Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea: A great High Priest, whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands, My name is written on his heart; I know that while in heaven he stands No tongue can bid me thence depart No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look, and see him there Who made an end of all my sin.
Because a sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free; For God, the Just, is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One, Risen Son of God!
Behold him there, the risen Lamb My perfect, spotless righteousness, The great unchangeable I am, The King of glory and of grace!
One in himself, I cannot die My soul is purchased by his blood My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ, my Savior and my God With Christ, my Savior and my God
May you be able to sing these lyrics with your whole heart, both now and on that Great Day of His Appearing...blessings, grace and peace to you and yours.
It has been an eye opening year for us, from moving to another state to a new job that has me going into areas I'd normally avoid...may you trust it all into His Hands and to His Glory as we have had to.
I know and understand why some of my brethren and sisteren have a problem with some of the pagan elements incorporated in the celebration of Christmas. Some folks honestly, genuinely believe that it's wrong to celebrate Christmas. However...after having toured a place this week, parts of which included looking over a bullet riddled car and viewing the site of someone's recent murder, I have a small request...
...if you're moved to tell me about it...don't.
My day is filled with walking, breathing examples of folks on the threshold of an eternity of which they have no clue and/or regard for what comes after.
I will always...ALWAYS...rejoice for that 6 week respite this time of year, when radio stations, store loudspeakers and the occasional flash mob proclaim the Gospel in its simplest form, in between Frosty and Rudolph, every day, all day through the lyrics of familiar carols written by faithful ministers and laymen of times past. The rest of the trappings of this holiday season don't phase me a bit in the light of that truth.
Next week promises more of the same for me. I can assure the folks who have a problem with Christmas, Santa Claus, Rudolph and Saturnalia, that the last thing on my mind when I look into the eyes of an abused wife or local candy man will be the mindless drivel that passes for righteous debate nowadays.
For those who have been praying for me and my family...thank you. I greatly covet those prayers and can tell you in full confidence that they were directly answered at one point this week, details of which I may post at another time.
For those who really have a problem with the holiday...cool...but you're also required to give me that same slack (Colossians 2) in my lack of a problem with it.
As for the Jeremiah 10 crowd...I have a playpen in the corner, I can fill it full of nice theological treatises with really big words in them for you to fondle and coo over...as the world burns around you.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.---Isaiah 6:5
...the next couple of weeks have taken a turn and presented some unanticipated stresses that have nothing to do with the holidays and that require my full attention. I'll be coming back online after the first of the year.
Blessings to you and yours...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
A little tip on adding "snow" to your model work...
I found that baking soda sifted carefully onto the scene, makes the best snow. It has a subtle sparkle to it and it vacuums up easily if you watch the humidity. It does seem to have an adverse affect on Mini-Metals chrome. Not long after this shot, the chrome plating disappeared slowly...hubcaps, bumpers and all..., until there wasn't a trace left. Hummm...?
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
I was given two ancient HO scale freight kits by a friend. The interior bag is marked;
Doughnuts FINCO Consumers Co-operative Made by Co-operative Trading Assn. Inc. Wholesale and Retail Bakers 4301 Eighth Ave. Brooklyn, N.Y.
The lack of a zip code puts this prior to 1967 but it's obviously much older than that. Water damage is minimal, the mildew rubbed right off and that was the only affected kit. Any help finding out who made these and when would be greatly appreciated...
UPDATE: These are from the Comet line of car kits and date back to 1939...dude, that's an old HO kit. Retail price back then? 35 cents...
Oh, and yes...I should've looked at the instructions first. They told me who the manufacturer was...sigh...
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.---(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
It's 13 years this month since my beloved and I lost our home. Finances came to a crash all through that year, an audit put us at cliff's edge and the loss of my youth pastorate in November put us over that cliff. We sold everything we could including our home, feeling blessed that we had enough to move to another state and start over.
We're debt free now, a blessing that can all too easily be forgotten until one reads the headlines.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. --- George Washington
The Grill is our local breakfast cafe. You know, the one in every American town; complete has with a long counter, brown rotating stools, a couple dozens booths with wooden benches, and a mirrored rotating pie display case. They serve tangy barbecue and slaw after 11:30 a.m., and sell 14 different kinds of whole pies including coconut cream and apricot rhubarb.
I ate there when I was ten, with my parents, while I mixed salt and pepper into the water glasses. I ate there with my junior prom date. I ate there waiting for my first child to be delivered at the local hospital. And I ate there Sunday mornings with my wife and my two toddlers. We moved away and much later we returned.
Tuesday, I stopped by the Grill, on a rare mid-week morning off from work. It was packed, a Thanksgiving week crowd full of friends and family from out town. I sat on a couch across from the cash register while waiting for an open seat at the counter, inhaling the familiar emotions from all the customers passing before me.
What first caught my eye were his bony shoulders, protruding from underneath his yellow cardigan sweater. I'm sure he was in his late 70's; rail thin, white hair still cut high and tight, pressed grey slacks and polished black loafers. Sitting at the counter hunched over a cup of coffee, he just stared vacantly straight ahead at the cooking grill. In fact, his eyes rarely moved unless a line cook wandered into his vision. An occasional sip of coffee, but no other movement. I was totally mesmerized by this scene, until an older waitress put her hand on my shoulder and said there was seat open next to Captain Bob.
"Captain Bob?"
"Yes, the gentleman you have been staring at for the past ten minutes."
"Sorry, but....ah.. I was curious." She blinked and finally began to look at me. I glanced at her name badge. "Betty, he seems very focused and yet...vacant, all at the same time." She smiled, looked at her watch and then firmly locked her eyes onto mine.
"Listen honey, Let's see if you can be a friend. But you have to swear to come back tomorrow at the exact same time. Otherwise I'll find you a seat in a booth, ok?"
"Ok.... uh ..how do I-"
"Just start, honey, just start"
I sat down next to Captain Bob. He didn't turn to see who was sitting next to him. Betty took my order of coffee and the number two omelet with toast and hash browns. I leaned toward Captain Bob.
"Captain?" No response.
"Captain Bob?" No response.
"It's going to rain tomorrow....." No response.
I carefully followed Captain Bob's gaze toward the steaming white mound of uncooked hash browns on the grill.
"Do you think the cook used enough oil on this batch?" A full thirty seconds passed. Just as a bird's shadow darkens a page, the swiftest of smiles flitted across his lips.
"He never uses enough." Bob spoke with the gravelly voice of disuse, still staring straight ahead.
"Maybe butter would give the hash browns more flavor?" Again that long, long pause.
"No, butter smokes at a much lower temperature than oil, so you can cook more batches with oil in a shorter amount of time."
I had to push the envelope.
"So Captain, are there any other variables that determine the flavor profiles of these hash browns?" He slowly turned away from the grill and looked intently at my face while his eyes probed deep into my psyche.
"Moisture content of the hash browns varies greatly from batch to batch, depending on the processors' plant, the potato varietals, the brand specifications, and the seasonality of the harvest." And instantly the light went out from his eyes. He turned slowly back toward the grill, focused his vacant stare on the hash browns, and took a sip of coffee.
Betty has been standing next to me with my order in her hand. She put the plate down and placed her hands on mine.
"Honey, that was just wonderful. Captain Bob hasn't spoken like that for over two years. You are a dear friend. I can't wait to tell Emilio about today, he will be thrilled."
"Emilio is his.....?"
"Nurse and driver. He drives Captain Bob to The Grill every weekday around 10:30 and picks him up after lunch at 1:00. We save the same seat for him. He stares at the menu for more than half an hour, but always ends up pointing at the tuna fish sandwich on sourdough toast, hash browns and cup of coffee. Oh, plenty of folks come by and try to talk to Captain Bob, but you're the only one to get anything back in long time."
"I'm guessing that Captain Bob was not always like this?"
"Heavens no, Captain Bob had a full life for 72 years until this horrible disease started to take him away. I served him lunch for almost 15 years, so I know him pretty well." Betty stared at me a few seconds and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now you promised me would be here tomorrow. Captain Bob has never remembered anyone more than twice, and then the entire memory of that person is erased, or blocked or whatever happens, forever. So you must be here tomorrow for a second visit, while he still has some notion of who you are."
I went home, called into work and told them I needed to take a personal holiday. No problem.
Wednesday morning I was at The Grill by 10:20, Betty was already there, hustling tables.
Emilio assisted Captain Bob to his stool, handed him a menu and sat down beside him. Emilio was in his late 60's, silver hair and the graceful body of aging athlete. His warm smile and warm eyes were delightfully happy. I sat next to Emilio while Captain Bob went through the menu.
"So, Betty tells me you got quite a response from the Captain?"
"Yes it seems so, .... uh, not Captain Bob, he was actually your captain? In the military?"
"Betty said you were smart. Yes, the captain saved my life in Vietnam more than few times; he actually saved dozens of us with his brains and instincts. He was a very bright man too. So now I pay him back by looking after him every day. After all he gave me the past 35 years with my wife, kids and grandkids. Seems like the right thing to do."
"So, Emilo...how long do I...we... have, if the door opens?" The silence stretched forward.
"Maybe three minutes, probably less."
"Achilles and Odysseus?" Emilio stared at me for long time and smiled.
I took a deep breath. "Captain, how were the hash browns today?" A faint smile flashed almost at once. Emilio mimed the downward motion of a stopwatch.
"Better than yesterday. Still not enough oil" he rasped, staring straight ahead.
"Captain, Emilio thinks you should look at Betty, she's here standing next to me." He spun around on his stool. "You should say hello to your wife."
Bob's eyes glowed brightly." Ask Betty, did she sell The Grill?"
"No she didn't Captain, its still here and Betty is still running it. Please talk to Betty she's standing right here, next to me." A long pause then Emilio held up one finger.
"Betty? ...Betty..... did Jenny graduate last year?"
"Yes honey, she graduated, got married and she has two kids, one is eight and and the other is five. Do you remember Jeff?"
"He loves baseball, I'd like to see one of his games."
"Jeff's a lawyer in Florida now. He and Cindy have two great kids. I love you honey, so much! What can we do to help you?" A much longer pause as Bob's chest heaves and he began to sob. Emilio holds up a second finger.
"I love.... having lunch ...with you... each day. Emilio, you're looking old my friend...... Betty ....I..uh.... I ... will always love...---" The light in his eyes quickly faded. Captain Bob, tears still streaming down his face, slowly turned back toward the grill and took a sip of coffee.
---Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake...Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
---See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
---Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Thanks to the foresight of our Founding Fathers, I don't have to go through the arduous labor of setting up and tearing down this layout where any Federal funds may go. Wouldn't want the Christmas theme to imply the support of any particular faith.
It's just as well...the oooos and ahhhhs of the old folks and kiddies gets old after awhile and, what's one more day of staring at the walls for Granny and Grand Paw---and---we sure wouldn't want the little nippers to think there's anything else to do besides play on the Wii...
That's as political as I'll get...enough said.
(Pro 22:28) Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
...my secret to so many of my models..."Buy the ones with boo boos, they'll patch up easy enough."
Just a couple strips of scrap styrene and some paint was all it took to fix this minor flaw...
Purchased with the intent to salvage its mechanism for another, better shell, the patch has me looking for...alas, sigh, groan...another mechanism.
And there lies the rub...
How can this be "The World's Greatest Hobby" if it feeds the beasts of avarice and materialism? I hope never to get caught up in that...and...am making preparations for clearing out some excessive excesses on eBay...
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
From the October '72 Model Railroader magazine...mine still has its original coils, no mean feat for a 40 year old car. Purchased in a lot from an online friend...
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
...quite possibly the single biggest reason N scale did so well as a new modeling scale, Kadee conversion kits gave serious modelers in that scale reason to pursue making the balky little machines run better, thus saving the scale from the mostly half-hearted attempts offered by manufacturers of the day. However, there were a few good locomotives offered back then...most notably the Con-Cor PA1 pictured on the bottom of this June '71 Model Railroader magazine ad.
Found by a true brother in the Lord while out flea marketing. Original retail price back in the 1950s...$5.95.
If you have one true friend in the Lord you are truly blessed, and gestures like this aren't about the thing so much as they are a physical reminder that God has given you someone at your back. You would do well to honestly access whether you have one or not and...if not, why not?
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.---(Pro 27:6)
If it hasn't been seen yet, this blog is not about trains or models. It's about the propagation and exaltation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the spreading of His Word through a medium folks will allow in their house...
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.---(1Co 15:3-8)
A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was.
Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
I'll never forget the delight on your face or Bubbie's when your grand-daughter opened the menorah I had put together in my shop for Christmas that year. Times were tight that year and I kinda rushed it a bit to welcome my new sister-in-law and her family.
I'll never forget you going out of your way to pay your respects at my dad's funeral, knowing your faith required you stay out of the viewing room...and your genuine surprise that I knew and understood that such things were required of you.
In reality, we'd only had a few minutes of conversation over the years but your presence in my life in those moments made a lasting impression.
I wept like a school boy at the news of your passing, something I hadn't done in a long time...even at the news of my mother's passing last year.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your family's time of mourning as you were for my family.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
On another note...I officially detest real trains. Last night found me at a hotel that I thought was a comfortable distance from the tracks---I could see the tracks crossing the highway on a bridge, a half mile down the road...A HALF MILE!!!! The night clerk said, and I quote, "No trains here..." end quote.
As I go off into la la land around 9:30 p.m....I hear the distant horn lulling me to sleep. Then it got closer...and closer...and CLOSER--- and then "I could hear the tinkling of the pull chain the engineer was yanking on" closer.
After a night filled with six of these behemoths running by my bed not 100 yards away, the rumble of their prime movers rattling my glasses off the night stand and the sound of the Nathan M5s peeling the wallpaper off the wall, I found that those yonder tracks crossing yon distant bridge...turned 90 degrees and passed just behind the tree line in back of the hotel.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, (emphasis mine) and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Just a Believer who happens to model trains on a very tight budget, providing a place to showcase my own model work as well as the work of others, regardless of type. Considerations for posting are always welcome. Please check out the modeling links I've put together as well...
Less than God could not have borne your sin so as to put it away; but the infinitely glorious Son of God did actually stoop to become a sin-bearer. I wonder how I can talk of it as I do.
It is a truth scarcely to be declared in words. It wants flame and blood and tears with which to tell this story of an offended God, the Heaven-Maker and the Earth-Creator, stooping from his glory that he might save the reptiles which had dared to insult his honor and to rebel against his glory; and, becoming one of them, to suffer for them, that without violation of his law he might have pity upon the offending things — things so inconsiderable that if he had stamped them all out, as men burn a nest of wasps, there had been no loss to the universe. But he had pity on them, and became one of them, and bare their sins. Oh, love ye him; adore ye him; let your souls climb up to the right hand of the majesty above, this morning, and there bow down in lowliest reverence and adoring affection, that he, the God over all, whom you had offended, should his own self bear our sins.
Though thus God over all, he became a man like unto ourselves; a body was prepared for him, and that body, mark you, not prepared alone, and made like to man but not of man. No, he was not otherwise fashioned than ourselves, he came into the world as we also come, born of a woman, a child of a mother, to hang upon a woman’s breast; not merely like to man, but man, born in the pedigree of manhood, and so bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, yet without a taint of sin. And he, in that double nature but united person, was Jesus, Son of God and Son of the Virgin; he it was who “bare our sins in his own body on the tree.”
From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Death For Sin, And Death To Sin," delivered November 16, 1873.
Men, protect your daughters....
“Picture this: Some 17 year old snot nosed punk comes over to take out your daughter, and you say, 'No you aren't worthy of her.' (Immediately everyone is up in arms over your 'judgmental' and 'harsh' position, and for 'breaking your daughter’s heart.') Ok, so let's put it another way now: You have a beautiful, brand new $200,000 Ferrari Testarossa in front of your house, and a snot nosed 17 year old punk comes over to take it for a spin. Would you hand him the keys? See, what your problem is, is that you value a car more than your daughter. Men, protect your daughters!”
My sole purpose for this blog is to lift up the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified on a no nonsense, no ad platform showcasing my work and the work of other modelers, and to practice my hobby with the world behind me, the Cross before me and Kingdom of God in sight. All Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible as I have found on my own that there is none more faithful to the original languages. Unless otherwise noted, all text and photographs are mine. Old ads and product reviews are respectfully posted in good faith that any copyright privileges are not being infringed upon, with no intent to profit or disparage in any way and will be removed upon request of their respective holders.
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