Good Words

& Deeds

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Dark Shadows Cross Our Paths.

Do We Trust the Word That All Is Well Ahead?

Psalm 105:1

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.

Romans 10:17

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

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Words of Grace For Today

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The Word

created in the beginning

and

continues to create every minute thereafter

as

always faith grows or dies from what one hears (and reads – a kind of hearing from others).

So Jesus calls us to share the Good News, with words if necessary, but first with acts of love and kindness, meeting people’s real needs, so that the Word spoken will already be validated by our actions.

And that is an impossible task on our own, for we always mess up our actions and motivations with self-interest and selfish concerns.

Thank God, the Holy Spirit can create faith in us, and in our thoughts, words, and deeds, so that the Good Word is heard

in our actions

and then

in our words.

Get talking after doing good!

Being Children

Again

Friday, March 15, 2024

Clouds Everywhere Float Through the Sky,

As God’s Children Inhabit the Earth

Everywhere.

Deuteronomy 14:1

You are children of the Lord your God. You must not lacerate yourselves or shave your forelocks for the dead.

Galatians 3:26

… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

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Words of Grace For Today

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To be children again, wow!

Or is it Woe to those who wish to be children!

Or is it Whoa Betsy, hold on now. No way do we want to be children again!

Not that it really matters, we are born children, every one of us, and we remain children to our parents our whole lives. No way out of that.

Being good children is something that may not be on everyone’s agenda or priority list, but it’s one of those things the Ten Commandments highlights as being important to good living.

So we ought to work at it. Sometimes there are benefits to being someone’s child like a great inheritance, and then sometimes it’s just a pain.

Whether we are God’s children or not is, like being children to our parents, is not up to us. Not that our parents had much choice in the matter about having particularly us as their children. … Unless, of course, we were adopted. Then our parents chose us, specifically us.

That’s what God does: chooses us, adopts us, gives us all the benefits of being heirs.

That’s a load of life abundant dumped in our laps.

Are we up to living it?

Today?

Deceitful Brooks

Or People Gone Amok?

Saturday, March 9, 2024

https://www.thecrossingresort.com/icefields-parkway.htm

The Saskatchewan Glacier in Banff National Park melted by more than 10 metres in the past year, researchers say. By the end of the century, most of Saskatchewan Glacier will be gone, researcher says.

CBC 17 Oct 2021

Jeremiah 15:18

Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.

Ephesians 3:11-13

This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that God has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

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Words of Grace For Today

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The glaciers melt, fast.

The rivers grow shallower year by year.

The prairies through which they wind suffer drought year by year.

The farmers has less water to irrigate and crops have less water year by year.

Until it just doesn’t work out anymore.

The water is like a deceitful brook, drying up when we need it most,

right?

Or can we say this fits within God’s eternal plan, that we might suffer the lack of water for some greater purpose?

Is it punishment for our sins of overtaxing the land and the water and burning so much carbon fuel and being so greedy that we always want more, more, more?

Certainly looks like it!

And how can we survive?

Many ways, some ingenious, some simple and old fashion.

But most of all we trust God, for even if it is our demise that ‘fixes’ the water’s depletion (less of us, more time for the ecosphere and water to recover) in the meantime Jesus calls us to be faithful following him, serving others in their need.

What will it be today?

Reliable

Reliable What?

Friday, March 8, 2024

the Moon rises on schedule and full

of reliability

Second Kings 13:23

But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them; he turned towards them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them; nor has he banished them from his presence until now.

Romans 11:29

… for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Reliable.

That’s what we look for in things we buy and count on, like cars and trucks, computers and microwaves, garbage compactors and calculators (oh, yeah, we haven’t bought those for decades give or take, right?), and clothing. Just hate it when that new underwear opens a tear on a seam after the first washing, don’t you?

Reliable.

That’s what we look for in our friends.

Who wants a friend who disappears as soon as things get tough. And we try to be there for our friends in their times of need. No sense in only expecting of others and not giving it when we should. The challenge is to be there for ourselves, when no one can be there for us. Somethings we just do alone, and must.

Reliable.

That’s what we hope and trust God will be.

When we are in trouble, when we are down and out, when the world comes crashing in on us. Like when God is there for the people because God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of course, God is reliable, the utmost. But the question is always, as Einstein named it, Is God benevolent or malevolent?

Reliable malevolent would do us no good, just lots of harm. Condemned out of the gate and forever more, things turning against us in every moment, people using us, abusing us, and falsely accusing us at every opportunity.

Reliably benevolent and … well …

all has been well, all is well, and all will be well,

for the world can come crashing down around us, as sometimes it feels it is indeed, and we know no matter what, God is with us, the Holy Spirit equipping us and guiding us, and Jesus calling us

to be reliable

for others in their need,

even this day.

Treasure That Fear?

Or Mix It With Love?

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Lynx Prowl Here.

Fear and Love

Allow One to Live On Here

Isaiah 33:5-6

The Lord is exalted, he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and righteousness; he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

Acts of the Apostles 9:31

Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Fear is a great motivator. Some say it is precisely what brings people to seek refuge in totalitarian, fascist rulers, enter Putin and Trump and a host of others not so obvious, (and a long long long list from history) but well on their way to being rulers, not leaders,

and rulers that should be feared rather than embraced! But

what can we do?

Pray and vote, and hope.

As for God, often fear is seen as our appropriate attitude towards the Almighty who judges everyone and condemns more than a few.

But that gets us nowhere in life other than in the same old rat race trying to make our way to goodness and God’s good graces.

Thank God it ain’t that way God put it together for us.

God comes and gives us (as gifts, fully gifts) life, forgiveness, healing, and renewal …

each day.

So Luke adds, the ‘comfort of the Holy Spirit’ and

Martin Luther speaks of ‘fear and love God, so that ….’

Always not just fear, for it paralyzes us and leaves us not so much freewilled beings, but instinctual ‘reptilian’ reactionaries, by fear reducedd to choosing between freezing, flighting, or fighting. Usually not the best options, though sometimes it is.

For those times, let fear motivate us, we pray.

But for all others, let love be the stronger companion of fear,

also this day.

Fine or Coarse

They’re still grounds!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Was it freewill that brings us to live where this is Spring time?

Psalm 121:7

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

John 17:15

I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Coffee Grounds.

Coffee is wonderful, without power the choice every morning is a French Press.

Can’t do milk, so Silk in the coffee mellows the acids, cools it a tad, and makes a smooth, slightly sweetened hot boost to the morning, though not as much when I could drink caffeine and still sleep well at night.

Wonderful morning still, mostly decafe, a bit of the full power stuff, a small boost but still wonderful.

And then there are the grounds.

What a mess.

Try getting them out of the press’ screen using little to no water. Impossible.

Then if I use water it cannot be sent down the drain and where to then?

So I use a paper filter, which helps with the screen, but not completely.

The grounds still need to be rinsed out (or wiped out, but what a mess trying that is!)

And where to put all that water. Plastic bags to be emptied on to the ground is best. Still a labour-after-the-gotta-love-that-jo!

God probably has stories like that involving forgiving and cleansing our hearts. What a delight that people can love. Gave ‘em freewill to make it possible. But oh, what a headache cleaning up their choices not to love!

And no matter what kind of things you provide to make the clean up easier, they always find a way to make it so messy it’s just unbelievable! Or, since it’s God, not so unbelievable as rather

planned for.

Thank God for that, or we’d all be sunk in our own sin all the time, and our only salvation would be to be out of this world away from freewill, sin, and, then of necessity, love.

Or stay in the world and lose freewill, which would make us no more than bi-ped, smart but stupid animals, eh?!

On we go, freewilled, sinning, and saved, into this new day, trying to return God’s gifts by sharing them with others, as fine or coarse as it may turn out to be.

Who Knows?

Really?

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Do We Know

Where The Winding Path of Life,

Through the Cold Wilderness,

Will Lead Us?

Jonah 3:9

Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.

Mark 11:24

So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Who knows if God will relent?

The blind man, the mother of the sick young daughter, the tenth leper, and on goes the list.

Are we counted among those that ask, not knowing how God will deal with our sins, our failings, our desperate needs, our illnesses?

Or are we counted among those who know God’s mercy and steadfast love?

What will we be to other people, those that do not know, or those that trust God’s Word?

Whichever we are, we all can still ask God for all we need. God hears us, and delivers exactly what we need to know God’s mercy.

Speak Forgiveness

Preach It From the Rooftops

Friday 9 February 2024

Out There,

Beyond the Trees so Strong

(like our sins),

Is The Light of Christ,

Rising Majestically,

Beautifully.

Isaiah 40:2

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Luke 24:47

… that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

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Words of Grace For Today

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The uses we put religion to ought to turn God in his grave, if he ever were in one! (Well Jesus was, but is no more.) But how is it that we put religion’s face on such horrendous schemes and deceptions.

What would the world look like if …?

What would we all look like if …?

If we used religion only proclaimed the Grace of God, that sins were already paid and God has restored us all more than two-fold for all we have lost to our sins?

Remarkably different, peaceful, gracious, generous, and blessed.

So let’s start today …

except

even though we are fully forgiven

we cannot let go of sin

for sin still has it’s ugly-strong grip on us

in us

so

we

must

wait

as

we persevere running the good race put before us

also this day

of beauty

marred

by our sins.

Quietly

Running?

Thursday 8 February 2024

Quietly Wait Here,

Or

Quietly Run Here?

Lamentations 3:26

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Waiting

and

Running.

Not really things that are possible at the same time, or?

Running the good race set before us, the race of sharing the Good News with everyone, using out thoughts, words, and actions to point people to God’s Grace and steadfast love.

Waiting quiet;y on the Lord for the salvation that is promised to us.

Two different things, until one realizes that the only way to run the good race (with everything we’ve got) is to know that we can only wait for salvation. Salvation is not something we run towards, or earn by running, or receive after the race is won.

Salvation is something that God gives to us in God’s own good time.

And in God’s own way.

So that we are equipped for the race.

Which we certainly cannot run on our own, not at all.

Not at all.

So we

run

and

wait.

With thankful hearts and open minds to what God will bring us to do this day.

Down But Not Out?

Only by Grace

Wednesday 7 February 2024

Even Healing Does Not Make Us Perfect!

Psalm 118:18

The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

John 5:5-9

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

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Words of Grace For Today

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Thirty eight years is a long time to sit beside a pool hoping to be the lucky one to make it into the water after it bubbled with healing power.

So Jesus heals him, despite there being a ludicrous ban on healing people on the Sabbath and it being the Sabbath.

What other rules do we put in place to keep good things from happening, just so that we can pretend to be in control, and thus pretending get other people to allow us to control them?

What is it about so many people who are so afraid of life, that they are eager to throw away all freewill to follow a dictator (no matter how cruel and evil) who will tell us exactly what to do and when to do it, even when it is obviously evil that we will do to other people?

What is it about us all that we like to put other people down in order to feel like we are better than they are, when in fact our denigrating them just makes us worse?

Thank God, we are not left on our own, but God comes to love and heal us so that we can love and heal others

with the weakness of God’s all-powerful love.

Wrinkles and scars are signs that God is working on and for us, and others.