invisible fascination

Air is, of course, invisible.  But air is far from nothing.  Air has mass...in fact it is comprised of 9 gases.  Interestingly, the largest single gas is not oxygen, which we need to support life.  The largest gas within air is nitrogen...about 78% of air is nitrogen and only about 20% of air is oxygen.  So why did God put nitrogen in the mix if we don't need it to breathe?  It turns out that oxygen is very flammable and reactive while nitrogen subdues reaction and inhibits the tendency of oxygen to combust.  Without nitrogen we would truly live in a world on fire, as any spark or excess heat source might cause a roaring inferno.  Our designer knows both what we need to live and what is needed to protect us.  Air is a great invisible servant.

Genesis 1:⁶ Then God said, "Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth." ⁷ And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. ⁸ God called the space "sky."

blessings,

Rob Smith

His call

Soft now, wait, and hear His call,

Be still within, and pause...

The One who formed you knows your name

and wants to pass your walls.

There is none more right for Him, than you

and you right now.

His Kingdom great, forever reigns, is greatest

through His vow,

To know you in your earthly days and guide

you through the years,

Then to bring you to His side...

The One whom now you hear!

John 10:^2-4 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

blessings,

Rob Smith

overwhelming majority

The sound of drums and stirring fiddles filled my headphones this morning as I exercised.  I felt inspired!  It made me reflect on the power and invigorating presence of the Lord in our lives.  Reflecting on the music, I realized that we who know and love the Lord are part of an overwhelming majority that worships Him.  When you expand your vision to include the heavenly dimension and consider the vast hosts of angels around the mighty throne, where God the Father and His Son reign you realize that we are a small part of a vast assembly that adores our Maker and Redeemer.  It doesn't always "feel" like the vast majority that it is because we live out our days in a place where God's enemy has a measure of control.  But his control is limited...and as we align with the Heavenly majority we overcome Satan.  The enemy would like for us to feel we are in the minority and to hide our conviction and compromise our values.  But we stand with the great One alongside the majority of the host of Heaven.  Even Jesus was rejected by most when He appeared the first time.  We should not be surprised by the tactics of the enemy and we do need the fellowship and encouragement of other believers and to be reminded that we stand with the majority as we walk in faith today.

Psalm 46:7 

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.

blessings,

Rob Smith

the place between

My friend Joe has had an impossibly tough 12 months.  One year ago he had surgery to remove cancer from his midsection.  He spent several months in intensive care afterwards to deal with a host of life threatening complications.  Just as he was beginning to regain some strength he got the word that the cancer had returned and was inoperable.  Now he is in hospice and is not expected to leave before his transition to Heaven.  Joe has been in "the place between" for a year now.  For a year he has been powerless to do almost anything...even simple things like walking or driving.  Now he is at the point where, barring a miracle, he will not return to earthly life.  Joe knows and loves the Lord with all his heart.  Raised in a youth home for much of his childhood, Joe carries a grateful and generous heart and has spent his life in Christ reflecting joy and sharing his musical talents with voice and guitar with many...from those in nursing homes to our small group.  Joe was our Small Group Leader and shared his infectious curiosity in the Lord and his Cajun humor with his love for the study of God and His Word.  But now he is in "the place between".  He is in the place where, once he copes with the pain of illness, he can catch a glimpse of the One who carries His spirit and is preparing the way for his eternal home.  He is being carried to a place which is beyond recovery and surpasses health.  He may not get well again physically, but...He will be complete.  Joe's life reminds me that I am also in "the place between" and it is the Lord who carries me, whether well or unwell, all my days.

Ephesians 1:²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

blessings, with love for Joe,

Rob Smith

the throne

The throne is real and high above,

One seated there sees all.

And history unrolls below,

as all men rise and fall.

The waves of evil storm the shores

and harm the Maker's craft,

But He rules from eternity and

evil He'll outlast.

The glory of that throne will shine

much brighter through the ages

When Satan's doom is sealed in time

and righteousness amazes.

Forevermore!

With great gratititude for the victory that is coming and written of in the Revelation!

Revelation 21:³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

blessings,

Rob Smith

harbor

The journey seems to never end,

One day upon another...

Our destination past the bend,

and trouble is our brother.

Life so familiar yet so unknown,

Uncharted waters pass...

Where will this voyage come to rest?

How long will this life last?

Beyond the line of earth and sky

Others watch to see

Ships arriving from their course

to find sweet company

Heaven's harbor rises high

protected from the storms

Shelters those whom time has tried,

in the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 107:30 

What a blessing was that stillness
    as he brought them safely into harbor!

blessings,

Rob Smith

intervention

intervention: "an interposing," noun of action from pp. stem of Latin intervenire "to come between, interrupt," from inter-"between" (see inter-) + venire "come" (see venue)

We've been reading through the last book in the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John.  Much of the symbolism, actions and characters that fill the book are difficult to understand.  A few nights ago I read through a commentary on a few of the chapters dealing with the awesome judgments that will take place according to Revelation.  One of the "bottom line" thoughts I had was that we are no longer going to have debates or discussions about the possibility of Heaven, God or eternity after these events play out.  God is going to roll out a massive "intervention" on His Creation and earth will be shaken as surely as if God were placing His two hands on your own shoulders.  It occurred to me this morning that we need an intervention on a personal level even now, before the events of Revelation.  Intervention has two root words that mean to "come between".  It seems that, even though we see ourselves as a single entity, we need the Lord to 'come between' even withinour personal lives.  We need an awakening now to the reality that we are not solely of the Earth, nor are we solely of ourselves, and we certainly aren't solely of the Enemy of the Lord.  We need an intervention to understand that all that we are is because of our Creator.  He is our origin and our destiny.  Jesus was the ultimate intervention, who came between Heaven and Earth and provided our restoration at the intersection of the Cross.  Now is the time to bow to this intervention, rather than waiting for the awesome one to unroll from the Revelation.

Luke 16:²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'....³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹ But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

blessings,

Rob Smith

ocean voyage

Following men we walk up steps and climb aboard the vessel,

The boat that carries us through days...through unknown waters travels.

Our trust is in a captain's skill and knowledge of this ocean,

While we clean decks and tend the sails...salt air is now our potion.

The sea around all looks the same..sometimes rough...mostly plain,

But one day land ahead is seen...our trust fulfilled, our port attained...

We scarce can say what got us there...We didn't make the ship or air

or understand the currents fair.  We only scrubbed the decks and stared

at wonders of the sky and sea...

This trip is all such mystery!

Proverbs 30:18 

There are three things that amaze me—
    no, four things that I don't understand:
¹⁹ how an eagle glides through the sky,
    how a snake slithers on a rock,
    how a ship navigates the ocean,
    how a man loves a woman.

blessings,

Rob Smith

Sleeper agents

I vaguely remember a movie, a combination science fiction / spy movie.  The bad guys in the film placed children with adoptive parents, but the children had been born in an enemy country and some kind of electronic chip was imbedded within the children.  At a certain point this chip would be activated by a remote signal and the children would follow a program of instruction to act as spies for the homeland.  They were foreign agents who didn't know they were foreign agents until that part of their makeup was activated.  This morning it occurred to me that we who have come to know the living God are something like that.  We were planted here, along with all other people, to live this earthly life...but at a certain point we were reached, not through some kind of surgically planted chip, but through the Holy Spirit...awakening our true identity as children of the eternal King.  We have come to know that this is not our true home or destination, or even purpose.  All of those things are determined by our Heavenly Father from our eternal home.  We are strategically formed to fully identify with other people, to build relationships and to show that God lives, not just in a far away place, but inside of people just like them.  Just as people can be related to other people, so people can be related to God.  We are sleeper agents for the Lord (I guess this is my wakeup call).

Acts 18:⁹ Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

blessings,

Rob Smith

love expressed

Love expressed is love that's known,

the exercise of heart.

Love expressed is not alone,

it's where commitment starts.

Love finds rest in words addressed

to One who did atone,

and love's caress in actions best

our love to others shown.

His love expressed does give us rest,

Now free from sin's great stone,

Please Jesus, pour your love through me

Express from Heaven's home.

John 17:²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

blessings and love,

Rob Smith 

daily bread

What a blessing to neither have too much, nor too little!  The two most challenging circumstances may be (1) desperate poverty and (2) surplus wealth.  Desperate poverty suggests a continual battle with health, and the basics of survival...so much so that there is little of life experience remaining.  Surplus wealth can lead one into a false sense of self reliance and satisfaction from that which can be purchased.  It seems that there is a middle ground of experience where one has neither too little, nor too much.  In this middle ground we learn the lesson of a faithful provider who meets our needs from Heaven and who provides a quality of life that is totally separate from anything that can be bought with currency.   In this middle ground we find the blessing of the One who provides our daily bread.

Luke 11:3 

Give us day by day our daily bread.

blessings,

Rob Smith

with every step

My routine most mornings now is to exercise first thing and then spend some time with these thoughts.  I have an "Elliptical" exercise machine that works the arms and legs at the same time (arms and legs go back and forth, moving through resistance).  I really like the Elliptical machine.  It is convenient...I can stay warm and dry inside...and I can really work up a sweat in a half hour program.  I can also listen to music on a headset.  But one of the reasons I like the Elliptical machine is that it provides built in encouragement with every step I take.  That's because there is a heavy wheel built into the machine that builds momentum with every step and then carries that momentum over to assist with the next step.  I get a "boost" from the energy that my previous step has imparted to the wheel.  It's almost like having a training partner to work with.  (I also have a stationary bicycle that has a similar heavy wheel)  I thought about the close presence of the Lord in my life and how, with every step, He is that close to encourage me.  He doesn't store up my energy to provide the assist...He provides His own thoughts, encouragement and actual presence.  Exercise goes better with a boost....and so does daily living!

Isaiah 43:2 

When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.

blessings,

Rob Smith

One God, No Borders

This is a hard message, but a true one I believe.  There is only one true God and one avenue to be restored to Him.  There is one primary enemy of that God and he knows that he is ultimately doomed.  This enemy, Satan, works to influence people to keep them from God and to oppose the message of truth that we know as the Gospel.  The real motive behind radical Islam and other false ways is to prevent the spread of the Gospel message to millions of people.  The world is shrinking due to advanced travel and, even more so, due to modern media, like the internet.  So the enemy is concerned that the truth is crossing borders and penetrating hearts in ways that threaten his control.  The message of the Lord is one of love...the message of Satan is one of fear.  The enemy knows that love is far more appealing than fear.  Praise God for those who are praying and for going to the front lines of this battleground, that ultimately millions who are locked in fear will be won to eternal love.

Philippians 1:²⁷ Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

blessings,

Rob Smith

still here

So whatever happened to the Roman Empire??? It was so powerful and extensive for so long... Yes, and how about Babylon and Persia and Alexander the Great?  How about Egypt and the great pharaohs or Assyria?  Hey, remember the heydey of Europe when even Portugal was building an empire?  Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella...England and the British Empire that ruled the seas and colonized so much of the world??  But then again there is the U.S.A. and it seems our time of dominance is passing as well.  On the other hand, the people of Israel keep on...persist...endure.  And the church of Jesus Christ is renewed and reborn with each generation.  It was sobering this morning to consider history and remember that there is One who is greater than the kings of earth and the empires they build and the power they project.  Earthly kings and kingdoms all tend to rise and fall but the people of the Bible continue and the children of faith are born in every time as the Gospel continues in power and is handed across from older to younger and from nation to nation and tribe to tribe.  The One who rules outside of time also rules across time and His Kingdom shall never end.

Daniel 7:¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.

blessings,

Rob Smith

michael

I have a nephew, Michael, whom I love very much.  One of the reasons I love Michael is that he is proactive when it comes to life and living.  He is not one to "let life happen".   Michael makes life come alive.  He has a penchant for adventure and has traveled much of the world on a shoestring.  And when he travels he likes to go to the backwoods, the hinterlands, the remote areas and some of the beautiful spots that many don't see.  Michael has developed great talent as a photographer to capture the beauty of nature and people from his trips.  I love the proactive way that Michael is going after life.  I think too many of us just let "life happen" or feel constrained by routine or obligation.  I think this is especially true when it comes to the life beyond this short life.  We may ignore the question of eternity...deny the possibility of life beyond and just let one day become another, and we just sit on the question marks about the bigger things that lie within.  That's why I am excited about a current study of the last book in the Bible, the Revelation, that opens windows and doors to place life here in the context of life forever.  And just as I love Michael's adventurous approach to life, so I love the Apostle John's adventurous walk with Jesus, that culminated in this great and exciting picture of forever living.

Revelation 1:⁷ Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

⁸ "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,"says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

blessings,

Rob Smith

monkey in the middle

This past Saturday I played "monkey in the middle" with two grandkids.  In the familiar game, two of us were on the outside and tried to toss a ball over or around the third person, in the middle.  When the monkey in the middle snatched the ball out of the air he would trade places with the one who had thrown the ball.  I played on my knees to try to even the odds a little.  On Sunday in our MiniBible class we were talking about Jesus as He was revealed in the book of Revelation.  He is identified as the "Alpha and Omega", the beginning and end.  He is the one who "was, and is, and is to come".  As we considered that truth we realized that He is also in the middle, with us.  He provided examples of seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation that showed He was very much in the middle with them.  He was keenly aware of their strengths and weaknesses and was intensely interested in them growing to full maturity as churches.  We realized that we are the "monkey in the middle" and Jesus is with us, between the beginning and the end.  He is committed to knowing us thoroughly and helping us grow to maturity, to completeness.  Because He is the beginning and end he can be trusted to be our strongest resource where we are now...in the middle.

Revelation 1:⁸ "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,"says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

blessings,

Rob Smith

humbled by sleep

Sleep is humbling.  We need to spend somewhere between a fourth and a third of our lives practically unconscious.  Yet when we are awake we expect to be "world beaters" bent on conquest and control.  How do we forget that a large part of our day is needed simply to recharge our internal batteries?  Scientists don't fully understand sleep, or what happens while we are sleeping but they know it has something to do with physical and mental restoration.  I find sleep to be a good example of the sovereignty of God.  At the time of day when we are least in control and least aware He refreshes us most and pours rest into us.  Reflecting on sleep reminds me that there is one who "neither slumbers, nor sleeps".

Psalm 121:3 

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

blessings (yawn),

Rob Smith

fog clarifies

Fog drapes the land, a blanket moist

obscuring all we see...

We must slow down to safely move

through such obscurity...

It holds on close, it's dampness near,

It isolates the people...

But fog will clarify our thoughts,

In air that's thick with water.

We cannot move, we cannot see,

But we think thoughts that matter!

Psalm 145:5 

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    and your wonderful miracles.

blessings,

Rob Smith

friends and family

I was looking through the wedding album our youngest daughter, Bethany, and her husband, Mark, created from their wedding day last April.  Of course it was filled with stunningly beautiful and handsome young people as well as some striking senior citizens.  I was particularly impressed with the pictures of the wedding couple surrounded by their wedding party.  The bride and groom each had a mix of close friends and relatives to stand with them as they made their vows before the Lord and the assembled congregation.  Of course the most special pictures were of the couple, themselves, as they stood close and gazed into each other's eyes or kissed.  But I reflected on the importance of the other folks who stood with them.  After the wedding and through the years to come the continued support, love and friendship of those who surround them closely will be invaluable because life is difficult and friends and family will continue to stand along side in the challenging days just as they did on that wedding day.  The fruit of friends and family is sweet indeed.

Proverbs 27:9 

Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

blessings,

Rob Smith

3-In-One Oil

119 years ago Mr. George Cole of Asbury Park, New Jersey invented a compound that would accomplish three very important tasks regarding bicycle maintenance: lubrication, rust prevention and cleaning.  This famous 3-IN-ONE Oil accomplishes all of this with one application.   It occurred to me this morning that when we come to know the Lord personally we are introduced to the heavenly version of 3-IN-ONE Oil in the form of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  He also comes to clean, lubricate the narrow passages of life and prevent the buildup of sin.  Technology has soared since the invention of the oil product by Mr. Cole in 1894, but bicycles, door hinges, and countless other mechanical devices still need the basic lubrication, rust prevention and cleaning of 3-IN-ONE....and so do we need the "full compound" effect of God's three in one presence to help us run smoothly and cleanly on a daily basis. (with thanks to http://www.3inone.com).

1 John 4:¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

blessings,

Rob Smith

for all time, for all times

His love is from eternity...

a love beyond all time.

Before we saw the light of day

His love washed land and sky.

His love designed HIs words command

and all we see appeared...

That love then filled our ears with sound

with hearts set free from fear.

His love transcends the time we live

and reaches through our days,

Yet... whatever times we face while here

that love will touch our cares.

Eternal love, beyond all time,

is love for all our years.

John 17:^{26 "}And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

blessings,

Rob Smith

Delmarva

Just across the Chesapeake Bay from us is the Delmarva Peninsula.  It is a 170 mile long stretch of land than ranges from 12 to 70 miles in width and has a population of about 700,000 people.  Most of the state of Delaware is found on this land, but Maryland has nine counties and a large population around the city of Salisbury.  Virginia holds the skinny piece at the southern tip with only two counties.  From the air you can't tell that this peninsula is three different states.  It is one piece of land surrounded almost entirely by large bodies of water.  For some reason man has decided to create three major governments to manage it.  I am struck by the thought that what God has created whole, man will try to divide for his purposes.  Views of the earth from space remind us of the integrated beauty of the globe.  The political divisions of man are not evident from that distance.  And I wonder if we sometimes divide and compartmentalize our own lives to try to control and manage our lives in pieces, rather than viewing them as a whole...fashioned by the Creator and not by ourselves.  Perhaps the starting point is to look on ourselves from a distance and behold the beauty from a different perspective!

Job 10:8 

'Your hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;"

blessings,

Rob Smith

New Day's Resolution

Resolved: To make New Day's Resolutions this year

With the start of a new calendar year come bold attempts to change.  We call these New Year's Resolutions.  We think of major changes we want to make in our lives and determine that this is the year those changes will happen.  I don't know the statistics, but I suspect that a relatively low percentage of all resolutions initiated are completed.  The problem may be that we don't really live a year at a time as much as we live a day at a time.  When I awake it typically takes me a few moments to "power up" the brain and refresh the outlook on a new day.  With each day comes a new beginning naturally and it seems to me that a better way to make changes is to approach them daily, until they become part of our routine.  Certainly, most of these changes will take many days to fully implement, like weight loss or learning a language or becoming physically fit.  But the long term goal must be approached incrementally and daily.  So, perhaps we need to make New Day's Resolutions to achieve New Year's Resolutions.  The beauty of the New Day's Resolution is that you get a fresh chance to re-start or recommit with every day.  We really do live out our lives one day at a time!

Psalm 145:2 

Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

(Now there's a resolution!!)

blessings,

Rob Smith

you come for me

You come for me, You come from above!

You come when I'm low

You come out of love

You come for me, Come now...yes today

Come to my heart

Come in and then stay

You come for me, For me do you live

For repair and for freedom

For tender embrace

You come for me, I can't live alone

I struggle and wander

I need your sweet face

You come for me

Please make me your home.

John 14:²³ Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

blessings,

Rob Smith

a spouse in the house

There's a spouse in the house!

She's different from me...

In every way possible,

or so it sure seems...

She's soft and warm while I'm scratchy and cold

Her voice is like music

Mine's brassy or bold.

She's always loved flowers, plants, curtains and rugs

While I'd be content in a box without bugs

We somehow fit in millions of ways,

but she is sure different

(that's a good thing, I'd say!)

I love her around and I love her to stay

I love the three children who showed up one day 

(they grew and went away!)

There's a spouse in my house,

I'm glad to say.

She's absolutely great...

(I'm amazed every day)

for Shirley

Proverbs 5:18 

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

blessings,

Rob

wanting the best

It occurred to me yesterday that I could think about loving others in a new way...

I was reflecting on the reality that some people are easier to love than others.  In fact some people seem more like the enemy than anything else and "loving them" just doesn't seem natural (I guess it isn't!).  Then I remembered something our Pastor said from the pulpit last week...to the effect that when we have differences with other people we need to remember that there are spiritual forces that are also involved in trying to separate and cause difficulty.  He reminded us that the other person really isn't the problem.  I realized that I really don't have another human being that "is the problem"...in fact every other human being is either a member of the same spiritual family now or has the potential to become a member of that family, headed by the Lord.  Suddenly I realized that the best attitude I can have toward others is to picture them as individuals and then develop an attitude that "wants the very best" for them.  Wanting the very best for an individual leads to specific actions that are custom-fit for their situation.  Perhaps this can become the basis for a New Year's resolution...to "want the best" for those around on an individual basis and then allowing this to drive my actions.   

Matthew 5:⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ⁴⁸ But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

blessings to each,

Rob Smith

hungry for color

Winter is the season of black, white and shades of gray.  The sky is frequently overcast.  The trees are mostly bare and shivering in icy winds.  The landscape is dull and dormant.  And we hunger for color!  ...God's amazing separation of light into its components.  What a wonderful creation is color.  The brilliance and variation add character and interest to life.  Color is like a dimension...something like height and depth and length and weight.  It affects the mood and evokes passion or the sense of coolness or warmth.  Perhaps this is one reason why we so appreciate spring when it arrives with its bouquet of color from all of nature.  If God's creation is one reflection of His character then surely color is a clue that tells us He is an artist and we are part of His painting.  He has placed within a hunger for color that only His palette can satisfy.

Ezekiel 1:²⁸ All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lordlooked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone's voice speaking to me.

blessings,

Rob Smith

freedom

Freedom! The cry of every heart,

That caused the poor to risk it all

and cross the seas to make new starts.

Freedom! The cry of every heart,

That caused oppressed to risk it all

and fight tyrant kings to forge new starts.

Freedom! The cry of every heart,

That caused the lost to risk it all

and go alone (only to fall),

Freedom! The cry of every heart,

That caused the Lord to come to earth

and lead the lost to risk it all

to trust in Him...and freedom starts!

John 8:³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."....

³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

blessings,

Rob Smith

nothing but the truth

2 John 1:¹ This letter is from John, the elder.

I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth—² because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

³ Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

The apostle John uses several ways to describe Jesus.  In his gospel account he identifies Jesus as the Word that became flesh, the light of the world, the lamb of God, the bread of life, the water that truly quenches our thirst among other descriptions.  There is a very short epistle of John at the back of the Bible called 2 John.  It is only 13 verses long (that's the entire book!).  It is a short letter with a powerful message: Jesus is our baseline for truth in life and living.  Until we have Jesus within, we neither know the truth, nor can we effectively discern that which is untrue.  It's as though we each walk through life using our personal sense of truth...but that sense is based on the limits of our experience and judgment...until the Lord comes to dwell within our lives and overlays our personal sense of truth with real Truth...that is as reliable as you'd expect from the one who is also known as the author of life, the beginning and the end.

blessings,

Rob Smith

thought life

Welcome to my thoughts, Oh King!

Please share yours with mine.

Let all within be calm and still

and whisper in my mind.

Truth and peace and presence dear,

others cannot see...

But in my thoughts, you hover near

So real...yet quietly...

I'm known by One who formed me too

and peace comes in the knowing,

That what was one so all alone,

Your thoughts are overflowing.

Luke 7:⁴⁰ Then Jesus answered his thoughts. "Simon," he said to the Pharisee, "I have something to say to you."

"Go ahead, Teacher," Simon replied.

blessings and joy-filled New Year!

Rob Smith