I remember taking this picture of Pastor Young and his son at my first GCC retreat. And I still remember the first thing to come to mind after I took this picture.
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See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
— Matt 18:10-14 (NIV) —
=== EDIT: Online Tidbits ===
Back to the dunce cap…
Who presented this bill?!?!
Gamers can be addicts ( DUH ! )
Thermobaric weaponery…
the winter clothing is so thick, you can hardly see the child in all of it. So cute…
awww cute pics
like your verses
I love the appropriateness of that verse with the picture :)…you should frame it and give it to him for Christmas 🙂
That is so true! Thanks for sharing that verse.
wait did you just scared the poor lil animal? jk
that was nice a verse
hon if you commented on my page.. i can’t see it..
haha thats pretty sweet~
that’s great advice 🙂
Hey Ha256, got something else to say? I am getting bored.
Interesting pix =)
– where do you find this stuff? the Micky Mouse one is TOO funny 🙂 HAHAHA
– that 2nd link is just disturbing…same sex marriage issue aside, I think that we should up punishments in general for animal abuse period!!! :p grrrr
– woah!!! it’s like an EATING DISORDER!?!?!?! yipes!!! well, at least I haven’t gone days without eating, sleeping or showering, although I probably should be a lot more careful :p
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so cute.
that verse is really good. and comforting. = )
no, they’re not. I can’t imagine hearing a president utter those words…but nothing’s like it used to be. A person wouldn’t even be elected president if he did speak like that…
Hi
I hope you are not wishing for me to get judged by God with that picture. It was not looking down but just having fun with my kids. I am saying all this in a joking manner. Anyway, can you send me those pictures to pastoryoung@gmail.com.
Here is some more information on Ps. 78. I hope it helps.
III. Prayer for Vindication and Forgiveness (79:6-9)
6-7 The question (v.5) serves as a transition from lament (vv.1-4) to prayer (vv.6-9). In view of the atrocities of the nations against God’s community and in view of the gravity of Judah’s suffering, the psalmist prays for divine vindication for his people (cf. Jer 10:25). There is no spirit of raw vengeance but rather of justice. Justice must be done because of the conduct of the heathen. They had no regard for God. They did not know him intimately (NIV, “acknowledge”). They did not call on his name (cf. 75:1). Instead they have desecrated and destroyed God’s land and people (v.7), leaving his people desperate (cf. 142:7).
8 The remnant in exile prayed for themselves. They believed that they had been spared for a reason. They approached God in prayer for forgiveness of the sins of the previous generations, “the sins of the fathers” (cf. Jer 31:29; Ezek 18:2-4; Dan 9:4-14). The prayer “Do not hold against us” (lit., “Do not remember”) is a humble petition for forgiveness, a request for God to blot out any memory of the accumulation of iniquities of the past generations (cf. 103:3, 10-12; Mic 7:18).
Positively, the people prayed that the Lord, who is sovereign and free, would hasten to bestow his mercy on them. In their “desperate need” they were acutely aware of their need of God’s mercy, which brings reconciliation, forgiveness, and restoration. The “mercy” of God is not a singular act; it is plural and should be rendered as “your merciful (compassionate) acts” (Briggs, 2:199).
9 Hope rises to a new height in the prayer for help. Hope looks to God as “our Savior.” He is the Deliverer of his children, i.e., those who are his by covenant. However, his children have to submit themselves to their heavenly Father as they await his salvation. They appealed to his glorious name (“the glory of your name”), which he had revealed to Israel. Similarly, Moses had appealed to the glorious name, Yahweh, as the ground for patience with sinful Israel (Num 14:13-19).
In and through the darkness of judgment, hope remains in God’s promise that he will never abandon his plan of redemption! Redemption has here two aspects: deliverance from the enemies (vindication) and forgiveness for sins (cf. v.8). The sins are not only those of the “forefathers” (cf. v.8) but also those of the present generation (“our sins”). The solidarity of the people in the present and with their past requires that all sins be forgiven. Then the Lord may act graciously. His grace is not conditioned by man’s righteous acts or piety but only “for [his] name’s sake” (cf. 20:1). His honor as the covenant God guarantees that he will be faithful, even when man is not.
IV. Question (79:10a)
10a The psalmist renews his reflection on the reproach and the scorn caused by the “heathen” nations. He again raises a question, related to the previous question, “How long?” (v.5). In view of the atrocities of the nations and the glory of Yahweh’s name, why should their taunt be tolerated any longer? The nations have blatantly challenged the power of God with the question “Where is their God?” (cf. 42:3, 10; 115:2; Joel 2:17; Mic 7:10).
V. Prayer for Vindication and Restoration (79:10b-13)
10b The prayer of the godly rose with the increased hope that the Lord may deal justly with those who disgraced his people. His vindication must not be delayed but must be executed speedily: “before our eyes.” Those who had witnessed the spilling of the innocent blood of the godly around Jerusalem (v.3) hoped for the speedy expression of God’s acts of vengeance on behalf of his “servants.” Their delight was not in the turn of events against the heathen. They were not filled with hatred and bitterness. Rather their words express the cry of a needy and suffering people who look toward their heavenly Father for deliverance.
11 At the time of the Exodus, God had seen the affliction of his people and had heard their groanings (Exod 2:24; 6:5). The people in exile were not unlike those in Egypt. They too groaned for the moment of their deliverance and prayed that the Lord would rise up and deliver them with his strong “arm” (cf. Exod 15:16). The fate of the exiles is likened to that of prisoners (cf. 102:20; Isa 42:7; 49:9; 61:1) who are “condemned to die.”
12 The sevenfold restitution expresses a concern for full justice. Briggs is incorrect in his judgment that this is an expression of “vindictiveness to the neighbouring nations” (2:200). The judgment must be equal to the severity of the reproach of God’s name! Certainly the people of God looked for restoration, but the restoration is directly related to their being a witness to the glory of God. Unlike Lamech who desired to avenge himself (Gen 4:24), the people looked toward the Lord to vindicate them. (See the appendix to Ps 137: Imprecations in the Psalms.)
13 The psalm concludes on a note of hope, as God’s people look for the day of their redemption (cf. 2 Thess 1:5-10). They are still “the sheep” of his pasture (cf. 100:3), even though they had been forcibly removed from the land (v.7). They anticipate praising God for their redemption from the oppressors and for their forgiveness. How sweet is the hope of the children of God, even in the hour of deepest distress! Brueggemann comments that “new life is never a gift in a vacuum. It is wrought in profound and dangerous struggle as we bring to visibility the deep incongruity that marks our life. Our life is one in which all that is finally holy is violated, day by day” (Message of the Psalms, p. 74).