Do you ever sit outside and watch the rain...the wind...the thunder...the lightening? The reverberating booms, like cannon shots, can shake your soul, especially when you think of the power of God to display such majesty. You hear the thunder, you see the lightening and rain, you feel the wind. God's own "surround sound!" But, you can't see the wind... only the force of the wind. The windstorm from the tornado not only broke our storm door, but it ripped a couple of my windchimes to pieces, and damaged my coke-can wind plane. The elements can present quite an intrusion. Now the storm door won't close.
John 3:8 The Greek word pneuma means both "wind" and "Spirit." The Greek word phone (pho-nay) means both "sound" and "voice." So this verse is a play on words that not only literally says the wind blows and we can hear the sound of it, but it also literally says the Spirit blows and we hear its voice. But, we don't know where the Spirit comes from or goes. It goes whereever it wants to go. We only hear its voice and register its presence, like the wind.
Psalms 66:16; 68:11 These references to the great company of those who publish the word of God is used in the sense of quantity...plurality...of people, not in the quality of the people. Two words I remember learning how to spell in third grade are friend and Jesus. Ironic, I know. I immediately registered them both in my brain as words I would continue to need. Not only have I continued to need these two words in my writing, but I have continued to remember the happy occasions that brought me to the point of learning those words that year. I have continued to need friends, and I continue to need Jesus throughout my life.
Lisa and I were best friends in third grade. I remember the happiness that surrounded the friendship.I remember us passing notes to each other. I remember making Christmas cards in class for special people and writing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" as the expression of my heart directed. The feeling of the love of God made me feel full, even though I didn't know God yet. I knew of Him, and I knew He loved me... even though I couldn't find Him yet. Kids still do that, kids who don't even go to church or know much about God, they write about Jesus and His great love. The desire to express that life-changing love is common among humans.
Charles Spurgeon said of the name Jesus: "It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; and ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters." Psalm 63:6
We remember YOU God.
Not only do we remember God, but God remembers us. God took notice of the affairs of men, just as in, "And the Lord came down to see..." Genesis 11:5 God must have plenty to do in His realm beyond Earth's sphere, for it to so occupy His time that He must REMEMBER Noah. Genesis 8:1
Apparantly He was busy. Only five other God "memories" are mentioned: Rachael, Genesis 30:22 and His covenant, Exodus 2:24 Abraham, Genesis 19:29 His mercy and His truth, Psalm 98:3 accumulated iniquities, Revelation 18:5 and Hannah. 1 Samuel 1:19
But God is strong enough to take care of each of the needs He sets His eyes or mind on. Jeremiah 32:27 God is able, able to give grace for the depths of your need. Romans 5:2 Grace is defined as a favorable disposition, or kind feeling; and especially love, as exercised towards the inferior, dependent, or unworthy. (Hodge v. II, Systematic Theology.) Hodge refers to the conspicuously displayed grace of Jesus. Romans 5:17 I feel Him pouring rivers of grace in my life. Sweet grace of God!
Oh, such sweet abundance,
The grace Christ poured on me
When I could not compare
To the woman kneeled at His feet.
She poured out her oil,
And, washed the Master's feet,
My cup only held sin,
But my gift He held as sweet.
(My memory fails me ...I can't remember where I heard this. It could be a hymn lyrics, or perhaps something I read in a volume of the Interpretor's Bibles, or elsewhere. But, it is not mine. Incidentally, I noticed recently the full twelve volumes are scanned and available to read online, with voice audio read-aloud option.)
John 3:8 The Greek word pneuma means both "wind" and "Spirit." The Greek word phone (pho-nay) means both "sound" and "voice." So this verse is a play on words that not only literally says the wind blows and we can hear the sound of it, but it also literally says the Spirit blows and we hear its voice. But, we don't know where the Spirit comes from or goes. It goes whereever it wants to go. We only hear its voice and register its presence, like the wind.
Psalms 66:16; 68:11 These references to the great company of those who publish the word of God is used in the sense of quantity...plurality...of people, not in the quality of the people. Two words I remember learning how to spell in third grade are friend and Jesus. Ironic, I know. I immediately registered them both in my brain as words I would continue to need. Not only have I continued to need these two words in my writing, but I have continued to remember the happy occasions that brought me to the point of learning those words that year. I have continued to need friends, and I continue to need Jesus throughout my life.
Lisa and I were best friends in third grade. I remember the happiness that surrounded the friendship.I remember us passing notes to each other. I remember making Christmas cards in class for special people and writing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" as the expression of my heart directed. The feeling of the love of God made me feel full, even though I didn't know God yet. I knew of Him, and I knew He loved me... even though I couldn't find Him yet. Kids still do that, kids who don't even go to church or know much about God, they write about Jesus and His great love. The desire to express that life-changing love is common among humans.
Charles Spurgeon said of the name Jesus: "It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; and ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters." Psalm 63:6
We remember YOU God.
Not only do we remember God, but God remembers us. God took notice of the affairs of men, just as in, "And the Lord came down to see..." Genesis 11:5 God must have plenty to do in His realm beyond Earth's sphere, for it to so occupy His time that He must REMEMBER Noah. Genesis 8:1
Apparantly He was busy. Only five other God "memories" are mentioned: Rachael, Genesis 30:22 and His covenant, Exodus 2:24 Abraham, Genesis 19:29 His mercy and His truth, Psalm 98:3 accumulated iniquities, Revelation 18:5 and Hannah. 1 Samuel 1:19
But God is strong enough to take care of each of the needs He sets His eyes or mind on. Jeremiah 32:27 God is able, able to give grace for the depths of your need. Romans 5:2 Grace is defined as a favorable disposition, or kind feeling; and especially love, as exercised towards the inferior, dependent, or unworthy. (Hodge v. II, Systematic Theology.) Hodge refers to the conspicuously displayed grace of Jesus. Romans 5:17 I feel Him pouring rivers of grace in my life. Sweet grace of God!
Oh, such sweet abundance,
The grace Christ poured on me
When I could not compare
To the woman kneeled at His feet.
She poured out her oil,
And, washed the Master's feet,
My cup only held sin,
But my gift He held as sweet.
(My memory fails me ...I can't remember where I heard this. It could be a hymn lyrics, or perhaps something I read in a volume of the Interpretor's Bibles, or elsewhere. But, it is not mine. Incidentally, I noticed recently the full twelve volumes are scanned and available to read online, with voice audio read-aloud option.)
