Luke 1:32 - Go Be Great!

Luke 1:32

NKJV

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

 

NLT

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

 

Spurgeon said, “Is it not proven that he is great? Conquerors are great, and he is the greatest of them. Deliverers are great, and he is the greatest of them. Liberators are great, and he is the greatest of them. Saviors are great, and he is the greatest of them.”

 

He shall be called great! Jesus’ birth was preceded by this statement. What parent doesn’t think their kid will be great. The words “will be” have potential. They only let us see what is to come. We have a vision of all that our kids will be all through their lives. We see them through our dreams of what we want them to be.

 

I wonder if Mary ever thought about who Jesus would be as she carried Him in her womb for nine months? Did she think that He would do public ministry for three years and then die a horrible death on a cross? Probably not, she probably had some thoughts of how special he would be just based on the circumstances of her conception, being visited by an angel will get your attention.

 

Jesus was, and is and is to come, great! History and who we as believers know Him to be, has proven that out. But we and our own children haven’t proven our own greatness. But there is greatness there because God loves us even unto death. How special are we as sons and daughters that God loved us enough to say, “you’re so special that I will die for you!”

 

Don’t let this season go by without experiencing Jesus as your personal savior. He can, and will, fill your every need. Just lean in, trust Jesus today. He said we would go on to do greater things than He (John 14:12-14, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!)

 

Go be great,

cej

 

Ephesians 2:10 ~ You're a Masterpiece

 

Ephesians 2:10

NKJV

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

NLT

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 

Masterpiece: a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship.

 

I’ve heard this word used to describe everything from food to a play in a football game. I think when we do this, it kind of cheapens the word. Is a piece of cake a masterpiece or is it just a piece of cake. Not doubt, it’s good cake…but it’s still just cake. a good play in a football game, is still just a play in football game. How do each of these compare to the thousand of other cakes and plays? Is it just a masterpiece until the next really good one comes along?

 

God calls us His workmanship, His masterpiece, or His artwork, from the Greek word poiēma. We are something crafted, with skill and a purpose, by God, for His purposes. Specifically, we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works." Good works do not give us salvation, but they are absolutely meant to be the result of salvation.

 

But I want to focus on the creation, that God created, and is called His masterpiece. You and I are that MASTERPIECE! God created us with outstanding artistry and skill. Yet, we often don’t act like it. We are "created or formed" by Him, not only in the general sense in which all things are made by Him, but in that special sense which is denoted by the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are made new in Jesus Christ, anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

It's time to start acting like we are masterpieces!  No longer are you to fat, to skinny, not pretty enough, not skillful enough; all these things that we as people tell ourselves, that come straight from the mouth of satan. You are a masterpiece…God made us that way with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  You don’t have to submit to any of the desires that our natural bodies throw at us.  START ACTING LIKE YOU’RE SPECIAL! You are, Christ died to prove it.

 

I’m a masterpiece,

cej

Ephesins 2:8 - Grace?

 

Ephesians 2:8

NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. 

NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 

 

In 1829, a Pennsylvania man named George Wilson was sentenced by the United States Court to be hanged to death for robbery and murder. President Andrew Jackson pardoned him, but the prisoner refused the pardon. Wilson insisted that he was not pardoned unless he accepted it. That was a point of law never raised before, and President Jackson called on the Supreme Court to decide. Chief Justice John Marshall gave the following decision. “A pardon is a paper, the value of which depends upon its acceptance by the person implicated. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.” And he was.

 

As I read this morning’s devo, the above short story was given. It got me to thinking about how I treat the grace given to me. I read in a commentary that the more familiar we are with certain words, the more we have an attitude of a shoulder shrug and “ho-hum”.  Words like grace and saved and faith; we hear them so often we can lose sight of the depth and width of them. Grace is a word that Christians throw around like it’s a frisbee. I’m guilty of the attitude of “I got it, I know what it means”. But do I really get it? Man, if I really understood the idea of grace…would I do some of the things I do? We could discuss grace for pages and pages, but I want to just stick with a little piece of it.

 

George Wilson refused his pardon, don’t know why…but he did. On the surface, I think everyone loves the idea of grace.  Somebody else paying for my wrong doing?  Heck yeah…sign me up. That’s what Christ did for us. Our sin separated us from God; our sin made us stained. God is holy and only things that are holy can be near God.  There was atonement, or payment, that needed to be made to cover our sins.  A The payment for our sins was death, pure and simple. Death. Something had to die to atone for our actions. In the old testament, there were sacrifices that covered their sins. Blood for blood. But they were only covered, each person still had to make atonement daily, weekly, yearly…

God chose a way for us to come completely back to him with a perfect payment for our sins. He sent His Son to not just cover our sins, but to take then away completely; for those that accepted Him as Savior.

 

I did, I accepted Him as my Savior. But for a long time, He wasn’t my Lord. There’s a difference. The difference is what we do with our idea of what grace is. If grace is “somebody else paying for my sins”, which is what Christ did for us, then we must understand deeper what this is. To me, grace is this definition and then some. If I love Jesus and am thankful for what He did for me…am I honoring that sacrifice? Do my actions show that I truly understand the sacrifice that was made for me? To be honest, sometimes they don’t. Someone once told me “when you know better, then you do better”. I want to serve my Lord better; I want to serve other people better; I want my faithfulness to be honoring to God.

 

What will you do with your grace?

 

Faithful today,

cej

 

 

Psalms 34:18 - Don't Head to the Shadows

Psalms 34:18

NKJV

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

 

NLT

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

 

“A bird with a broken wing, an animal with a broken leg, a woman with a broken heart, a man with a broken purpose in life – these seem to drop out of the main current of life into shadow. They go apart to suffer and droop. The busy rush of life goes on without them. But God draws nigh.” (Meyer)

 

Sometimes, a broken heart can cause us to withdraw. To put ourselves in the shadows because what we’re dealing with is just too hard. And, quite honestly, this is where the enemy wants us. He wants us separated, alone and fearful (steal, kill and destroy). The devil hasn’t got anything new, he still uses the same tools he’s been using since the beginning.  Let me say that differently; the devil is the enemy and he isn’t creative at all. So he uses the same things he’s always used; separated, alone and fearful.  These can come to us many ways.

Through addictions, and the shame those bring. I encourage you to take a breath and in that moment be courageous and ask someone for help. Don’t head to the shadows…” No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” There is a way out.

Through the loss of a child, no matter what age. A child is a child; whether they are a fetus or breathing in this life now. You are still valued and it hurts and it would feel like the waves are never going to stop. Don’t head to the shadows… “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Lean into God and the peace that only He can bring.

Satan would have you believe that you are fragile, afraid and alone. Jesus Christ, the One who overcame death and was resurrected, says something different. Jesus Christ says you are worthy enough to die for; that you have value.  Yes, broken hearted pain is real. But fear not, He has overcome the world. You can overcome the broken heart…lean in.  Don’t head to the shadows.

 

Don’t head to the shadows,

cej

 

Isaiah 6:8 - Here I am, Send Me

 

Isaiah 6:8

NKJV

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.”

NLT

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

 

I first heard from the Lord clearly about serving in full time ministry almost 25 years ago. And I have fought against that call since then. Oh, don’t get me wrong…I have served as a volunteer a lot during this time. But to pull that trigger and say, “Lord, here I am…send me” for real and for full time? It was a nerve-wracking thing for me in the past. But the Lord has been refining me in the past few years. From a 30 career in the oil and gas industry, to a couple of years in critical power…to now.  Full time ministry as a care pastor (a paid professional as a friend of mine says). I have said that I’m excited, nervous and scared…an you can put that on repeat! But I trust God that the timing is right because HIS timing is always right. Do I feel worthy, to be honest…no I don’t.  I have felt like Isaiah, painfully aware of my own unworthiness, but in the light of who God is and who God has made me through Jesus Christ…the blood has made me worthy. I’m going to lean into that and serve Him the very best way I can.

 

But enough about my calling.  This verse speaks to me about the calling for each of us as believers. Rest assured; God doesn’t just call those in ministry.  We all have a call to serve Him and serve other people. Isaiah was sent out to a people who he was told would not listen to him, but God said go anyway. When we answer a call on our lives; it may be as simple as helping someone change the brakes on their car or as involved as serving in ministry full time; if we let God lead…it will always turn out for the good of God. What is important to know and remember is that when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives, we are saying “here I am Lord, send me!” and then we actually have to “go”.  To do what God is calling us to do.  From my own experience, don’t wait 25 years to finally be obedient. Go now.

 

Finally obedient,

cej

1 Corinthians 6:2 - Big Decisions

1 Corinthians 6:2

 

NKJV

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

 

NLT

Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?

 

It’s been a minute since I’ve written anything. So if you want to jump back and read where we started in chapter six (1 Corinthians 6:1) you certainly can.  Older stuff can be found here too.

 

Saint’s will judge the world?!?!  What the heck does that mean? Glad you asked! The Bible doesn't provide much detail about how those who are in Christ on this side of eternity will judge those who are not. In Revelation 2:25–26, Christ is quoted as saying that those who conquer and keep His word to the end will be given a share of His authority over the nations and rule over them. But I don’t really want to focus on that. I want to focus on the Corinthian Christians. They were acting like they were incapable of handling even the smallest of issues.

 

Here it was talking about judging, it’s the word Shofet. The root of this means “administering justice to”; or “to pass sentence”; or “settle a case”. I read this as “make a decision”. That’s for sure something that at times I struggle with; although I am a citizen of the world of “make a decision, even if it wrong”…and both of these will get me into trouble.

 

As a believer all of my decisions should be filtered through a God lens. And it would seem like all I have to do is to simply ask God what to do and…BAM...the answer appears. But it’s not always that easy, is it? for sure, sometimes the answers to our decision question appears immediately. But was it immediately? Or did we study the subject from all angles and spend time praying…and then the BAM? If we are hooked into God, that’s probably our process. If we’re not, then we struggled.

 

Mathew 10:16 says that we are being sent out like sheep among wolves; that we are to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. God wants us to use our brains to judge (i.e.: make decisions); but to temper our “smarts” with kindness, wisdom, and purity.

 

If you’re wondering how we got from our verse to making decisions, let me tie it together. If we can’t judge the smallest matters, then how are we to make big decisions? We expect our children to grow and mature; making better and better decisions as they get older. I believe that God has the same expectations for us. As we mature as Christians, we should be increasingly capable to make decisions, with our grounding firmly on the roots of Godly wisdom.

 

Make good decisions today,

cej

 

1 Corinthians 6:1 - Beware, be aware

 

I Corinthians 6:1

NKJV

 

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 

 

NLT

When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers!

 

There was a lot of drama, in the Christian world, during this time about going outside the Christian family to settle disputes. The Jews were used to dealing with their issues with other Jews; but the converted Christians, the gentiles, were used to taking their disputes to a public court.  A court that was not only easily corrupted with bribes and threats; but a court that was also swayed against Christians themselves. Paul was angry that Christians could not deal with each other in a manner that showed their love for each other and showed the world that they were different.

 

I don’t think we handle things much better than they did back then. We can be guilty of jumping to conclusions when we don’t know the whole story. We hear a piece of what someone says and fill in the blanks and all of a sudden, we’re offended. Even though we don’t know all that was said, we’ve made ourselves mad because of it. We’ve taken our offendedness to the court of our own opinion and rendered a verdict guilty.

 

Conversely, and this is something I’m guilty of, we can “not communicate” well enough to be understood.  It’s really easy to just charge forward; make your own decisions and not pay attention to when others might need to be involved. That’s kind of a “king of me” mentality. Guilty as charged on this one.

 

I think what is important in all of this is that we are aware.  Aware of our tendencies.  Aware of other people around us and our effect on them. It’s funny to me that the word beware (a warning) is similar to the word aware (a perception). Maybe we should be using both words when it comes to our relationship with others. Beware that our relationships are fragile and be aware that at times we are the cause of the damage. God first, above all else.

 

Gonna do better today,

cej

Proverbs 24:10 - Pressure Prepared

Proverbs 24:10

NKJV

If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

 

NLT

If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.

 

A little clarity on the verse is in order, I think. Failing under pressure, or a day of adversity, does not make your strength small; it reveals your strength to be small. This strength that this verse is talking about is not physical strength. I believe it is talking about our faith. If our walk with our Lord is weak, so will our performance when under pressure.  Quite honestly, sometimes this pressure we put on ourselves comes from an event in life when you know you have to step up and be who God called you to be. Things like sickness, divorce, death, and life will put pressure on us.

 Whether it is put upon us by the world, or we put it upon ourselves. What are we going to do to be ready when the pressure comes? Charles Bridges wrote, ““Commit yourself daily to him, for his supply of grace is sufficient for you. So go forward, weak and strong at the same time—weak in order to be strong, strong in your weakness.” It means that we are to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kind (James 1:2); when our faith is tested it produces steadfastness (James 1:3); and that we will be made mature and complete…lacking in nothing (James 1:4). The apostle Peter also wrote to persecuted Hebrew Christians about the value of adversity. He said trials prove the genuineness of one's faith (1 Peter 1:3–9). Believers under pressure of adversity are encouraged to steel themselves and trust in Christ's power (Hebrews 12:12–13), rather than fall.

Not all pressure is a bad thing, remember James 1:2-4. I was reminded of this recently when I held 7 pounds 10 ounces of pressure. I remember what I felt as a new father; all the fears and anxiety that go along with being the protector and spiritual leader of my family. It’s a growth process, it gets easier as a father…because of the Father. It’s the same with those of us that aren’t experiencing new fatherhood. 

Walk faithfully today! This is how you build the strength needed for when the pressure comes.  Be prepared cause it’s coming. Pray, study and seek what God wants and not what you want.

 

Pressure prepared,

cej

 

Genesis 2:24 - Cleave to, Not Cleaver

 

Genesis 2:24

NKJV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

 

NLT

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

 

The King James version says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

 

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines cleave as:  to stay very close to (someone); to stick closely to (something).

 

I’ve also read that it means to cling.  So, if the bible says we are cleave to our spouse…why don’t we? To be honest, there are times that I’m uncleavable.  Pretty sure there are times my bride wants to take a cleaver to me! We got married based on what we didn’t know. My bride saw a lot of my warts and moles (metaphorically speaking) before we got married, but she didn’t see them all.  I held some of those back because I had trouble with possible rejection. She married me anyway, and we’ve been at it for 33 years this year. It’s been the easiest 33 years of my life…HA! Bet it hasn’t been easy for her either. But we made the choice to stick with the “become one flesh”. That’s our story, yours may be different.

 

Marriage only works if you both work at it. But it’s really not the easiest thing you’ll ever do.  The bible talks about three cords are not easily broken. That’s true, but we always have to keep God as one of those strands. If we don’t, then things are going to fall apart. We can both be believers and still make mistakes; mistakes that can be catastrophic to each other. We’re going to say and do things that cause pain and chaos. Any marriage can be saved, but both of you have to be willing to work at it.

 

I recommend grace, maybe mercy would be better.  I’ve heard mercy is defined as not getting punished for my wrongdoing; and grace defined as someone else taking the punishment for my wrongdoing. Grace is the Hebrew word Chanan or the Greek word Charis, meaning “the state of kindness and favor toward someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object.”  So maybe both of these should be offered, mercy and grace. And to be honest, as believers, we’ve already been given this.  The best we can do is pass it on to others.

 

Cleave together,

cej

 

 

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 - Hammer & Heart Part Trios

1 Corinthians 5:12-13

 

NKJV

For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

 

NLT

It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

 

Wait a minute, did that just say that it’s not my responsibility to judge the world? But, but, but…the world is full of sin and it’s my job to tell them they are going to hell! Holy cow, does this mean that I am not to use my self-righteousness to beat people over the head with their sin?

 

Yup! That’s what it means. It means that, at times, we are too busy judging those non-believers that we neglect the purity of the believers (starting with ourselves). But I think we need to be forewarned that this practice, called "church discipline," is not often carried out in Christian churches despite this clear teaching. The result is an epidemic of poisonous spiritual influences (Jude 1:12; 2 Peter 2:1; Galatians 2:4) and whole lot of criticism from the non-believing world (1 Peter 2:12; 2 Peter 2:2). On the other hand, some of what is called "church discipline" today has been carried out in a manner which is unloving, inconsistent, an unhelpful to the reputation of Christ (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15–20).

Obviously, churches must be prayerful and wise about when and how to apply Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 5. The goal is not self-righteousness or vindictive revenge. Rather, it should be protection of truth and the repentance of the sinner.

 

I believe the key is how much we love God and how much do we love each other. We should be humble enough as believers to realize that our only job with non-believers is to show the love of Christ. Speak the truth, for sure, but let the Holy Spirit work on them. We don’t win people to Christ by beating them over the head. It also means that we should be humble enough as believers to accept a “call out” when our sin is out of control. We should be close enough to each other that we can’t hide our sins. That we have a couple of friends that know what’s going on in our lives and are not afraid to speak truth to us.  Are you that friend and do you have those friends?

 

Call out,

cej

 

1 Peter 5:7 - Lord Save Me

 

1 Peter 5:7

NKJV

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

NLT

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

 

NIV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

We all deal with it at some point.  To some it can be crippling, leading to health issues both physically and mentally.  I’m talking about anxiety. The thing that can bring to our knees when it hits. Don’t think that you have never suffered from it, I can promise at some point in your life you were anxious and fearful.

 

The easy response to this is that we just need to turn everything over to the Lord and trust Him to guide us and give us peace. But that’s not always easy, is it? There are a whole lot of verses that tell us to trust God, and we should.  That is the answer!

 

But when you are in the middle of it, that’s not so easy. There is a website that lists a “complete” list of anxiety symptoms, they say there are 241 total…241! The world will tell you that some anxiety is normal, that only excessive  or intense anxiety is not. This is completely wrong, fear and anxiety are not the norm. Do I believe we can have chemical imbalances that can mess us up?  Sure. But we can get help for that and I encourage you to get that help. Don’t wait. Normal is what God wants for us.

 

I am reminded of Peter when he stepped out of the boat (Mathew 14:22-33).  When his focus was right, he walked on the water; and when he was focused on the storms and the waves, he began to sink. He became anxious and did the only thing that he could do.  He called out to Jesus, he said “Lord, save me”.

 

That’s where we should be.  Lord, save me!  Save me when I’m in the throes of my anxiety.  Save me when fear is like a claw in my mind.  Save me when I am spiraling out of control.  Lord save me because you love me…and all I have to do is say it! It all comes down to how much I trust God to save me.  Trust God today.

 

Lord, Save me

cej

Philippians 4:4-7 - Rejoice, Again I Say Rejoice

 

Philippians 4:4-7

NKJV

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

NLT

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

It can at times be hard to think about rejoicing.  Our circumstances can seem overwhelming. It may look like the devil is winning. It may look like the cancer is in control; that your life is in chaos; that your family is falling apart; all kinds of things happen in this life. Shucks, a whole book of the bible is called Lamentations; the laments of the Israelites. You may just feel like you want to give up, crawl in a hole and die.

But God…is still on the throne and He still loves you and me. When we walked through Felicia’s cancer diagnosis God really spoke to me about rejoicing and staying faithful.  Was it hard…for sure! But as I write this, I am a little broken hearted with some friends of ours. They are going though it right now and can use all the prayers you can lift up. Be encouraged, God is still God. Read the verses below, these are a few that my Bride and walked through her cancer with.

 

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [f]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

Psalm 121

 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

 

Psalm 103:11-12

For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 

2 Samuel 7:28

“And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 

 

Psalm 9:1-2

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

 

Psalm 4:3-4

But know that the Lord has [c]set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from the sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

 

2 Chronicles 16:9

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."

 

Psalm 119:49-50

Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

 

Psalm 126:2-3

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with the songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them”.  The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

 

Rejoice, again I say Rejoice,

cej