t say, but I suspect it is because those priests had been serving the Ba’al during the reign of Ahaz. I love verse 36, And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, that God had prepared the people. For the thing happened suddenly. We aren’t told what was in the hearts of those priests, but this gives us an indication. What I find so sweet here is: God prepared their hearts.

All through the Old Testament, confession and repentance is followed by a deeply reverent worship of God with raised hands, singing praises as in Nehemiah. Job tore his robe, shaved his head and fell down and worshiped. Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego worshiped God and it was a testimony to the One True God. It is consistently illustrated as a heart matter which is why the outward appearance of worship without an engaged heart was such an affront, and a definite insult to God Almighty.

In John 4:23, Jesus explains it all. "… an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship (proskuneo) the Father in spirit and in truth; for indeed the Father seeks such ones to worship (proskuneo) Him." In this scripture, Jesus uses the same word previously used for the physical expression of reverence and submission and applies it, instead, to the attitude of a person's heart or spirit. Worship entails a heart-desire rather than a physical position or action. Jesus explains what God has desired all along: worship is not a physical stance, but the heart attitude. He changed it forever from a stagnate postion to a continuous state of being. When He rose from the dead and presented us with the seal for our hearts, the Holy Spirit, He enabled us to sustain this worship state of being.

Remember the definition of the Greek word Proskuneo. Let me remind you it means to kiss the hand to or towards one in token of reverence; to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence, to kiss the feet; kneeling or prostration in homage. From a word that loosely means to kiss like a dog licking his master’s hand.

One thing to remember here is that unless the Master offers His hand, the dog cannot kiss it. Worship is very much a two way thing. It is vitality on both sides.

An example of this is Stephen, the first martyr in Acts 7:54-60. It is a perfect illustration of this when he looks up and sees Jesus as he is being stoned to death. His last thought is for those who are stoning him and he asks forgiveness for them. Jesus, who ascended to sit down by His Father’s right hand, was standing to receive him. It was an honor for Stephen’s unwavering faith and his obedience. Isn’t that just precious?

John fell on his face at his first glimpse of Jesus in Revelation 1:17. Daniel had that same reaction when he saw the LORD above the river. In the Garden, when Jesus was betrayed by Judas, Jesus asked “Whom do you seek?” John 18:5, they replied “Jesus of Nazareth” and He replied, “I AM…” and immediately they fell to the ground. At His breath every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Two words and they knew. Two words and they could not help but recognize His authority. For those who were bent on getting Jesus to the cross, Worship was just a one time event.

This is what Isaiah was warning us against. Without hearts full of worship, our prayers won’t get off the ground. But, for US, worship is not an event, it is a lifestyle.

Retreat part 4

1 Samuel 1:3

Here is the story of Hannah but, we’re only going to look at one verse here. Her husband regularly went up before the Lord of Hosts of Shiloh to worship and sacrifice. Here there is a distinction between worshipping and sacrifice. In Genesis, it was implied that the sacrifice was the worship of Abraham. But actually the worship was obedience, or actually more at submission, by Abraham. Elkanah was obedient to God’s ordinances. It wasn’t that he could not worship God within his own house, but that was not where God wanted the people to sacrifice unless it was a hardship to travel to the Tabernacle. Therefore, sacrifice by itself is not worship. The reason that sacrifices had to be included in worship was because the remission of sins required the shedding of blood. We find that in Hebrews.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are purified by blood according to the Law; and apart from shedding of blood no remission occurs.

The sacrifices pointed toward Jesus and had a purpose of softening or tenderizing hearts; making them look toward Him. This meant more to God than all the burnt offerings or sacrifices.

And in Mark …
Mar 12:33 "and to love Him from all the heart", and from all the understanding, "and from all the soul, and from all the strength;" (Deut. 6:4, 5) and "to love one's neighbor as oneself" (Lev. 19:18) is more than all the burnt offerings and the sacrifices.

That is the crucial lesson here. God points out the heart must be involved in worship of Him.

Psalm 32

Have you ever taken a cat to the vet?

We had to take our cat to the vet a few weeks ago and the caterwauling he set up all the way there and all the way back! (that’s where that word comes from… CAT—er—wailing)

I was grateful it was only a 30 minute drive. “Out, out, I want out,” was his plaintive cry.

I can imagine David’s misery which he describes in this Psalm. Unconfessed sin makes the body sick.

Look at verse 3…

It is like borrowing money from a friend knowing you can’t pay it back. After awhile you start avoiding your friend. Soon, you’re ducking down hallways and going the long way around just so you won’t bump into your friend. Then you want to avoid your friend at all costs because you have built a wall. (Can you tell this happened to me?) The person you borrowed from doesn’t care about the money, never did care about it. Your friend loves the fellowship with you. That’s how God is. He wants that relationship with you, but sin breaks the fellowship on your part, not His. David finally understood this.

Psalm 32 – the ungodly can be reinstated into godliness. David is prostrate in repentance and worship. This was after Nathan had confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. We get a peek into his heart in this Psalm.

His bones became old. Now, I’m growing older and I have more aches and pains than I ever had when I was younger. Just to get out of bed sometimes sounds like a tool box being turned over with all the clanks and grindings.

He was howling all day. Imagine that. King James translates it roaring. The word means literally “a rumbling or moan”, so I translate that as CAT-er-wailing.
He says in verse 5:

Psa 32:5 I confessed my sin to You, and I have not hidden my iniquity; I said, I will confess over my transgression to Jehovah; and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Glory! There is something so incredibly important here. First we see David angry at the injustice, then he is deeply repentant when he recognizes his own sin. (2 Samuel 12:13), Then he is prostrate (2 Samuel 12:16) for his son, fasting, seeking God in the hope God may have mercy and let his son live. David understands the deep necessity of confession in order to be right with the Lord and how God forgives. It is essential that we know beyond doubt that God forgives our transgressions.

Without that knowledge, we cannot worship from our heart. Without that knowledge, Satan builds a web of guilt and shame around us to keep us from Worshipping God.

Psalm 32:11 Be glad in Jehovah and rejoice, you righteous ones; and all the upright in heart, shout for joy.

David addresses it again in Psalm 51. He tells us Who to go to to get right with God. We can't do it on our own. God can.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me out from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

We have established that there is much more to worship than singing and praising, although that is part of worship. The word Worship means to bow low and to serve. In actions, it means,
Obedience regardless of the apparent cost, as Abraham obeyed. Sacrifice as ordained by God. Confession and repentance is crucial to experience worship as God would have us experience it... with a clean heart and a right spirit. It can be done from a distance as the Children of Israel did when God came to the Tabernacle, but is that how we should worship? It involves the heart (will), the ears (understanding).

The Retreat part 3

Exodus 33
is an interesting chapter. Moses sets up the Tabernacle tent far outside the camp. If anyone was seeking God, they went to the Tabernacle. God tells the people that He won’t go up among them because He just might consume them (literally to kill them) because they are a stiff-necked people. Proud. Foolish. Disobedient by making a gold calf to worship after God had specifically told them in Exodus 20 they were to have no other gods before Him. Many lost their lives over that escapade. This is an example of how not to act and the consequences of worshipping idols instead of the One True God.

Therefore, the people had to worship at a distance from God. In Exodus 33:10, when the people saw the cloud descend, all of them would "arise" and worship, each man in his tent door, when the cloud descended to the tent. Why not gather together and worship corporately? Why each man in his own tent door? We see why in the preceding chapter of Exodus 32. The people had made that golden calf to worship corporately, which deeply angered God and Moses. They could go individually to the Tabernacle to seek God and to sacrifice, but not corporately unless God called them all together.

There is more involved in worship than a bent neck or knee.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Worship involves the ear which is listening, along with the heart and service. This describes the will of man. It is a choice to hear. My daughter tells me all the time, “You are not listening to me.” I am listening to her. I’m looking right at her, hearing the words come from her lips but what I hear may not be what she means. We must be on the same wavelength in order to understand what we hear. That involves paying attention while we listen, not thinking about what we’re going to cook for supper while we listen. This also means the heart which is our understanding and willingness to serve.

Look at verse 14 -- “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it.” God gave them a choice. God’s relationship to mankind has changed since then because He sent His son. We are reconciled to Him now. But, how God deals with us remains the same from Adam to now all the way through the 1000 years of peace. God has given us a choice. His command is not far away. As He states in verse 12, “it isn’t in Heaven where we cannot get to it, nor in the sea, but right in our hearts.” The choice is given between “life and good” or “death and evil”, verse 15. This is one of several warnings to Israel not to be drawn away into serving the gods of foreign countries. Jesus said that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Matthew 6:21 and in Matthew 12:35 He says that out of the good treasure of the heart comes good things and out of the evil treasure of the heart comes evil things. Our heart is most definitely required to be engaged when we worship.

slight interruption

I have to interrupt this series for just a moment. I just read Joe B's blog and am still wiping a few stray tears from my cheeks. When I say his post is good... I mean it is weally weally GOOD! Go check it out at God loves idiots like me

The same warning

They are the same warning. Jesus was calling those scribes and Pharisees exactly what they were... a brood of vipers. In verse 13 of Isaiah 58, God is saying to refute that way and delight not only in deed but in heart in the LORD.

There are 5 Hebrew words that are translated – Worship, we’ll look at two.
Shachah – (shaw-khaw) to bow down in homage, prostrate oneself before God or false gods or angels.
‘abad – (aw-bad’) to serve, to work, to labor or be enticed to serve.

There are 11 Greek words that are translated – Worship, we’ll look at one.

Proskuneo – (pros – koo – neh – oh) to kiss the hand to/towards one in token of reverence; to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; kneeling or prostration in homage. From a word that loosely means to kiss like a dog licking his master’s hand.

I was a member of a Lay Renewal team back when I was an older teen. We called it Worship Service back then. I really liked that term. When we would have our "debriefing sessions"...some of us would say, "The Holy Spirit was really working in this!" And others would say, "You really think so? I couldn't see it!" And yes, we were at the same church on the same weekend... I have been to the exact same service as someone else and received such a deep blessing while the person beside me had to cover yawns and fight to keep awake.

What is illustrated here is that worship is definitely a 2-way street. We must work with the Holy Spirit. If we work with Him and prepare our hearts for Him then we have a completely different experience than if we just go through the motions and our heart is not in it. And if you don’t believe me, in the next few minutes, I’ll prove it. Remember the dog licking the master's hand.

Today we call our singing service before the preaching, Praise and Worship. We just spent a Wonder-Full half hour singing praises to my beloved Lord. However, I suggest to you that Worship is far more than singing, raising hands, praying, preaching and anything else we do in our Sunday Morning Worship services.

As I studied this Worship thing, it seems that God was teaching the Israelites in the OT that worshiping was different than anything else mentioned along with it. Uncountable times it reads, “Bow down and worship” or “Sing praises and worshipped.” Starting with Abraham in Genesis through Revelation, Worship or some form of it is mentioned 385 times in Scripture.
Turn with me to Genesis 22:5.

When my girls were young, about 3 and 4 years old, my Mom was so excited at Christmas because they were old enough to actually understand the Christmas story. She gathered them up in her lap and read the story to them from the Bible. When she got through, she said, “Now, that was the story of the very first Christmas almost 2000 years ago and why every year we remember Jesus’ birth at this time.” My older daughter, Lauri Anne looked up at her with her eyes wide and such a look on her face, we thought for sure she was going to say something profound or really sweet about the baby Jesus, when she said, “You’re not going to tell us all the other 2000 Christmas stories are you?”

So, no, we’re not going to explore all 385 times worship or a word like it is mentioned. I’ve whittled it down to several verses, though. So hang on to your hats girls.

Genesis 22:5
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said to his young men, You stay here with the ass. I and the boy will go over there that we may worship and may return to you.
Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac; and he took the fire and the knife in his hand. And the two went together.

שׁחה
shâchâh
shaw-khaw'
A primitive root; to depress, that is, prostrate (especially reflexively in homage to royalty or God): - bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

The first time this word is used is a few chapters before in Genesis 18. But this is the first time Shaw-khaw is translated worship. Shaw-khaw. Notice that Abraham takes wood and fire and the knife and the two went together to Moriah (Mo-ree-yaw). Moriah means “Chosen by God.” This mountain that Abraham and Isaac offer sacrifice on is the same mountain where Old Jerusalem stands. The same mountain that David bought in order to build God’s Temple and the same mountain where Solomon built the Temple. It is the same mountain where Jesus died on the cross.

Wood
Fire and a
Knife –

The Cross,
Judgment and the
Nails.

Oh, I wish we had time to camp on that awhile. This is an illustration that we don’t have time to investigate further but can’t just be passed over.

Now look a few verses higher in 22:1. Abraham is being tested. We see here that Abraham is a man of few questions of God. He obeyed. He remembered what God had promised about Isaac so he didn’t fear and he obeyed God without question. He and the boy would go over yonder and worship and return to them, the servants.

What an incredible testimony of faith and worship. He obeyed God no matter the apparent cost.

In the Old Testament, the people bowed low to worship most of the time. What does that literally mean, to bow down or to bow low? Let’s consider this for a moment. If we are proud of something, what is our stance? Standing up straight, chest out, neck back, arms wide sometimes. When we are bragging on our children, grandchildren, husband …. Fill in the blank, we are proud…stiff-necked… focused on “me”, “my” and “mine”. Right?

Here is the problem with that focus; it is inward and earthly. But, when we bow our heads and bow down, we are in the perfect position to take on the yoke of possession of God. Taking on that yoke is part of belonging to Him. It is submission. It is acknowledging that God is greater and higher and mightier than “me”, “my”, “mine”. Idols are earthly things. When we have an earthly focus we leave out God.

Christians
Bible
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The Retreat

Claire... THANK you for asking! You are a precious sister in Christ.

I felt like a fish out of water. I actually told everyone there that if I disappeared from in front of them to look for me right down there on the floor, flopping around like a fish out of water. I asked them to throw some water on me for a last gasp.

I have taught Sunday School for 25+ years and I have written a couple of Bible studies... but, this was entirely different from sitting with a class of high school girls or 5 or 6 ladies on Sunday morning. I was looking at a sea of about 100 faces...maybe a little less, we didn't get an absolute count.

Someone once told me in a speech class not to ever look into the faces of the audience but to look just over their heads. I want you to know that as soon as I started seeing those precious faces, my spirit calmed right down. It was beautiful.

This week, I will share the teaching. I hope it blesses you like it did me while studying it and then writing it.

Isaiah 58
Your Prayers Won't Get Off the Ground
1"Shout! A full-throated shout!
Hold nothing back--a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
2They're busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people--
law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, "What's the right thing to do?'
and love having me on their side.
3But they also complain,
"Why do we fast and you don't look our way?
Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'
"Well, here's why:
"The bottom line on your "fast days' is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
4You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won't get your prayers off the ground.
5Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, GOD, would like?

In verse 2 we see the outward show of religious fervor.

In verse 3a we see grumbling that God isn’t taking notice of their self-sacrifices

In verse 3b we see God’s answer. You make a big show, but you don’t really care about Me you care about your fattening your wallet. That isn’t what I’m all about.

In verse 4 we see Him go into greater detail. Fighting and bickering makes your worship a lie. You fight with your fists and not just words. Your prayers won’t get off the ground.

In verse 5, God gets a little cranky. Is this what you think I’m all about?

There is a lot of speculation among scholars about who this is directed to specifically. Some say it was to a specific group of Jews during the time of Isaiah’s prophesying.

Some think it’s directed those Jews who be led captive to Babylon.

Matthew Henry says it is directed to all hypocrites of all ages. I tend to agree with him.


So what were they doing wrong?

They looked good on the outside but were like whitewashed graves, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matt 23:27) Some scholars believe that Isaiah’s vision is about the Jews of Jesus’ day when he proclaims the “Woe to you” curses.

Matthew 23.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to the disciples and in verse 3 He tells them “do as they say, but not as they do, for they say and do not.” 4 For they bind heavy and hard to bear burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they do not desire to move them with their finger.

Isa 58:2 Yet they seek Me day by day, and desire knowledge of My ways. As a nation that has done right, and not forsaking the judgment of their God, they ask Me about judgments of righteousness; they desire to draw near to God.

Isaiah 58:3 … Behold, on the day of your fast you find pleasure; and you drive all your laborers hard. (The employees never find a day of rest.)


In other words, the appearance of godliness, but the heart intent is not there. You fast, but you bicker and fight. You fast but you act mean.

So, again, what were they doing wrong? I believe what Isaiah is saying here correlates with Jesus’ cursing of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. Only Jesus says it much harsher drop down to verse 25.

Mat 23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Now compare Isaiah 58:13 If you turn your foot because of the Sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Jehovah, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words…

They are almost exactly the same.

Comes a Horseman update

I posted a review of a Christian fiction book back in December here. I just received an email from Bob telling me that his publisher Westbow Press is offering a free abriged audio book download at Comes a Horseman website. It can be downloaded, along with desktop wallpaper of the cover art and a video. A Happy New Year gift!!

Refreshment in Refuge January 7th Retreat

My posts have been erratic these past few days because of all kinds of things. Hopefully next week my routine will get back in the groove.

On Saturday we will be having our retreat. Please come if you can because it will be just wonderful! You should see the sanctuary. We transformed it into a Watered Garden with a shimmering blue river (shiny cloth) running through it.

My part of the program will be the "set up" or the introduction for the Bible study. It's on Isaiah 58... The Well Watered Garden.

Did you know that Isaiah was a prophet to 4 kings of Judah? Uzziah, Johtam, Ahaz and Hezekiah. His name means The LORD is Salvation, which is very similar to Joshua, Elisha and Jesus. He was a contemporary of Hosea and Micah. These were the last prophets before God's 400 years of silence.

I did this in depth study of Worship and then it seemed like God was saying, put that down, Gina, and listen to what I want you to say. Well, wasn't that what I was doing? I guess not. So, this afternoon, I'm having to basically start all over and the thing is Saturday! Maybe I won't have to start all over. Maybe it's that I have too much to share in half an hour. I guess I'd better get to work!

What has happened to funerals these days?

There's a book called "How To Do A Funeral". Can you imagine that? I hooted when I saw that.

Then I went to a funeral. We need more books like that.

Actually, if we were all the same, then the world would be a very boring place, so I am not advocating a funeral template that we all must follow. However, there are certain things that should remain constant.

Polite Etiquette:

• Make sure your guests know they are noticed. Nod, smile, at least lift your hand in acknowledgment of them, even if you are conversing with someone else... but, do not look at everyone else and not the person you are conversing with.
• Don't tell someone to hang on 20 more minutes without at least saying, "I'm so honored that you came" and without telling them where the bathroom is and where the coffee is
• If you can't think of anything to say, hug them. In the South that always works
• If your mother or mother-in-law is there, just say, "I'd love to sit and visit with you but I've got all these other people to nod, smile and wave at, please forgive me for not fawning all over you...even if she has to travel 350 miles round trip. Your first order of business is to be a good hostess. This helps with self-control and with grief. It costs nothing to be gracious.
• Never, ever forget to introduce people who are talking with you and are in close proximity. You never know if they might have some wonderful common ground which will give you freedom to nod, smile and wave at people.
• If you have to have the funeral at a funeral home, make sure there is good flow and a clump of people are not clogging the way to get to the family to express sympathy.
• Try not to do the wake and the funeral in the same 3 hour period. This is exhausting for people who have to drive 350 miles round trip.

I have to tell you, I was very proud of my daughter. An objective fly on the wall would have known within the first few minutes that my daughter was gracious and very good at doing funerals even though this was her first experience with "immediate family death". The other two daughters-in-law were not prostrate with grief, but neither were they much good at being gracious hostesses. I want you to know, I am not being critical because, bless their hearts, they have never had to do a funeral before either.

So, please take these few things I've listed above as etiquette points to ponder. It isn't because it is the Southern Way. It is because they will serve you well in any gathering where you find yourself the hostess or host. There are just certain things that are done and not done which emblazon a banner across your forehead that either says, 'Gracious' or 'Uncouth Idiot'.

A couple o' things...

First, please pray with me. My daughter's father-in-law had a heart attack last Saturday and passed away suddenly. Didn't even know he had a heart problem. Pray that this causes my son-in-law to draw closer to God and my daughter, too. It just breaks my heart that this happened. Pray that relationships will mend between my daughters. I really need my younger daughter back. I have missed her so much and I feel like I hardly know her anymore. It's not like we live a continent apart, either. I pray that this will draw me and them closer together, too, along with my son-in-law.

In the coming weeks I will be reviewing some gifted writers and then new books. Be looking for my review first of February of Marilynn Griffith's new book Pink (Shades of Style). I got a peek at the first chapter and it is loads of fun! I'll be looking at Brandilyn Collins' new book Web of Lies either end of January or mid-February and in March we'll look at Brenda Coulter's A Family Forever". Then in April Kathern Mackel's Outrider. I'm really excited about these upcoming Christian Fiction books.

If anyone would like to join the Blog Tour (even for just a book or two) let me know.

Resolutions Schmooselutes

Happy New Year

Psalm 8

To the chief musician, on the harp. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth; You have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, You have ordained strength, because of the ones distressing You, to cause the enemy and the avenger to cease.
When I look upon Your heavens, the work of Your fingers: the moon and the stars which You have fixed;
what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him?
For You have made him lack a little from God; and have crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all under his feet:
all flocks and oxen, and also the animals of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, all that pass through the sea.
O Jehovah, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Amazing Math Trick

Here's a math trick just for fun.
(You might need a calculator.)


1. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOTthe area code)
2. Multiply by 80
3. Add 1
4. Multiply by 250
5. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
7. Subtract 250
8. Divide number by 2
Recognize the number?

(Taken from God Gave Us Laughter at Studylight.org)

Christian fun

Tag -- The adnauseum game

I hate tagging. I dislike it for a number of reasons but the main one is that there are so many MORE interesting things to talk about besides 7 things or 5 things etc about me! I won't tag anyone else and this is positively the absolute LAST time I'm playing this game. If I ever get tagged again, I will post this post and hope that it gets sucked into a time warp. (This is not my cat and those are not my cigarettes; I quit smoking over 5 years ago, Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! AMEN.)

7 things to do before I die:
1. Learn Hebrew and Greek
2. Enjoy a grandchild
3. Pay all my debts
4. Publish a novel.
5. Have another 15 minutes of fame. (I'll have to blog about the first 15 minutes)
6. Learn everything about worship
7. Travel in Scotland

7 things I can’t do:
1. Sleep without snoring at some point during the night.
2. Decorate like Martha Stewart
3. Make the perfect fudge
4. Be patient all the time.
5. Stay away from Studylight.org for more than a week
6. Keep from looking at an email when it first hits my inbox. (I had to exit mailbox when taking tests.)
7. Garden

7 things that attract me to blogging:
1. Writing
2. Writing my opinion
3. Writing about my beloved Jesus
4. Writing and teaching my beloved Bible
5. Commenters who agree with me.
6. The bloggers I have met and become friends with
7. The fact that people from all over the world read my blog and that is just fascinating to me! I don't have to have a book published or be famous for someone else to come here and comment, that is just fascinating to me. My blog is a ministry and that is fascinating to me. It is fun! It reaches 24/7 and God gifted me talent and a deep desire to reach out to others. Fascinating.

7 things I say most often:
1. Hoo-ray
2. Anyhoot
4. I’m sorry
5. Please forgive me
6. Hello, kitty kitty, my Scooter, my little man -- hey it works for the cat.
7. Hello, this is Gina.

8 books I love:
1. The Bible
2. Count of Monte Cristo
3. The Trixie Belden series
4. All Georgette Heyer books (I had everyone but lost them when hubby didn't pay the storage bill. If anyone knows where I can acquire as many as possible, please let me know. I used to read every one of them once a year.)
5. Original Star Trek series
6. The Footsteps of the Messiah by Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Purpose Driven Life
7. The Dictionary
8. Authors: Beth Moore, Francine Rivers, Max Lacado, Ron Meur, Bob Larson,

7 movies I watch over and over:
1. While You Were Sleeping
2. Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park
3. Romeo and Juliet
4. Much Ado About Nothing
5. American Dreamer
6. Fiddler on the Root
7. Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday and any other Cary Grant movie.

Little baby feet

Little, sweet baby feet. Mary will soon cover them with her hand, warming them against the night chill. She has treasured in her heart all the words spoken about her first born Son.

Things like, "The angel was so glorious, shouting out praises to God on High and the Good News! The Messiah is born! Our long awaited Savior, the Lord, is born!"

And word went out publically, through the bright streets of Bethelehem. The star shining down on the child. The little feet, toes curled against the chill, wiggled in His mother's hand.

Eight day old, tiny feet with pink toes that curl in pain as the centuries-old right of covenant is performed on the Messiah. Simon lifts his old eyes, tears spilling from their corners to the Lord God Almighty. Praising Him for this precious gift. Anna speaks to all who will listen about the Christ child, this most amazing gift from God.

The feet grew large enough for little sandals as they toddled, one in front of the other. Tiny hands holding on to a big Daddy finger. His first steps, those little feet on their own, dust swirling around them, making the little nose sneeze. A delighted chuckle from Daddy, and a bright grin from Mommy. Loving, watchful eyes guarded those little feet from the fire, the holes, the rocks.

One day a mighty procession fills the streets of Bethelehem. Camels dressed in finery, servants dashing from house to house questions in their expressions, the star's bright light setteled over one house. Magi, wise men from the far East nod and smile. They get off their beasts and carefully search the packs until fine gifts are found. Gold, frankencense and Myrrh. Reverently they enter His presence. They bow and worship Him, kissing His little feet.

The days go by and His feet grow larger, tucked underneath Him as He sits in His Father's House. The voices of many echo around. He speaks with great authority and the voices quiet. "Did you not know that I must be in My Father's House about My Father's business?"

The days go by and His feet grow larger. The heat bears down and the slap of leather against hard ground is muted by many voices. Dust billows up and covers those following behind Him. Disciples they are called. A word that loosely means dust gatherers as they follow Him. Men and women thirsting for the living water that falls from His lips; hungering for the Bread of Life.

The days go by and storms cease, roiling billows calm, deaf hear, blind see, sick are healed, lepers are cleansed, demons are routed, stories are told, His feet get tired and His bones grow weary from the press of the opressed. His own received Him not but those that did receive Him were given Life because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Doorway to Heaven. The feet carried Him through desert and over mountain, through streams and over the sea.

One afternoon the feet are resting against cool tile. A woman enters the room. She settles at the feet. Her tears wash the dust from them. Her hair dries them. She kisses His feet in deep worship for she has been forgiven much. She washed His feet as the nobleman did not. Reverent worship by anointing them with ointment.

One day the feet stumble down the street, drenched in His blood. The feet are in agony as they trudge toward Golgotha. The nails are hammered through them into the cross. Splinters pierce the skin. Blood drips from them into the dust. The feet strain to hold Him up for one last breath and then He gives up His spirit.

Tenderly the feet are washed one last time, a hundred pounds of spices and clean cloths are wrapped around the body and He is laid to rest in a freshly hewn tomb. The stone covers the entrance and darkness engulfs the One. Days pass. Suddenly, the earth quakes.

Those dear feet touch earth once more, transformed. The same, but different, glorified, radiant feet and body. These dear feet walk down a road and the King tells from Genesis to Zechariah those things that foretold His coming, His dying, His arising in victory over sin and death. On the mountain, the last thing the disciples see are the soles of those feet rising to Heaven.

Oh happy day, the day I can sit at those feet that are even now on the pavement of sapphire as clear as the heavens... To kiss them in worship and adoration... To sit at them and learn from He who has all knowledge and has all power and secured victory for me and gave me life eternal with him. Oh happy day, O glorious feat.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PROSKUNEO -- The Greek word for worship, English translations of the Bible render it as "worship." Proskune is a compound word meaning "to kiss toward" and represents a form of worship that shows reverence and submission to someone or something by bowing to the ground and kissing his feet, the hem of his clothing, or the ground.

Technorati: Bible story

Frogs in a Pit

A group of frogs was traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.

Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, "Why did you continue jumping.

Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story holds two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

(copied from an ancient email)

Landon Snow & The Auctor's Riddle

I'm a little late with this review. Randy, I'm sorry! Putting that aside...

Let me tell you that RK Mortenson has published a super book for 8-12 year olds. I read it, and was enthralled. It is thought provoking and educational without being teachy, you know?

I loved it! If you have any kids on your list, this would be a great Christmas present.

I asked Randy a question:

Gina: What did you learn about yourself and about God as you wrote this book. How has that affected you today?

Randy: Interesting questions...

I was struggling with the writing/publishing dream for a decade, meaning I was trying to get something published, but to no avail. At more than one point I prayed that God would take away the incredible desire I had to be published if it wasn't meant to be. If anything, the desire increased. So I learned along the way that I had a lot to learn! I learned patience and perseverance in a rather tangible way. I learned to accept rejection(s) and seek to grow from it. One verse that I held on to is Psalm 37:4: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." For as important as writing is to me, without God it is not satisfying or fulfilling.

The whole process of writing and learning and praying and dreaming and striving and studying and waiting and yearning revealed to me just how ambitious I really was. It's hard to describe this drive that almost feels like a need, to read and write, along with the hunger for getting published. I continue to learn from it and continue to grow as a writer and as a person. Because it's so strong, it drives me to my knees in search of God's guidance, wisdom, strength, peace, and humility. I am thankful for that.

In the end, of course, God's Word sums it up: "Of making many books there is no end..." Ecclesiastes 12:12, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." These words put things into perspective. As important as my book may be to me, well, I recognize that in the great scheme of things there are much more important things--God, eternity,family, other people--to consider. Only God's Word is eternal; my feeble words, for as much energy and time I put into them, will simply pass away.

I hope that answers the questions. :-) Thanks for the thought- and heart-provokers.

Blessings,
Randy

Just click on Landon Snow and the Auctor's Riddle and you can purchase this beautiful book.

Christians

A note about email...

A friend who used to forward with all addresses showing and who used to have mine along with everyone else's emails emblazzoned across the top of his emails sent this to me without any email addresses across the top! Finally, he "got" it LOL. The fact is, I trust him and I trust the folks on his email list... but, how about those who they email to? and the ones after that? So, I decided to post this very concise piece of advice concerning email.


FOR EVERYONE WHO SENDS E-MAILS, PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY!!!!! I HOPE THIS HELPS

Read the text below...Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% do NOT. Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor individual to get a virus, and his (her) computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it?

Well, there are two easy steps:1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message. That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first, then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all. 2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses.

This is the way that people you send to only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your BCC: option, click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: in this manner, your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it. So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses! Finally, here's an idea!!! Let's send this to everyone we know. ( but strip my address off first).This is something that SHOULD be forwarded. Hope you find the above info useful and helpful!
whatever you do, please remove my return address before you forward this email!

You can also have a blank email list that sends you a copy. Put a name in your email list (I use All Y'all) then give it your own email address. This will send you a copy if you put it in the To: box at the top. It is a little more personal than "To Undisclosed Recipients"

Is that One for the Chipper?

I'm feeling just better enough to be a bit crabby. The fact that Christmas was good enough as Christmas for our founding fathers and that without Jesus there wouldn't have even been a reason to come to the Americas makes what is happening now worse than a shame.

Our laws are based on Biblical principles. Our ethics are based on Christian ethical standards. Our country was based on a Christian foundation. Yet, we still have a small percentage of people that want to rule our world by insisting on a "Holiday Tree" instead of a Christmas Tree.

Give me a break.

We have a malestorm brewing and it seems to be the Christians are not in the center of the arena helpless before the lions. Falwell on one side is "going to suebanyone who spreads what they see as misinformation about Christmas celebrations in public spaces." What kinds of Christian attitude is that? On the other side we have the pagans who are offended by any mention of Christ or Christmas. They reject Jesus but can't find anything to worship that comes even close to our Lord. Then we have Gov. Arnold who last year "blessed" holiday trees, but this "year lit what he called a Christmas Tree", so stated the news article. The newspaper couldn't call it a Christmas Tree outright. Are we standing firm or are we being blown away in the wind?

Over 50 million websites use the term Christmas Tree and only about 1.6 million use the term Holiday Tree. Is it a trend that just isn't taking hold? I sure hope so. Anyone over the age of 20 has heard, and called it a Christmas Tree for over 20 years so that's a habit that will be hard to break. If it takes 30 days to break a habit then that means it just might take 30 years to break the Christmas habit. We can only hope and pray.

It is Christmas Season; it is Christmas break, Christmas holidays, Christmas vacation, Christmas present, Christmas decorations, Christmas wreath, Christmas cards. Christmas is about Christ! Without Christ there is no Hope, or Faith and certainly, no Love. It is plain as a pikestaff, the Federal Government lets Federal employees off for the Christmas holiday so if the Federal Gov't recognizes Christmas, how can we do anything else? Christmas Holiday. Now that is a term I really like, especially since holiday is a shortened term for Holy Day so Christmas Holy Day is perfectly GREAT for me! How about you?

Catch the nose

... it's running! I sit here perfectly miserable. Oh, I'm estatically happy that I'll graduate with honors and that I have a great job which I have been wanting for so long. But...

My body has these electric aches that whenever a piece of lint scrapes against my skin it feels like a little person is going happy with a sledge hammer. My head feels like Tweety Bird just spit out a huge piece of bubble gum in it and Snoopy is doing the Happy Dance on top of it. Even though the room is 75 degrees, I'm freezing, but it's too hot to back up to the fireplace. Would someone get the 500 pound fat lady off my chest and make her go sing someplace else like a galaxy far, far away. Tissue hurts my nose and my throat is so scratchy we could use it to sand down the house.

And our choir's cantata is Sunday night! Oh me!

This, ladies and gents, is what you get when you brag that you are healthy as a horse. It is what you get when you go Christmas shopping in cold nasty weather right before you are supposed to sing to bring glory to God. Oh my.

Let me tell you about the Christmas shopping. This is really the first year since my divorce that I've really had the Christmas spirit and wanted to go shopping. Mom and I prayed as we drove to town (94 miles away) that God would bring us to the exact thing we should give to each person and that we would have fun. Usually I'm waiting for Mom to finish or she (rarely) has to wait for me. We met up in front of the milk--quite by accident-- and decided to get some coffee. We rested and chatted then parted ways to finish up our shopping. Then we met again at the check outs...she walked right into an empty stall and I traveled a tad farther and walked right into an empty stall [shock]. Then we headed home. All our shopping was done in one day. I'm in awe how God works to smooth paths and how He helps in the little things if we only ask. It is so astounding, I've almost forgotten my head, throat, stomach ache. One day we won't have to worry about germs, amen?

Since He does such astounding work in the little things, I'm quite positive I'll be just fine come Sunday night so that I can glorify Him. That's what it's all about, anyway.

Comes a Horseman

Bob Liparulo emailed me back to let me know that there is a group guide that goes with his book. It is located on the publisher's website, WestBow. You can click the title or the publisher's name to find it. I thought that was really cool!

Claire said her group was reading this book. I think it is a great book to discuss.