Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11 Annotated

This translation is from the New American Bible. Other translations are available here.Information about the original Hebrew meaning of what seem to be the key words is provided in blue immediately below the scriptural text.   (Note: the verse numbers in this translation are different from most; they are one number than other translations)

 

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

 

perfect = תָּמִים = tāmîm Blue Letter Bible complete, whole, entire, sound; wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity; entirely in accord with truth and fact; without spot, undefiled; upright

 

refreshing = שׁוּב = šûḇ Blue Letter Bible to return, turn back; to restore, refresh, repair; to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, recover; relieve; requite; retrieve

 

trustworthy = אָמַן = 'āman Blue Letter Bible to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm; sure, lasting; confirmed, established, sure; verified; reliable, faithful, trusty; permanent; unshaken; perennial

 

giving wisdom, elightening = אוֹר = 'ôr Blue Letter Bible  to illumine, light up, cause to shine, shine; break of day, glorious; to be or become light, to become bright

right= יָשָׁר = yāšār Blue Letter Bible straight, upright, correct, right; pleasing; fitting, proper; uprightness, righteous; even

 

rejoicing = שָׂמַח = śāmaḥ Blue Letter Bible to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad; to brighten up; blithe or gleesome; a joyful or cheerful countenance; merry

 

clear = בַּר = bar Blue Letter Bible pure, clear, sincere; choice, beloved

 

 

2 Timothy 4:16-18 Annotated

This translation is from the New American Standard Bible. Other translations are available here. Information about the original Greek meaning of what seem to be the key words is provided in blue immediately below the scriptural text.   

 

 

At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

stood = παρίστημι = paristēmi  Blue Letter Bible  to stand by or near, to be at hand; set before; to offer; to place beside, present; to proffer; to provide; to place a person or thing at one's disposal; to bring to or near; to stand by to help, to succor; to stand beside, stand by or near, to be at hand, be present; to be at hand, stand ready; to be at hand for service; commend; yield; to bring into one's fellowship or intimacy; to be present; to have come; to show or prove, to present (show) by argument; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon   cause to stand, place beside; set one near a thing to guard it; set before the mind, present; dispose a person; present, offer; set side by side, compare; of a painter's model; stand by, i.e. help, defend; to come; to be near, be at hand; come to the side of another, come over to his opinion; to be passionately devoted to; set by one's side, bring forward, produce; produce as witness; dispose for one's own views or purposes 

 

strengthened = ἐνδυναμόω = endynamoō  Blue Letter Bible   to render, make strong; enabled; instrengthened; inwardly strengthened; strength in soul and purpose; increased in strength; endue with strength; empower; to recover strength from weakness or disease; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon   strengthen, confirm; endow with vitality

 

proclamation = κήρυγμα = kerygma Blue Letter Bible  that which is proclaimed by a herald, a proclamation;  preaching; the message; that which is proclaimed by a herald or public crier, a proclamation by herald; the act of publishing;  Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon   that which is cried by a herald; proclamation; announcement of victory; mandate, summons; reward offered by proclamation; preaching, 

 

accomplished = πληροφορέω = plērophoreō  Blue Letter Bible   to bring in full measure, to fulfill; Complete, Completion, Completely; to bring in full measure; accomplish; to bear or bring full, to make full; to carry through to the end; to carry out fully (in evidence), i.e. completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon   bring full measure; satisfy fully; fulfil; to be fulfilled; have full satisfaction, to be fully assured; to be fully bent on doing

 

rescued, rescue = ῥύομαι = rhyomai  Blue Letter Bible  to rescue from, deliver; preserve from;  to draw to one's self; to rush or draw to oneself; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon   to draw to oneself, i. e. draw out of danger, to rescue, save, deliver; to save from; to save from an illness, cure; to set free, redeem; to shield, guard, protect; defensive armour; to remove the charges; to draw back, to hold back, check; to keep off

 

evil = πονηρός = ponēros  Blue Letter Bible active form of evil; evil that causes labor, pain, sorrow, malignant evil; bad, worthless, in the physical sense; toilsome, painful; full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; causing pain and trouble; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon  toilsome, painful, grievous; useless, good-for-nothing; injurious; worthless, knavish; base, cowardly

 

 

Psalm 91 annotated

This translation is from the New American Standard Bible. Other translations are available here. Information about the original Hebrew meaning of what seem to be the key words is provided in blue immediately below the scriptural text.  Additional resources related to this scripture and the principles it sets out are hyperlinked after that. 

 

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!”
³ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

⁵ You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; ⁶ of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.
⁸ You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹ For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
¹² They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ “With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”

 

dwell = יָשַׁב = yāšaḇ  Blue Letter Bible  remain, sit, abide; to sit down; to settle; continue; habitation, haunt; remain; return; stay, tarry; to be seated; to dwell

 

shelter = סֵתֶר = sēṯer  Blue Letter Bible  covering, shelter, hiding place, secret place; protection; defense  

 

abide = לוּן = lûn  Blue Letter Bible  to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide; rest;  stay permanently; lie all night; tarry 

 

shadow = צֵל = ṣēl  Blue Letter Bible  shade, protection

 

refuge = מַחֲסֶה = maḥăsê  Blue Letter Bible  shelter; place of trust; person to whom one flees

 

fortress = מָצוּד = māṣûḏ  Blue Letter Bible  fastness, stronghold; peak, mountain castle; capture net, prey

 

trust = בָּטַח = bāṭaḥ  Blue Letter Bible  have confidence, be confident; be bold; be secure; feel safe, be careless; to trust, be confident or sure:—be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust; confide in, place one’s confidence in; to be secure, fear nothing for one’s self; persuade to trust

 

cover = סָכַךְ = sāḵaḵ Blue Letter Bible weave, interweave weave together; hedge, fence about, shut in; block, overshadow, screen; stop the approach, shut off, cover; protector; protect; cover; defence

 

takes refuge = חָסָה = ḥāsâ  Blue Letter Bible  flee for protection; to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God); to confide in:—have hope, trust

 

made =  שׂוּם = suwm  Blue Letter Bible  make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give; to put, place, set, appoint, make; ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix; set in place, plant, fix; cast in; steadfastly; prepare; station; lay (violent) hands on; cast in; convey; heap up; set in array; to propound, explain; direct, turn; render; prepare; direct toward, pay attention to; put in position

 

refuge = מַחֲסֶה = maḥăsê  Blue Letter Bible  shelter; place of trust; person to whom one flees

 

dwelling place = מָעוֹן = māʿôn Blue Letter Bible  dwelling, habitation, refuge, lair

 

loves = חָשַׁק = ḥāšaq Blue Letter Bible  to love, attached to, long for; join; delight in; desire; cleave to; cling to 

 

known =יָדַע= yāḏaʿ  Blue Letter Bible  perceive and see, find out and discern; discriminate, distinguish; know by experience; recognize; be acquainted with; to know (a person carnally); know how, be skillful in; to have knowledge, be wise;  be made known, be or become known, be revealed; be instructed; privy to; seeing; observe with the eyes; be aware of; get to know, discover; turn the mind to, care about, see about

 

name = שֵׁם = šēm Blue Letter Bible name; reputation, fame, glory; honor, authority, character; renown, report; celebrated name; good reputation, report; fame; memory 

 

call upon = קָרָא = qārā'  Blue Letter Bible to call, cry, utter a loud sound; to proclaim; to read aloud, read (to oneself); the idea of accosting a person met; address by name;call=name = give name to; to call upon or to

 

What we can learn about God from compost

Over the years we have put up a number of posts noting the parallels between composting and the way God works in certain aspects of life. Here they are, “piled” if you will, for your consideration.  

 

What we can learn about the Christian Life from Composting--Part 1--The end product is greater than the sum of its parts 

 

We produce more good in community than we do separately

 

What we can learn about the Christian life from composting--Part 2--Good things come from humble ingredients 

 

God draws the most from the least

 

What we can learn about the Christian Life from composting--Part 3--the ingredients must be transformed by something beyond themselves

 

We need God’s inputs to achieve all the good he created us for

 

What we can learn about the Christian life from composting--Part 4--We have to go through tough stuff, but God gets us through

 

We have to go through tough stuff to reach our full potential, but God gives us ways to get through it (prayer, perspective, and serving others)

 

 Another insight from composting--Utility

 

We are saved and sanctified in order to serve

 

Another insight from composting--Transformation

 

We have to let God transform us to do all the good he created us for

 

Another insight from composting--Beyond the dramatic

 

Living out our faith/purpose in the mundane

 

Another insight from composting--Multiple fruits

 

God will produce multiple kinds of good from individual acts of service, so get busy, ask the Spirit for His help, and make yourself available to His insights

 

Another insight from composting--Credit where credit is due

 

How to respond to God’s blessings

 

Yes we will be gardening...wisely

Yes, we will be gardening this year, and doing more of it than ever. Our mission has always been to deliver Jesus’ love by feeding the hungry, and the pandemic makes that particularly needful. Food banks are facing unprecedented demand, nationally and here in Ohio.    Jesus has given us a tool to help—our garden—and we must follow His mandate to make the most of it. See Matthew 25:14-46.

As tempting as it may be to stay away until the pandemic subsides, the need we’re trying to address is urgent.  And given the unavoidable lag between planting and harvesting we must get to work as soon as possible.

We are trying to be wise in how we do that; our goal is combat the effects of Covid-19, not to spread it. We will therefore follow these protocols:

• If you are in a vulnerable category to the COVID-19 virus (e.g. age, health condition, etc.) please allow others to serve in the garden. We, first and foremost, want to produce this food in a way that keeps everyone safe.
• No more that 10 people will be allowed in the garden at one time.
• We will limit gardening sessions to two hours.
• We will take workers’ temperatures when they arrive and send folks with temps or other symptoms home.
• All folks in the garden will wear facemasks when there are two or more people. Please supply your own masks. Here is a tutorial for bandana masks that do not need sewn: mask tutorial. 
• Children are welcome to work in the garden. However, with so few spots available, we need to fill them with those who can help with the work of the garden. We ask you to please use discretion when signing up children; therefore children who are too young to work should remain at home.
• We will limit individual groups of workers to family members to the extent possible.
• We will keep at least one garden bed between groups of workers. That will put at least 10 feet between groups of workers.
• We will structure tasks to keep workers within groups at least 6 feet apart.
• We will wipe down doors, gates, tables, etc. with disinfectant before volunteers arrive and will open all doors, gates, etc. before folks get there.
• We are asking folks to bring their own gloves and tools, but will have safe gloves and tools available for folks who don’t have their own.
• Our tools will be out & wiped down with disinfectant before each session. We will wipe down our tools after each session.
• We will have fresh gloves for each worker at each session. We will collect gloves at the end of each session & wash them in hot water and detergent for a full regular cycle before they are used again.
• We will have soap and water for handwashing.
• No food or water will be provided.
• The church building will not be open.

These protocols were developed with input from doctors,  and are consistent with Ohio's Stay at Home Order and extension service advice to community gardens.

We will start structured gardening sessions on April 18, and may be calling on individual gardeners for help between now and then.

We have posted a sign up genius facilitate the 10-person limit. Please sign up  come on out to the garden!

In the meantime, please pray for us and the folks we serve.  Jesus’ directions in Luke 10:2 are particularly apt: “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Other good verses to pray over include James 2:15-17 and  1 John 3:17-20.

That’s it for now. Hope to see you soon (albeit from behind a face mask)! 

Crop	Lbs.
Asparagus	84
Beets	206.4
Bok Choy	826.8
Cukes	962.3
Daikons	620
Eggplant	923.9
Garlic	979.72
Kale	11.3
Napa Cabbage	391.6
Peas	15.6
Pumpkins	19.4
Radishes	237.4
Tomato	2,438.20
Turnips	469
Yellow Squash	242.3
Winter Squash	86
Zucchini	1,133.40
Total	9,647.32