Something Greater

Pentecost And The Three Feasts "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place." Acts 1:2 PENTECOST: "Pentekoste", fiftieth; from "pentekonta" (fifty) and "pente" (five) Pentecost, meaning "the fiftieth day", is the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed harvest. THREE FEASTS: - Feast of Unleavened Bread - Feast of Harvest - Feast of Ingathering "Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of th...

A Poet of His Word "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only." James 1:22 (ESV) "Doers" of the word, in the Greek, means performers , especially used of poets, from the Greek word "poietes". The Apostle Paul used the same word in direct reference to poets: "In him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring'". Acts 17:28 (ESV) Poets perform their work by speaking to an audience or publishing books. A poem begins with ideas and emotions, feelings and desires and fears, but it is nothing until the poet uses words to create structure and meaning. Until the poem is spoken or sung or written or performed, the ideas and emotions and feelings and desires and fears are impotent and worthless. Even for the poet himself, if the poem remains unworded, unrealized, vague and internal, the poem does not affect or influence or satisfy . But, "doing" the poem br...

My Psalm 51 Bend low, God. How dare I even think of saying that to You? Nothing I see around me is of my creation. Even the breath and the blood in my body that enables me to see and think is not of my making. You are Creator, and I am as dust in comparison to You , in all ways. Bend low, God. I am without any power or authority to command you to stoop to my level, to listen to my heart, to hope for favor, to depend upon mercy . Bend low, God. You are the Only Source and the Only God, and I can't reach You. You must come near to me . God, my sin is fresh before my eyes. And behind the sin of today is the sin of yesterday, and the sin of last week, and the sin of last year, and the sin of all my past . I depend upon Your mercy , Your kindly, undeserved favor and Your tenderloving touch. Please take away the guilt of my sin. Erase my debt of rebellion against You. I know You have mercy on those who do not deserve mercy. I know that You provide forgiveness through...

Merciful Vengeance "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:19-21 (ESV) AVENGE: "Ekdikeo", to vindicate, retaliate or punish; from "ekdikos" (carrying justice out, a punisher) and "dike" (right, as self-evident, justice) and "deiknyo" (to show) WRATH: "Orge", desire, reaching forth, excitement of the mind, violent passion, punishment; from "orego" (to stretch oneself, reach out, long for) REPAY: "Antapodidomi", to requite (good or evil); from "anti" (opposite) and "apodidomi" (to give away) HEAP: "Soreuo", to pile up; from ...