Elliott's Muses

It's Thursday morning...and I mean early morning! Awoke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up and began to read.  It's the second day of Lent and I'm thinking of a passage in the book of Mark where Jesus stops on a walk, goes over to a fig tree and finds there are no figs growing - even though its the growth season. Then, remarkably, he says, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:14). Mark 11:12-19 12  The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13  Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14  Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. Hmmmm...seems strange to say that so abruptly. Yet right after that he walks to the temple and there he overturns the money-changers tables ...

Today is Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent.  The word "Lent" comes from the word LENCTEN, and old Saxon word used for Spring.  The season of Lent lasts 40 days and it's dedicated to a time of spiritual reflection and meditation on the Cross of Christ.  Why 40 days?  The number 40 appears many times in Scripture and is often attached to times of testing and even judgment.  These 40 days of Lent lead up to the Saturday before Palm Sunday and therefore they celebrate all that lead up to Christ Jesus' march to Jerusalem to die for us on the cross. As Christians, we see the cross as the ultimate proof of God's love for a lost creation. Lent gives us a time to think about what God has done for us in sending His Son, Jesus, our Savior who came to bear our sins.  1 Peter 2:21-25 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no s...

Happy Thursday my friends. I've been reading a new book, "Praying the Songs of Jesus", by Tim Keller which is a year-long prayer book that prayerfully follows the Psalms. If you didn't know it the Psalms is a song book. Yes, there's history, prophecy, poetry, but most of all is an collection of songs by a number of authors. I love the songs of worship because they draw my head to my heart towards God. A song like that may stay in my head being sung over and over again. It leads me to this: Meditate on the Psalms.  Don't just read the Psalms and then walk away - even if you pray after reading which is good - there's much to be gained by taking some time to meditate on the Psalms. And it's confirmed as good in the Psalms itself: Meditation on scripture is like a tree planted by the river that feeds itself from the water that flows around it. Psalm 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,  nor stands in...

Good Monday Morning my family of faithful ones, friends near and far.   I'm sitting down this morning preparing to jump into study for a brand new series of teachings to share in our church fellowship. This new series is entirely based off of the Apostle's Creed.  Do you remember it? APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. I learned it as a kid growing u...