The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot ;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
“The LORD our justice.”
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✝️
God helps those who help themselves. I believe in those words. God loves us all. Peace for our Country.
Hi. Believe whatever you wish.
For those to whom truth about God matters, and what He says,
that expression is from a secular source. It is not in the Bible.
Same as ‘all men are brothers’ and ‘good people go to Heaven.’
Those are not in the Bible either.
Titus 1:16
I did not say the words were in the Bible. I said I believe in those words. My Mom could have said them. She was quite religious. I know if you try hard you probably can achieve your desires. It takes strength and will. Nothing wrong with that.
JOL, it takes God working on your side. That’s all.
You said it!
Let’s talk about “trying hard” and achieving your desires.
A parent, doctors, hospitals try hard but can’t save their child from cancer unless God intervenes.
Sometimes self-will and mental ascents are worthless in face of death.
Sometimes God answers; other times He chooses differently no matter your mortal effort of trying to help yourself, and your trying to help yourself comes to a dead end and you have to face the fact that all your self-help without God’s help is DOA.
That is what Whistling_Past was trying to convey to you.
HOME > THOUGHTS BY MEN > LOOK TO JESUS
Published September 1, 2020
Look to JesusSome of us have written our own Bible verse from Popular Opinion chapter 1, verse 1: “God helps those who help themselves.” We’ll fix ourselves, thank you. We’ll make up for our mistakes with contributions, our guilt with busyness. We’ll overcome failures with hard work. We’ll find salvation the old-fashioned way: we’ll earn it!
Christ, in contrast, says to us,
“Your role is to trust. Trust me to do what you can’t.”
Exactly correct.
We are not brothers and sisters to those who are not of God and who don’t believe in His truth, the one and only Truth and Light of Life.
There have been many times that truly faithful people of God could not help themselves and needed divine intervention.
Both Old and New Testaments have many examples of those kinds of situations.
If we could also just help ourselves all the time, then we would never need God.
Like you, I get so tired of hearing that phrase.
It only works in some practical situations.
Like if you have a flat tire and can fix it yourself, then don’t expect God to send an angel to fix it for you.
But that phrase is waaaaay to overused.
What about a child with cancer?
Sometimes doctors do all they can to save a child but can’t.
What are you going to say to the parents…
God will help you if you help yourself?!
You made a good point here!
Sometimes, many times, we can’t help ourselves without the help of God.
Right straight from one of Soros’s textbooks, eh?
Amen! Thank you.
Ph the depths of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgements and how unfathomable are His ways. Rom 11:33-34
P A U S E // H O P E (Salt of the Sound) (4:36mins)
Oh God! This made me weep out of control!
Thank you for posting.
It was timely.
Rivers run deep in some of our hearts.
Amen
Amen.
Love this. Would love to see this kind of Scripture daily.
Many verses are often posted in the open thread
Yes, and you have contributed much in posting Scripture on that thread that we are thankful for.
Bless you for it!
Amen!
Amen.
Thank you Menagerie, for posting scripture…..hearing the Word this beautiful Sunday morning has benefits.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
Zephaniah 8
“Therefore, wait for Me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to the prey. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger, for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.”
It’s a terrible thing to be an enemy of God, eh?
It’s a joy expanding wonder worshiping Him, eh?
Grace to you!
Frank Field, thank you, Grace to you, and to all who read or comment here, we all need it, every day.
What a great contrast. Frank!
Thank you for that!
The Lord our righteousness- YHWH Tsidkenu.
‘Thank you, Menagerie!
Jeremiah 23:6. Amen.
And he said unto them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” (John 21:6)
May we all receive our bounty from the right side, and the Lord will bless us all.
In light of this verse, may we be ready to seek guidance directly from the Lord, to hear and understand the guidance that He provides from His word, and to act upon it.
Sometimes the Lord requires us to cast our nets opposite of our self-seeking desires of our own wisdom.
If we are willing to forsake our own want, desire and thought of the day, we will find a net full of the fish God has in store for us.
Are we humble enough to submit to His Higher Will and Wisdom?
That First Sunday of Advent prayer is beautiful.
It is looking like the government can only “define” domestic terrorist once they have removed religion from their societies.
Shared Religious Values have always defined domestic terrorism.
Shared Religious Values have always defined domestic terrorism.
Sorry I don’t understand this. Please clarify. Thanks.
Yes, he needs to clarify.
I have had common values with religious and spiritual people of values and like-minded faith, but never had anything to do with domestic terrorism.
He really needs to explain this statement.
Our founders shared religious values…were they domestic terrorists against the British?!
Nope!
The British were not “domestic” to the fledging USA. So that hardly qualifies as domestic terrorism.
They weren’t but they considered us as such when they came to try and defeat us.
Larry’s comment of “shared, religious values have always defined domestic terrorism” paints a lot of good people to seemingly be in a bad place.
I understand your comment about the British not being domestic, but once they came over and tried to take over those in the fledgling USA, I think they saw our forefathers as such and wanted to conquer the land and rid it of “domestic terrorists.”
Don’t think for one second, that had the British won, they would not have gone further to take over the land and establish the empire here in the new land.
The blood of the victory of war doesn’t stop. It moves on to conquer.
Great prayer for advent! Thanks Menagerie!
Come Lord soon. Amen.
We all need Advent.
I have hope.
Thank you.
Beautiful!
I don’t recall the Advent in the Bible. Would someone point to chapter and verse please?
Maranatha!
1 Corinthians 16:22
Thank you. Read 1 Corinthians many time and never saw or imagined the work “Advent”. New to me. What does it mean? Where did it come from? etc. Look it up on internet and it’s all about buy something for Christmas.
If you type “Advent meaning in English” into Google, you’ll get this:
“the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
Christian Theology
Likewise, if you type “Maranatha meaning in English” into Google, you’ll get this:
Come, our Lord!
Maranatha (Aramaic: מרנאתא; Koinē Greek: Μαρανα θα,
romanized: marana-tha, lit. ‘come, our lord!‘; Latin: Maran-Atha) is an Aramaic phrase which occurs once in the New Testament
(1 Corinthians 16:22).
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have done all you suggest above. My question is where is this described in scripture? Or is it another advent of man?
It is not described in scripture. But as Christians we know that we are to joyously await the coming of the Lord.
Yes, here’s the thing, as I understand it.
We do not have to observe Advent, Lent, Pentecost or any number of church customs and traditions.
We could gather in a drafty barn and read scripture and sing songs a capella.
With no set schedule, leadership, education or format.
We could. And for some folks, it may be as faith building as High Church liturgical festival may be to others.
But traditions, continuity and reverence for worship itself, over time, leads to many of these things.
Rituals, in and of themselves, is not sinful. What’s important it what and how our worship activity focuses in and focused on…
Agreed!
You need to review the meaning of the word advent. Giving you this from somebody who is not Catholic, any religion or box church.
So here it is:
Advent means the arrival of any notable person, thing or event.
You may not find the word advent in Bible, but Jesus was the One Notable participation of God our Father’s greatest Sacrifice Who was offered.
But what the heck do you think the New Testament was about, fulfilling Isaiah 53 and the Messianic Psalm 22?!
You fail to understand that the birth of Jesus Christ and all the Gospels that teach that great Advent whether you understand it or not personally.
How you can say or question our use of the word Advent and wonder if it is of man… is beyond compare.
You need to humble yourself before God and ask Him to teach you.
He will if you are willing.
But it takes putting human pride down, being quiet, and listening to voices who can instruct you.
People here are trying, but you are not listening.
Speak less, listen and learn.
It will enrich your life.
See my reply to you about advent…maybe a basic school lesson to you about the meaning of the word advent.
It has nothing to do with Christmas!
Maybe you are too much of an “internet info” person.
I don’t do Black Friday, Christmas shopping or Christmas.
But I understand that the Advent of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with gift giving other than what was offered to Jesus by the kings.
Your comment denigrates and falsely convicts millions of us who understand what the advent/introduction of the Messiah really was all about.
How dare you get on here and judge many of us and tell us we’re celebrating just to buy Christmas presents!
Just because you don’t understand the “ADVENT” of Jesus Christ and try to comment in your own lack of understanding, that doesn’t mean others here are celebrating Advent in the way of your warped understanding and weak mortal judgment of others who might appreciate the Advent of Jesus Christ higher than just buying Christmas gifts
Shame on you!
You are not their judge!
Wow buddy, cease fire! I wasn’t denigrating anyone or anything. I was asking a question and making a statement of fact. When I get on the internet and type in ADVENT, I get pages of advertising for Christmas stuff and something about lighting 4 candles. I merely asked where in the Bible does it talk about ADVENT??? I don’t understand the ADVENT related to Bible teaching. Never heard of it until today. Just trying to learn something and understand. That’s all. But know what, never mind. Marry Christmas.
Jesus Christ was the great Advent, God our Father’s introduction of the Son of God.
And you get on here because of what you read on the internet and get pages about about Christmas shopping!
Are you kidding me?
Is that all you rely on?
Maybe it is you who need to cease fire and learn from better sources than just your casual references to internet stuff. It is not the God all of truth.
You’re not listening.
You were denigrating many.
Put your pride down before God and start over.
Menagerie’s article about Advent had nothing to do with Advent, but you had to bring that up.
You.
Not her.
Not me.
You depended on the internet and not the original non-internet sources of what the Advent, the introduction of Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
You went to the cheap source instead of the truthful age-old source of truth, not understanding what the word Advent actually means, whether said as a word or not.
All the gospels represent His Advent in spirit and in truth.
You’re the “wow buddy” addresse.
Correction…
“Menagerie’s article about Advent had nothing to do with Christmas shopping…”
I don’t follow certain traditions.
But I do know what the definition of an advent is.
Jesus Christ was the Father’s greatest expression of that in the history of the Creation!
Your mistake was not making clear your thought between a heavenly advent and a candle lighting tradition.
If you would made yourself more clear, thought this out before posting, maybe more people would have understood what you were trying to say.
We all don’t follow the same traditions.
Personally, I am only concerned about the Advent of Jesus Christ without any personal traditions.
If others want to light candles, fine.
Some just like to honor the Lord in their various ways.
Are you going to stand as their judge. Boy howdy, that sure is a “wow, buddy, cease fire!” right back to you!
I celebrate the great Advent of Jesus Christ in my heart only and refuse to judge others in their traditions, whether they are mentioned per say in the Bible or not, and I refuse to be their judge.
Whether you agree with Menagerie or not, she loves God.
I would refer you to my first three comments on the subject.
I don’t know what is unclear about these statements and questions! My inquiry was not about certain traditions, it was a question asking where in Biblical scripture does the Bible discuss ADVENT, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW. My comments/questions judged no one. You seem to be the one doing all the judging. If a person were completely ignorant of Biblical teaching and was seeking God, and asked this question, getting this response, what do you think would happen. You say you refuse to judge others. You took a simple question and condemned me for asking it. I think you have something in you eye. I am going to copy and keep this thread, so that I may study it and learn how not to act. Thank you for your help.
Okay, I will try answer fairly.
The word advent is not in the Scriptures. I know that.
Neither is the word “rapture.” But at some time, in God’s time, there will be a Second Coming. I don’t use the word rapture.
But Jesus fulfilled the meaning of that word; the fulfillment of what Jesus was given as the greatest gift of God our Father to redeem humanity.
He was a greatest, heavenly advent as God our Father introduced Him to the Creation as the Son of God and Messiah. That was an Advent of the greatest kind.
That fulfilled the meaning of the word advent. Go back to the original definition of that word and understand that the whole New Testament was founded upon a foundation of an “Advent” of God’s grace and mercy and love that was prophesied in Isaiah 53.
My problem was that you depended on the “internet”, man’s system and terms instead of presenting biblical truth, and you stated that the advent was about Christmas shopping because of what you read on the internet instead of trying to understand scripture own its own merit, usage of the word advent or not. The whole New Testament was a great Advent.
Whenever you try to nail down Scripture down to a word, you’re in a lost position.
Now, it is true that many make Christmas a shopping spree. But you didn’t make that differentiation clear to readers here.
You chose a poor source as your reference.
That was not a good source.
Again, not being a Catholic, I understand the difference between the real Scriptural Advent and what you were relying on the internet to understand about that great Advent.
To be honest, I have no doubt about your love of God. I never questioned that.
I just questioned that you associated many of us who appreciated the Advent with buying Christmas gifts, which btw, I don’t do, because I refuse to mix commercialism with God’s great gift.
Your first statement condemned many of us who know better.
You would have done to divide your opinion about the Advent between the holy and profane, between real Scripture and the internet.
Some of us are one side, some are on the other, but you lumped us all together without discerning the difference between the two.
Okay, I will try answer fairly.
The word advent is not in the Scriptures. I know that. If a word you do not know is not in your primary test, where do you go to understand?
Neither is the word “rapture.” But at some time, in God’s time, there will be a Second Coming. I don’t use the word rapture. √
But Jesus fulfilled the meaning of that word; the fulfillment of what Jesus was given as the greatest gift of God our Father to redeem humanity. √
He was a greatest, heavenly advent as God our Father introduced Him to the Creation as the Son of God and Messiah. That was an Advent of the greatest kind. √
That fulfilled the meaning of the word advent. Go back to the original definition of that word and understand that the whole New Testament was founded upon a foundation of an “Advent” of God’s grace and mercy and love that was prophesied in Isaiah 53. I always understood the meaning of the word ADVENT (simple enough). But in my 71 years I had never seen the word in the Bible. And the name of the article was “A Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent”. (Advent with a capital A, meaning the word represented a singular event) And ,I would remind, that all of my comments where in the contest of the article. So, the bases for my question should have been clear. A person, going by Phoenix, answered my question very nicely (Advent, as a word, is not noted in the Bible) , just as you did above in your first sentence.
My problem was that you depended on the “internet”, man’s system and terms instead of presenting biblical truth, and you stated that the advent was about Christmas shopping (I made no such statement or assertion) because of what you read on the internet instead of trying to understand scripture own its own merit, usage of the word advent or not. The whole New Testament was a great Advent. Again, I must ask, where do you go for information when the subject is not reference in any of the source documents available to you? I challenge you, type in Advent to search the meaning and see what comes up. If you had no knowledge of the Biblical meaning of the word, what would you ask?
Whenever you try to nail down Scripture down to a word, you’re in a lost position.
Now, it is true that many make Christmas a shopping spree. But you didn’t make that differentiation clear to readers here. OK, though I do not know how I would have been clearer, but I will work on it.
You chose a poor source as your reference. What other source would you suggest? The word is not in the Bible. The event “Advent” is not referred to by the name Advent. Where would you have me go? I went to the only place I knew at the time (comment section of article to ask a question, and BOOM, I am verbally assailed…
That was not a good source. Again, what source in your opinion is a good source?
Again, not being a Catholic, I understand the difference between the real Scriptural Advent and what you were relying on the internet to understand about that great Advent. I am not sure what not being a Catholic, or anything, has to do with my question?
To be honest, I have no doubt about your love of God. I never questioned that. OK
I just questioned that you associated many of us who appreciated the Advent with buying Christmas gifts, which btw, I don’t do, because I refuse to mix commercialism with God’s great gift. Sir, I did not associate anyone with anything, I asked a question! What you do for Christmas is of little import to me.
Your first statement condemned many of us who know better. My first statement was not a statement, it was a question! And it condemned no one.
You would have done to divide your opinion about the Advent between the holy and profane, between real Scripture and the internet. If I had known enough to do as you suggest, I would have known enough not to have needed to ask the question in the first place.
Some of us are one side, some are on the other, but you lumped us all together without discerning the difference between the two. It was a question. Sorry you feel you are on one side or the other but that is not germane to my original question.
There are many impressions of you that I have gleaned from your comments. And my person wants to speak to them, but it would accomplish nothing. I would only say, there is a difference between lecturing and teaching.
Having said all this, I would like to thank you for your comments. I believe God put you in my path for a reason and I will move forward with that belief. You have a great day and Merry Christmas (this time I mean it). And I will ask no further questions on this site.
Thank you!
My reading of your question is that you have no need, or perhaps respect, for a liturgical calendar. Millions of Christians, through the ages have. I’ll leave it at that, but if you are really interested in the history it isn’t that hard to find.
The parish priest today gave a good introduction of Advent, as well as reminding that the “twelve days of Christmas” is not part of Advent, rather the celebration of Christmas marked by various feast days until Epiphany which itself is one of the three main feasts in traditional Christianity, but seems to have faded away these days.
Often not said…
Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Often whats said…
Matthew 22: 4 – 5
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.
We, as Christians, need to take the great commission more seriously. So that we are not caught unawares and out looking for oil, tending to more worldly affairs. Look up
Speaking of looking up:
Colossians 3:1-8
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not the things on the earth. For you have died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life may be revealed, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
”Therefore put to death the members which are upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry, because of which things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, in which you also once walked when you were living in them. But now you also put off all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language out of your mouth.”
I love your post. It takes “faith, hope, and charity.”
The Days of Noah…
Our message today started with Luke 21:25-36.
Our Pastor included a reference to the days of Noah; specifically the 100 years(!) of Grace and warning the LORD gave to the world before the greatest catastrophe the world has yet experienced.
Setting the scene.
Genesis 6:5-8
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
For over 100 years, Noah and his family toiled to build the Ark, likely near forests, probably not near an ocean…
Undoubtedly, Noah and his family patiently explained his mission to friends and visitors in the intervening decades. But apparently, the words and warnings went unheeded and disregarded.
Matthew explains in chapter 24, from the perspective of Divine understanding and also Divine confirmation, millennia later,
” 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man”
And yeah, as Sundance alludes to, maybe the three monkeys are still fighting it out, but there’s only two of every other kind.
And it is starting to rain…
I have watched the days of Noah many, many time. I don’t see anything in Bible telling me to light a candle on Sunday. In fact I don’t see Sunday in the Bible. I see the Sabbath but not Sunday. Where/what have I missed?
In this New Testament era, God has set us free from the Ceremonial, Dietary and Priestly (Temple priests were Servant/Pastors/Rulers) laws of the Old Testament.
Those were intended as means to focus the Old Testament believers on the Atoning Sacrifice, once for ALL. Foreshadowed in Leviticus 16.
Excerpt: “20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.””
Today, as Words of Christ confirm in the New Testament, we still hold onto God’s Moral Law as applicable to all believers, (the 10 Commandments).
One of these,(Remember the Sabbath Day and Keep it Holy), speaks of Worshipping together regularly, In-person, but the day, time, place and format is free to be determined amongst the believers.
At the same time this moral law also reminds us of our inability to keep it, hence the need for Grace, hence the need for the Forgiving Redeemer.
So in a way, we live both remembering what Christ did for us, IT IS FINISHED. And also to the future, knowing our time on this earth will one day end.
Reverential times of preparation and drawing our attention to these truths in a maddening, sin-sick world is for me another reason for Advent.
I believe focusing our efforts on spending sprees during this time are at best a distraction.
Excellent reply! 👍
Yes, the Old Testament enfolded and the New Testament unfolding the schoolmaster of the original Law, types and symbols.
For example, the Urim and Thummim, lights and perfections for guidance…
That Jesus fulfilled as the final Light of Perfection as the Great Highest Priest of all.
He is the Light of Life.
You didn’t miss anything, Sunday isn’t there, but neither is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath day.
Looking at a calendar, Sunday is the first day of the week, Saturday is the seventh day.
The first day of the creation story, God said “Let there be light…”. After six days working and creating, He rested on the 7th day, giving the Israelites the example and command to rest on the 7th day, (the unnamed Saturday).
We know from the New Testament that Jesus is the light of the world. We also read Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week (the day after the Jewish Sabbath).
The first day of creation God created light, the first day of the week Jesus, the Light of the world was resurrected, so the first day of the week becomes the logical choice for those who worship Christ to choose as a Sabbath day to the Lord.
I found today’s Gospel reading interesting considering the present world climate. Our God is good so do not fear.
Yes He is.
The Goodness of God far outweighs the bad and evil against us.
Remember who it was that He addressed said to…
Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.
He said this to His disciples living under the dictates of the Roman empire who were doing far more horrible things to Christians than anything in America today.
Let us keep perspective in our day as troubling as it is.
We’re you listening to a conversation I had with a fellow believer today?
😉
Other than your comment that I replied to here, can you give me a time-stamp date on that comment and conversation of yours so I can go back and review it please? Thank you.
Not necessary. I was winking after your comment.
Bless you, Menagerie!
May you and yours be blessed.
Wise words, Menagerie. Remember that each time we exit our houses of worship, we are entering the mission field.
In these uncertain times, we are constantly being urged to historicize Christ, as though He were merely a symbolic figure in a moribund and culturally discredited system of thought. But Advent reminds us of the deep promise of the Nicene Creed. He was, He is, and He is to come. In this Advent, we await His birth, the newness that affirms and realizes the promise of His gift. — Glenn Arbery
The Candle of Hope
Hymns for Advent
And it is always the Light of Life!
Argh… keep trying to help ! Even the Coconuts!
Beautiful! Thank you, Sundance.