Eyes to the Hills

From the Rising

Linking up with Scripture and a Snapshot for the first time  . . . a perfect fit for this blog.

The Gift of God

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  James 1:17

 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  1 Peter 4:10

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.  Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  

For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?"  For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink', you would have asked Him,  and He would have given you living water."  John 4:7-10

Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin.  If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do!  There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift.  The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life-sentence.  If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands, this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right that the one man, Jesus Christ provides?  Romans 5:15-17 (The Message)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; 

it is the gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 

 2 Corinthians 9:15

I Have Called You Friends

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.  Proverbs 17:17  (The Message Bible)

A man who has friends must himself be friendly . . . 

. . .  but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man's friend does so by hearty counsel.  Proverbs 27:9

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:17

He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, 

the king will be his friend.   Proverbs 22:11

  

Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, nor go to your brother's house in the day of  your calamity; for better is a neighbour nearby than a brother far away.  Proverbs 27 :10

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, 

but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.   Proverbs 27:6

But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham, My friend.  You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from it's farthest regions, and said to you, "You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away.  Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:8-10

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are my friends is you do whatsoever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have mad known to you.  John 15:13-15 

" . . . Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness".  And he was called the friend of God.  James 2:23

 . . . but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.  Peace to you.  Our friends greet you.  Greet the friends by name.  3 John 1:14

All His Angels



"And He will send His angels with the great sound of a trumpet . . .

 and they will gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:31

"But he said to me, "The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you
 and prosper your way. . . Genesis 24:40

Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word,
heeding the voice of His word. . . .

Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 
Psalm 103:20,21

The angel of the LORD, encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. 
 Psalm 34:7

Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him all His hosts!  Psalm 148:2

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the LORD descended from heaven , and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women,  "Do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for His is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the LORD lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed, He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28:1-8

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;  for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  They shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  Psalm 91:9-12

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego,

who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him,

and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies,

that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!  Daniel 3: 28

In all their affliction, He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them, and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. 

Isaiah 63:9

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingodm of heaven?"  And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one little child like this in My name, receives Me . . . Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Photos

Samuel de Champlain Monument, Old Quebec City, Quebec

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec

Las Vegas, Nevada

Hoover Dam, Nevada

Notre Dame Basillica, Montreal, Quebec

St. Georges Anglican Church, Fort Langley, BC

He Owns the Cattle

Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind;

. . . cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth . . .

. . .  each according to its kind; and it was so.

And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind,

. . .  cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:24,25



Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground and bread of the increase of the earth;  it will be fat and plenteous.  In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures.  Isaiah 30:23



And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.  Then God spoke to Noah, saying;  "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and your sons' wives with you.  Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you; birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, so that they may abound on the earth , and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." Genesis 8:14-17

"Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.  And he urged him, and he took it.   Then Esau said,  "Let us take our journey; let us go and I will go before you."  But Jacob said to him,  "My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me.  And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die.  Please, let my lord go on ahead before his servant.  I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock and the children are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir."  Genesis 33:11-14

"Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgements, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.  And He will love you and bless you and multiply you;  He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine, and your oil, and the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.  You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock."  Deuteronomy 7:12-14

For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed you seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden;  but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.  And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.  And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled."  Deuteronomy 11:10-15

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths;

fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars;

beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl;

kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth,

both young men and maidens, old men and children. 

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted. 

His glory is above the earth and heaven.  Psalm 148:7-13

For every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills.  Psalm 50:10

Photos

Upper Canada Village, Morrisburg, Ontario

Farm along 152nd Street, Surrey, BC

O Death, Where is Thy Sting?

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.  Psalm 116:15

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4

"O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55



I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death.  Hosea 13:14

 

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death . . .
Song of Solomon 8:6

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 4:13,14



For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height. nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.  Romans 8:38,39



For I know that my Redeemer lives and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh, I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold and not another.  How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.  2 Corinthians 5:1,2

For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide, even to death.  Psalm 48:14



A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting.  For that is the end of all men and the living will take it to heart.  Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better.  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning . . .  Ecclesiastes 7:1-4a

He will swallow up death forever, and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. 
Isaiah 25:8

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed  . . . in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet  will sound , and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this incorruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:  "Death is swallowed up in victory."  1 Corinthians 15:51-54

And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes;  there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.  Revelation 21:4

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Photos:

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec

Surrey Centrel Cemetery, Surrey, BC