Second Sunday Meditation: The Just Shall Live By Faith

"Look at the proud; their soul is not straight or right
 within them, but the rigidly just and uncompromisingly
righteous shall live by their faith and faithfulness."
Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk Cries Out In Prayer

Gustave Dore

A PRAYER OF HABAKKUK

Habakkuk 3:1-19

O Lord, I have heard the report of You and was afraid.

O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,

in the midst of the years make Yourself known!

In wrath, earnestly remember love, pity, and mercy.

God, approaching from Sinai came from Teman,

which represents Edom, and the Holy One from

 Mount Paran in the Sinai region.

 Selah, pause and calmly think of that!

His glory covered the heavens and the earth was

full of His praise. And His brightness was like the sunlight;

 rays streamed from His hand and there in sun-like splendor 

was the hiding place of His power.

Before Him went the pestilence as in Egypt, and burning

plague followed His feet as in Sennacherib's army.

He stood and measured the earth; He looked and shook the nations,

and the eternal mountains were scattered and the perpetual hills

bowed low. His ways are everlasting and His goings are of old.

I,  Habakkuk, in vision, saw the tents of Cushan (Ethiopia)

in affliction; the tent curtains of the land of Midian trembled.

Were You displeased with the rivers, O Lord?

Or was Your anger against the rivers You divided?

Was your wrath against the Red Sea, that You rode before

Your horses and Your chariots of victory and deliverance?

Your bow was made quite bare; sworn to the tribes of Israel

by Your sure word were the rods of chastisement, 

 scourges and calamities. 

(Selah, pause and calmly think of that!)

With rivers You cleaved the earth, bringing forth water in dry places.

The mountains saw You; they trembled and writhed as in pain.

The overflowing of the water passed by as at the deluge;

the deep uttered its voice and its hands on high.

The sun and the moon stood back, as before Joshua, in their

habitation at the light of Your arrows as they sped, at the

flash of Your glittering spear.

You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled

and threshed the nations in anger.

You went forth and have come for the salvation of Your people,

for the deliverance and victory of Your anointed people, Israel.

You smote the head of the house of the wicked, laying bare

the foundation even to the neck,

(Selah, pause and calmly think of that!)

You pierced with his own arrows the head of the enemy's

hordes; they came out as a whirlwind to scatter the people

rejoicing as if to devour the poor, Israel, secretly.

You have trodden the sea with Your horses, beside the

heap of great and surging waters.

I heard and my whole inner self trembled; my lips quivered

at the sound. Rottenness enters into my bones and under me

down to my feet; I tremble, I will wait quietly for the day 

of trouble and distress when there shall come up against

my people him who is about to invade and oppress them.

Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit

on the vines, though the product of the olive fails and the

fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold

and there are no cattle in the stalls.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

 I will exult in the victorious God of my salvation!

The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my

invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make

me to walk, not to stand still in terror, but to walk and make

spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble, 

 suffering or responsibility.

Days of Elijah
Paul Wilbur

Where Did You Come From?

Where did you come from, Baby dear?

Out of the everywhere into here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?

Out of the sky as I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?

Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?

I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high?

A soft hand stoked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose?

I saw something better than anyone knows.

Heartfelt

Anne Geddes

Whence that tree-corner'd smile of bliss?

Three angels once gave me a kiss.

Where did you get this pearly ear?

God spoke, and it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms and hands?

Love made itself into hooks and bands. 

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?

From the same box as the cherubs' wings.

How did they all come just to be you?

God thought of me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?

God thought of you, and so I am here.

"Where Did You Come From?"

George MacDonald

(1824-1905)

Scottish author, poet, and Christian Minister

Blows The Wind Today

"So then, we may no longer be children,

tossed like ships to and fro between chance gusts

of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine,

the prey of cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men,

in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth in all things.

Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in

all things into Him Who is the Head, even

Christ the Messiah, the Anointed One."

Ephesians 4:14-15

Dalgarnock Burial Ground Martyrs Cross

Dumfries and Galloway Scotland

Blows the wind today, and the sun and the rain are flying

Blows the wind on the moor, today and now;

Where, round the graves of the martyrs the whaups all crying

My soul remembers how.

Grey, recumbent tombs of the dead, in the desert places,

Standing stones on the vacant wine-red moor,

Hills of sheep,-and the silent vanished races,

And the wind austere and pure.

Be it granted to me to behold you again in dying;

Hills of home, and to hear once more the call.

Hear round the graves of the martyrs the pee-weeps crying

And hear no more at all.

"Blows The Wind Today"

Robert Louis Stevenson

(1850-1894)

Scottish writer and poet

On My Mind: In Perilous Times Like These...

"FOR MAN'S ANGER DOES NOT PROMOTE  THE

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD."

James 1:20

California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Maxine Waters is undoubtedly a very disturbed woman.

At a recent political rally in Los Angeles, she encouraged her

listeners to "push back" against officials of the Trump Administration.

According to Breitbart News.com, Waters told the crowd:  "If you see

anybody from the Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a 

gasoline station, you get out, and you create a crowd, and you push

back on them!  And you tell them that they are not welcome 

anymore, anywhere."

Ms. Waters is apparently upset over President Trump's

"zero tolerance" policy which separates parents and guardians

from their children to discourage illegal entry into the country.

However, Ms. Waters, along with other high profile members

of the Democrat Party, has been a thorn in Mr. Trump's side

from the first day he took office in the White House.

Ms. Waters has publicly stated that she will not cooperate or work

 with President Trump, and has made repeated calls for his impeachment

over the fake Russia collusion investigation, and other ridiculous

scandals cooked up by the anti-Trump crowd.  I notice that

Stormy Daniels is now off the radar.  She has been replaced

by the 'cruel and inhuman treatment' being given to the

children of illegal aliens detained at the border.

The fact is, President Trump did not start this 'zero tolerance'

policy concerning illegals trying to sneak across our southern border.

Being arrested and detained at the border before being sent back to

their home country has been the standard US policy concerning undocumented

immigrants for many years now, long before Donald Trump was even born.

Because he has decided to reinforce this long-standing policy in order to

deter illegal entry into the United States, he has been dubbed

by political opponents and the news media as a monster.

It seems to me that Ms. Waters and those like her who are full of

unreasonable hatred and anger are the real monsters

out to destroy the United States of America.

 Maxine Waters has revealed herself as a traitor and an

enemy of the American people, who has called

   for violence against Trump officials, however, this

will eventually include average citizens minding their

   own business while eating in a restaurant or shopping in  

a store who openly show their support for our president.

I am seriously wondering if  Water's campaign to

"push back"  will also target little children and babies 

wearing "Make America Great Again" hats and tee-shirts? 

 How about a newborn baby in a onesie?

Of course, since she belongs to the premier pro-abortion rights

 political party in America, the possible harming of innocent children

 should not bother Maxine Waters all that much.

But for this single reason alone, I believe this reckless and dangerous

woman should be removed from her seat in the House of Representatives

as soon as possible.

President Trump holding two tiny supporters after a 

town hall address  in Colorado in June, 2016

Ancient Evening Prayer

"And I will ask the Father and He will give you
another Comforter, that He may remain with you forever."
John 14:16

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;

Come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid,

And fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

Holy Spirit Come

Beverly Guilliams

To Thee, the Comforter, we cry;

To Thee, the gift of God most high;

The fount of life, the fire of love,

The soul's Anointing from above.

The sev'nfold gifts of grace are Thine;

O finger of the hand divine;

True promise of the Father Thou,

Who dost the tongue with speech endow.

The light to every sense impart,

And shed Thy love in every heart;

Thy own unfailing might supply

To strength our infirmity.

"Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest"

(800)

Words attributed to

Rhabanus Maurus

(776-856)

Arch Bishop of Mainz

(Germany)

Translated from Latin to English

by Richard Mant

(1776-1848)

Good Night Everyone!

May God Bless Your Sleep Tonight

For The Beauty Of The Earth

"To everything there is a season, and a time

for every matter or purpose under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Butterflies On Flowers

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Night Sky Over The Sonora Desert

Sonora Desert National Monument

Maricopa and Pinal County

Arizona

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind's delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight.

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Mother's Love
Akiane Kramarik

For Thy Church, that evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love.

For the martyrs' crown of light,

For Thy prophets' eagle eye,

For Thy bold confessors' might,

For the lips of infancy.

"I am not ashamed of the Gospel!"
 Displaced Christian Children In Nigeria

For Thy virgins' robes of snow,

For Thy maidens mother mild

For Thyself, with hearts aglow,

Jesu, Victim undefiled.

For each perfect gift of Thine,

To race so freely given,

Graces human and divine,

Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven

Cheerful Sunflowers In Bloom
(Kansas State Flower)

"For The Beauty Of The Earth"

(1864)

Folliet S. Pierpont

(1835-1917)

English hymn writer

The Ragged Old Flag / The Battle Hymn Of The Republic

"If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to.

This is the last stand on Earth.

And this idea that government is beholden to the people,

that it has no other source of power except to sovereign people,

is still the newest and most unique idea in all the

long history of man's relation to man.

This is the issue of this election.

Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government,

or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess

that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital

can plan our lives for us better than

we can plan them ourselves."

 Ronald Wilson Reagan

(1911-2004)

40th President of the United States of America

The Ragged Old Flag

Johnny Cash

"In the beauty of the lilies

Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom

That transfigured you and me:

As He died to make men holy,

Let us live to make men free;

While God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

While God is marching on..."

The Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Johnny Cash

 "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic"

(1861)

Julia Ward Howe

(1819-1910)

American Hymn writer

This song was sung at the funerals of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill,

American Senator Robert Kennedy, and American Presidents 

Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.