care2hope2

God was the Husband of Israel in the fact that He pursued and protected Israle in many incidences during their history. He followed them and was ready to hide them in His protective arms. Defend them. In the new testament He just replaces Israel with the Church He is a father and protector of those who are saved and follow Him as a collective and individually. He is a Jealous God and Any thing that we try to replace Him with is an Idol and he will not stand for Idols. In the OT it was Idols they they made of Gold and Silver. Now Days anything that we deem more important than God or we put more effort in to making a part of our lives is an idol money , time, business , food, people, football, sports, job, We must keep in perspective A relationship with God before anything. all else second. God first.

Jesus and the father are part of the trinity and both part of God. One as in a family Jesus is son ... God is father.... Jesus is the human side of Godhead... God is creator and ruler and Jesus is definitely part of God but he is distinctly the one who became human and was able to feel and live and communicate with human mind and feeling etc. God is still High and exalted and a more in awe part of the trinity. Respected and obeyed but held at a distance Jesus is touchable and able to relate to us as a friend and God figure.... God is more a creator and figure head.To talk to and be communicated with but held in a way of regal respect. I See God as really like a king on a throne and Jesus as one who walks beside me. Both respected and both communicated with only Jesus closer in emotion and God held at a distance and bowed down to ...

The Jews saw God as Father Creator who was to be held high and obeyed and that the protection would be there but this was a God far above them and not intimate at all one to be held in respect and at a distance. Jesus taught the deciples and apostles of Abba a term used for a daddy/father by a child a very intimate and endearing term. Someone close that could be talked to and be comforted by and be in close to. The distance and awe was lessened and this person God was approachable. Well , I see what is the difference here and yet personally I still am caught a little in the old testament way of seeing God. I know what the diffrence is but I am still uncomfortable with this concept. I would like to relax and communicate with God this Abba way. But I guess I don't know if I can relax and expernence this yet. Will try......... but very uptight about letting go.and experiencing this.

The concept of "father" as used in the old testament Teaches us that God as Father was seen as Creator and possessor As Father God The people were his creation and his possession in that He would provide for and keep and protect those his people his creation. Jealously possess them and care for them. According to Otfrued H. the two aspects that underlie God as father in the OT were that of Head of the household demanding respect / He would rule and set the way of the household But also he would protect those in his household. God made the rules for Israle and he set up himself to recieve respect and was to be obeyed. But also He would love and protect those under his rule. Like a king and his loyal people under him. Our behavior therefore should be to respect God our Father as the one who is our ruler and our father that sets the rules for life but know that when we do as he says and respect him and keep ourself within his frame work and rules tha he will love and protect and keep us safe.

When finding living water in a dictionery it means Alive, Strong and also merry troup and maintenance quick , raw, running, springing. all these words come up. I live in New York just 15 min. drive from Pensylvania. We are in hills , lower ther than in Pens. but nice hills. While walking in ther there are several places along the way also driving . I know of at least 9 places where there are Living Water springs here clear and drinkable. In fact in some of the communities around here that have sulfer water the families Will take a ride several times a week to get drinking water for their families . They take milk jugs and fill them and then when it is gone go back for more. They are trusted and runny fast and clear and clean and most thirst quenching. So it is easy for this concept to come to life in my mind. This tells me that God is like one of these fresh wells alwys there. always having water come up and it is always ready for Me or Us to drink and refresh ourselves and to cleanse ourselves. Splash it ove ourselves in the heat of summer. The only link that would and will put a distance it we need to go to the well. We need to go to God. He is always there as these wells are always flowing where they are. And to be truthfull with myself God is easire to get to than these fresh water wells. To get to a well I need to drive or hike a certain distance. Not far but still a hike. God is always with us and we just need to call Out his name righ where he is at and say. I thirst fill me with your living water and spirit. If we are not full and our thirst not quenched we have only ourselves to blame. We are either not willing or afraid to call out. Fear and or shame because of sometimes we don't know what are the only things keeping us from recieving Living Water. Our future should be secure in God If we call out continually and quench our thirst. It is up to us.... we can flurish in life or retreat, hide, let fear grasp us and dry up as dust on earth and be blown away. . The choice is individual...

I did some study of the words used in this question Helper, shepherd . and after dwelling on the references I was able to come up with. I feel We ( I ) resist calling on God to be a Helper to us because of pride first... or Embarassment...disobedience ... shame... rebellion to name a few of the most prominent feelings that we have. God sees all and knows all. But like a child that is 2 or3 years old- peek a boo game they really feel since they hide their eyes and cannot see mom that mom or dad do not see them. It is (I feel) like that when we are here on earth whether it is we did wrong and sinned and want to hide from God we feel we don't see God he doesn't see us. And also if there is something we want to happen or something we wish to accomplish in our own right we are to proud to ask God. God as Helper... (Help ) I find can in the bible stand for mighty, power. arm and sholder strength. and God is strong and powerfull etc... we limit his power in our lives because we are to proud to ask or disobedient and do not ask ... rebelling against him and ignore Him as a source of help. If God is to be a Helper to us we must prostrate, submit, subject ourselves God, His ordinances, His will, His word ..... what we know He wishes us to do Humble ourselves and read what his word says on said subjest .... bring ourselves low before him and ask what shall I Do Lord and be quiet and listen to the word, people around us . signs he may send to give us His answer He should confirm it in several ways. I have when I am in a place to hear God . Had ideas given me by frineds that line up with the word, Had a phrase or saying jump out at me from a radio program teacher, or a movie, or a verse of scripture. or be convicted by a message preached in church... etc.... And I usually if convicted will put into action some in some way what is hitting or convicting my heart if I am not in a proud or rebellious mood. One time the pastor in a sermon said " If you are going to people and saying " I don't like HIm" and " I am angry with him." you have not forgiven the person you are angry with............ I had had a disagreement with and held alot against the pastor at that time and was thinking of leaving. But open mouth stuff in foot. After dealing with my rebellious feeling's I wrote Pastor an email. I also was worried one of the women I had told in the ladies group may have mentioned to him my feelings etc... and I should not have been roasting pastor with this lady.... I emailed the pastor and asked it the sermon was aimed at me or if it was generic to all in the church. and Confessed talking and the anger etc.... Well It turned out it was Generic to the sermon and not aimed at someone but the effect of the whole deal was I repented and he frogave and all was done. God let repentence happen in his power and in my foolishness. If we humble ourself even if we think we are foolish and let God work-God causes good to come of all things even when we sin...............Praise God For his wisdome and controll.

I have been thru alot and God has portected me... He protected me when I worked in Buffalo with a ministry called Kid City min. and I was not really in knowledge of what danger I was in in walking thru the diffrent tenaments and all handing our flyers to the children to invite them to the up coming time that the truck containing a very active crew of a minister/preacher young and vibrant and people who told bible stories and sang bible songs of the love of Jesusto them . Realy God always sent the disciples out 2 by2 and since I was a loner at that time a usually went alone after work would go to tenaments near the peace bridge or other sections of the city and pass out flyers alone in the dusk and never a thought that I was in danger being alone. God's protection was always there and I had no time that any harm fell on me. I don't really know if the pastor running it knew that I was alone or not but I almost always went alone. I was once or twice given a partner to work with to train them. God Blessed me with MUCH protection at that time and I thank Him for it! I have been up and down since that experience.... and I am now faceing the fact that I did not trust God for a while... I had moral failures in turning in and lost a job because I stole some money. I then went down hill and I got other employment but started back into drinking and I was in a job that dealt with narcotice and I obtained pain pills illegally and got hooked on having to have a percocet or a darvocet to sleep... . I prayed and repented and went cold terkey off the narcotice and limited the drinking to only wine with frineds at dinner and family dinners.)family not christian... I got on line for a while and then fell again... tried suicide quite a few times and got admitted to a psychiatriac unit twice. It is to long a story to tell.... But lately God showed me a church to go to and thru prayer and alot of repenting I have stopped drink and drugs all together. Have started getting serious about Church attendance and Bible study. And I am shakey some days but I have a friend to call and talk to and I attend bible study or church prayer meetings Mon Wed. & thurs. and church twice on sundays. Tuesday I invite my friend over ther tofellowship leaving only friday and sat. that I have to deal with things alone. I know in my mind that I am saved.... and I know God loves me in my head. Right now I am trying to get it to my heart. I read about being filled with the H. Spirit.... I see and hear others say what a joy it is........ I am trying to feel that also I want to know in my heart what they describe. I believe it can happen but have not experienced it. Well I have rambeled on enough. I know God has and will be my shepherd in my head. now I wish to experience it in the Heart.

I think personally that Abraham was expecting God to supply a sacrifice deep in his heart... yet he knew that he was going to have to be obedient to God in walking out what God asked him to do.... To show God he would sacrifice Issac if God wanted him to .... What I base my position on and I wish I had the first verse but I remember that God promised Abraham that his decendents would be as the sands of the sea or as the stars in the sky both measuring uncountable. In Gen.22:5 He tells the servants stay here and we not I will return to you. At this time I cannot remember a specific incidence of recieving a last minute porvision but I know that it has happened to me yes. - more than once. O yes, I wanted to attend a conferance in Indiana very very badly at one time and did not have the transport. or the money for tickets. At the last moment a lady had to stay home and offered her tickets including meal tickets and it was with a group who took me with them and I stayed in the place they stayed all was taken care of transport , lodging and meals. God provided my heartfelt wish in full. In order for him to fulfill our heartfelt need I feel we must have a personal relationship with him and be in good fellowship with him not fallen in sin in any areas at the time I hate to call it not being back slidden because I do not believe in loseing salvation but I know being human we sin and though we are still saved God forbid we sin and keep in it we must confess and turn away from sin and go tword a relationship renewal with our God. Secondly we must ask and when it says needs / God our Father knows our needs but he really wants us to Ask and be in relationship with Him... talk to him of what we need and thank Him for it. once He provides I think also he expects us to be giving people and careing for others. Paul thanked the people providing his needs where he was working with a church I think in philipians 4. and then He said God shall supply all your needs acc. to his riches and glory. God would supply their needs because they were thoughtfull and giving in supporting Pauls needs. God likes people to be giving and careing and in return he will supply careingly for us. so the conditions would be salvation/ relationship with him and Asking Him and being kind and charitable to others and giving with a thankfull heart to tithe and to missionary activities and to those we know in our own chruch , family, community that are in need.

In this pslam it suggests that God is with us always day and night. It seems to imply that he is as a man that guards a city and he is watching out for people that attack us in many ways and that he guards us from anything that would harm us physically or spiritually. I feel he guards us by sending angles when we are in harms way, alerting us in our spirits when we are ready to fall spiritually, giving us a physical hint headache, thought or just opening our eyes to dangers we are to fall into as a stone infront of us. We may just stop because of a noise and then look down to see a danger. He may alert a friend or companion or family member to alert us of some thing they see as a danger area. He made a donkey talk in the bible to warn someone he will certainly warn us some way. He will keep us by letting us read something that convicts us of some spiritual fall or that we may fall if we keep it up......................... I feel God uses any way to protect those his children when we stumble off in a wrong direction but he sometimes lest something happen that hurts to awaken us to even more dangeous things ahead.

In the above verses God is a rock in reference to a strong defence , a strong tower , shield of protection to hide behind, a refuge. I feel in palestine that a rock would hold the function of first of all a high place from which an enemy could be seen, a high place that could be protected easily, a walled city that had an army and gates that could be closed and a wall from which soldiers could protect the city. and god is seen as that wall, or that high hill and a place of defence or our defender. We can hide in God ,, seek refuge behind him. ask him to lift us up highas to protect us. etc etc. A rock in palestine acts as protector... protective refuge.

God is a shield to us in that he surrounds us like a protective body of aromr or a protective hide of an animal as skin of a crocodile protects the animal. He surrounds us with grace I would say and as a rock or fortress or scale this grace is our protection or hedge as I would understand shield. Heis our Glory because we are only honerable or we only have a sense of splendor because he has saved us and washed up by his blood. We are honerable only because He is in our heart. As of ourselves we are not honerable and do not show much splendor to our world. Any splendor we show and any honer we have is because He our protector is in our hearts. His grace is our honor and splendor. He is the lifter of our head. which means to be risen up, put up high, set up on high go up . be exalted ... and it is because we let him in our hearts that any of this is possable again if we are exatled to a position in church or family or school or an organization or in a person's mind it is only the God nature in us that has allowed us to get to this high place. So we must praise God for any position of highness or if we have any pride in our selves it is pride of what God has allowed us to grow up in an area and excell in an area. This teaches us that God is very loving and generous with us with giving us salvation and Grace to be able to stand against our enemies and to be able to go forward and be held up and have his splendor show in us. This says about us that we must be thankfull to God each moment and thank him for his protection, strength , grace and all that he sends our way that we may be able to fight the daily battles. and stay protected and be able to fight the Good fight. withour his protection and his lifting us up we would be really in a depression and hiding and be like the judge in the old testament that hid in the grain crushing area at night afraid of his shadow when God was calling him brave one.....

In times of danger the indangered one is required to run and go to the shelter. To place themselves in under the protection be it wings and feathers or a clef in the rock. Go to the city that is fortified. But go where the protector and protection is. The metaphores used for God in this Psalm are a mother bird with feathered wings, clef of a rock.

Romans 10:0 says that if someone confesses that Jesus is Lord they believe it in their heart and confess it with their mouth they will be saved . and the next few verses confirm this verse and since I believe scripture is true then this is true becaues it is in the word. I can see no where in this verse why ... when reading it . so Iguess it is true for the word is true.

The implications of Governments that Yahweh is king of kings and Lord of Lords means protection over the government and Land in question. God was there for many a government or people in bible times with angelic hosts to fight for the people and to protect them. win the battles for them . When a government secularizes and takes God's name off curency and gov. buildings etc... then they are rejecting God and his protection and help in their battles and daily struggles/ It could mean the destruction and dissolution of that government or worse... You are putting your gov. and people is a path for destruction and poverty and sorrow to come.

The personal implications of Yahweh being your king and Jesus being your messiah sent from God. Well personal implications I can see is that life is hard and their are alot of choices and alot of possessions we have and people we are to relate with and or be responsible for and if Yahweh is our king and Jesus our messiah(savior) then actually they are there to tell us what to do and how to do it. They are there to lift us up and say yes you are relating rightly to that person and yes you used that money or possession in a way that pleases and blesses yahweh and you have been good in handleing that Jesus will say to his father " This person has handled things as well as we have wanted her to so let's trust her with more or she has related to those people well let her help these and more people. I think it has it's advantages even if we are under Yahweh and Jesus . They are there to help us alos. I think the advantages are with getting more to be trusted with. To submit on a daily basis means to come to Jesus and Yahweh in prayer each day alone and praise him and worship him and share your problems or challenges for the day and say Lord Guide me in these relationships in these projects and in useing these finances etc... and then try to use them in ways that are just and righteous and all treat people fair and just. In order to reject Yahweh and Jesus as king over your life you have to just ignore them and not communicate with them and do things your way even when you know it is not the right way and that your are going to cause harm to people etc.... You do it your way not God's way. You have not communication with God or Jesus. or you do the opposite of what they say.

Titheing in scriputre times was a mandted thing . The king and God were to recieve 1/10 th of crop, grain's or flocks and not a blemished part. If the offering were not what was promised to the Lord it was considered as not acceptable. God was not to be fooled he noticed if the tithe was blemished or not the better part. and would give a sign if it was acceptable to the one offering it . It went way back to cain and able and the offering that was not acceptable. Today I feel it is the same . We are to offer 1/10 but to keep the ministry, church etc going and it is not really something we can tell if it is blemished or not money is money and giving 1/10th of money is that . But our heart should be in the right place in giving it . It says some where in the bible to give with a joyfull heart. Not begrudgingly so We today are asked for giving so God's work can continue in our churches and ministries and missio work. and joyfully not begrudgingly.

In these verses it is repeated He gives strength, He will refresh renew our strength He will supply what we need and take away our weariness... We disciples of his need to know thru reading these passages that we need to rely on god our maker for our strength and nourishment and to be renewed in our every day tiredness and weariness that it will be thru God's strength that we are renewed and given sustenance and streangth to meet our expected goals and do the work and things expected of us. Not in our strength and energy but in God's strength and energy what strength and energy he sees fit to give us.

There are at least 8 names , titles, metaphores I see in these verses. Lord, Rock of creation Great God King above all Gods Lord our maker Creator shepherd Savior. All revealed or implied. In this passage the author encourages us to Worship, praise , bow down befor this revealed creator and potter and Lord and God This is appropriate that we should bow before, be before and praise and worship Him who created and has all power over us. and our lives and actions. Because it is in His power and in His will that we exist at all.

Our creator has all inherent rights over what He creates. We must just live with what we are and work with what we are and were made to be. Our self image and sense of purpose must be centered in and derived from what we see our creator to be. And out of trust of the potter creator to reform us in areas Only He has controll over... He has all rights over us as he created us. our self image should be centered in being an reflected image of our Creator / Potter our urpose or sense of purpose should be centered in the Creator / potters purpose.

As pots and creation of our Creator it is rediculous to second guess the creator (potter) because We are his Idea made into vessles, He can destroy us and make us over and He is in controll, of what happens to us. It is better we ask God , or suggest that we would like if it be his will God I am not strong in this area, God please strengthen this area be it your will. or could you make this aspect of me more strong and appealing to other people .... Pray and interceed with our maker to reform parts of us at his will in his time..... It would be more to our advantage to thank Him for making us and to leave it to him as to how to re-form parts of us as we give into him. Our attitude should be one of thanks and expectation of what He will do in us to make us usefull ... and not of demanding or saying I don't like this or that and you must change it. He does not have to do anything and he will be more into hearing Thanks for making me and knowing that we are pliable to changes he may do in us.

I feel that David knew what to do and did not let fear of God / or fear of goliath come agains him David had experience or God helping him kill prediators to his flock as ie: bears , lions, big cats that he had to kill and God had been there and given him the skill and strategy and strength to protect this flock.... I don't even think he thought of goliath any diffrent just another predator that was coming against his family and his people and he trusted God to give him/David the skill and strategy and strength to kill goliath and went forth on this trust and did what he knew had to be done. God came thru and gave him the skill , strength and power to do as he had to. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the Hands of The Living God. But it would be more fearfull not to fall into the hands of the Living God and trust ourselves and our abilities. We must not let our fear of god get the best of us or our fear of things or circumstance. either We must trust our selves to fall into the hands of the living God to be our strength , wisdome and help us get skillfull in what we need to recieve from him , His strength, His wisdome , His power, His skill to do what we need to to live life as he wants us to , to help the people he wants us to help and to succeed thru this life in victory...

The Idea of alpha and omega, the first and the last to me seems to coincide and be the same as Iam that I am. In the alpha and omega, I see God always was before things were made and he will continue whether earthly things continue or not. he is eternal. and Iam that I am seems to say similar I always was and I always will continue t be. existe be eternal. it just seems to be the people here in the earthly realm that he is revealing himself to that makes him change his revelation of himself to them as to be known by them some people can identify with diffrence words and revelations than others dealing with what they are living with A person living in a time of peace will relate to a diffrent revelatoin of god than a person living in a time of conflict and war. A person that lives around and in Mountains will relate more to a God of strength like the strength of a rock or mountain where a person that lives in a place of relative sandy soil and few vegetation thrive may get more from a God revealing himself as eteranl and all sustaining that will protect and provide vegetation and food and sustinance to them.... I feel God ( Knows where we are ) and the Name and revelation of himself to us depends on our circumstances... and knowing us He knows how to reveal himself to us at the time and place wer are in or at..........

I really cannot imagine what it will be like to inhabit eternity with an eternal God I can think a very real fear of God will be with us always as to wanting to do and be what we should before him. It will be most likely an awe inside us and yet a peace that will allow us to be before him and preform the duties we are intrusted with. I know I feel the we will have emotions because God says in heaven there will be tears and that emplies saness and happiness and emotions will still exist in us But the peace of knowing This God's eternal presence it there these emotions should be for the good and keep us in a positive feeling most of the time. Even being saved this inspires awe and fear in me I know I have been saved but still the sin in my life is there and sometimes I cannot imagine being with God forever and being able to stand before him I know he died for my sin but this sin seems to be a wall that blocks my being able to imagine a good peacefull heavenly existance with this God of eternal power and goodness an Iam that I am.

The name YAHWEH reveals a constantness; and a revelation that God Yahweh is going to be with them always ! The gods and idols of the time were able to be destroyed by fire and they were not always there constant they had to be created by human hands and they could easily be broken and destroyed. Yahweh I am that I am- eternal and constantly with them... alwas has existed no beginning will be with you always will not be destroyed gave a feeling of confident strength was with them This God could not be destroyed by human or earthly forces. and would always be with them even in the next life or other diamension of life . God's person is eternal , trust worthy, strong enough to uphold us now and forever.

The knowledge the the Battle is the Lords should affect our lives with the reality that we need to keep close to God... Allow him to work in us.... change us..... For if he is not at work in us any effort is really useless. whether we timidly reveal to one individual or brashly tell all the crowd around us that revealed truth's of God and how that they also can be saved and have a victorious life all needs a base in our own heart. If we are to timid the message may not come across at all or not enough to effect change in another person. if we are to brash, people can be turned off and consider our outer demeanor as something they do not enjoy or that we are trying to be pushy and controlling and most people do not wish to be controlled. We must use enough positive force to let them know they need God and God's help and we should be brash enough to reveal how God has helped us/ with leaving them to decide whether or not to accept this God and his help. We need to be brash enough to get thru how to accept and get ahold go God and salvation and how to procede in growing in God Without affecting them to feel they must or else. We need to present the facts and to step back and allow God to work in them as to when and where if they do accept God. We want it to be them responding to God not them responding to our pressure. But if they see it lived our in us and what we do it may be more effective than if we keep verbally harping on them....