Our God Reigns!!

Donna and Bruce Weatherly joined us for worship at REFC on Sunday and shared their ministry to missionaries on the Asian continent.  They are members of and commended by Grace Memorial Church in Fredericksburg, VA and hail from Philipsburg, PA.  Their ministry is: Encouraging and helping other missionaries in Thailand, China, Mynamar, Mongolia and one or two other countries.

Donna presented a wonderful power point program about their work in a tiny village in Mongolia right at the Russian border.  Lotsa yurts!

Then Bruce led us in a study of Psalm 93.

The Eternal Reign of the LORD

1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
Bruce looked at this Psalm from an 'after the cross' believer's point of view: The Lord reigns...in me!!
The LORD is clothed,
Using the New Testament he cited Scriptures which validate the LORD's reign in me.
He has girded Himself with strength.
Romans 8:9-11; Romans 6:18-23; Galatians 2 19-20
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old;
Philippians 2:12; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Ephesians 2:8-9
You are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
Matthew 27:20-25;  Satan, his minions, his world systems, his angel of light tactics are the floods
The floods have lifted up their voice;
which have been lifted up against God and his Word since the Garden of Eden.
The floods lift up their waves.

4 The LORD on high is mightier
1 Peter 5:6-11; Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart fail;
Than the noise of many waters,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Your testimonies are very sure;
Psalm 19 and 119!!
Holiness adorns Your house,

O LORD, forever.   You reign...in me!!!
 

God

Psalm 24

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell therein.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the waters.



3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,

Who seek Your face. Selah



7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?

The LORD strong and mighty,

The LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Lift up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?

The LORD of hosts,

He is the King of glory. Selah

Wonderful words from Micah!

These words apply to Israel, but can be applied to believers I think.

Micah 7:7-9


7 Therefore I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.

8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The LORD will be a light to me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.

The first two lines of verse 9 rehearses the fact that we are under condemnation from the LORD because we have sinned against Him (Romans 3:23, Psalm 51).  But...

What a wonderful word UNTIL is!

Until He pleads my case ~ Revelation 5
And executes justice for me. ~ Acts 2:22-24
He will bring me forth to the light; ~ Acts 2:31-33
I will see His righteousness. ~ Galatians 2:20

Christ's righteousness, my worth.

Great Spangled Fritillary hanging out

on a yummy butterfly bush. The afternoon sun is delightful on these 'wings of velvet'.May the wings of a butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond

~~Irish Blessing

We surely know that his wings kiss the sun and if you go to visit a 'butterfly house' one of these little wonders may light on your shoulder.

However, luck happiness and riches today or any day are beyond his capabilities!

Psalm 107:1-2, 8-9

Oh, give thanks to the LORD,

for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

Oh, that men would give thanks to the

LORD for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the

children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with

goodness.

The wild,

stunning diversity and creativity of the Creator God just blows me away! This is my first hibiscus plant and its very first bloom. The glossy green leaves and the lovely yellow are wonderful!! Thank you Lord for the beauty of Your nature, even as we live in a fallen world.

A precious

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly!

gift from God to brighten any day!! A lovely symbol of the Resurrection!!

1 Corinthians 15:35-56

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. ...
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

I just love God's colors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True Love

Happy day of love and loving! While reading today in the Daily Study Bible (MacArthur) I was struck by the true love shown in the selected passages, which were not chosen because it is Feb. 14, but because that is where we are in these Scriptures, as we read each day.

From the Old Testament: Ex. 39 and 40 - the descriptions of the furnishings for the Tabernacle and the priests and we see the Beauty of His Love, as he wants us to see His Beauty every time we come together for worship. And when Moses finished the work and it was all done "The Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle". (Ex. 40:34) Can anything be more beautiful than His Glory??

From Proverbs 8:23-31 - His love expressed through His Wisdom in the creation. We see His love every time we open our lives to all He has created for our enjoyment and edification. "Rejoicing in the world, His earth and having my delight in the sons of men". (vs. 31)

But then, --and I wonder - is this love??-- next in the reading, is Matthew 27: 1-26 which records the "trial" of Jesus Christ before Pilate, after the "trial" of Jesus Christ before the chief priests and the high priest; the presentation of the Christ before the people who yelled out for Barabas to be released; and then verse 26, "he delivered Him to be crucified". And I was so humbled by this extreme act of love, a love I can never know in full, a love that surpasses all love ever before expressed or ever after, a love that only a Loving God can give through the willing love, and death, of His Son for us. And I know -- This is love.

Oh My!! such nonsense is shown in red hearts, candy and flowers that soon fade and...
Oh My!! such love is shown in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"We love because He first loved us".1 John 4:19...Thank You, God, for True Love.

looking to the future

Just to make you work a bit ~~ a Rod.

And ~~ Praise.

Praise to the Lord

Praise Him

thanks

Psalm 105

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!

2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!

3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!

5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!"