"Put out into the deep water and let down your nets…” (Luk 5:4 NAS)

Peter called Him Master, a term used only by disciples, or a near to be one. The word was equivalent to rabbi or teacher. And because the Master had asked, Peter went back into the deep water where he had spent the previous night drawing in empty nets.  But this time their nets began to break and their boats began to sink from the weight of the catch! It was a miracle!

Has God ever asked you to go into a situation that was well over your head? He often calls his people into the deep waters to bring them into a position to hear his voice! Like Job, we will cover our mouth (Job 40:4). Like Isaiah, we will feel ruined and unclean (Is 6:5). Like Peter we will cry “depart from me,” for His Holy presence reveals the depth or our sin! (Lk 5:8)

It is in this holy, special revelation moment that God reveals our heart and heals our soul. If you ever find God leading you into deep waters, listen for His voice, drop your nets, and follow Him. 

Poiema - God's epic poem lived out through our lives!

God's Workmanship (Poiema) - Eph 2:10

 "You are an epic poem, a God-imaging poiema  — become flesh and spirit…. If you think you are a boring work of prose, you don’t yet see things as they really are…there is nothing boring about you…. remember what Chesterton said: ‘We are perishing for want of wonder, not want of wonders’…. God is wholly absorbed in his living epic. He wants you to be too." - John Piper

Click to read full article  John Piper - You Are God’s Workmanship

There is a lot packed into the context of Eph 2:10 that relates to God’s plan for our life that includes: adoption, the presence of the Holy Spirit,  our story, and the voice God has given us to share through our journey. 

According to the principles of hermeneutics (or methods of Bible Study), when one finds a key word that is used only twice in the entire Bible, the uniqueness of the word becomes like a spotlight to its significance. This includes how the word is used and defined in its immediate context, as well as the relationship of its usage in other texts (cf. Rom 1:20 "made"). In addition, it is important to take note when similar themes emerge using different words. Michael Card titled one of his albums after this unique word where he draws out the theme of Eph 2 into the greater context of God’s love, mission, and purpose.

2 Cor. 3 & 4 and Phil. 3 share that we are living letters, with an unveiled perspective designed to carry His message through the joy of His presence and the fellowship of His suffering.

It is out of a position of obedience that we are able to abide in Christ

The hebrew verb שָׁמַע (Shama), can mean simply ‘to hear,’ or it can mean, according to context and according to what prepositions follow it either ‘to listen, hearken.’ ‘to obey,’ or “to understand.” (emphasis mine, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Explained and Defined p83)

The Hebrew word shama is used in Duet 6 to translate the word “Hear” in the foundational passage known as the “Grand Shema” (or Shama)

"Hear (Shama), O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (Deu 6:4 NAS)

Samuel used  the same hebrew word, shama, to convey the importance of obedience when he confronted Saul's disobedience of withholding the spoils of war and Saul's further cover up when trying to justify he was doing it for God!

“To shama, (obey, hear, listen) is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22)

Saul failed because he refused to follow, to listen, and to carryout what God had asked him to do.

The Holeman treasury goes on to say “To really hear God means to obey what is spoken, or heard or even read.”

God saw Saul’s disobedience as a turning from following Him! (1Sa 15:11 NAS) and a rejection of His Word! (15:23). God tore the kingdom from Saul that day, and the presence of His Spirit left Saul in the next chapter.  I believe that the sin of Saul’s disobedience and the events that followed were in David’s mind after he was confronted by Nathan the prophet for striking down Uriah so he could take Bathsheba to be his wife (2 Sam. 12). It was in this context that David penned his well known psalm of repentance.

 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. (Psa 51:10-11 NAS).

It is interesting to note that God forgave David when he repented, yet did not forgive Saul when he confessed his sin of disobedience (15:30). I imagine it had to do with a heart that is tied to obedience and not the "appearance of an external confession" (1 Sam 16:7). 

The context of the Grand Shema in Duet 6 goes on to show that our love for God is our motivation to listen to / obey Him.

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut 6:5) 

John says that when we love God we keep his commandments (1Jn 5:2-3).

The Greek word used to translate the Hebrew shama in the Old Testament is ακούω (akuo) meaning to hear, and in the N.T. one of the words for obedience is a derivate of akuo  ὑπακούω (hoop-akuo (to listen, hear, follow, be subject to, to ‘obey’ ). We find this used in both Rom 10:17 and Hebrew 5:9 that relate the same concepts of hear and obey to the concept of obedience in our faith.

In Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” The implication of obedience is tied to the application “going or sending”   

In Hebrews 5:9 “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Heb 5:9 NAS)

John goes on to say that Christ abides in the one who keeps his commands;

“And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1Jo 3:24 NAS)

There is a lot to the concept of our obedience as it relates to how we follow, listen, believe, and abide in Christ.  Jesus asked His disciples to “Follow me” and then sent them out to make disciples teaching them to obey His commands. The relationship of God’s presence and our obedience to his mission is clear in the contrast of Saul and David, and in Jesus sending out his disciples in His great commission. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always… (Mat 28:19-20 NAS)

The year the scarlet thread stopped turning white - the importance of the historical and cultural context

The Scarlet thread of the scape goat turned from red to white on the day of atonement up until AD 30! This temple miracle signified God accepted their sacrifice, and forgave their sin. The imagery of the scapegoat provided powerful teaching on atonement. The Jewish Talmud points to a new day of atonement. A one time all sufficient sacrifice that would happened on the hill of Calvary. After that day, the thread in the temple stopped turning white!  I first heard about this from my O.T. Jewish professor at Moody. I can still remember the joy in his face, as a messianic Jew he felt the weight the Jewish text. Who would have thought someone would be so excited that God had stopped a miracle! He taught us that day the importance of the historical and cultural context in understanding the biblical text.


"...and it has further been taught: 'For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red'. - Rosh HaShanah 31b, Babylonian Talmud, Soncino Press Edition."

"...but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God... Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin." (Heb 10:12-18 NAS) 

"Here is the basic story:  Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the scarlet cord stopped turning white showing that Yom Kippur sacrifice was not accepted by God.  This is by far the most interesting of the Jewish sources that has to do with the legend of Azazel.  The Azazel is the Jewish name for the scapegoat. 

In the ritual for the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, two goats were brought into the Temple, one was killed as a blood sacrifice, the other after the laying on of hands was chased out into the wilderness symbolically carrying the year's sins. That was the scapegoat. 

According to Jewish writing of this period, it became the custom to tie a red ribbon around the scapegoat, and when the goat was sent out to the wilderness the ribbon turned white.  The changing of the color of the red ribbon to white signified that God had forgiven the sins of Israel for that year.  The Jewish legend goes on to say that the red ribbon stopped turning white, 40 years before the destruction of the Temple.  So, as of the year 30 AD, God was no longer forgiving the sins of Israel by means of the Yom Kippur sacrifice of the slaying of on goat, and the sending forth of the other in to the wilderness"    http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/odds.htm


A couple clarifications on the above, I understood there to be two scarlet threads, one tied on each goat. The ribbon on the goat that was sacrificed was hung on the temple door, and the ribbon on the scapegoat remained on the goat. As the scapegoat ran away the ribbons turned white.

Regarding laying hands on the animal: While the priest laid his hands on the animal, he would confess the sins of the people. The sins would then be symbolically transferred to the animal. When the animal was put to death or released it into the wilderness, the sins were atoned for as they died with the animal and were taken into the wilderness. The goat would serve as the people's substitutionary atonement.


The imagery was clear to Israel. Jesus became both our sacrificial lamb (substiutionary atonement) and our scapegoat, taking our sins away, as we place our hands on him and in faith confess and repent of our sins. Like with the animal sacrifice, our sins are symbolically transferred to him), In His death, Jesus atones for our sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it demonstrated that God the Father had accepted His death as payment for our sin and because he lives, no further atonement is necessary.

Because He lives, His atonement made in AD 30 can be applied to our hearts and atone for our sins today! There is no need for a cord in a temple to change color to tell us God accepted our confession of faith, because when our sins are atoned for, it is our hearts that change, they become white as snow! Now that is a miracle!



"Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Isa 1:18 NAS) 

When we discover the historical context behind some of these O.T. concepts, the Bible takes on a new richness and deeper meaning! 

The Talmud and other Jewish writings provide a cultural and historical insight when placed next to the light of inspired scripture and often provide a deeper perspective into key theological concepts like the day of atonement.

"The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (Hebrew: משנה, c. 200 CE), a written compendium of Rabbinic Judaism's Oral Torah, and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Hebrew Bible. "Talmud" translates literally as "instruction" in Hebrew, and the term may refer to either the Gemara alone, or the Mishnah and Gemara together.

The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in standard print is over 6,200 pages long. It is written in Tannaitic Hebrew and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic and contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis (dating from before the Common Era through the fifth century CE) on a variety of subjects, including Halakha (law), Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, lore and many other topics. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law, and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud

"The Season of our Joy;" The Feast of Tabernacles provides a context of what it means to "abide" in Christ and His word (Jn 8:31)

Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation...(Is 12:3)  The context of "abide" in Jn 8:31 comes out of the feast of Tabernacles!

The great Jewish festival known as "The time of our joy " or The Feast of Tabernacles was a special time to remember the salvation of the Lord and to look forward to the coming Messiah. It was a time to thank God for their present harvest and provision. They also proclaimed God's glory to nations by literally lighting 4 giant oil lamps 75ft high that represented the pillar of fire that God used to guide his people in the wilderness. This light not only lit the Temple at night, but served as a light to the nations that could be seen from all over Jerusalem reflecting God's glory across the night sky!

The festival was also known as the Feast of Booths, and the Feast of Ingatherings, where people would embark on great pilgrimages to Jerusalem from all over the dispersion where they would erect temporary wooden structures or tents in which they would dwell and store food, during the festival. 

The symbolism was clear, a remembrance of God's provision, salvation, and presence when He was with Israel in the days of the tabernacle, when Moses met with God in the tent of meeting and led His people by a pillar of smoke and fire. The tent, or booth in the celebration was to remind Israel that they were still in temporary dwellings while awaiting to enter their promise land. In the days of the dispersion, the temporary dwellings were to remind them of the hope of the coming Messiah, a savior who was going to come and  restore the Kingdom of Israel. The Festival originated in the context of the wilderness  (Ex 23:16, Lev 23:42-43),  and was celebrated in the fall, on the 15^th of Tishri, five days after Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement).

The pool of Siloam became an important setting for the Water Libation ceremony in the days of the dispersion after the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple. It was located outside the southeast gate of Jerusalem and held life giving water provided by a fresh water spring that was heavily guarded since the days of David. The pool was "fed by a conduit that is cut for a distance of 1,780 feet through solid rock, and which starts at the so-called Virgin's Spring (En-rogel). The reason for which it was cut is unmistakable. The Virgin's Spring was the only spring of fresh water in the immediate neighborhood of Jerusalem, and in time of siege it was important that, while the enemy should be deprived of access to it, its waters should be made available for those who were within the city". 

The Water Libation Ceremony was a highlight of the festival, which represented the pouring out of living water, that represented the Holy Spirit. "According to the Mishna’s description, water would be collected from the Siloam Spring, and brought by procession through the Water Gate and into the Temple, where the priest would pour the water into a vessel with two compartments, one for the water and the other holding wine. Then both liquids would be libated upon the altar at the same time". http://thetorah.com/water-libation-a-sukkot-rain-making-ritual/ The word libation, refers to "an act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice (as to a deity)." This was done the in the context and recitation of Isaiah 12:3 "...you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation!" The Mishna states, "He that has never seen the joy of the [ceremony of the water drawing] has never in his life seen joy." (Sukkah 51a).  Others claimed that Joy has never been felt so deep in ones heart than at the water libation ceremony. 

The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of profound joy, worship and thanksgiving, that was expressed through music, singing, and dancing, as well as teaching, reading from the law and ritual. The symbolism of the feast, the huge oil lamps that represented God's glory and light to the nations, the water drawn from healing springs poured out as an offering, provided context and meaning for Jesus' teaching in John 7 & 8.

It is interesting to note that Jesus was not going to go to the feast with his brothers, as it was not "his time," He did go up to the festival about halfway through where he began to teach. On the last and greatest day, in the context of the Libation offering, Jesus stood up and proclaimed...

"If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." (Jn 7:37) It must have made an incredible impact. He was basically saying "I am the libation offering that is being poured out for you... if you are thirsty, come to me and drink (believe), and draw water from the springs of salvation... (Is 12:3). The Holy Spirit (Jn 7:39) will well up inside of your inner most being, and flow out like a rivers of living water!" (my loose translation)

The audience did not miss His point, as evidenced in the many who believed in Him, with the contrast of those who were infuriated at his claims and tried to seize him! The commotion was so great that even the great teacher Nicodemus stood up in his defense (7:50).

Next we find a break in the flow of the passage in  Jn 7:53-8:11 that can distract the reader from the following connection to the great lights in the Temple. Upon close inspection of a footnote attached to 7:53 it is discovered that the story of the women caught in adultery was inserted at a later date. The Expositors Bible Commentary confirms that this story "can hardly have belonged to the original text of this Gospel," as it did not show up until the 6th century! While this passage is still considered to be to inspired scripture, the insertion disrupts the sequence of the events which may cause one to miss the connection. If we jump from Jn 7:37 (and the following reactions of the audience that lead to 7:52) directly over to Jn 8:12, we find a smooth transition from Jesus invitation at the libation offering  "If any man is thirsty, let him come to me...  to standing in front of those 75ft high candle sticks declaring "I am the light of the world!" Jesus was a master at using his environment to illuminate his message.  In the midst of responding to angry Jewish leaders, Jesus takes a moment to address those who believed in him, and calls them to "abide!"  As God dwelt with Israel in the days of the Tabernacle. Jesus had come to "tabernacle with them!" His presence among them was to be their feast of joy!  

"Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn 8:31-32 NAS)

What does it mean to abide? In light of the context of the feast of Tabernacles, It would be reasonable to consider that abiding has to do with the joy of God's active presence in the hearts of his disciples who have responded in faith and obedience to His word.

The word "abide" refers to someone who resides in a certain realm or sphere, (in this context, His Word): In its basic sense it means to remain, continue, or to "sojourn". It is one who tarry's as a guest, to lodge or to dwell" The act of abiding conveys the idea of residing in a transitional or temporary place as in a "tent" or "booth". 

When we abide with Christ in His word, we understand that like the Hebrews in the wilderness, or the Jews in the dispersion, we are not yet home. While the Kingdom of God is near, it is still "not yet" in the physical sense. We are abide in fragile earthen vessels as we await the completion of the sanctification process, the resurrection of our bodies and the complete freedom from sin. It is in our temporary broken body, "our earthly tent" where we abide, remain, tarry, dwell or sojourn with Christ. 

In John 1:14 The Greek word ἐσκήνωσεν, translated as "dwelt" literally means "to spread a tent!" From the root of this word we get tabernacle. "The Word became flesh and literally 'tabernacled among us'" The concept of our bodies being a temporary house for God's Spirit is not unique in scripture. In 2 Cor, we understand that our body is but a temporary earthen vessel... an earthly tent for God to dwell, and it is our house torn down, that groans, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. It is in this state that we "abide" with Christ (2Co 4:7, 5:1-5). We abide with Christ through the presence of the Spirit in our innermost being. It is in this presence of abiding that we experience great joy, as well as other fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). This joy is so abundant and full, that the closer we abide with Him, the harder it is to contain. As we follow and obey Christ's word, we too will pour ourselves out as an offering of libation,  "I am being poured out as a drink offering", In Spanish they are more specific "derramado en libación" (poured out in libation).  Note the connection to joy, "I rejoice and share my joy with you all." (Phil 2:17) One can say that our joy is the outflow of our abiding in Christ! 

The text says we are to abide "in His word." While Jesus is the Word, the Logos, the passage here most likely refers to abiding in the embodiment of his teaching, most specifically His teaching at the Feast. Jesus know that when we abide in His word, we will be challenged in believe He is the Word, as his immediate audience had been. In Romans, Paul reflects the concept that faith begins with the hearing the word. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom 10:17). As Jesus disciples heard and obeyed His teaching, they would find the Truth that would set them free. (Jn 8:33).  

There are similar concepts in other "abide" passages in John and 1st John that highlight the relationship of abiding to discipleship, fruit of the Spirit, and the inter-relationship the presence of God with His disciples:  

1. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (Jn 15:4) 

2. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." (Jn 15:7-8)  

3. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." (1Jn 4:13)

When we abide with Christ there is thanksgiving for the past, joy in the present and hope for the future! 

     The word "Siloam" literally means "sent." (Jn 9:7) It is interesting that it was right after the feast of Tabernacles that Jesus gave sight to the man who was blind from birth at the pool of Siloam to illustrate his previous teaching to his disciples;  "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Jn 9:5). 

Imagine the first thing you see after a life of darkness is the face of Jesus with the pool of Siloam in the background. I wonder if that blind man was at the pool the day before when they drew the water for the libation offering or in the temple courts when they poured the water and the wine out in libation,  when the voice of Jesus stood up and called for the thirsty to drink. I wonder if he recognized the voice that said to His disciples  "I am the light of the world!" (Jn 9:5) What we do know was that He was blind, and now he could see (9:25), he became a disciple (9:27), and when Jesus came to him after he was put out of the the Synagogue, He believed and worshiped Him! I think it is safe to say that in this man's new found sight, he found joy as he began to "abide" in Christ and His word! 

In 2004, The pool of Siloam was discovered and excavated. http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-pool-of-siloam.htm

The below video is said to be one of the first celebrations of the Water Libation ceremonies in the original pool of Siloam since the fall of Jerusalem... if you believe the internet. I would want a little more info to hang my hat on that though, Even so, pretty amazing either way, but I hope they played those horns better in the original festivals :). for the short version, skip ahead to 45 sec. on the time line for the drawing of the water out of the pool of Saloam and then go over to 4min 34 sec. to watch the pouring out of the water and the wine.

"And Thy footprints may not be known" (Ps. 77:19 NAS)

When your heart is heavy with the footprints of your past, be encouraged that those steps do not have to define who you are. God can literally "cut a new path," into the waters of your "Red Sea" that can transform your identity as you embrace His gospel. (1 Cor 10:2 allegorically relates baptism to the parting of the Red Sea). 

God sent His Son as a man so He could set His "heel"  עָקֵב: Á(aqib)  into the soil of humanity in order to join us in our journey towards death so that we might be able to choose life. The above Hebrew word is translated both as "heel"  in Gen 3:15, and "footprint" in Ps 77:19. It is in this context of our sinful humanity it was prophesied that Jesus' heel would be struck by the serpent  as He crushed the serpent's head (Gen 3:15 NIV).  When we choose to set our heel behind His footsteps, we will be lead to share in His death and resurrection that will bring us to a position to live in His Eternal presence (2 Cor. 5:21). It is in this shared experience, that through His wounds... His death... we are healed and set free (Is 53:5, 2 Cor 3:17). We are set free to walk with Him and in so doing, we enter His presence. (Not that he is not all-present in space and time, but there is a relational presence that enables a shared fellowship or a sense of intimacy or closeness that transforms our heart. Theologically we call this process sanctification, which is simply the process of becoming holy or of spiritual transformation). 

So the next time you feel distant from God, remember that He may not leave many footprints in the sand. Rather, look for Him in the results of His work on the cross, which attest to His active presence in the lives of those who have set their "heel" in His death and resurrection (Gal 2:20), and if you cannot see Him,  follow others who can, they will lead you to Him. Jesus himself said that when we set our heel towards making disciples and teaching others to follow us in our obedience to Him, that He will be there with us (Mt 28:20)! 

Below is an Abridged insight from Keil and Delitzch OT commentary on Psalm 77:19
"Amidst such commotions in nature above and below Yahweh strode along through the sea, and made a passage for His redeemed. His person and His working were invisible, but the result which attested His active presence was visible. He took His way through the sea, and cut His path through the great waters (or according to Habakkuk, cause His horses to go through), without the footprints of Him who passes and passed through being left behind to show it." (Emphasis and abridgment mine). 

The greater domain revealed Col 1:13

¹³ For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (Col 1:13 NAS)

The Greek word translated “domain” is ἐξουσία (exsousia) literally means: authority. Used in the context of Col 1:13 it refers to a sphere or domain that is designated to darkness. Two key words worthy to note are "delivered" and "transferred", which apply to the person who has received redemption and forgives of sin (:14).

This passage demonstrates the supremacy of Christ, and provides sufficient grounds to disprove the common belief of dualism, the idea of two equal powers caught up in a cosmic struggle between good and evil. Colossians clearly settles the issue by placing Christ above, before, and over all things. 

¹⁵ And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.

 ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him.

 ¹⁷ And He is before all things… (Col 1:15-17a NAS)

It is an incredible thing to realize that without divine revelation one would never truly be able to escape the darkness. CS Lewis once said in his book Mere Christianity, that “a fish would not feel wet because water is all he has ever known," in contrast “A man feels wet when he falls into the water because he is not a water animal”. People were not designed to live in darkness, and even when one has not seen nor understood the light of the gospel, there is something deep in their very soul that clings to meaning, to seek and understand truth. Yet until one aligns themself with the supremacy of Christ, they have no grounds to understand, and will gravitate sooner or later to despair, to the darkness, because that is their domain. The greatest danger for the soul is to think they can navigate from a finite perspective - a limited position.

This is a passage of great authority, that tells us we have to be delivered, transferred and in the process be transformed by a greater authority, to break free of a dark realm to enter a greater domain.  “For in Him all things hold together (Col 1:17b).”  

The chilling fact that humanity is on a time clock that is winding down, that calls one to question some of these issues later in life, if not before. It is not as if the watchmaker has walked away, in fact he has been here all along and will soon make visible the things which we did not understand. He will call us to account regarding how we have responded to His revelation, both general and specific. For when the Son returns  “…every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, (Phi 2:10-11 NAS).  CS Lewis put it this way,  “when the author walks out on the stage, the play is over." 

As we get older we realize that the hours and minutes become more important. Relationships or lack there of begin to occupy the mind. We understand our time is limited. This is the reality of the old realm… everything leads to death and finality. But the new realm, now that is different. The greater domain looks to the eternal and moves towards life. There is a worthiness in giving, and hope that grows as vision gets clearer when it moves closer to the light. Contentment and peace calm the soul and purpose takes hold of this life as it is realized. Now this is something worthy to ponder.