Rights and Privileges - Hear..!

"Let's remember, our rights and our privileges flow from our creator and not from our member of Congress," said a political candidate recently. I could "make hay" with those words from the mouth of a politician. Ah well.... get the plank out of my own eye...!


sorry...setting aside satire...


Traveling way back to Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" These wonderful words are the basic confession of Jewish faith. They are called the Shema (the Hebrew word meaning "hear"). The words have been repeated privately and in public liturgy continuously. Traditionally they are the last words at death of many Jews.


To me.... "... The Lord our God, the Lord is one!.."  ......this is the core of my soul.  God is outside time and space. God is creator. God is one. 


Hmmm... this God is one..... thing... 
It seems to permeate Jewish, Islam, and Christian thought.


Yet division also permeates...!


Ah well... we are... again back to politics.


Keep praying brothers and sisters. 

God's Energy

Ancient's imagery of the heavens frequently referred to the physical sky with words that portrayed something stretched out and flattened, like hammered metal or a curtain. This acknowledged the immense power or energy required to create and sustain space. 


The night sky "star walks" I have conducted over the years allowed me to share my awe of God's creation.  The planet Jupiter, and her moons, seen through even  a small 4" scope give some perspective to God's power. 


I have found people respond to God's night sky all around the world. This allows us to open the door  to  talking about Jesus.

Isaiah 40:22 - "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, 
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, 
Who stretches out the heavens like a  curtain, 
And spreads them out like a  tent to dwell in."
NIV 

Manila, Philippines

Interesting....


Manila, Philippines -- is located central to much of South East Asia.






Matthew 28:19-20  ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. NRSV

Wash yourself....

Did you ever notice  the way the whiteness of clean clothes is used as a metaphor in the Bible?   Water alone cannot remove grease and oil from clothing.

Pioneer Bible Translators just held our annual Pioneer Missions Institute.   Missionaries and students filled our Dallas, TX International Service Center for two weeks of intensive sharing.

Pictured here are Rebecca,   Director of Training,  and Bill,  Director of Support Services, down on their hands and knees, cleaning up tempera paint from the carpet of the children's programming area.

Back in Biblical times alkalines like naturally occurring soda helped clean.   Lye and soap are also alkaline and  used for removing grease and oil from clothing because water by itself can not do the job.

Millions do not yet have God's Word, in their own heart language.  Water and the best soaps will not clean their souls... only God's Word can cleanse us.  Please help Pioneer Bible Translators - Pray, Give, Come serve with us.

For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, [Yet] your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord GOD. Jeremiah 2:22 NKJV

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Since it's inception in 1868 Memorial Day has been set aside to remember those who gave their lives serving our country.  Originally known as “Decoration Day”  it was 1^st celebrated on May 30, 1868 as a day to honor both Confederate and Union soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Some we lose are close to us.  This past year we lost Uncle Vic who served at the Battle of the Bulge and Damon Winkleman who lost his life in Afghanistan. 

Jesus talked a lot about serving one another.  13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 KJV)


In fact, we celebrate a memorial to Jesus when we partake of the Eucharist - the communion ceremony.

Stolen tools do not stop PBT's new WALLS...!

 Nehemiah faced political and pagan resistance to the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Pioneer Bible Translators was robbed last weekend of thousands of dollars of builders equipment. 

Despite the loss of tools the planned Saturday workday continued with volunteers from area churches helping.The floor joists are in and the wall framing is rising. 

Of course, it seems to me that PBT always dreams dreams that only God can make come true. What an organization.... formed on prayer, based faith, fueled by prayer. The word... the word... in their own heart language.... God will provide for PBT our first ever building of our own for the International Service Center in Dallas, TX. Do you have skills and a week to donate this summer..? We have a need for you.

Please, please, pray for our new building, pray for our people out there now working in 46 different languages.

The Completion of the Wall
Nehemiah 6:15 "So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."  NIV

Mothers Are Proud Of U Everywhere..!!

There is a special feeling associated with Mother's Day.   It seems to generate from our subconscious.   Why this wonderful warmth..?   Why this rush to say, "Happy Mother's Day..?"  

Perhaps it is because we recognize mother always saw the best of us. 

Mother's behaviour was incongruous. (Incongruous: "..not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical)..."

Ever heard, "Only a mother could love ...."?  Sooo... I cannot stop myself giving back to mother's love.   Wow... gosh.... hmmm....

Maybe mothers get their ability to see only the best in us from... God's love. 

All right. O.K., I admit it. I cannot really get a handle on God's love.  I get glimpses where I almost break through now and then.   Humbled...  and each Mother's Day brings a ray of understanding...  for a moment or two. 

But, I will tell you this -  Exodus 20:12 says, "... honor your father and your mother that you may live long in the land..."   A command and a promise;  I think it deep logic.  Children who honor live better lives, cleaner lives, more loving existence.

Thank you, mother for having believed in me.  Happy Mother's Day..!! Someday...someday... I too will be there to... fully understand.

Click below  to go to our Facebook page and tell one thing you thank your mother for this Mother's Day.....


Click here to tell Mom...!