MY FAVORITE PSALMS - PART FIFTY FIVE

                                              MY FAVORITE                                                       PSALMS - PART                                                     FIFTY FIVE 


Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can shew forth all His praise? 

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.  Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people. O visit me with Thy salvation; that I may see the good of Thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation, that I may glory with Thine inheritance.

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies, but provoked Him at the sea. even at the Red Sea.

Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He may make His mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it dried up, so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.  And He  saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.



  And the waters                         covered their enemies;             there was not one of                 them left. Then                         believed they His words,         they sang His praise. 



 They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel. But lusted exceedingly in the the wilderness and tempted God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.  They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of  the Lord.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.  And a fire was kindled in their company, the flame burned up the wicked. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 

They forgot God their saviour , Which had done great things in Egypt. Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood  before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

Yea they despised the pleasant land, they believed not His word. But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. Therefore He lifted up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness. To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.  

They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.  Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions and the plague brake in upon them.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations forevermore.  They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.

  They did not destroy the           nations, concerning whom     the Lord commanded them.     But were mingled among the   heathen, and learned their     works. And they served their   idols which were a snare        unto them. 


Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils. And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of  their daughters; whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went  a whoring with their own inventions.

Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance. And He gave  them into the hand of the heathen, and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

Many times did He deliver them, but they provoked Him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry, and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.

He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Save us, O Lord our God.
And gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Thy holy name and to triumph in Thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

next post  6th April

IS JESUS GOD? (8) BENEFIT

                                             IS JESUS GOD ?

                                                      (copied from
                                                       Y- Jesus. com)

                                                                              BENEFIT



Many people have lied for personal gain, in fact, the motivation for most lies is some perceived benefit to oneself.  What could Jesus have hoped to gain by lying about His identity?  Power would be the most obvious answer. If people believed He was God He would have tremendous power. (That is why many ancient leaders, such as the Caesars claimed divine origin.)

The rub of this explanation is that Jesus shunned all attempts to move Him in the direction of seated power, instead chastised those who abused such power and  lived their lives pursuing it.  He also chose to reach out to the outcasts (prostitutes and lepers) those without power, creating a network of people whose influence was less than zero. In a way that could only be described as bizarre, all that Jesus said and did moved diametrically in the other direction from power.

 It would seem that if            power was Jesus'                  motivation, He would         have avoided the cross          at all costs. Yet on                several occasions He            told His disciples that          the cross was His                 destiny and mission.  

 How would dying on a  Roman cross bring one      power?

Death, of course, brings all things into proper focus. And though many martyrs have died for a cause they believed in, few have been willing to  die for a known lie.

Certainly all hopes for Jesus' own personal gain would have ended on the cross.  Yet to His last breath He would not relinquish  His claim of being  the unique Son of God.

New Testament scholar  J . I. Packer  points out that this title asserts Jesus' Personal deity.

next post  5th April

RECIPE TIME - VINEGAR PUDDING

                                               RECIPE TIME

                                               VINEGAR                                                                PUDDING



Ingredients:

1 and half cups flour
quarter teaspoon salt
2 and half cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
half teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 and half tablespoons butter or marg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
half cup vinegar
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Method:

Syrup:  place 2 cups of water, 2 cups sugar, and half cup of vinegar in a saucepan and                  bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and leave to cool.

Cream the butter and remaining sugar and add well beaten eggs. Add all the dry ingredients and the apricot jam and mix well.  Place this dough in a large oven proof dish and pour the cooled syrup over it. Bake in a moderate oven  (350oF) for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with custard or cream.

Next post  17th April

TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART FIFTY ONE

                                               TWENTY                                  SIXTEEN/2017 -
                                               PART FIFTY ONE

                                               Hello folks,

                                              
 we are now in 2017 so my next post will                be entitled TWENTY SEVENTEEN.

I went to bed last night at 9.30 and woke at 1am with another hives attack. Ruth is still roaming around feeling very sick. Certainly not a good start to the new year, but nevertheless feeling very grateful to almighty God for the way He has provided for us and sustained us through 2016.

That is what this blog was for to show How God protects and provides for His children. If you have been reading this blog from the beginning you will have seen how mightily He has looked after us and protected us, When there has not seemed to be a way He has made a way. 

He has protected and provided for us and He is refining and molding us into the people He wants us to be. Through all the trials and tribulations He has taught us patience and kindness. We no longer easily judge and condemn others even when we can see that they are wrong.  We have all done the same kind of thing, so how can we judge others?  He has also taught us to wait upon Him and not to be anxious - He goes before us to prepare the way.

We do not know how long this trial will go on because every new day brings a new set of problems. Life hasn't become any easier, but knowing that God is in control and experiencing His provision and protection has made us stronger in our faith. 

We must learn to rejoice no matter what our circumstances because we know that God is in control. He has been awesome in the things He has done for us. We are so frail and weak I am sure we must be a great disappointment to Him Who does so much for us.  

His Word says  "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

next post  2nd April

JOKES

                                                JOKES


                                              Little Johnny asks           his dad where                 babies come from;



Dad:     "Adam and Eve made babies, then the                      babies became adults and made babies                    and so on."

Little Johnny is not happy with this answer and goes to mom and asks her the same question.

Mom:    "Well, first we were monkeys and then we
                evolved and became people."

Little Johnny runs back to dad and shouts  "You lied to me. Mom says we were first monkeys and then became people."

Dad:  "Yes son, that's true, but she was talking                   about her side of  the family."


next post  1st April

MY FAVORITE PSALMS - PART FIFTY FOUR

                                                MY FAVORITE                                                      PSALMS - PART                                                    FIFTY FOUR


Oh give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name. Make known among the peoples His doings.  Sing unto Him, sing praises unto Him. 
Talk ye of all His marvelous works. Glory ye, in His holy name.

Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face evermore. Remember His marvelous works that He has done; His wonders and the judgments of His mouth. 

O, ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye children of Jacob His chosen.  He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant for ever., the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.

Which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac;  And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law  and to Israel for an everlasting covenant. Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; when they were but a few in number; yea, very few and strangers in it. 

 When they went from              one nation to another,              from one kingdom to                another people, He                  suffered no one to do              them wrong; yea He reproved kings for their sakes. Saying, touch not Mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.

Moreover He called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread.  He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant. Whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron.  Until the time that His word came; the Word of the Lord tried him.

The King sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance. To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies. 

He sent Moses His servant and Aaron whom He had chosen.  They shewed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made it dark and they rebelled not against His word.  He turned their waters into blood , and slew their fish. 

Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. He spake and there came divers sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts.  He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.  He smote their vines and also their fig trees, and brake the trees of their coasts.



  He spake and the locusts         came, and caterpillars, and     that without number; and       did eat up all the herbs in       their land, and devoured the   fruit of their ground. 



He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed; for the fear of them fell upon them. 

He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give them light in the night.  The people asked and He brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.  He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; then ran in dry places like a river.  For He remembered His holy promise and Abraham His servant.

And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness. And gave them the lands of the heathen; and they inherited the labour of the people.  That they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws. Praise ye the Lord.

next post 31st March
  

IS JESUS GOD (7) - WHAT KIND OF GOD?

                                          
                                             IS JESUS GOD ?


            part seven                                                                       (copied from 
             Y-Jesus.com)

                                               What kind of God?



Some have argued that Jesus was only claiming to be part of God. But the idea that we are all part of God and  that within us is the seed of divinity, is simply not a possible meaning for Jesus words and actions. Such thoughts are revisionist, foreign to His teaching, foreign to His stated beliefs and foreign to His disciples' understanding of His teaching.

Jesus taught that He is God in the way that the Jews understood God and the way that the Hebrew scriptures portrayed God., not in the way the New Age movement understands God. Neither Jesus nor His audience had been weaned on Star Wars and so when they spoke of God they were not speaking of cosmic forces. It is simply bad history to redefine what Jesus meant by the concept of God.

Lewis explains: 

 "Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God .... but this man since He was a Jew could not mean that kind of God. God in their language meant the Being outside the world, Who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that you will see that what this man said was  quite simply the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips."


 Certainly there are              those who accept Jesus        as a great teacher, yet          are unwilling to call            Him God.

 As a deist we've seen that Thomas Jefferson had no problem accepting Jesus' teaching on morals and ethics while denying His deity, but as we've said and will explore further, if Jesus was not Who He claimed to be, then we must examine some other alternatives, none of which would make Him a great moral teacher.

  Lewis argued    "I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that  people often say about Him, 'I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God'  that is the one thing we must not say."

In his quest for truth Lewis knew he could not have it both ways with the identity of Jesus.  Either Jesus was Who He claimed to be (God in the flesh) or His claims were false. And if they were false Jesus could not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be lying intentionally or He would be a lunatic with a God complex.

next post  29th March

RECIPE TIME - CHICKEN CASEROLE

                                           RECIPE TIME

Add caption

                                        CHICKEN CASSEROLE.






Ingredients:

1 large chicken
1 can chicken soup
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 can pineapple chunks (drained)
1 cup cream
 1 cup sherry
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method;

Cook the chicken and debone it. Cut into portions   and place in an oven proof dish.

Heat the soup, sherry and cream, stirring all the while , set aside.  Saute the mushrooms in the oil and add to the soup mixture. 

Add the red pepper and pineapple chunks. Pour this sauce over the chicken pieces which have been salted and peppered and bake at 300o for approximatety 20 minutes.

Serve with rice and vegetables. Or rice and salads.

next post  27th March 

TWENTY SIXTTEEN - PART FIFTY

                                          TWENTY SIXTEEN -                                                    PART FIFTY

  
  Hello folks,

    It is now the 25th of                 December - Christmas day.       Certainly doesn't feel like it.  

Still exhausted spend another day on my bed. Eczema also giving me trouble again.  Probably because of stress . 

I send Christmas cards to family and friends and post one on Facebook. Spend next few days just resting.

29th Andre sends message to Steve, he cannot reach Ruth on her phone - her phone has been giving her a lot of trouble lately. Steve contacts me.  Andre  comes to see Ruth and I as he has a potential buyer for the coins - He also takes photos of our antiques, apparently he and Amandah do not have the funds to do the alterations to the cottage.

  Ruth is not well - her               blood pressure is far                 too high  and pulse rate
  is too fast  ( 157/106 and         pulse rate  106 beats per           minute ) should be                   120/80 and pulse rate               72 beats per minute.

She is also feeling very nauseous. My blood pressure is also not so good.  Ruth is so ill I have to do the cooking and find it a big strain. She and I usually do it together. By afternoon she is feeling a little bit better.

Saturday 31st December, no water in the taps again. I am unable to do my ablutions. Ruth has gone back to bed, she is ill again. Her whole body is aching. She is  unable to do our shopping. 

Water comes back on so I am able to do ablutions and clean and medicate my eyes. We both make French toast but don't eat much.

next post  26th March

JOKES

                                                JOKES


                                          Teacher:  "What does                       the chicken                     give you?"


Student:   "Meat and eggs."

Teacher:  "Very good. What does the pig give                          You?"

Student:    "Bacon."

Teacher:   "Great. What does the cow give you?"

Student:    "Homework."


next post 25th March

MY FAVORITE PSALMS - PART FIFTY THREE

                                            MY FAVORITE             PSALMS
                                            - PART FIFTY                 THREE


                                        Bless Jehovah, O my soul, O Jehovah my God, Thou art very great. Thou art clothed with honor and majesty; Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretched out the heavens like a curtain; 

Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters; Who maketh the clouds His chariot;; Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;  Who maketh winds His messengers; Flames of fire His ministers; Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be moved forever;

Thou coverest it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away (the mountains rose, the valleys sank down) unto the place which Thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.

  He sendeth forth  springs       into the valleys;  they run       among the  mountains; They   give drink to every beast of     the field; The wild asses           quench their thirst. By them the birds of the of the heavens have their habitation; They sing among the branches.

He watereth the mountains from His chambers; the earth is filled with the fruit of Thy works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle and the green herb for the service of man. That he may bring forth food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine., and bread that strengtheneth man's  heart.

The trees are filled with moisture. The cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted, where the birds make their nests. As for the stork, the fir trees are her house.  The high mountains are for the wild goats.; the rocks are a refuge for the conies. 

 He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down.  Thou maketh the darkness and it is night. Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.  The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.


The sun ariseth , they              get them away. And lay            them down in their                  dens. Man goeth forth            unto his work and to                his labor until the                    evening.

 O Jehovah how manifold are Thy works!  In wisdom hast Thou made  them all; The earth is full of Thy riches, Yonder is the sea, great and wide, wherein are things creeping, innumerable, both small and great beasts.

There go the ships; there is leviathon, whom Thou hast formed to play therein.  These wait all for Thee that Thou mayest give them their food in due season. Thou givest unto them, they gather; Thou openest Thy hand, they are satisfied with good.  Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath they die, and return to their dust.  Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created; and Thou renewest the face of the ground.

 Let the glory of Jehovah rejoice for ever. Let Jehovah rejoice in His works. Who looketh on the earth and it trembleth. He touches the mountains and they smoke. I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live; I will sing praise to  my God while I have any being. Let thy meditation be sweet unto Him; I will rejoice in Jehovah. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. Praise ye Jehovah.

next post  24th March

IS JESUS GOD ? (6) COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN LYING?

                                               IS JESUS GOD ?

              part six 

                                                                               (copied from
                       Y-Jesus.com)

              COULD JESUS HAVE                                                                             BEEN LYING


Even Jesus' harshest critics have rarely called Him a liar. That label certainly doesn't fit with Jesus'  high moral and ethical teaching.  But if Jesus isn't Who He claimed to be, we must consider the option that He was intentionally misleading everyone.

One of the best-known and most influential political works was written by Nicollo Machiavelli in 1532.  In his classic  The Prince, Machiavelli exalts power, success, image, and efficiency above  loyalty, faith and honesty. According to Machiavelli, lying is okay if it accomplishes a political end.

Could Jesus have built His entire ministry upon a lie just to gain power, fame or success ?  In fact, the Jewish opponents of Jesus  were continually trying to expose Him as a fraud and liar.

                                          
They would  barrage           Him with questions, in         attempts to trip Him up       and contradict Himself.
Yet Jesus responded with remarkable consistency.


The question we must deal with is,  What could possibly motivate Jesus to live His entire life as a lie ?  He taught that God was opposed to lying and hypocrisy, so He wouldn't be doing it to please His Father.

He certainly didn't lie for His followers benefit, since all, but one, were martyred rather than renouncing His Lordship.  
and so we are left with only two other reasonable explanations each of which  are problematic.




next post   22nd March

RECIPE TIME - DELICIOUS BAKED CHICKEN DISH

                                        RECIPE TIME -                                                     DELICIOUS                                                           CHICKEN DISH




Ingredients:

1 granny smith apple  (Chopped finely)
1 can chicken or mushroom soup
2 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter
1 onion (chopped finely)
1 chicken (cut into 8 portions)
or 8 chicken portions
1 can ideal milk or cream
2 Tbls curry powder

Method:

Place chicken portions in one layer in a pyrex or shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.

In a separate saucepan melt the coconut oil/butter and add the chopped onion and apple and saute till onion is transparent.  Add the soup and curry powder and stir well.

Remove from stove and add the cream. Mix well and pour over the chicken portions. Bake uncovered at 350o F for approximately an hour and a half.

Serve with rice and vegetables.

next post  20th March

TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART FORTY NINE

                                    TWENTY SIXTEEN -
    PART FORTY NINE

                                           Hello folks,

 Today is the garage sale.
 Up early to get  ready.
We pack lunches and have bought cold drinks for the day.


Amandah has been kind enough to give us the use of her double garage at her house which is situated in the town of Rustenburg. She has also loaned us "Lucky" her employee to help us  unload and put up lines to hang the clothes etc.   We sit all day. But no customers arrive.

We spent money to advertise in the local newspaper and for the extra cold drinks and food  at the site. We had three customers and sold R220 worth of goods.  What a flop Absolutely exhausted now - ready to collapse.  I can see Ruth feels the same.

Amandah asks Ruth for her diamond ring as she says she has a potential buyer for it. Ruth gives it to her on the understanding that it is not to be sold for less than R6000 (It was valued at R70000) by the Jeweler. If we don't get it back the R6000 must go for back rent. 

Thursday 22nd - spend the day on my bed.

Friday 23rd - spend another day on my bed.  We haven't had a decent meal since the 19th - not good for the constitution. Too tired - both of us.  Now the toilet is blocked again.  Will phone Danny in the morning to come take a look.

 
 Power goes off at 7pm
  but comes back on at 7.30       then goes off and stays off       all  night until comes back       on at 11 o'clock next               morning.



We do still have Danny's generator but no money for petrol.

Saturday 24th wake up feeling very despondent. Steve phones to find out how things are going and I completely break down.  Everything is now just too much for me.  Danny arrives and fixes the toilet.

 I spend another day on my bed , I am suffering from exhaustion and my eyes are still giving me a lot of trouble. But never forget  "God is in control."  It is painful but He is teaching us and molding us into the people He wants us to be.  In every situation and every circumstances we must learn to be content. Just knowing He is there is enough.

next post  19th March

JOKES - BLONDE

                                                JOKES

                                               A Redhead, a                  brunette and a                blonde got lost in the desert, they found a lamp and rubbed it and when a genie jumped out and granted them each a wish the Redhead said

"I wish I was back home with my family."  poof she was gone.

The brunette said "I also wish I was back home with my family."  poof she was gone.

The blonde said "Oh how I miss my friends I wish they were back here!"


next post  18th March

MY FAVORITE PSALMS - PART FIFTY TWO

                                           MY FAVORITE  

 PSALMS - PART          FIFTY TWO

Bless Jehovah, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. 

Bless Jehovah, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. 

Who satisfieth  thy desire with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.  Jehovah executeth righteous acts, and judgements for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways unto Moses , His doings unto the children of Israel.

Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.  He will not always chide; neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us after our iniquities. 

 For  as the heavens                  are high above the                    earth, so great is His                lovingkindness toward 

 them that fear Him. 

As far as the east is from 

the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. 

Like as a father pitieth his children, so Jehovah pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 

As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passes over it and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.  But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep His covenant; and to those who remember His precepts to do them.

Jehovah has established His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. Bless Jehovah, ye His angels, that are mighty in strength, that fulfil His Word; hearkening unto the voice of His Word. Bless Jehovah, all ye hosts, ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure. Bless Jehovah all ye His works, in all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul.

next post 17th March

IS JESUS GOD (5) DID JESUS CLAIM TO BE THE GOD OF ABRAHAM + MOSES

                                          IS JESUS GOD?


           part five


      (copied from


       Y-Jesus.com)   

                                                                 DID JESUS CLAIM TO                    BE THE GOD OF                         ABRAHAM + MOSES.

Jesus continually referred to Himself in ways that confounded His listeners, as Piper notes. Jesus made the audacious statement, "Before Abraham was, I am."  He told Martha and others around her, "I am the resurrection and the life,  He who believes in Me, though he is dead, yet shall he live."

Likewise Jesus would make statements like " I am the light of the world,"  "I am the only way to God,"  "I am the truth," these and several other of His claims were preceded by the sacred words for God  "I AM"  What did Jesus mean by such statements and what is the significance of the term, "I AM"?

Once again, we must go back to context. In the Hebrew scriptures, when Moses asked God His Name at the burning bush, God  answered "I AM"
He was revealing to Moses that He is the one and only God who is outside of time and has always existed. Incredibly Jesus was using these words to describe Himself . The question is "Why?"

Since the time of Moses, no practicing Jew would ever refer to himself, or anyone else, by "I AM" . As a result Jesus' "I AM" claims infuriated the Jewish leaders. One time for example, some leaders  explained to Jesus why they were trying to kill Him. "Because you a mere man, have made yourself God."

Jesus' usage of God's name greatly angered the Jewish   leaders. The point is that these Old Testament scholars knew exactly what He was saying, He was claiming to be God, the Creator of the universe. 

It is only this claim that would have  brought the accusation of blasphemy. To read into the text that Jesus claimed to be God is clearly warranted, not only by His words but by their reaction to those words.

C.S. Lewis initially  considered Jesus a myth. But this literary genius who knew myths well, concluded that Jesus had to have been a real person. Furthermore as Lewis investigated the evidence for Jesus, he became convinced that not only was Jesus real, but He was unlike any man who had ever lived.  Lewis writes ..."Then comes the real shock   'Among these Jews, there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God'. He claims to forgive sins. He says he has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time.

To Lewis, Jesus' claims were simply too radical and profound to have been made by an ordinary teacher or religious leader. 

next post 15th March

RECIPE TIME - CRUSTLESS MILK TART.

                                          RECIPE TIME -                                                    CRUSTLESS MILK                                                TART.


ingredients:

4 cups milk
1 cup flour
3 eggs 
2 Tblspoons butter
1 tspoon baking powder
half tspoon vanilla essence
pinch salt 

method:

Separate yolks from whites of egg and whisk whites till stiff. 

Melt the butter and mix with sugar and egg yolks and beat well.
Add baking powder to flour and then the vanilla, milk and beaten egg yolks 

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into greased tart pan and bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes.


next post 6th March

TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART FORTY EIGHT

 TWENTY SIXTEEN - 
 PART FORTY EIGHT

Hello folks,

 Friday, 25th November both  of us feeling sick because of  yesterday's trauma  in the smoke filled house - We are  very thankful to our God for His protection.  He truly is an Awesome God.

26th  November, Charmaine's - (Renata's adopted daughter) 17th birthday. 

27th - Family meeting -  Steve, Sue. Andy, Danny,  Andre, Amanda, Ruth and me.  We need  to move to cottage.  New rent is R2800  which Steve and Andy will pay - we must move asap . so that Andre and Amanda can rent the big house. They will install security gates and fencing for the dogs. Also they will put a dry wall in to make two separate bedrooms and they will put in a stove. They will also transfer our DSTV. 

Andy will install built in cupboards for our bedrooms.



They put me in a                     wheelchair  and we go             take a look at the cottage. 

 It has, like everything,
 got advantages and                  disadvantages.  




Monday 28th - still not fully recovered from smoke trauma - also start to feel very negative about the move. Forseeing all the problems and forgetting all the benefits.

Missed out on writing this blog for some reason or the other which I do not know, probablyy because Ruth and I have been sorting goods to sell at garage sale. We desperately need the money.

17th December Biltong machine invaded with ants . Very tedious job cleaning them out . Have to remove each stick of liver biltong and soak it in vinegar and clean machine and rehang.  

18th December, Amandah confirms garage sale. Ruth and I work on kitchen goods to sell. Will finish tomorrow. We have already done the clothing and the  beads and home made jewelry.

19th December Andy and Fiona leave for their holiday in  Australia.  Ants are in biltong machine again by the millions and trillions - we resoak in vinegar and clean machine - not long and the wall is again covered in ants - wipe with cloth soaked in vinegar and spray with Doom.  Seems to have worked this time.

20th Awoke in the early hours feeling completely drained of strength, feeling unable to carry on. I have no strength at all. I prayed and asked my heavenly Father for help. Ate some Marie biscuits a took my medicine and went back to sleep. 

Woke up feeling a lot better.  Ruth goes to town to have car cleaned etc. gone all day.

21st - today is the garage sale. Feeling hopeful have approximately R20 000 worth of goods to sell. If we are successful we can pay the back rent. Do repairs to fridges and tumble drier and also be rid of a lot of stuff that is clogging our home.

next post  12th March