Jesus is a covenant representative who is to undergo a covenant obedience

It is 10:57 AM Thursday late morning here in West Michigan. It is another cold wet gray dismal day. But at least plant growth is blooming this week.

I got up this morning around 6:20 AM. When I got up I found my wife reading her Bible. Carol got up this morning around 4 o’clock AM. Right now Carol is down the street babysitting Josie and Cora.

This morning Carol cooked breakfast and after we ate we prayed and she left to babysit. I have spent most of the morning writing in my paper diary and reading from a book titled, ‘Canon, Covenant, and Christology: Rethinking Jesus and the Scriptures of Israel’ by Matthew Barrett. I called a friend this morning and talked to him for awhile. I spotted this morning in our backyard a Rufus-Sided Towhee and was able to capture him on my camera. Every year around this time this Rufus-Sided Towhee appears for a visit.

I have no plans for the day except to write in my paper diary and read my books. I might get some used books in the mail today. I miss visiting thrift stores in search of used books to add to our library. But do I really NEED any more books? No. What I need is to get saved.

Last night Carol went to bed early and I stayed up and read from a book titled, ‘Walter Lippmann And The American Century’ biography by Ronald Steel.

Well, I can’t think anything else to report this morning so I will close to drift through this day. It is the last day of April 2020, tomorrow will be May 1, 2020. How long will we be under lock-down due to this COVID-19 Pandemic? No one seems to know presently.

just sitting, just being

It is 1:35 PM Wednesday afternoon here in West Michigan. It has been raining all day today. It has been predicted to rain also tomorrow. This rain has caused everything to turn green.

I got up this morning around 6:30 AM. Carol had gotten up this morning around 4 o’clock AM. Right now Carol is taking a nap. So I got up to face existence in a world filled with the Coronavirus Pandemic. I got a bottle of water and sat near my wife waking up to another day. After I woke up I made a pot of oatmeal for breakfast. It is a blessing to have a bowl of oatmeal during the End Times. After breakfast I messed with our main computer and wrote in my paper diary.

This morning we had Josie and Cora over so Emily could have sometime to herself. They left here this afternoon around 12:30 PM. I had not seen the girls since the first week of March 2020.

All I have attempted to read today is from a book titled, ‘An Ocean Of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation’ by Martin Laird. Not much else to report. I did watch on Youtube a documentary on Mark Kozelek on Tour 2011 Seven Parts/videos, which I found interesting. I watched these Kozelek videos last night and also today.

There is not much else to report. Yesterday I read from a book titled, ‘The House Of Truth: A Washington Political Salon and the Foundations of American Liberalism’ by Brad Snyder. Last night Carol went to bed early and I stayed up and read ‘The Spiritual Canticle’ by St. John of the Cross.

Well, I suppose I will close to drift. I am as normal exhausted.

the spiritual marriage

on the gentle arms of her Beloved.

7. To recline her neck on the arms of God is to have her strength, or better, her weakness, now united to the strength of God, for the “arms” of God signify God’s strength. Accordingly this state of spiritual marriage is very aptly designated by the laying of her neck on the gentle arms of the Beloved, for now God is the soul’s strength and sweetness in which she is sheltered and protected against all evils, and habituated to the delight of all goods.

Desirous of this state, the bride spoke to the Bridegroom in the Song of Songs: Who will give you to me for my brother, nursed at the breasts of my mother, that I may find you alone outside and kiss you, and no one despise me? [Sg. 8:1]. In calling him “brother,” she indicates the equality of love between the two in the betrothal before this state is reached. And in saying, “nursed at the breasts of my mother,” she means: You dried up and subdued in me the appetites and passions that in our flesh are the breasts and milk of mother Eve, and an impediment to this state. And when this is accomplished “that I may find you alone outside,” that is, outside of all things and of myself, in solitude and nakedness of spirit, which is attained when the appetites are dried up. And alone there, “kiss you” alone, that is, that my nature now alone and denuded of all temporal, natural, and spiritual impurity may be united with you alone, with your nature alone, through no intermediary. This union is found only in the spiritual marriage, in which the soul kisses God without contempt or disturbance from anyone. For in this state neither the devil, the flesh, the world, nor the appetites molest her. Here we find also the fulfillment of what is said in the Song of Songs: Winter is now past, the rain is gone, and the flowers have appeared in our land [Sg. 2:11-12]. St. John of the Cross ‘The Spiritual Canticle’

John Reed on the miseries of the downtrodden

It is 2:07 PM Tuesday afternoon during the time of the Red Death. It is a warm sunny Spring day. Everyone is outside doing yard work today. We hired some young people to do yard work for us/a local youth ministry.

It has been a normal day for me. Basically I have written in my paper diary and read from a book titled, ‘Walter Lippmann And The American Century’ biography by Ronald Steel.

I got up this morning around 6:20 AM. Carol was already up going through the day when I got up. I spent the morning writing in my paper diary and read from my new Reformation Commentary on The Book of Joshua/Old Testament. Carol I think left late morning to do some errands. Not much else to report this afternoon. Last night I basically sat in our dining room reading till 11 o’clock PM. I went to bed around 11:10 PM and now it is another day during the world wide Coronavirus Pandemic.

Well, I suppose I will close to drift through the rest of this day.

the unity of God carries with it the unity of mankind and the unity of history

It is 11:55 AM Monday late morning here in West Michigan. It looks like it is going to rain sometime this afternoon. It has been predicted to be a warm rainy week this week. April showers brings May flowers.

I am feeling these days very tired, right now I feel flushed. Maybe I have drank too much coffee this morning. I have been having lately days where I just want to fall asleep. Maybe I am stressed out and need to relax. I could take a chill pill, but then I would feel drugged and very sleepy. Anyway it is another day during the COVID-19 Pandemic. I got up this morning around 6:43 AM. I got up and immediately cleaned the kitchen. I always feel better seeing no dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. After I washed dishes and put stuff in containers I messed with our main computer and then wrote in my paper diary. I read most of the morning from a book titled, ‘The Wonderful Works of God’ by Herman Bavinck.

When Carol got home from work she decided to go grocery shopping this morning instead of tomorrow morning. Right now she is sleeping and is off the next eight nights from work.

In the mail this morning I received a used book I had ordered titled, ‘Walter Lippmann And The American Century’ biography by Ronald Steel.

Last night I read from these two books till Midnight (Carol left for work around 1:30 AM), ‘Personal History’ A Memoir by Katharine Graham and ‘Yours in Truth: A Personal Portrait of Ben Bradlee, Legendary Editor of The Washington Post’ biography by Jeff Himmelman.

I am falling asleep so I will close to drift through the afternoon hours. I did film a video this morning while Carol was gone for my Youtube site.

a secret police force on American soil

It is 10:48 AM Sunday morning here in West Michigan United States of America. It is a cloudy sunny day. It is predicted to be a warm week ahead. Maybe we will see more plants, flowers, and trees blooming this week. This is the last Sunday of April 2020, next Sunday we will be in the month of May 2020. Hopefully in May 2020 things will open up and somethings will get back to normal. Who knows what is going about this COVID-19 plague.

I got up this morning around 7 o’clock AM. I am having one of those morning where I keep falling asleep. I slept OK during the night, but this morning I feel exhausted. So I got up messed with our main computer and then wrote in my paper diary. After writing in my diary I fixed myself breakfast.

Carol got home from work around 9:05 AM. After work Carol went someplace and brought a stack of Sunday morning newspapers. One of newspapers she bought this morning was a National Edition of The New York Times. I looked this newspaper this morning and then read ‘The Works of William Perkins’ Volume 8. Carol went to bed and I cleaned the kitchen.

Last night before going to bed around 11:30 PM I read from a book titled, ‘The Cold War: A New History’ by John Lewis Gaddis.

Well since I am falling asleep I will close to drift this day. I plan to doze next. I am wasted!

God will guide his people from Babylon to the Promise Land

It is 11:58 AM late Saturday morning during the dark days of the world wide COVID-19 plague. Outside today it is cold and dismal gray. I see flowers blooming these days, but it is cold!

I got up this morning around 6 o’clock AM. I got up had breakfast immediately and then messed with our main computer. After messing with our main computer I wrote in my paper diary and then filmed a video for my Youtube channel. After filming a video I forced myself to read till Carol got home from work a book titled, ‘The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction To The New Testament’ by G. K. Beale & Benjamin L. Gladd.

Carol got home from work around 8:55 AM and went to bed around 9:30 AM. She works tonight and tomorrow night and then is off eight days.

We found out last night that Carol’s elderly friend Pam died in her sleep Thursday early morning, she was 94 years old. We will miss Pam and pray she is now with the Lord.

I have nothing to do today, but wait for this world wide plague to disappear. I am hearing these days that we might be in locked down till next year.

Last night I read my books and went to bed around 11 o’clock PM. I read last night, ‘The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington’ by Gregg Herken. Well I will close to drift through the afternoon hours. I got out to read this afternoon Volume 8 of ‘The Works of William Perkins’.

Right now I feel like closing my eyes and falling asleep. Dung came in the mail today, no books or no money.

the free mercy of God

It is 10:17 AM Friday morning here in West Michigan. It is another cold gray Spring day. We have had no real Spring weather yet this year. All we have had is a raging Coronavirus Pandemic.

I got up this morning around 5:12 AM. I got up early because I had gone to bed the night before early. Carol and I went to bed around 10 o’clock PM last night. When one becomes old it is blessing to go to bed and rest one old bones. So I got up this morning to face morning darkness. I warmed up a cup of coffee and messed with our main computer. After messing with our main computer I ate a bowl of cereal. Carol got up and she wanted oatmeal for breakfast so I made a portion of oatmeal for her morning meal.

I have spent most of the morning either wandering around in circles or dozing. I did read a little from a book titled, ‘Unity And Continuity In Covenant Thought: A Study in the Reformed Tradition to the Westminster Assembly’ by Andrew A. Woolsey. I also read from a book I received in the mail yesterday titled, ‘Joshua, Judges, Ruth’ Old Testament IV [Reformation Commentary On Scripture] Edited By N. Scott Amos. I also received in the mail yesterday a book I had bought used titled, ‘The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington’ by Gregg Herken. Last night I mainly read’The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington’ by Gregg Herken.

I have more used books coming in the mail. I do miss visiting thrift stores in search of books to add to our library. I doubt right now if I will ever leave our home for used books due to the plague. I seriously doubt if COVID-19 plague can be exterminated. We are a doomed world. We have come finally to the end of mankind/we are in the End Times. All around me I see the severe judgments of a holy God.

I will close to drift through this day. We are coming to the end of April 2020.

the continual washing away of sin in the blood of Christ

It is 9:53 AM Thursday morning here in West Michigan. It is another cold gray dismal day. I wish the day was full of sunshine instead of gray sky.

I got up this morning around 6:15 AM to face existence. Carol got up the same time I did, she slept in this morning. So my wife and I got up to face another day of being in a world wide plague.

This morning Carol went down the street to babysit our two small granddaughters. I filmed a video this morning and I want to now list the books I showed folks in that video/ which was an introduction to Puritan Theology and Spirituality.

‘The Genius Of Puritanism’ By Peter Lewis

‘Introduction To Puritan Theology: A Reader’ Editor Edward Hindson Forword By James I. Packer

‘The Spiritual Brotherhood: Cambridge Puritans and the Nature of Christian Piety’ by Paul R. Schaefer Jr. [Reformed Historical-Theological Studies]

‘Unity And Continuity In Covenantal Thought: A Study in the Reformed Tradition to the Westminster Assembly’ by Andrew A. Woolsey [Reformed Historical -Theological Studies]

‘Puritan Reformed Spirituality’ by Joel R. Beeke

‘Puritan Piety: Writings in Honor of Joel R. Beeke’ Edited by Michael A. G. Haykin & Paul M. Snalley

‘The Works of William Perkins’ Volume 8

‘The Works of William Perkins’ Volume 9

‘The Wholesome Doctrine Of The Gospel: Faith and Love in the Writings of William Perkins’ Edited And Introduced By Andrew S. Ballitch & J. Stephen Yuille

‘The Christian in Complete Armour’ by William Gurnall

‘The Embattled Christian: William Gurnall and the Puritan View of Spiritual Warfare’ by Bryan G. Zacharias

‘The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions’ Edited By Arthur Bennett

salvation through grace was rooted in election

It is 11:55 AM late Wednesday morning here in West Michigan. It is a cold sunny cloudy day. This morning it snowed here, but right now it looks snow free for the time being.

I got up this morning around 7:45 AM. I got up when I heard Carol leaving in our car to go grocery shopping. I got ate fresh blueberry muffin and messed with our main computer. After messing with our main computer I ate breakfast, wrote in my paper diary, and then read most of the morning from these two books-‘The Wonderful Works of God’ by Herman Bavinck and ‘Unity And Continuity In Covenantal Thought: A Study in the Reformed Tradition to the Westminster Assembly’ by Andrew A. Woolsey.

There is not much else to report. Everything is still in lock down due to the plague. We spend our days waiting for life to get back to normal.

Last night Carol went to bed early and I stayed up late reading from a novel titled, ‘Temptation’ by Janos Szekely Translated By Mark Baczoni.

Well I suppose I will close to drift through the rest of this day.