" Light .. Rivers ...Happy New Year"

"On the last and greatest day of the feast,

 Jesus stood and cried out,

 “If anyone is thirsty,

 let him come to Me and drink."

John 7:37 (MEV)
Rivers of Living Water

"And there will be no night there
—no need for lamps or sun
—for the Lord God will be their light;
 and they shall reign forever and ever."

Revelation 22:5 (TLB)

"...Invisible and Unmistakable..."

"Has God forgotten me?" 
Vaneetha Rendall Risner, author of the book - The Scars that have Shaped Me- How God meets us in Suffering- encourages us that at times God's care for us is Invisible and Unmistakable:)

"Some days are harder than others. Some mornings I can be cheerful even in the midst of difficult circumstances, and other days those same problems overwhelm me. Some days I wake up full of faith, and other days I doubt if God cares at all....
Part of really living is being willing to face sadness. ....honestly and openly telling God where I am and asking him to show me truth. Letting him, the God of all comfort, comfort me. Letting him, the God of hope, fill me with hope. And letting him, the man of sorrows acquainted with grief,
bear my sorrows for me....
Then I realized that Scripture never mandates that we constantly act upbeat. God wants us to come to him in truth. And so the Bible doesn't whitewash the raw emotions of its writers as they cry out to God in anguish, fear, and frustration when life ceases to make sense.
It was one of those difficult mornings when discouragement was almost suffocating me. I read Psalm 77. I pondered the last line long and hard; "yet your footprints were unseen"
(and still no one can spot Your footprints.)
I need to remember my own stories. 
They are unmistakable evidence of God.
Times when the Lord has helped me....
Remembering the past gave them hope for the future."

Psalm 77:1-2, 9-10, 12, 14, 19 (VOICE)
I cry up to heaven, “My God, True God,”...and He hears... In my darkest days, I seek the Lord. Through the night, my hands are raised up, stretched out, waiting; And though they do not grow tired, my soul is uneasy. Has the True God forgotten how to be gracious? In His anger, has He withdrawn His compassion?” pause “I can’t help but be distraught,” I said, “for the power of the Most High that was once for us is now against us.” I will reflect on all of Your work; indeed, I will study all You have performed. You, God, and Your works evoke wonder. You have proved Your strength to the nations. Your way ran through the sea, Your path cut through great waters, and still no one can spot Your footprints."

"when..your eyes are weak..."

"And when you are old,

 I will still be there,

 carrying you.

        When your limbs grow tired,

 your eyes are weak,

    And your hair a silvery gray,

 I will carry you as I always have.

        I will carry you and save you."

Isaiah 46:4 (VOICE)

"...Generous God..

Thankful God is a "Generous God" and the Giver of every good gift, and that we are to
Hope in God,
not be anxious, 
cultivate thankfulness 
and imitate our generous God.
Started this morning by reading Morning by Charles Spurgeon 12/5. 
The scripture and reading were of the same line- and motivating he stated:
"If all these things are to be had by merely knocking at mercy's door, O my soul, knock hard this morning, and ask large things of thy generous Lord. 
"Ask, and it shall be given you."
Matthew 7:7
or
“Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find. Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you.” Matthew 7:7 (VOICE)

Christmas season is a time for me to rekindle my heartfelt belief in a generous God.
" I went to the Lord for help, and he listened.
He saved me from all that I fear.
If you look to him for help,
he will put a smile on your face.
You will have no need to be ashamed."
Psalm 34:4-5(ERV)

"broad rivers and streams"

"But there the mighty and magnificent Lord 

will be for us

A place of broad rivers and streams,"

Isaiah 33:21 (AMP)

"All that you are suffering, all that you are enjoying, all that God sends you,

has this one design, to make you fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."(CHS- GOD’S THOUGHTS OF PEACE, AND OUR EXPECTED END)

"thoughts of peace and not of evil"

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil,

 to give you a future and a hope 

(an expected end).”

Jeremiah 29:11. 

Thinking of our country presently, 

Depicted in this art -Talk of Red, Blue, now Purple,

cracked up close,

Black, White, Brown,

Bright shades of light and fresh hope as well!

Together reflect a peace, a calm, and continual expectancy that 

"The Lord not only thinks of you, but towards you. 

His thoughts are all drifting your way."

God's Thoughts of Peace, and Our Expected End

Sermon No. 1965 Charles Spurgeon)

"This morning my desire shall be to comfort any of God’s people who are in a state of perplexity, and thus are carried away captive. I would assure them of the Lord’s kindness to them, and urge them to trust and not be afraid. God’s thoughts towards them are good, though their trials may be grievous."

"The Lord not only thinks of you, but towards you. His thoughts are all drifting your way. This is the way the south wind of His thoughts of peace is moving; it is towards you. The Lord never forgets His own, for He has engraved them upon the palms of His hands."

"Once more, and then we shall have fully compassed this text. The Lord’s thoughts are all working towards “an expected end,” or, as the Revised Version has it, “to give you hope in your latter end.” Some read it, “a future and a hope.” The renderings are instructive. God is working with a motive. All things are working together for one objective, the good of those who love God. We see only the beginning; God saw the end from the beginning."  

"Our relation to God should, next, be one of continual expectancy, especially expectancy of the fulfillment of His promises...His promises are good words; good indeed, and sweetly refreshing. When your hearts are faint then is the promise emphatically good. Expect the Lord to be as good as His good Word." 

(CHS)

"The Unseen"

"The Unseen" - Painting by Emily Ann Holuta

I want you to picture Jesus looking at you

 putting his hand under your chin 

and gently lifting it to his eyes and saying

 "look at my eyes"

"I care for you and will take care of you

- trust me:)"

When you hear the birds sing🐦

 know I gave them their song.

 When you see the lovely flowers 🌾

know I gave them their color and delicate petals.

When you look in awe at the mountains 🗻

and the sky 💫and the moon🌙

know I have placed them 

-just in the right spot just at the right time.

When you hear the ocean waves 🌊

and see the tide come and go

 and the sand stays and is not washed away

 know I have set the boundaries of the waves, 

so I surround you, very watchful,

 carefully guarding and keeping

 with the jealousy

 that your my own💜.

Psalm 23 (VOICE)

1 The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.

2 He provides me rest in rich, green fields

    beside streams of refreshing water.

    He soothes my fears;

3 He makes me whole again,

    steering me off worn, hard paths

    to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

4 Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,

    I am not overcome by fear.

Because You are with me in those dark moments,

    near with Your protection and guidance,

    I am comforted.

5 You spread out a table before me,

    provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;

You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,

    filling my cup again and again with Your grace.

6 Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me

    where I go, always, everywhere.

I will always be with the Eternal,

    in Your house forever.

".. builder.."

"Every house is built by someone,

but the builder of all things is God." 

Hebrews 3:4 (VOICE)
"For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city] whose architect and builder is God."
Hebrews 11:10 (AMP)

" " the smile of morning"

"...His grace lasts a lifetime. The deepest pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul 

with the smile of morning."

Psalm 30: 5 (VOICE) 

"...then Sings my soul...."

"Then sings my soul.....

Sing louder....

Wake up,my hope,

Sing of blessings to come!

Sing of how he helped!

Sing of the weary way...along which he has carried us..

.to green meadows and still waters.."

"..hope..."

"Hope can be placed anywhere we choose, 
but the place we choose makes all the difference.
When we place our Hope in Christ,we are delivered."
(Rachel Wojo,-One More Step)

"like a tree planted by the waters..."

“But blessed is the man

 who trusts me, God,

    the woman who sticks with God.

They’re like trees replanted in Eden,

    putting down roots near the rivers—

Never a worry through the hottest of summers,

    never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm through droughts,

    bearing fresh fruit every season.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (MSG)

Illustrates- "Blessed to give than receive"

"This is my last gift to you,

this example of a way of life:

a life of hard work,

a life of helping the weak,

a life that echoes every day those words

of Jesus our King, who said, 

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 

Acts 20:35 (VOICE)

"..family and friends...spectacular .."

Family and friends "come alongside us

 in our life's journey." (Wilberforce)

They demonstrate love in simple, common,

 yet the most spectacular of ways!

"We are undone the moment 

the link of love is snapped" (CHS).

Preserve these friendships💛

- the most valuable of all possessions❤️

"Jesus looks at us with Asher eyes"

"And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
But Jesus looked at them and said,
 “With men it is impossible, but not with God;
 for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:26-27 (NKJV)

"And the Lord, seeing her,

 was moved with compassion for her,

 and said to her, Weep not;

 and coming up he touched the bier,

 and the bearers stopped. And he said,

 Youth, I say to thee, Wake up.

 And the dead sat up and began to speak;

 and he gave him to his mother."

Luke 7:13-15 (DARBY)

"And they follow me."

Mt. Washington, Sons -Matt and Jon

"We shall find it sweet to go up

 the bleak side of the hill with Christ;

 and when rain and snow blow into our faces,

 his dear love will make us far more blest 

than those who sit at home 

and warm their hands at the world's fire." 

(Evening 9/18 CHS)

"And they follow me." — John 10:27

Evening 9/18 "And They follow Me"

"...animate the hopeless..."

Stand out today in encouraging the hopeless!

 "Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

Saw this maple tree in the center of all

 these pines- glimpse .

"Aim to comfort the sorrowful

 and to animate the hopeless.

 Speak a word in season to him who is weary,

 and encourage those who are fearful

 to go on their way with gladness."💛 

(CHS Evening 9/17)

Encourage Him

Deuteronomy 1:38

Mercy
My past embraced
My sin forgiven
I’m blameless in Your sight
My history rewritten

Cause You delight in showing mercy
And mercy triumphs over judgement

Oh Love, great Love
Fear cannot be found in You
And there will never be a day
You’re uncertain of the ones you choose

So I will awake
And spend my days
Loving the One who has raised me up
From death to life
From wrong to right

You’re making all things beautiful
(by Amanda Cook)

"sunsrise spreads radiance

"Commit your path to the Eternal;
 let Him direct you. Put your confidence in Him,

 and He will follow through with you.

 He will spread out righteousness for you

 as a sunrise spreads radiance over the land;

He will deliver justice for you

 into the light of the high sun." 

Psalm 37:5-6 (VOICE)

"...Because of the tender mercy..."

  "All this will flow

 from the kind and compassionate mercy

 of our God.

        A new day is dawning:

        the Sunrise from the heavens

 will break through in our darkness,"

Luke 1:78 (VOICE)

"...looking for a better country..."

"Cause me to live in a more practical sense

 of the shortness and uncertainty of all human things. May I be enabled to live by faith

 above the world 

looking for a better country

 with my heart supremely set on it."(Wilberforce)

"But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."

Hebrews 11:16 (ESV)

"..immovable..steadfast.."

"Therefore, my beloved brothers,

 be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

 knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

"My dear brothers and sisters,

 stay firmly planted—be unshakable—

do many good works in the name of God,

 and know that all your labor is not for nothing

 when it is for God."

1 Corinthians 15:58(VOICE)

(Matthew Henry's Commentary)
"He exhorts them to be immovable, namely, in their expectation of this great privilege of being raised incorruptible and immortal. Christians should not be moved away from this hope of this gospel,
Col 1:23, this glorious and blessed hope; they should not renounce nor resign their comfortable expectations. They are not vain, but solid hopes, built upon sure foundations, the purchase and power of their risen Saviour, and the promise of God, to whom it is impossible to lie—hopes that shall be their most powerful supports under all the pressures of life, the most effectual antidotes against the fears of death, and the most quickening motives to diligence and perseverance in Christian duty. Should they part with these hopes? Should they suffer them to be shaken? Note, Christians should live in the most firm expectation of a blessed resurrection. This hope should be an anchor to their souls, firm and sure, (MHC)

"..the fog is lifting.."

"We don’t yet see things clearly.

 We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. 

But it won’t be long before the weather clears

 and the sun shines bright!

 We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly

 as God sees us,

 knowing him directly just as he knows us!"

 1 Corinthians 13:12 MSG)

"..posterity shall serve him.."

Posterity will serve Him;

    it will be told to generations about the Lord;

they will come and declare His righteousness

    to a people yet to be born,

    that He has acted.

(Psalm 22:30-31 MEV)

"Our children will serve Him;

    future generations will hear the story of how the Lord rescued us.

They will tell the generations to come

    of the righteousness of the Lord,

    of what He has done."

Psalm 22:30-31(VOICE)

"Grace, grace to it!’

 Then he said to me,

 “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:

 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

 Who are you, O great mountain?

 Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.

 And he shall bring forward the top stone 

amid shouts of

‘Grace, grace to it!’” 

Zechariah 4:6-7 (ESV)

This morning was a fogged morning and had a chance to walk in the woods.
I was listening to 2 songs by Jesus Culture- Miracles, and In your Presence!
I took this picture in the woods with the fog lifting.
The main thought was- life can be so hard for others and myself at times that hope falls. We forget that God does miracles and that 
nothing is impossible with God- "Our Mountains" can sink into the ocean.
I had been thinking about the verse in Zechariah 4:6-7 for a few days- that I read in a devotional- specifically the words
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
 Who are you, O great mountain?"
 And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of
‘Grace, grace to it!’

I thought YES -you are the God of miracles -still!  
"In the whisper, I can hear 
that You love me and there's nothing left to fear 
No greater love is found within 
all heaven and earth, heaven and earth 

In Your presence 
Mountains sink into the ocean
And we stand amazed"
So yes - Grace, Grace to it!!

Matthew Henry's Commentary -excerpts on these verses

All the difficulties and oppositions that lie in the way shall be got over and removed, even those that seem insuperable (Zech. 4:7): Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. See here, (1.) How the difficulty is represented; it is a great mountain, impassable and immovable, a heap of rubbish, like a great mountain, which must be got away, or the work cannot go on. The enemies of the Jews are proud and hard as great mountains; but, when God has work to do, the mountains that stand in the way of it shall dwindle into mole-hills; for see here, (2.) How these difficulties are despised: “Who art thou, O great mountain! that thou shouldst stand in God’s way and think to stop the progress of his work? Who art thou that lookest so big, that thus threatenest, and art thus feared? Before Zerubbabel, when he is God’s agent, thou shalt become a plain. All the difficulties shall vanish, and all the objections be got over. Every mountain and hill shall be brought low when the way of the Lord is to be prepared,” Isa. 40:4. Faith will remove mountains and make them plains. Christ is our Zerubbabel; mountains of difficulty were in the way of his undertaking, but before him they were all levelled; nothing is too hard for his grace to do.

3. The same hand that has begun this good work will perform it: He shall bring forth the head-stone (Zech. 4:7); and again (Zech. 4:9), The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, be it spoken to his honour (perhaps with his own hands he laid the first stone), and though it has been long retarded, and is still much opposed, yet it shall be finished at last; he shall live to see it finished, nay, and his hands shall also finish it; herein he is a type of Christ, who is both the author and the finisher of our faith; and his being the author of it is an assurance to us that he will be the finisher, for, as for God, his work is perfect; has he begun and shall he not make an end? Zerubbabel shall himself bring forth the head-stone with shoutings, and loud acclamations of joy, among the spectators. The acclamations are not huzzas, but Grace, grace; that is the burden of the triumphant songs which the church sings. It may be taken, (1.) As magnifying free grace, and giving to that all the glory of what is done. When the work is finished it must be thankfully acknowledged that it was not by any policy or power of our own that it was brought to perfection, but that it was grace that did it—God’s good-will towards us and his good work in us and for us. Grace, grace, must be cried, not only to the head-stone, but to the foundation-stone, the corner-stone, and indeed to every stone in God’s building; from first to last it is nothing of works, but all of grace, and all our crowns must be cast at the feet of free grace. Not unto us, O Lord! not unto us. (2.) As depending upon free grace, and desiring the continuance of it, for what is yet to be done. Grace, grace, is the language of prayer as well as of praise; now that this building is finished, all happiness attend it! Peace be within its walls, and, in order to that, grace. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon it! Note, What comes from the grace of God may, in faith, and upon good grounds, be committed to the grace of God, for God will not forsake the work of his own hands.

Miracles (Live)- by Jesus Culture

"Miracles"
(feat. Chris Quilala)

The One who made the blind to see
Is moving here in front of me, moving here in front of me
The One who made the deaf to hear
Is silencing my every fear, silencing my every fear

[Chorus:]
I believe in You, I believe in You
You're the God of miracles
I believe in You, I believe in You
You're the God of miracles

The One who does impossible is
Reaching out to make me whole
Reaching out to make me whole
The One who put death in its place
His life is flowing through my veins
His life is flowing through my veins

[Chorus x2:]
I believe in You, I believe in You
You're the God of miracles
I believe in You, I believe in You
You're the God of miracles

The God who was and is to come
The power of the Risen One
The God who brings the dead to life
You're the God of miracles!

You're the God of miracles!

In Your Presence (Live)

"In Your Presence"
(feat. Kim Walker-Smith)

When Your Spirit rushes in 
and a holy hush falls on us again 
it is so far beyond a song
it's heaven on earth 

With our hearts surrendered here
Come and breathe on us and change the atmosphere 
We are in awe of who You are
You're heaven on earth

In Your presence 
Mountains sink into the ocean
And we stand amazed
In Your glory 
Chains and prison doors are broken
Where Your freedom reigns
In Your presence 

In the whisper, I can hear 
that You love me and there's nothing left to fear 
No greater love is found within 
all heaven and earth, heaven and earth 

In Your presence 
Mountains sink into the ocean
And we stand amazed
In Your glory 
Chains and prison doors are broken
Where Your freedom reigns
In Your presence 

This room is alive in Your majesty
Our cities revived in Your mercy
Your Son glorified, our arms open wide
singing 'Worthy! You are worthy!'

In Your presence 
Mountains sink into the ocean
And we stand amazed
In Your glory 
Chains and prison doors are broken
Where Your freedom reigns
In Your presence 

In Your presence 
Mountains sink into the ocean
And we stand amazed
In Your glory 
Chains and prison doors are broken
Where Your freedom reigns

In Your presence

Fog is lifting and Mountains sink into the sea

"...all that puzzles... will be plain..."

"all that puzzles us now

 will become plain to us in the light.."

(Morning Aug 3 CHS)

"...for the glory of God gives it light,

and the Lamb is its lamp."

Revelation 21:23 (NIV)

"...the essence of summer..."

"buy a little of the essence of summer somewhere; and put it on your face;

 and have a smile on your lips and say,

 "I love you..."

(CHS-Sermon #145)

"love your neighbor as yourself”

 [that is, unselfishly seek the best 

or higher good for others]."

Matthew 19:19 (AMP)

"...Breathing in a brand new world..."

"This is love

Bending skies to heal the broken

This is love

Breathing in a brand new world

We are shadows and portraits

Empires of light and clay

Images of our Maker

...As our hearts cry out forever

Singing hallelujah

Breathing in a brand new world" 

(Empires- Lyrics Hillsong United)

"Our hearts stayed true to You;

    we have never left Your path;

    we follow on."

 Psalm 44:18 (VOICE)

Empires Live- Hillsong United

"Empires"

We are worlds, we are bodies
Empires of dirt and grace
Silhouettes and reflections
Caught in His holy flame

Beneath our skin
A new creation
The night is done
Our chains are broken
The time has come
The wait is over
The King is here
And His Name is Jesus

This is love
Bending skies to heal the broken
This is love
Bleeding life into the grave
Hear the sound
As our hearts cry out forever
Singing hallelujah
Breathing in a brand new world

We are shadows and portraits
Empires of light and clay
Images of our Maker
Sinners called out as saints

Beneath our skin
A new creation
The night is done
Our chains are broken
The time has come
The wait is over
The King is here
And His Name is Jesus

This is love
Bending skies to heal the broken
This is love
Bleeding life into the grave
Hear the sound
As our hearts cry out forever
Singing hallelujah
Breathing in a brand new world

No eye has seen
No ear has heard
No mind conceive
What heaven holds
But here and now
Let earth be found
With all our crowns
Upon Your Name

No eye has seen
No ear has heard
No mind conceive
What heaven holds
But here and now
Let earth be found
With all our crowns
Upon Your Name


 HILLSONG UNITED Lyrics
"Empires" (2015)

",,,new every morning..."

"But this I call to mind,

    and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    his mercies never come to an end;

 they are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)

"...Prince of peace..."

This song is a great reminder of need for prayer - concerning Turkey, France and personal things in life that want to bring fear or shadow. (pic Carol A)


Prince of Peace - Hillsong United

Prince of Peace
[Verse 1]
My heart a storm
Clouds raging deep within
The Prince of Peace came bursting through the wind
The violent sky held its breath
And in Your light I found rest

[Chorus]
Tearing through the night
Riding on the storm
Staring down the fight
My eyes found Yours
Shining like the sun
Striding through my fear
The Prince of Peace met me there
You heard my prayer

[Verse 2]
Hope like the sun
Light piercing through the dark
The Prince of Peace came and broke into my heart
The violent cross, the empty grave
And in Your light I found grace

[Chorus]
Tearing through the night
Riding on the storm
Staring down the fight
My eyes found Yours
Shining like the sun
Striding through my fear
The Prince of Peace met me there
You heard my prayer

[Bridge]
Your love surrounds me
When my thoughts wage war
When night screams terror
There, Your voice will roar
Come death or shadow
God I know Your light will meet me there
When fear comes knocking
There You'll be my Guard
When day breeds trouble
There You'll hold my heart
Come storm or battle
God I know Your peace will meet me there
(Oh, be still my heart)
(Oh, That You are God)
(I'll fear no evil)
(For I know You are here)
And my soul will know

[Bridge]
Your love surrounds me
When my thoughts wage war
When night screams terror
There, Your voice will roar
Come death or shadow
God I know Your light will meet me there
When fear comes knocking
There You'll be my Guard
When day breeds trouble
There You'll hold my heart
Come storm or battle
God I know Your peace will meet me there

Oh, be still my heart
And my soul will ever know
That You are God
I'll fear no evil
For I know You are here
And you heard my prayer

Written By: Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Dylan Thomas
Empires (2015)
HILLSONG UNITED


"For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NRSV)