Sunday Psalm and A Celebratory Passage from the New Testament

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Psalms 22:1-31 (KJV)

Matthew Chapter 28

Christ's resurrection is declared by an angel to the women

1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Matt 28:1-8 (KJV)

imported through Bible Explorer 4 software

TAKE TIME Assignment: April 1-6

Introduction: Pharaoh needed convincing from the powerful God before he would allow the Hebrews to leave Egypt but by the time the plagues were over he was ready to throw them out quickly! Then he changed his mind and tried to enslave them once more. This was a fatal error because once God has redeemed someone He never allows them to return to bondage under another even though His people do not always live as shining testimonies of redemption. We will see this exhibited by the Hebrew people this week in the chapters we read.


Reading Assignment:

• Monday - Exodus chapter 9
• Tuesday - Exodus 10:1-11:10
• Wednesday - Exodus chapter 12
• Thursday - Exodus 13:1-14:4
• Friday - Exodus 14:5-15:21
• Saturday - Exodus 15:22-16:36

Memory Verse

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  Exodus 12:13


Prayer Journal (ACTS)

• Adoration - This week take time each day to praise God for releasing you from the bondage of sin! 
• Confession - Even though we have been redeemed from the bondage of sin we still try to return to it once more. God already knows about each sin but confess any as they come to your mind and ask Him to help you not sin that way again.
• Thanksgiving - Thank God for sending the Lamb of God, the sinless Passover lamb, to suffer and die for you!
• Supplication - What are your prayer requests this week? List them for future reference so that you can see how God answers.

Search the Scriptures

Look for references for each of the following:

• Promises that God made and to whom He made them. Do they apply to you?
• References that either refer to or infer something about future events.
• What does this passage teach about Jesus?
• Commandments that God made and to whom He made them. Do they apply to you?

Putting the Word into Action

This week, do something for yourself: do a bit of research. As Christians, we have just celebrated Resurrection Sunday and the Jews are still celebrating Passover. If you know a Christian Jew see if he or she will explain the Passover celebration to you. (There are things on the Internet, also, but they are not always reliable since many Jews do not believe either in the miracles of the Exodus - i.e. the Israelites crossed the shallow "Reed Sea" not the deep Red Sea - nor do they believe that Jesus fulfilled the role of perfect Passover Lamb.) Find out what you can about the Passover and be thankful that God preserved His people (and still does!) because as Christians we believe that the same God who promised to preserve the Jews has promised to preserve Christians, too.

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Saturday

source

Exodus chapter 8 

Does God  make any promises in this chapter?

• God promised to send frogs as the second plague if the Hebrews are not allowed to leave. He did!
• God promised to turn the dust to lice as the third plague.
• God promised to send flies as the fourth plague, but not to the land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived.

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Each of these plagues was against one of the gods that the Egyptians worshiped. This is because there is only ONE WAY to God, and that is through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, so each of these plagues is the antithesis of Christ.

Are there any references to yet-future events?

• Just as God separated the Hebrews from the judgment of the plagues, so does He separate His children in the future from the judgment that will befall the world's inhabitants. Jesus foretold this event in parables, including the one about the wheat and the tares

Does God issue any commands?

• After the first plague had ended God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh and tell him again to let the Hebrews go.
• After the third plague God sent Moses again to Pharaoh.

Read Through the Bible in 2013: April 1-6

Take Ten

4/1/2013	Numbers 27-29	Acts 14
4/2/2013	Numbers 30, 31	Acts 15, 16
4/3/2013	Numbers 32-34	Galatians 1
4/4/2013	Numbers 35, 36	Galatians 2, 3
4/5/2013	Deuteronomy 1, 2	Galatians 4
4/6/2013	Deuteronomy 3-5	Galatians 5

For information concerning both the books of Deuteronomy and Galatians click here. That article also contains information for I Thessalonians, which is the next book we will read in conjunction with Acts.

(Scroll down through the post. There was a lot going on in my life this time last year.)

Read Along With Me...And a Few Hundred Other Women

You might have noticed the button on my left sidebar for the Women's Bible Cafe (scroll down a bit). If you visit their website you might find an online Bible study group in which you wish to participate or links to help you in your walk with the Lord.

Now you will also find a link for a Book Club! The first month's selections have been posted and it isn't too late to participate. Actually, discussion does not even begin until May so you have time to obtain the books, take notes, and get ready for the website or Facebook discussion.

I've got my books and I'm ready to go!

And with keeping with that frugal gene that seems to be dominant in my DNA let me give you a few hints for getting the books inexpensively. I, for one, don't like to buy hard copies of a book unless I deem it a "keeper" that I must read again and mark up thoroughly. Even then, I might just highlight my Kindle copy excessively. :)

April Fiction 

This book is available for free at Paperbackswap (I just checked.)

It is available as a paperback for various prices at Amazon, depending on whether you want a new copy or not. They have it available as a Kindle book for $5.99.

It is available as an ebook at CBD for $5.99 and you can read it on your computer, Kindle Fire, iPod, etc.  They also have the paperback for $10.49, which is comparable to new at Amazon.

April Non-fiction 

This book is available in paperback at Amazon for various prices, again depending upon whether you desire a new copy. It is also available for the Kindle Fire and you can borrow it for F-R-E-E if you are a Prime member (which I am). Or you can buy it for your Kindle Fire for $8.54 if you wish. (There are also audiobook versions available.)

It is also available at CBD in paperback for $8.99 or ebook for $8.44. They also sell the DVD audiobook version.



As you can see, both books can be obtained for free if you would like to participate but you don't want to spend money or your library doesn't have a copy available for loan.

(**The pictures are courtesy of Amazon. I am NOT an Amazon affiliate and receive no compensation for encouraging the reading of these books.)

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Friday

source

Exodus 6:10-7:25

I have verses underlined in this passage with an arrow drawn to connect them.
Q. (6:12 and 6:30) - [H]ow then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
A. (6:29 and 7:1,2) - I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

In other words, God tells Moses, "Pharaoh won't listen to you! However, I am going to get his attention and he will definitely listen to ME!"

Does God make any promises in this passage?

• He continued to promise that He would bring His people out of bondage!
• He promised to harden Pharaoh's heart so that God's power could be magnified and so that God would receive the glory when the exodus finally occurred. 

Are there any references to Jesus?

• The very rod of Aaron was a picture of Jesus! Satan always provides counterfeit signs and wonders in order to deceive, but Jesus conquers the sinful acts of Satan every time!
• For 7 days the Nile River was filled with blood. This river was one of the gods worshiped by the Egyptians and they had to dig around it to try to find potable water to quench their thirst. Jesus said that He alone is the water of life and that any man that thirsts can come to Him and they will receive the water of life and would never thirst again.

Are there any references to yet-future events?

• We are told in Revelation of another battle between spiritually motivated forces that results in a valley running with blood. The first plague seems to foreshadow the future Battle of Armageddon unless it is merely coincidence that both battles between God's people and the nations that want to annihilate them commence with rivers of blood.

Does God issue any commands?

• God told Moses to go once again to Pharaoh to demand that the people be allowed to leave. (Moses was hesitant since even the Hebrews no longer believed him.)
• God charged Moses and Aaron with making His wishes known to the people and to Pharaoh (6:13).

Notice that it is AARON'S ROD and not Moses' rod that becomes the serpent that swallowed the magician's rods-turned-serpents and it was AARON'S ROD that turned the water to blood. It was Moses' rod in the desert but it was Aaron's rod in the presence of Pharaoh that was used. This was team evangelism supplied by God Himself!

NOTE: The genealogist in me can't help but notice that Moses told us how old his grandpa Levi was when he died (137 years). He also tells us how old his grandpa Kohath was when he died (133 years). Remember that Kohath was born when Levi was a young man and Jochebed was obviously born when Levi was an old man. Jochebed was likely not a teenager when her own children were born, but was perhaps toward the end of her childbearing years. (The fact that two generations of the same family were of approximately the same age is not hard to imagine. It has happened in my family. My aunt was so from birth and even my son was an uncle at the ripe old age of 6!) Moses tells us that his father, Amram, lived to be 137 also. The Exodus itself happened in the 15th century (the date I use is 1491 BC which mathematically lines up nicely with the date used for Solomon's Temple). A good resource book concerning the pharaohs between the time of Joseph and Moses is Unwrapping the Pharaohs by Ashton and Down, published by Master Books. 

Notice also that Moses tells us about Aaron's wife's family in 6:23. See Numbers 1:7 for the cross reference which was also written by Moses.

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Thursday

source

Exodus 5:1-6:9 
There are parts of this story that are so hard to read. At the end of the previous chapter (4:31) the Children of Israel were happy and worshiping the LORD because they were going to be delivered. But in chapter 5 things take a nasty turn! The people are told to continue their jobs without being given the proper supplies to keep up the production of making bricks. Now the people are being abused and they are afraid.

That old question of "Why do bad things happen to good (or God's) people?" is not a new one. The Israelites were wondering why their plight went from bad to worst right after they were told their redemption was coming. That sounds about right. Satan hasn't added any new tricks, probably because God's people can be kept discouraged by the old ones. It is one of the reasons why the New Testament tells us that we must endure until the end. But don't forget! Deliverance is coming! And when it does, it will be spectacular!

Never look at a brick the same AGAIN.


Does God make any promises in this passage?

• God promised that He would be able to show the people His power better after they had suffered more affliction at the hand of the cruel masters.
• God promised more familiarity than what had come before. He proved this by declaring His name of JEHOVAH to Moses (remember that Jacob had asked His name during his wrestling match with God but was given no answer, just a new name of his own).
• God reaffirmed the covenant with the people and promised to bring them out of bondage

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Whenever there is mention of redemption it is a picture of Jesus! Jehovah promised to bring His chosen people out from bondage, remove the burdens, redeem them, claim them as His own, be their God, and bring them into the promised inheritance.

Are there any references to future (to us) events?

• When we are face-to-face with God we will know the power of His name more intimately than we do now. And we are told in Revelation that we will each be given a new name also. Perhaps it will be a title or descriptive name like Abram becoming Abraham (father of multitudes), or Sarai becoming Sarah (princess), or Jacob becoming Israel (God strives).
• Christians have already had their burdens of sin removed, been claimed from slavery, been redeemed from the slave market of sin, and claimed as God's people by their God, but they are still waiting to receive the land of their inheritance.

Does God issue any commands?

• Through Moses and Aaron God commands Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel go that they may worship God
• God commanded Moses an Aaron to tell the people again all that God promised to do for them.

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Wednesday

source

Exodus chapter 4 

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

• God stated that the signs He gave Moses (rod-to-serpent and leprous hand) were examples of the kind of signs he would use to convince the Children of Israel that God had really spoken to Moses about leading them out of Egypt.
• God promised to be with Moses and give him the proper words to speak. He would not let Moses quit the job before getting started!

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Although not a perfect type of Christ (Jesus was not reluctant), the shepherd Moses was God's chosen man to lead His people out of bondage.
• God tells Moses to return to Egypt because the men were dead who sought to kill him. This is the reverse of his command to Joseph, the guardian of Jesus, when God told Joseph to return to Israel because the men were dead who had sought to kill Jesus.

Are there any references to End Time events or eternity?

Even though they have been redeemed from their sins, the people of God are still enslaved by this sinful world. Just as the Children of Israel receive the word of hope from Moses and Aaron, so do we receive the word of hope from God's messengers that one day we will inhabit a better world where we will no longer be under the influence of sin.

Does God issue any commands?

• God told Moses to throw the rod in his hand onto the ground. It became a snake (evidently a very large, nasty one because Moses fled from it; a shepherd would not be easily scared away by an ordinary snake).
• God told Moses to pick up that snake by the tail.
• God told Moses to put his hand into his breast pocket. When he did the hand became leprous.
• God told Moses to put his hand into his breast pocket again. When he did his hand was healed.
• God told Moses to be prepared to meet his brother, Aaron, who was coming to him and to speak with him about the plans that God had just given Moses.
• God told Moses to keep his shepherd rod with him at all times.
• God told Moses to return to Egypt because the men were dead who had sought to kill him.
• God commands Moses to do all the signs and wonders in the sight of Pharaoh.
• Through the fight on the way to Egypt, God forced Moses to perform the rite of circumcision upon his son. This was the sign of the covenant and by not performing it Moses was being disobedient and was forcing God to cut him off from the covenant.

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Tuesday

source

Exodus 2:11-3:22

Moses fled from Pharaoh after killing an Egyptian that was punishing one of the Hebrews. He ran to the land of the Midianites, a race of people descended from Abraham and Keturah.

I love that when God introduces Himself to Moses He tells him that He "is" the God of his father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. First of all, Moses' father, Amram, believed in God! Second, as Jesus so eloquently pointed out many years later, God is the God of the living, not the dead. Even when making introductions God lets Moses know that his ancestors were still aware of the covenant and were now going to see it fulfilled.

Does God make any promises in this passage?

2:24 says that God remembered the promise that He had with Abraham and Isaac, specifically that their descendants would be in bondage to the Egyptians before being delivered. The time was almost fulfilled.

3:8 - God told Moses that He has heard the cries of the Israelites and He will deliver them out of Egypt and return the family to the land of Canaan. 

3:12 - God promised to be with Moses and the pledge He gave was that Moses would worship God upon that very mountain when bringing out the Israelites. 

3:19-22 - God promised that Pharaoh would not listen until mighty works had been done by God, but then the Israelites would leave Egypt rich in treasure. 

Are there any references to Jesus?

Jesus claimed to be the great I AM ("Before Abraham was, I AM."), thus claiming to be the eternal God.

Are there any references to End Time events or eternity future?

The exodus is often used as an analogy about the Christian's life and the struggles on the way to his eternal home. Just as Moses and God had a verbal conversation, so will every Christian have such conversations with God in the future when faith becomes sight.

Does God issue any commands?

• God told Moses not to come near the burning bush but to take his shoes off his feet.
• God told Moses that He was sending Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.
• God commanded Moses to tell the Children of Israel that His name is I AM THAT I AM
• God commanded Moses to gather the elders of the Children of Israel and tell them that God had seen their affliction, had heard their cries, and was going to deliver them.
• God commands Moses to take the elders and see Pharaoh to beg for permission to go 3-days' journey to make sacrifices

Spring and Easter Crafts: Rose Barrette

I made this barrette for one of my granddaughters. You can't see it, but this is attached to a large barrette form. Here are the supplies I used:

• 18 inches of 3 different 3/8 inch ribbons for the rose (I used pink dotted swiss, plain pink, and plain white)
• green ribbon for leaves (I used sheer green dotted swiss) - the length depends upon how large and how many leaves you wish to make
• needle and thread
• large barrette form
• glue (not shown but I used Gorilla Glue)

Instructions:

Braid the ribbons for the rose together into a long strip.

Begin winding the ribbon around itself to make the inner bud. Use the thread to tack any coils that pull loose, including the beginning of the braid. Pull the center out a little and continue winding in a slight cone shape until you reach the end of the braid.

Tuck the end of the braid under and sew it into place.

Make the first leaf by folding the green ribbon into a point. I sewed this into place and crossed the green ribbon across the bottom to the opposite side to make the next leaf. I did this crisscrossing, folding, and sewing into place until I had as many leaves as I wanted. (The reason for the crisscrossing was to add stability.)

Glue a length of ribbon (I used the green) onto the top of the barrette form. Allow to dry. Either tuck and glue the overhanging ribbon or trim it even with the top.

Remove the forked piece on the inside of the barrette.

Barrette with fork out

Barrette with fork in place

Sew the flower onto the top of the barrette by inserting the needle near the bottom center of the rose before wrapping the thread tightly around the barrette. Make several stitches/loops to anchor the rose securely.

Put the fork back onto the barrette.


Give the barrette to one of your favorite princesses!

Journal Through the Bible: Week 12 Monday

source

Exodus 1:1-2:10

Exodus begins with  a repeat of the list of Jacob's family that settled in Israel which excludes the names of any in-laws. One of the things that needs to be remembered when discussing the tally of future generations is that many of the Israelites probably married Egyptians. Jacob's sons all married Canaanite women and most likely the next generations did also. This adds quickly to the number of people in Jacob's family that were not born into it but were added by marriage. They would, of course, be used to add to it by being one of the parents of the next generation. Moses' parents were different. They were both from the family of Levi. Moses' mother was actually Levi's daughter. Unlike her brothers, she was born in Egypt and not Canaan. This would imply that she was a child of Levi's old age.

Can you imagine being Jochebed and not only seeing your son saved from death in the river by Pharaoh's daughter and knowing his future was secure but being allowed to safely take your son home without fear and then being paid as his wet nurse?! Providence at work!

It must also be remembered that the Egyptians were descended from Noah's grandson, Mizraim (Gen 10:6), and therefore were probably not any larger in number than other subdivided people groups. The equivalent of this would be the total descendants of Noah's grandson, Arphaxad (Gen 10:22) from which Jacob descended. Jacob's family made up just one branch from Arphaxad's roots. Therefore, if Mizraim's population growth was slower than that of this one branch of Arphaxad's descendants, and scripture says that it was, the fruitful Children of Israel were swelling in population while the Egyptians' population was declining.



Does God make any promises in this passage?

Not in so many words, but by relating the story of his early life Moses is making it clear that God had a plan to keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through Moses.

Are there any references to Jesus?

The bulrush ark that held Moses safe in the river is a picture of the salvation we have in Jesus. After all, it was a miniature bulrush version of the large gopher wood ark that had saved Noah from destruction several generations earlier.

Are there any references to Eternity Future or End Time events?

Not in so many words, but I see the protection and provision coming from such an unlikely place and the return of Moses to his own nurturing mother a lesson in what is in store for God's people in the future.

Does God issue any commands?

God did not command the Hebrew midwife not to kill the baby boys, but they feared God and refused to do it making it seem as though it was understood that God commanded people not to kill infants. The fact that God blessed them would seem to confirm that they understood correctly.

Sunday Psalm: Teach Us to Number Our Days

This seemed the appropriate psalm to transfer the TAKE TIME followers from the study of Jacob (who discussed the years of his life in one of the passages we read this past week) to Moses (who wrote this psalm).

Psalm 90

Moses, setting forth God's providence

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

divine chastisements

7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

He prays for the knowledge and perceptible experience of God's good providence

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalms 90:1-17 (KJV)

(imported from Bible Explorer 4 software)

Testing bloglovin....Please ignore :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

TAKE TIME Assignment: March 25-30, 2013

Introduction: This week we begin the book of Exodus.

At least one generation had passed away, the Children of Israel that had been born in Canaan, and new ones that had been born in Egypt are the theme of the story. Joseph was Moses' great-uncle (his mother's uncle) and we are told that in these intervening years a Pharaoh had arisen that had totally forgotten what Joseph had done to save Egypt from starvation. Instead, this Pharaoh looked at how quickly Joseph's family had multiplied and decided that he needed to do something about it! This is how the slavery years begin for the Children of Israel.


Reading Assignment:

• Monday - Exodus 1:1-2:10
• Tuesday - Exodus 2:11-3:22
• Wednesday - Exodus 4:1-31
• Thursday - Exodus 5:1-6:9
• Friday - Exodus 6:10-7:25
• Saturday - Exodus 8:1-32

Memory Verse

And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them . . . .  Exodus 3:7-8a


Prayer Journal (ACTS)

• Adoration - This week take time each day to praise God for hearing your prayers! 
• Confession - God already knows about each sin but confess any as they come to your mind and ask Him to help you not sin that way again.
• Thanksgiving - Thank God for sending a Redeemer to take you out of the slavery of sin!
• Supplication - What are your prayer requests this week? List them for future reference so that you can see how God answers.

Search the Scriptures

Look for references for each of the following:

• Promises that God made and to whom He made them. Do they apply to you?
• References that either refer to or infer something about future events.
• What does this passage teach about Jesus?
• Commandments that God made and to whom He made them. Do they apply to you?

Putting the Word into Action

Sometimes God makes us wait before He gives us the things He has promised to give us! God's commission to Moses is a great example of that. Moses did not want to do the things that God told him to do because they made him uncomfortable. Then God told him to go to Pharaoh and do all these wondrous things, but He said that Pharaoh would not listen, at least not at first. How depressing to be told that the project is going to be a failure at the start!

Has God told you to do something but it is so hard that it takes you out of your comfort zone? And if you do them are you discouraged because you don't see results? (Yeah, me too!)

Find that thing that

1. God has told you to do
2. That thing that makes you uncomfortable
3. That thing that seems doomed to failure

and get to work! Perhaps the miracles that God works for you will be just as spectacular as those He did for the Children of Israel through His obedient (and reluctant) servant Moses.   :)

Journal Through the Bible: Week 11 Saturday

source

Genesis 50:1-26

Joseph returned to Canaan, however briefly, to bury his father in the family burial cave in the field of Machpelah. As a sign of respect to Joseph, this Hebrew patriarch was given all the rites and ceremonies of Egyptian burial.

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

Joseph reminds his kinsmen of God's promise to return them as a nation to the land of Canaan and made them swear that they would take his bones back there for burial.

Are there any references to Jesus?

Just as Jesus forgives those who repent of the wrong they have done to Him by causing His suffering in their place, so did Joseph forgive his brethren when they repented of the wrong they had done to him. Once again, Joseph was the type of Christ.

And just as Joseph was honored with his brothers at his feet asking to be his servants, so will Jesus be so honored. Like Joseph, He will raise His subjects to their feet,call them brothers, and nourish them.

Are there any references to End Time events or eternity future?

The final adoration of Jesus is yet to take place. He will raise His servants to their feet as brothers and joint-heirs. Then He will sustain them forever.

Does God issue any commands?

None that I saw.

Read through the Bible in 2013: March 25-30

Take Ten

3/25/2013	Numbers 13, 14	Acts 9, 10
3/26/2013	Numbers 15, 16	Acts 11, 12
3/27/2013	Numbers 17-19	James 1
3/28/2013	Numbers 20, 21	James 2, 3
3/29/2013	Numbers 22, 23	James 4, 5
3/30/2013	Numbers 24-26	Acts 13

For information concerning the epistle of James see this post.

More Grandchild T-shirts

We've been busy lately (so what else is new?) but I did manage to get a few more t-shirts and/or onesies done. I particularly wanted to finish Roman's so that I can get it in the mail with his Easter basket. I did our Diamond Girl's at the same time. And in my "free time" (uh...what's that?) I worked on Sweet Pea's shirt.

That means I have 2 shirts left to make this spring, but since spring doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get here I think I'll have time to get Polly's and Lili Ladybug's shirts done before they need them. I'm thinking of doing some beading or jewels around a neckline for Polly and appliqueing a ladybug (of all things) on Miss Lili's shirt. Anyway...

Roman's onesie and Sweet Pea's shirt

The transfer (shown below) are of Pepper as a puppy and  the rascal she is now. Since there is so, sO, SO much BROWN ink in the photos (What else would one expect a chocolate lab-mutt mix to use?) the puppy picture wasn't distinct enough after the transfer so I used fabric pens to turn Pepper-the-puppy into a drawing of herself. I wish I could do that with the real Pepper sometimes.

I also used fabric markers to color the words. Sweet Pea likes color as much as she likes Pepper and that's saying a lot. :)

The next two pictures show you the applique bunny with his little cottontail and the sentiment that I wrote that says "Somebunny who keeps everybunny else hopping" Appropriate? Hmm. Maybe we better ask his mommy and daddy.

After tracing my bunny onto heat bond web fusing and ironing it on, I added the ear in the same way, then outlined him in a blanket stitch. I also embroidered an eye, nose, mouth, and hind leg details before sewing on a pom-pom tail.

Our little Diamond Girl's pink onesie is identical to her cousin Roman's blue one except that I used different calico prints and colors.

The purple-lavender version of the bunny
with his blanket stitch, embroidery, and tail

A slightly blurry view of the words, because,
you know, she really does keep us hopping

Here she is modeling the shirt while showing everyone just one of the many ways that she stays active. (She loves to climb! And those bunnies in the rocker bench must come out to allow the sweetie wearing the bunny on her shirt to use it as a step stool.)

 

And yes, *clap, clap* she is so happy that her Gram got her shirt done before she outgrew it!  And so is her Gram.  :)

Journal Through the Bible: Week 11 Friday

source

Genesis 49:1-33

At the end of Jacob's life he gathered his sons together to prophesy their future in the land of Canaan. Then he died.

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

Through Jacob's prophetic blessings upon his sons God's promise of perpetuity was expounded upon.

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Yes, the prophecy of Judah contains the reference to the scepter that shall not depart from his lineage. Jesus is the eternal King.
• The crucifixion of Christ is prophesied in Judah's prophecy. (Jacob knew that the Messiah was coming through the line of Judah.)

Are there any references to future eternity or End Time events?
Yes, in the prophecy given to Judah, he is told that a lawgiver would not depart from his lineage "until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." This may be a reference to the first advent of Christ (the Prince of Peace) but Shiloh will come again in His second advent and then all His people (believers of every race) will be gathered to Him.

Does God issue any commands?

God does not speak.

Hungry? Try This Pancake Recipe

source

I know this isn't a cooking blog, but I have got to share with you this amazing recipe that I discovered yesterday for the most delicious pancakes I have EVER made (or eaten)! They were tasty, light, and fluffy. As a matter of fact they disappeared so fast that I didn't get a picture so I had to borrow one.

I have never been a fan of buttermilk. Meaning, I can't stand to drink the stuff! But I have become a huge fan of baking with it. My homemade biscuits and pancakes have been better than usual lately and it has got to  be the buttermilk! It isn't just the taste of the finished product. It's the consistency!

So here is the recipe I devised for our pancake supper last night:

Sift together in a large bowl (I used a large Pampered Chef Batter Bowl):

1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

(I don't care if the flour says it is presifted. Sift it anyway! I sifted the dry ingredients together earlier in the day while the kids were down for their naps and did the following steps when we were ready to eat breakfast for our dinner.)

Add the following to the dry mixture:

Cut 2 Tablespoons shortening into the dry ingredients in the bowl with a pastry blender (again, mine came from Pampered Chef) until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Beat 1 egg in a separate cup. Then dump it into the flour-shortening mixture.

Add buttermilk. (Start with 1 cup and then add more 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches the consistency that you like for either thick or thin cakes. I used about 1 1/2 cups.)

Mix well with a wire whisk.

Fry on a lightly greased, hot griddle, turning when done around edges and bubbly in the middle.

****

The next time I make these I'm going to be sure that I have both real butter and maple syrup on hand! Why allow margarine and maple-flavored boiled sugar to cheapen the taste?

And if you need any Pampered Chef items feel free to contact my daughter, Elisabeth (aka Lisa), who is my own personal PC consultant.  :)

Journal Through the Bible: Week 11 Thursday

source

Genesis 47:11-48:22

As the years of famine continue, the Egyptians sell everything they have, including themselves, to Pharoah in order to purchase food and seed. Joseph made them tenant farmers who gave 20% of the yearly yield to Pharoah and kept 80% for themselves. He also relocated the people, perhaps as a means of increasing productivity or employ them in other enterprises (like building projects). Moses states that this 20% tax was still in effect during his time in Egypt (see 47:26).

Does God make any promises in this passages?

• Through Jacob both of Joseph's sons are counted as Jacob's sons in the naming of the separate family tribes (48:5)
• Jacob states that God had kept His promise of provisions throughout Jacob's life (48:15) 
• Jacob restates the promise of God that the Children of Israel (including Joseph himself, even though it is his bones and not his living body that go to stay there; he will visit there briefly when he is burying his father; both future in our study) will be returned to Canaan (48:21)

Are there any references to Jesus?

• While blessing Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob mentions the Angel that redeemed him (Jacob) from all evil. This would be the Messiah.

Are there any references to yet-future events, including eternity future?

• Jacob tells Joseph that the Children of Israel will possess the land that God promised them. He also tells Joseph of an extra possession reserved for Joseph. The book of Revelation tells of the family tribes being reinstated once more. Perhaps they will receive their complete inheritance at that time, too.

Does God issue any commands?

God does not speak.

Buy. This. Game. NOW! Please?

At the beginning of this year I mentioned that my son-in-law has a new game in production. (See here if you wish to read the announcement from a mother-in-law's point of view.)

Well, he needs your help getting it produced. Unlike his other games, this one is a family style game. (His others are popular with serious gamers.)

So go on over here to read about the kickstarter. Then follow his links and help get this game into production. I REALLY want to play this one.

And thank you very much!  :)

Journal Through the Bible: Week 11 Wednesday

source

Genesis 46:1-47:10

Jacob journeyed to Beersheba to offer sacrifices before taking his family to Egypt. The family census, with the exception of any spouses, are named. Notice that "the lad" Benjamin was the father of 10 sons (46:21)!

Wouldn't you have liked to have been present at the reunion of Jacob and Joseph?  :)

I remember hearing someone preach several years ago who claimed that Jacob was nothing but a complainer when he told Pharaoh that he was 130 years old but that the days of his life had been few and evil and that he had not lived to be as old as his forefathers. That could be true but I think of it in another way. I think Jacob was giving Pharaoh, who was a young man according to Joseph (see 45:8), a history lesson! Jacob is saying that his forefathers lived to be over 900 years old before The Flood of Noah and even Noah and his sons lived to be extraordinary ages! (Remember that I told you that Noah's son, Shem, lived long enough to witness the births of Jacob and Esau, assuming that he lived somewhere near enough to family to hear the news? Shem died when Jacob was 50 years old! Go back to Genesis chapter 11 and do the math if you don't believe me.) So I do not think that Jacob was complaining so much as telling Pharaoh about his incredible family tree!

Does God make any promises in this passage?

Yes, God promises Israel that He will make him a great nation in Egypt. Also . . .

• God would be with him there.
• God would bring him out of there
• Joseph would be nearby when Jacob died 

Are there any references to Jesus?

Yes, when Joseph's family arrived in Egypt Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him of the arrival. Pharaoh had been expecting them. In like manner, Jesus says in the gospel that He will not lose any that were given to Him by His Father.

Also, Joseph is to take any of his brothers that he judges as faithful and make them rulers over Pharaoh's cattle. 

Are there any references to eternity future?

I suspect that each person who is expected by the Father will be personally ushered into the Father's throne room by Jesus upon arrival in Heaven. 

Just as the faithful among Joseph's brothers were sent to rule over Pharaoh's cattle, so will God make His faithful to be rulers over the New Earth.

Does God issue any commands?

God tells Jacob not to be afraid to go to Egypt.