The daily thread.

[Martyr's Crown]

Matthew 3:16-17

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

These verses got to my mind around 2 days ago, when I was reading this part in Matthew. And I thought; Here we have an audible voice from the Almighty God happening, something which made it really clear to everyone of His existence, and still it would be forgotten later on. Or perhaps it is more because humans have easier for letting in unbelief than letting their faith strongly get rooted within them?

So many times God made His existence clear to the jews in the bible as well as others, especially the jews were shown this a lot, and still they would turn away from Him, worshipping other gods, adapting to other people's cultures and religions, doing what was seen as evil in God's eyes. They were known as a stubborn people, and yet, still God came to their rescue every time they regretted, repented of their sins and turned back again to Him, crying out for His help when they were put into trouble! Still God was merciful to them! God still continued loving them!

A child easily trusts his/her parents, when they get raised up in a good home. Even in a bad home you will see that a child will trust in his/her parents, it is a longing and need which is put into a child. Because they are so dependant on their parents caring for them, they will have faith in them. Same way we should be with God, knowing that He is the Best Provider who goes over any abilities earthly parents have, He truly knows us fully! As David stated; He even knows how many hairs you have on your head! We should learn trusting God in everything, having faith in His care for us. Because God always cares for us, more than any human does!

As His Word states; Faith pleases God! Though faith is also about having a secure knowing in God's existence, it isn't about believing with uncertainty. Many thinks of faith this way, that faith is blind. It is not! Even though we can't see everything before us with our physical eyes, it doesn't mean it isn't there! We believe in and hope for the things which we don't see, yet in the spiritual realm it is there.

Faith needs to get revived!

 

[Doug Melven]

He truly knows us fully!

This statement reminded me of this song.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

This statement reminded me of this song.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will listen to it tomorrow. As it is quite late over here now.

 

[NolaB123]

Psalm 139:1-11

Lord, you have searched me out and known me;
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting places
and are acquainted with all my ways.

Indeed, there is not a word on my lips,
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

You press upon me behind and before
and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

Where can I go then from your Spirit?
where can I flee from your presence?

If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.

If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there your hand will lead me,
and the light around me turn to night.

Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day;
darkness and light to you are both alike.

I was wondering about this scripture this morning and trying to remember where it was and here it is - thanks Hearingheart

 

[NolaB123]

Song: (just learnt this morning)
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything and I will adore you

 

[Doug Melven]

Song: (just learnt this morning)
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything and I will adore you

This is a great song.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

This statement reminded me of this song.

Really touching song! I don't think grace is ridicolius, though, but the rest of the lyrics makes me smile.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

It's good to be alive and a child of God.

Very creative video! And great song, as long as the focus is put on God!

(though I thought about Jesus Christ throughout the whole video, as well as how interesting and fun made the video was)

 

[Doug Melven]

Really touching song! I don't think grace is ridicolius, t

I think he meant to say ridiculous to say it was just beyond our comprehension. The same way this song uses scandalous.

Very creative video! And great song, as long as the focus is put on God!

(though I thought about Jesus Christ throughout the whole video, as well as how interesting and fun made the video was)

That is one of th the things I like about Jason, all of his songs in some way focus on Jesus.
With this song Jesus is the reason he has all of that joy.

 

[Hearingheart]

I was wondering about this scripture this morning and trying to remember where it was and here it is - thanks Hearingheart

So glad for you! God is good.

 

[Doug Melven]

We had our back to school bash yesterday.
We have a small church, less than a 100 members, but in the space of about 2 hours we gave out about 500 bags of school supplies. It was a really fin afternoon.
We had 2 bounce houses, a magic show, Bigby coffee, Kool-aid ad popcorn for everybody.
They will be putting up pictures sometime this week on FB. The page can be found by visiting
www.visitcod.org

When you see the guy at the popcorn table in the shiny green shirt, that's me.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

I think he meant to say ridiculous to say it was just beyond our comprehension. The same way this song uses scandalous.

That is one of th the things I like about Jason, all of his songs in some way focus on Jesus.
With this song Jesus is the reason he has all of that joy.

I just listened to the song of Hannah Kerr, it was okay. I just thought the name of Jesus got too little place in her song. It was mentioned just once. Even though the whole song was pointing at something towards His direction.

I just think it is so easy nowadays to think one doesn't need to mention Him a lot, making songs where it gets more and more excluded mentioning about the Lord, especially the name of Jesus.

I know there are many Christian artists that does this, being very clear about their songs with a strong reference to Jesus Christ, yet you will also have those who aren't.

Those who aren't very clear about this part and decides that it is best not mentioning much about Jesus Christ, just because they think it should be obvious that most people understand this when listening to and reading through their lyrics, will miss out the part in which people will push the importance of Jesus Christ more further and further away from them.

Here is an example from a good Christian movie from 2002, I highly recommend that this movie gets watched:

 

[Martyr's Crown]

As I am sitting here with my bowl of salad, I think human life can be looked at in this way in a symbolical way. Whilst a salad in general is healthy, it is what is added to it which can either keep it still healthy or get more unhealthy. And some addings can add to the taste which may make it sweeter or sour etc...

I put olive oil and vinagry in my salad, and I thought that in some sense, perhaps vinagry could be likened to the sin in life? As sin makes your life bitter, like acid it eats away your life. Except for when you are in Christ, where you get abundant life through Him.

 

[Doug Melven]

Those who aren't very clear about this part and decides that it is best not mentioning much about Jesus Christ, just because they think it should be obvious that most people understand this when listening to and reading through their lyrics, will miss out the part in which people will push the importance of Jesus Christ more further and further away from them.

Here is an example from a good Christian movie from 2002, I highly recommend that this movie gets watched:

This is a great point. I much prefer songs that emphasize the name of Jesus.
But I also won't get legalistic with it saying I won't listen to it if they don't have the name of Jesus.
This is one of those songs that would be really good if they mentioned Jesus more, it is still a good song.
The first time I heard it I thought to myself why so mod when they could just say Jesus?

 

[Martyr's Crown]

This is a great point. I much prefer songs that emphasize the name of Jesus.
But I also won't get legalistic with it saying I won't listen to it if they don't have the name of Jesus.
This is one of those songs that would be really good if they mentioned Jesus more, it is still a good song.
The first time I heard it I thought to myself why so mod when they could just say Jesus?

I will apologize for the way I talked about Hannah Kerr and Jason, as I realize now that I judged too quickly about her music just based on that one song, as well as with Jason.

I do have that opinion about other artists that are seen as Christian that have written more vague lyrics which non-believers can easily interpret "well-fitting" for their own way of thinking.

That song you put up there is one of the songs which Jesus Christ has spoken to me through, so to me it is a very special one. So this made me realize I judged too rash earlier today, I am really sorry for this. Jesus could use one of the songs of Hannah Kerr as well as Jason to speak to a person, I did find the one song you showed by Jason and looking at his music video as making me smile.

 

[Doug Melven]

I will apologize for the way I talked about Hannah Kerr and Jason, as I realize now that I judged too quickly about her music just based on that one song, as well as with Jason.

There is nothing to apologize for.
I feel the same way you do about songs missing the name of Jesus.
I just feel that without mentioning Jesus Christ, the song could be taken to mean almost any god.
And when they give glory specifically to Jesus Christ they are showing there true colors, what they really stand for.

 

[Doug Melven]

As I am sitting here with my bowl of salad, I think human life can be looked at in this way in a symbolical way. Whilst a salad in general is healthy, it is what is added to it which can either keep it still healthy or get more unhealthy. And some addings can add to the taste which may make it sweeter or sour etc...

I put olive oil and vinagry in my salad, and I thought that in some sense, perhaps vinagry could be likened to the sin in life? As sin makes your life bitter, like acid it eats away your life. Except for when you are in Christ, where you get abundant life through Him.

I would eat salad, but alas I am not a rabbit.
I do like Bugs Bunny though.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

I would eat salad, but alas I am not a rabbit.
I do like Bugs Bunny though.

Same way thinks my husband.

Although he doesn't would like eating salad. One time when he was put into a diet by his mother he mentioned how awful he thought it was, and that it made him feel like a rabbit.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

There is nothing to apologize for.
I feel the same way you do about songs missing the name of Jesus.
I just feel that without mentioning Jesus Christ, the song could be taken to mean almost any god.
And when they give glory specifically to Jesus Christ they are showing there true colors, what they really stand for.

I agree. Although if God is mentioned with a big G, I think of our God. Same as when they write the or my Lord. I did write a poem yesterday where I wrote to God, though I still think of Jesus and the Father combined.

But there is certainly something a lot more powerful with the mention of Jesus Christ, it touches me in a stronger way. I watched that movie which I recommended for you online yesterday as I thought it would be great seeing it again. I was very touched by it again! It is one of my favourite movies, it truly shows how the world has become nowadays, also in many churches.

 

[Martyr's Crown]

There is nothing to apologize for.
I feel the same way you do about songs missing the name of Jesus.
I just feel that without mentioning Jesus Christ, the song could be taken to mean almost any god.
And when they give glory specifically to Jesus Christ they are showing there true colors, what they really stand for.

I also specifically think of a metalband which is seen as Christian, used to be one of my favourites, named Demon Hunter. Even though some of their songs can be somewhat clear with what is being sung, most songs are very vague lyrically. Not clearly pointing at their given faith in Christ.

When was younger I thought it wasn't too necessary since they were Christian and I felt the lyrics could speak to me in a Christ-like way, though now I mostly feel a big disappointment when listening to their songs and music, because they are so vague, there was an non-believer commenting on youtube stating he enjoyed listening to them and he would just apply the lyrics to fit his thought pattern.

It is a pity, as they are a good band, yet, it destroys it for me when they are so vague about their Christian faith. Then I prefer listening to other Christian metalbands like Theocracy and Illuminandi where their Christian faith is very clear to everyone who is listening to them. This may make them less known and popular, but what matters most is that they make music dedicated to their Lord Jesus Christ.

Also Extol's first few albums have a lot of focus on their main Christian faith... As another example. Though the later years they too started becoming more vague about their Christian faith as well. I just find it sad when this happens.