Jo’s Place

Love the Lord, our God. He alone is our God, the only one who is worthy of our praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles …which we have seen with our own eyes.  When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them.  But now, the Lord your God has made you as numerous …as the stars in the sky!  “You must love the Lord your God and always obey His requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands.  Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord, your God, or seen His greatness …and His strong hand, and powerful arm.  They didn’t see the miraculous signs and wonders, which He performed in Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his land.  They didn’t see what the Lord did to the armies of Egypt …and to their horses and chariots—how He drowned them, in the Red Sea, as they were chasing you.  He destroyed them, and they have not recovered, to this very day!  “Your child...

A Call to Love and Obedience “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?  He requires, only, that you fear the Lord, your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, …and love Him …and serve Him, with all your heart …and soul.  And you must, always, obey the Lord’s commands and decrees …that I am giving you today, for your own good.  “Look, the highest heavens …and the earth …and everything in it, all belong to the Lord, your God.  Yet, the Lord chose your ancestors, as the objects of his love.  And He chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.  Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.  “For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods and Lord of lords.  He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality …and cannot be bribed.  He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice.  He shows love to the foreigners, living among you …and gives them food and clothi...

​ Love Is the Greatest …Now let me show you the way of life that is best of all.  If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.  Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  Prophecy and speaking in ...

Let us turn back to the Lord.  The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time,  …as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: …the faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is His faithfulness;  …His mercies begin afresh  …each morning.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;  …therefore, I will hope in Him!”  The Lord is good to those who depend on him,  …to those who search for him.  So it is good to wait quietly  for salvation from the Lord.  And it is good for people to submit at an early age …to the yoke of His discipline:  Let them sit alone in silence  beneath the Lord’s demands.  Let them lie face down in the dust, f or there may be hope at last.  Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them; and accept the insults of their enemies.  For no one is a...

The Lord is compassionate to those who love Him. A psalm of David Let all that I am praise the Lord;  with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.  Let all that I am praise the Lord;  may I never forget the good things He does for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!  The Lord gives righteousness  and justice to all who are treated unfairly.  He revealed His character to Moses and His deeds to Israel.  The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He will not constantly accuse us,  nor remain angry forever.  He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.  For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth....

​ A Warning against Prejudice My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?  For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.  If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”— …well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters.  Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?  Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom He promised to those who love Him?  But you dishonor the poor!  Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?  Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?  Yes indeed, it is good when you ob...

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven.  You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.  This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.  It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives… just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth… about God’s wonderful grace.  You learned about the Good News from… our beloved co-worker.  He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.  He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to gi...

Jesus’ Teachings (A…)  Teaching about Adultery “You have heard the commandment that says,  ‘You must not commit adultery.’  But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  (A…)  Teaching about Divorce “You have heard the law that says,  ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’  But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery.  And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.  (A…) ...

Praise the Lord, who is my Rock.   He trains my hands for war and… gives my fingers skill for battle.  He is my loving Ally… and my Fortress…  my Tower of Safety… my Rescuer.  He is my Shield… and I take refuge in Him.  He makes the nations  …submit to me.  O Lord, what are human beings  …that You should notice (us),  …mere mortals that You should  …think about (us)?  For (we) are like a breath of air;  …(our) days are like  …a passing shadow.  Open the heavens, Lord …and come down.  Touch the mountains  …so they billow smoke.  Hurl your lightning bolts  …and scatter Your enemies!  Shoot Your arrows  …and confuse them!  Reach down from heaven  …and rescue me;  …rescue me from deep waters,  …from the power of my enemies.  Their mouths are full of lies;  …they swear to tell the truth,  …but they lie instead.  I will sing a new song to You,  …O Go...