Our pastor preached a sermon last sunday and we're still pondering over it. There's been some mixed up ideas but here's my thinking on it. It's about hebrews 12.

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

The words I underlined discipline in both these cases probably refers to punishment or rebuke. (you can look at the dictionary.com results for the word discipline here) The bible seems to use  the same kind of example twicein the same verse, just in different words, to get the point across. It's mostly in psalms and proverbs. e.g:

Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.

They used the same thing twice in different word, though it still had the same concept, to get the point across better than if they just said it once. That's what I think happened with the first two words: Discipline and rebuke. But I think the two others: discipline and punish, mean two different things. I think when they said punish, they meant punish. So... God punished for something we did wrong. No discipline ( or punishment) seems pleasant at the time, but painful. But he used that punishment as discipline, to bring us closer to him, through the trouble that were being punished with.

Changin it up a little

 How do ya like it? Is the old one better?

Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

 Praise the LORD! I love this chapter. There's no bad things happening and no foolish people being foolish. It's all about how great God is and how much he loves us.

He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

His righteousness endures forever! Forever is a long long LONG time! That's amazing.

God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?  Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

I'm a little confused on this passage. God said that he had obviously won over the Edomites - he tossed his shoe on em - What does he mean who will lead him to Edom?

Psalm 100

Shout for joy all the earth, worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; for the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I love that psalm. It's full of praising and worshiping and rejoicing and being God's people. I like that

We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known.

That is amazing love. When they escaped from Egypt, they knew that God had done all their work for them and got them out of there, but when they came to the Red sea, it was like all those miracles just slid out there ears, completely forgotten, because they either just forgot about God, or they didn't didn't think he could do it. So they start complaining to Moses not God, that all this was his fault and now they were gonna be killed and bla bla bla. But God had another idea in mind although almost all his people forgot about him, He still rescued them.


Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Momma has a really good description for the word abounding: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. That's a really good description how much God is abounding in love for you.

All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods!

That reminds me of the time when Elijah proved the four hundred-fifty priests of baal wrong and had them all slaughtered. (Elijah on Mount Caramel) It's kinda hard to believe that people would actually worship statues.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Worship the King, for he is our God and we are his people, the flock under his care. Oh, how great it is to know that your in God's care!