Another warm day, which is to be expected.  The rest of the week is supposed to be milder.  Carla got called into work, so transplanting is suspended for a day or two – although some will be done today, not as many as she had planned.

Had a few unwelcomed guests this morning, brown things on four legs – for the most part the deer don’t do much damage to her garden, but the roses don’t appreciate them.

They come down from the orchards and/or the creek across the street – not sure if we have two different ‘herds’ or they just pass through.  Usually, however, they go back the way they came in.

Blaze lets them know he doesn’t appreciate their presence.

Haven’t seen as many masked bandits that we use to see, or the opossums, still get an occasional skunk passing through but they don’t stop.

We have quail down in our blackberries and it is fun to watch them as they come through the garden with their chicks, there are a couple of items that the guard sits on while they are in the area.  Our cats pretty well leave them alone – one of the neighbor cats braved the onslaught and got a chick a few years ago – quail seem to protect their own and aren’t afraid to gang up on an intruder.

Still just have a couple hummingbirds, that that should start to change.  Not only are they enjoying the feeders but Carla’s fuchsias and other flowers in the area.

Luke 15:11-32  And he said, A certain man had two sons:

¹² And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

¹³ And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

¹⁴ And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

¹⁵ And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁶ And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

²² But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

²³ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

²⁵ Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

²⁶ And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

²⁷ And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

²⁸ And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

²⁹ And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

³⁰ But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

³¹ And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

³² It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

My first experience of a college teacher bullying his students was over this proverb.

I don’t recall which class it was, but the teacher was stating that Jesus spoke in proverbs that no one understood.  He then read this one.

I took umbrage.  It is clear what this proverb was all about, the son realizing that he had sinned and came back to the father admitting his sin and asking forgiveness – and the father forgave him.  It was about the father’s love.

It showed the love God has for all of us.  If we come to Him, confess our sins, He welcomes us with open arms.

I was a new Christian, just a few weeks in the faith, so I didn’t have a lot of Bible knowledge to debate the issue with him and he stood over me and in an angry tone berated me for my stupidity.  It only lasted seconds but I remember it vividly.

I shut up and he continued with the class – It was frustrating because I felt I had lost a battle; I didn’t have enough experience or knowledge to counter him.  It still bugs me that I didn’t stand up to him more.

To be sure, many of Jesus’ proverbs were couched in mystery and the disciples often had to ask Him what they meant.  But this was not one of them.

Luke 8:9-10  And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

¹⁰ And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

We are fortunate.  We have the written Word on what Jesus said and did.  We can read about Him and understand because Mathew, Mark, Luke and John wrote about His time here on earth.

The rest of the New Testament books give us directions as to how we should live our life in Him.

But the people there with Jesus didn’t have a lot of those insights we have and therefore some of them could not understand what Jesus was saying.

But, the thing is, even today, having the documents in front of us; having the Holy Spirit actively working with us to understand the Word of God, too many of us see, and hear, but we still don’t understand.

Some refuse to try.  Others take a passage and try and make a doctrine on it, not considering the context in which it is written, nor how it fits with the entire Word.

Some have personal ambitions and want to be looked upon as great men of God, but instead of preaching the Word, they augment it and often times so misinterpret it, that they are preaching/teaching  just the opposite of what God has said.

For those of us who see and hear what Jesus was saying, we need to stand strong against those that would belittle others as they strive to live their lives in Christ.

Not everyone is vocal about their faith, but they stand solid and do not budge from Christ’s truths.  They proclaim their faith in Christ, but in a quieter manner – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

They are just as important as the more vocal ones who are lead to proclaim in word as well as deed, that Jesus is the Christ.

God uses our personalities and the abilities He has given us; He sees our heart and knows how to use us for the glorification and promoting of His Salvation.

We are in a war.  God has told us that we must be suited up, wearing His full armor to combat the enemy.

Ephesians 6:11-13 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Let us look at the army and the way it is set up to go into battle.

There are those that are on the front line and in the very thick of the fight.

There are those back away that are giving support by lobbing shells at the enemy.

Today we have drones and planes that do reconnaissance and fight the battle from the air.

There are those that are way behind the scenes, providing support by making sure food is available, weapons and ammunitions are available.

Members keep track and records of ongoing battles, looking at what is working and what is not.  Sending in assistance where they can.

Others are maintaining the equipment to make sure it can do the job it is supposed to do. 

Others are planning, discussing and then ordering personnel into the fray, hopefully to succeed in the quest and win the war.

Each position is important and supports the overall effort of what needs to be done to accomplish the win.  If one part isn’t working right, they it seriously impacts the ability of the others to do their jobs.

God’s army isn’t all that different, and He wants to use us to further His Kingdom and win the war against satan.

Not everyone is on the front lines, but all of us are in the war, doing what we are able and lead to do to join forces with God and tell others about the precious sacrifice of Jesus.

By the way, I didn’t pass the course.......  That didn’t bother me in the least.

Later, Art :-)