just talked to Nycole its an hour b4 they get on the train. they got to meet Misha already! all are tired but doing well. Chris is very upbeat and positvie.

I just heard someone is conspiring against you today. And against me too.
Eph. 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Rely on the power of God, suit up for battle, and recognize your enemy.

God had blessed His people and they had followed Him; now they have turned away from God and worship a god that is not God which brings destruction, “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge..” “She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold-- which they used for Baal.”

Hosea 2:8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold-- which they used for Baal. Hosea 2:13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot," declares the LORD. (NIV)

Hosea 4:5-8 You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother—6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. 7 The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. 8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. (NIV)

Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

What a mighty and holy God we serve and praise!

“In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" These are men who think of their circumstances as only of this physical world and “Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-- these are the very things that destroy them.” The Creator of this world has shown through His Word who He is and the power He has over both the physical world and the spiritual world and compares the two, first the men who see the world as only physical “who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” And then those who have placed their faith in God “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love..”



Jude 1:8-10 In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-- these are the very things that destroy them. Jude 1:19-21 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (NIV)

These two statements back to back caught my eye this morning, “this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands” and “his command is that you walk in love.” God’s command is that we walk in love and we show we have love if we obey that command. That seems obvious, but as I thought about it obeying God’s other commands have just as obvious results.

II John 1:4-6 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (NIV)

Psalms 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

In faith, I will wait for the Lord for He is my strength and my refuge no matter what happens on this earth.

Psalms 25:4-5 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

This is my prayer also.

In Isaiah chapter 1 we see God rejecting the religious acts of sacrifices for sin. The problem is clear. An act of religion without a right heart affects nothing. Therefore, God appeals to people to come to Him properly in verse 18. It says, “Come now, let us reason together,”
says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

God offers forgiveness through repentance not religious acts.

Sunday one of our prayer reminders was to pray for the Ukraine ministry team to live worthy of there calling (having the approval of God was the point). Here it is again in my daily reading in Ephesians 4. Verse 2 describes in part what worthy living looks like. "Eph. 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."