Bungalow Bound By Bended Borders, Bob Boldly Bounced Beside Big Bayou. Bark and Boulders Beyond Belief, Basking Below Brilliant Beams of Brightness. Brutish and Bold Bob Boomed his Big Bullhorn, Begging for Brunch Before the Blessing.
Well anyway, this is Bob the Frog's new habitat, courtesy of the new pet store uptown. They were getting rid of the plastic crate and thought it would be great for Bob, the price was right so we took it and some meal worms too.
Challenge yourself and find Bob in the new habitat! Yes he is visible, think small, but not minuscule! Click on the picture to get a larger view. Post a comment if you find him.
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
A Time Of Reflection Each year as Easter draws near we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Sunday services in the weeks preceding Easter are usually filled with messages of the suffering Jesus endured in order to secure our salvation, culminating in an evangelistic message, lifting our spirits with faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.
This year more than any other I can remember, my thoughts turned again and again to the grueling death He suffered. With each morbid reflection I became more and more burdened. The wrenching betrayal, the hateful personal insults and ridicule, questionings beyond understanding, Pilate's "No fault in this man" verdict that incomprehensibly resulted in a death sentence, the physical torture suffered with each striking blow, the slow torment of crucifixion until death.
The evening service message was called "Learning to do what you don't want to do." It's focus was on Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Seem an unlikely message to reveal an even more tragic event?
Knowing in advance the events that are about to unfold, Jesus prayerfully asks God to "Let this cup pass from me". It was the terrible surrender of death he was asking to be released from, wasn't it?
Those final moments on the cross when Jesus cried "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME", not because he was physically suffering, but because for that moment of time when Jesus took on all our sins, securing our salvation, he experienced the wrath of God. For that moment in time Jesus was completely severed from God.
I thought my heart was about to stop! How could I have never known that before?
Jesus, completely God and completely man, experienced complete abandonment in that moment, more terrifying than death, total despair!
Fear: Separation from God!
No fear in suffering, death!
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This is our new frog, Travis named him Bob, we found him 2 weeks ago and made him a home with rocks and bark and a pond, he really likes the pond, but I'm not sure he likes the food. We have been feeding him some yummy canned cat food, and he seems to be growing and living, but maybe just barely. I understand that frogs eat bugs like crickets and aphids and things, but I don't think any live bugs would stay in our home made frog home. I wonder if he would like those freeze dried worms or those frozen things you feed beta fish. We will go to the pet store tomorrow and see what they think, but they will probably tell us to get a real frog aquarium and real frog food, so then we may have to let Bob go live in our garden or Susan's catfish pond, if he didn't look so much like good catfish food. The picture on the left is about the actual size of the frog, about 1 1/2", so he or she is still very young.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
On three different occasions during the past week this passage has been a topic of discussion or special interest, and each time it has touched me in a different way.
First, on Monday morning during our family devotion, we were reading Hebrews and when we finished Chapter 4 we wanted to talk about this very important verse, we talked about how could the Bible read us and thought it meant that God knew everything we would need and put it in the Bible, all the biblical principles could be applied to each and every aspect of our lives. Hmmmmm....
Secondly, during bible study on Thursday, this passage was of special interest. Our focus has been on the revival and reformation described in chapter 8 of the book of Nehemiah. Following 70 years of bondage and captivity God allows the people of Jerusalem to return. Soon after they complete the rebuilding of the city they make a return to the reading of the word of God, translating it to give sense (v8), the natural and inevitable response was a sense of remorse (v9), then a celebration (v12 .... great mirth, because they had understood), and return to the law of God (v14-17 revival of the Feast of Booths), continuing in the word of God every day (v18) . We took a look at the Hebrews passage in relation to this study in revival because we have been learning that true revival is a work of God and is firmly founded on the reading and understanding of the word of God. This passage in Hebrews sheds light on the how and why. Could you get any deeper than the soul and spirit, joints an marrow, thoughts and intentions of the heart?
Thirdly, this passage came to mind today while reading an email and thinking about the moral decay of our country, the more the word of God is removed from society the further our country falls from God's grace.........................
1) zao: lifetime, alive, lively; A primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively). 2) logos: the word, the Word; something said, including by thought, by implication. 3) theos: the supreme divinity, God, Godly. 4) energes: effectual, powerful. 5) tomoteros: sharper; Comparative of a derivative of the primary temno (to cut; as if by a single stroke). 6) psuche: soul, life, self; From psucho; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely. 7) pneuma: spirit, ghost; From pneo; a current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication). 8) kritikos: able to judge;From krites; decisive ("critical"), i.e. Discriminative -- discerner. 9) enthumesis: deliberation, thought 10) ennoia: intent, mind; From a compound of en and nous; thoughtfulness, i.e. Moral understanding. 11) kardia: the heart, thoughts, feelings; Prolonged from a primary kar (Latin cor, "heart"); the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind) This passage is so full and rich, nothing but the omnipresent spirit of God could go so deep as to know us better than we know ourselves! Can you imagine..........................one person may read a passage and receive comfort, another person may read the same passage and receive faith, another may read it and receive strength, and another be convicted, and yet another be saved, the potential is endless.
Tomorrow I hope to share something I learned from an evening service message right before Easter, so stay tuned.
Bungalow Bound By Bended Borders, Bob Boldly Bounced Beside Big Bayou.
