Israel Adventure - Rebirth

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida A plan. A routine. It saves us. We have no place in this world. Pilgrims. Hebrews 11:6-10 KJV 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida How light the vanity? Hard to see. Press on. Where? The Earth is the Lords. No choice. Victory in Jesus. Come let us go hence. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Not much. Almost nothing. The weight and meaning of it all. The best thing we have is our go. Where does it come from? Where is it going to? Mostly, we do not know. Our minds. The resource. Putting anything together. Our being. Psalm 62:9 KJV Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Grappling with the deeper meanings of life. Something few people do. A new word. Incogitancy - thoughtless, not giving thought too. What is absent in our culture are thoughts relative to the hereafter and the weight and meaning of our actions in the here and now. For the most part thought is entirely missing. Not entirely so. It can be put on a spectrum. Leaning this way or that. Tending this way or that. Isaiah 57:1-2 KJV 1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida A lighter side. Not so deep and narrow. Lighten up. The earth is the Lords. Let's play in it. Psalm 48:1-2 KJV 1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Always forward. Into the unknown. We live move and have our being. We are dependent. So very dependent. On the creator God. For every breath. Yet we know it not. Unaware. One step away from death. Can you speak this? Difficult. Yet true. What is left? To give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida It's hard to put a finger on anything today. Not much real. Board of Peace. How many balloons can our dear Commander and Chief sendoff upwards? Are they meant to confuse? What is in the man's mind? Where is he taking us? Certainly, to a place we have not been before. He does make it all very crazy. When you spend your time thinking about crazy, what comes out of it? Take me to your leader. Who is he. Sounds like Grace Slick, singing "White Rabbit". But then, he is the President of the United States. Maybe a form of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Didn't Jesus do the same. Persuaded the world He was in fact,  The Son of God, who at the beginning before anything was made, was with God. So then, there have been people in the history of the world that see and live in a reality unlike what we know, and have had great impact. Who is Donald Trump? Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida The complexity and variety of all things are constantly changing. Our evolving with them is a must. I have been walking out at Sweetwater Wetland Park these past seven weeks, saying that this is in fact my new employment. A man 82 years of age who is wonderfully healthy, at least for the now, needs an occupation of some kind. At first, I pooh poohed having any kind of interest in birds, or the bird watchers out and about at the park. My first interaction with nature was seeing and photographing a picture of an alligator eating a bird of some kind. Later on, a small alligator who was often just below where I walk, I named Charlie. Then there were three Sandhill Cranes I named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Though I did not know what they were. Then when out and about there were only two of these birds and I thought, Jacob had met up with an Alligator, and was no more. What to my surprise there were three of these birds together again this morning, with the...

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Awake. Asleep. What is here? What is coming? So many different platforms. Seeking the Lord in the midst. Peace. War. Unsettled. A routine. Keep to it. Proverbs 14:34 KJV Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Always back to the scripture. To see and know. God is our rock and our fortress. All is well. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida On our way. Always. Into glory. The glory of the Lord. Our only destination. This the promise. Alive in it and to it. Psalm 119:105 KJV Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida At rest. Deep within. Calling on the name. The name above every name. The name of Jesus. Resources in glory untold. What can be seen in the light of the whole world? The prophets saw Him and testified of Him. We see Him today. Everyday On our way. Search for Him. Dig deep. We see in one direction only. With finite eyes. Only on one thing at a time. Extremely limited. What is the light that sees all? The glory of the Lord. 1 John 1:5 KJV This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Pressing on. No choice. Hard. Where is the Spirit? Quiet and confident. Always. Slow and easy. A refuge. Be still my soul. Strong in the Lord. In the power of His might. Ephesians 6:11-18 KJV 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, w...

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Our continuing saga. All our lives. We continue. On and on. John 14:5 KJV Thomas sayeth unto Him, Lord,  we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Writing a book, we go. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 KJV2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. Known and rea d of men we are. We leave a mark Everywhere and on everything. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Little by little. We draw closer and closer. We are on our way into heaven. God hath made a way for us to go in through Jesus. He is the door. Do we know how to take our place there within? It takes time and study to see and make our way in thereat. God is a Spirit. We need to know God and commune with Him. We need to take time learning Him. Spending time with Him. We need to bring our loved ones to Him. John 14:6 KJV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Alive and well. A new day. All is provided for. New experiences. Can we find the path to go forward on? Always hopeful. Jesus is Lord of all. There is no place where His bounty cannot be discerned. Watch for Him. Wait on Him. Know that He is the ever-present Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Eternity is for a long, long time. It doesn't go away. We are or should be looking forward to it. We are going to live in it. There is no escaping from that reality. Are we watching for all as we approach it? This marvelous God who has created all things we see and experience on earth is the master craftsman. There is no limiting Him in anything. Romans 8:38-39 KJV 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida As a Christian, we carry it all. We leave none behind. Our job is to love all. We are forgiven that we do not do all. It is not possible for us. Great is our God. Greatly to be praised. For the heart of love, He has given us. No matter how we fail, He is always there for us. We are in Him alive. 1 Corinthians 50-58 KJV 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Prayer. We are all going together. Who I have in my heart, I bring to the Lord. What else am I to believe. Nothing else, my hope and my prayer. Mark 11:24 KJV Therefore I say unto you,  What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Psalm 24:6-10 KJV 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face. O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye 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 ye gates; even lift them up, ye 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. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida One day after the other passes as we march on our way into eternity. We each of us make our way. Some good. Some bad. We each choose our way. God has made it all plain in His Word. There is no escape. Wake up and choose the salvation so freely given to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Commander and Chief. The United States. For four years. Here below, notwithstanding my eyes are always on the Lord. But then, what will it be. No telling, What is in the heart of our fearless Commander and Chief. More and more than ever to expect. Eyes wide open watching. Will he always land on his feet. Beats what we had, a spot on a beach in a lounge chair. Is America going to be great again? Is it Trump's definition of great or is it to be the Lord's definition? We mortals, American Citizens get to vote in a little less than three years. Until then we are like riding in a robotaxi. Look Mom, no hands. To which I say: Philippians 4:4-8 KJV 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understandi...

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Righteousness. We are directed to it. It is what our focus needs be on. I learned a new word. That is a new word for me. Incogitancy. Meaning from Chrome: Incogitancy means a lack of thought, a state of being thoughtless or inconsiderate, or an inability to think; it's the noun form of the adjective incogitant, describing someone who is unthinking or lacks the power of thought, often stemming from the Latin for "not to think". Very interesting word, descriptive of the society we live in. Thanks be to God. He is on His throne. Doesn't need us. His purpose is set. Will bring all to pass. Psalm 85:13 KJV Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida To sum up, righteousness. The direction,  the goal, the purpose for all. That is the end purpose for which we have been made. Romans 9:31 KJV But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. From my reading in Isaiah 51 in the commentary of Matthew Henry, The following: But when heaven and earth pass away, when all flesh and the glory of it wither as grass, the word of the Lord endures for ever, and not one iota or tittle of that shall fall to the ground. Those whose happiness is bound up in Christ's righteousness and salvation will have the comfort of it when time and days shall be no more. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Deeper, deeper into the unknown we go. Searching. Answers remote. We just do not know. Perplexed. We must go on. This is what we were made for. Habakuk 2:1-4 KJV 2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Is there any change in world government these days? It feels very different from what it has been. The focus seems only on aggression. Military. Might. Take over. Scary. Are we near to a very large outbreak? What is on the horizon? Hard to know Hard to tell. Matthew 11:28-30 KJV 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida What's in the Spirit of life today. What will come forth. Hoping and praying for a Word of redemption. Listening to Him who has the Word of Life. Our hope and prayer. Listening. Our focus on God alone. Who is the eternal one. Bring forth. From the depth of my soul. Crying day and night for redemption. Close up and personal. Psalm 88:1-18 KJV 1 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: 2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. 4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: 5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. 6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah 8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintanc...

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Pressing on. On and on. Every day with its challenges. Up get thee. Redeem the time. Find something. Psalm 118:24 KJV This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Come to Jesus first. The author and finisher of our faith. It is with Him that we have to do. So, we learned yesterday, if we had not yet known, that Daniel came and kneeled before the Lord three times each day. He had a live connection. He trusted in God, no other. So then, this is our answer. Our only answer. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 KJV 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Was that the Apostle Paul's routine? Yes, it was. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida "Building a routine is the only thing that works," Arnold Schwarzeneggre. Very good advice. The best thing in the world to do. It gives you some regularity in attending to your life. I remember reading about Arnold's beginnings. The very rigid exercising discipline he followed. So then. Can you apply it to yourself? It's simple. It works. It produces regularity and this is good for any and all of us. Daniel 6:10 KJV Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. It appears from this verse that the Prophet Daniel had a routine. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Seeking the Lord. First and foremost. In your day most important. Must be. What else is important? Isaiah 26:3 KJV Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. God is good. The wisdom at the center of all universes. The very center. Out from which all life flows. We center ourselves in this wisdom. That the very life of God will be our experience. Our hope and our joy. Romans 8:28 KJV And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida Continuity. Routine. The substance of life. What will live. What will die. The Word of God. Going on with it. Not easy to discern. The joy of the Lord. Our strength. Our song. John 1:3-4 KJV 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. The thing about the Word of God is He is always with you everywhere. You are never out of His sight. Now that is something you need to know. Jesus is real. Always and forever. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida What has been,  cannot be changed. We are God's workmen. We see. We hear. We react. We are alive in Christ. We know. We are known. All things were made by Him. The truth is in Him alone. 2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida The seed. Known from the beginning, what it will be. Born again. How is it changed from the seed sown? Can it be made different? No, it cannot. The story of the seed stays the same. However, it seeks new environments to grow in. The DNA of the seed is fixed. Born again or not. What can it be? A new creation. Not of this world. Looking to be. Must be. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Shalom L'Hitraot Ephraim