Coming to the Still Waters

I have been binging on YouTube videos of those tackling the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail.  Maybe one of those will be in my future.  --Adam-- 

Today is an in between chapter devotional.  Chapter 3 was so long that it has been a while since having one of these.  We will go onto chapter 4 on Friday.  I have been holding onto this article for awhile titled, "Is Your Church Christian or Christianish?" by Tim Challies.  Here is the link to the full article:  https://www.challies.com/articles/is-your-church-christian-or-christianish/ Let me give you the main points and comment on these distinctions that help us to be on point as a church for God in a world that is desperately trying to pull us into embracing the values and morals of this present culture. The  first  distinction is: A Christian church teaches the Bible. A Christianish church teaches about the Bible. Tim says of the Christian church,  "It is committed to the inerrancy, sufficiency, clarity, and authority of the Word of God and therefore preaches it week by week with confidence and consistency." He says about the Christianish c

We start the book of 1 Kings today!  Soon we will be through half of the year and half of the Bible.  It has been very hot in Illinois for this time of the year and the cold plants are bolting because of it.  We will have to do a second planting of some of these.  Other plants are loving it as they are reaching for the sky.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Lamentations 3:58-66, which read, 58 - O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have   redeemed my life. 59 - O LORD, You have seen my oppression; judge my case. 60 - You have seen all their vengeance, all their schemes   against me. 61 - You have heard their reproach, O LORD, all their schemes   against me. 62 - The lips of my assailants and their whispering are against   me all day long. 63 - Look at their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song. 64 - You will recompense them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. 65 - You will give them hardness of heart, Your curse will be on   them. 66 - You will pursue them in anger and destroy them for under the   heavens of the LORD! Today we finish the long chapter of Lamentations 3.  66 verses of   lament and confession.  Jeremiah has poured out his heart and   soul before the Lord.  He has gotten in a position of submission with his face to the ground.  He has shed ma

The local station, WLPO, let me go double time this week with this Memorial Day story.  It is from the small magazine called Guideposts.  It is titled, "A Time For Heroes" and subtitled "A Teenager Learns The Importance Of Memorial Day."  It was written by Nancy Sullivan Geng. Also a shout out to my father who served in the Navy and the Marines and my older brother Matthew who served in the Air Force.  Thanks Dad and Matt for giving your time in that way for our country.  --Adam--

Lamentations 3:48-57 says,... 48 - My eyes run down with streams of water because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49 - My eyes pour down unceasingly, without stopping, 50 - until the LORD looks down and sees from heaven. 51 - My eyes bring pain to my soul because of all the daughters of my city. 52 - My enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird; 53 - They have silenced me in the pit and have placed a stone on me. 54 - Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!" 55 - I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit. 56 - You have heard my voice, "Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help." 57 - You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!"  Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet.  He gives a lot of focus to his eyes.  Tears are running down, pouring down unceasingly, as Jeremiah thinks about the state of the union of Israel and maybe as we think of the s

Good Thursday all.  The heat is coming to Illinois today.  Maybe we will see some more planted seeds pop out of the garden to life today.  Much on my "to do" list to accomplish today so onto the next task.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Lamentations 3:37-47, which read, 37 - Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 - Is it not from the mouth of the Most High, that both good and ill go forth? 39 - Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? 40 - Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD. 41 - We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven; 42 - We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. 43 - You have covered Yourself with anger and pursued us; You have slain and have not spared. 44 - You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. 45 - You have made us mere offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. 46 - All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 47 - Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction; Jeremiah is feeling the weight of Israel's sin.  His prayers are no

We start into the book of Romans today!  My Tuesday morning started with a hike to LaSalle, Tonti, and Owl Canyons in the Starved Rock trail system.  It was great to be on the trail with another man of God and talk was as great as the walk.  God has brought my way those I am so thankful for.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Lamentations 3:28-36, which read, 28 - Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him. 29 - Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. 30 - Let him give his cheek to the smiter, let him be filled with reproach. 31 - For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 - for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. 33 - For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men. 34 - To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the land, 35 - to deprive a man of justice in the presence of the Most High, 36 - to defraud a man in his lawsuit--of these things the Lord does not approve. Jeremiah has been in deep despair over the sin of his nation Israel and feeling the consequences of this "far-ness" from God.  He is ready to give up.  Then Jeremiah remembers, recalls, rests, and recommits to God.  Now comes a time of reflection.  It was a time to sit