The Joy Of Possessing

Things that come easily,
Are lightly esteemed:
The pebble lying
On the common way,
Is beneath regard;
Yet the pearl
Buried in the ocean depths,
Is a treasure
Of rare price.
The pain of getting,
So intensifies
The joy of possessing.

Z LIVE- AT 11 AM EST FEBRUARY 25, 2012 THE ZEPH REPORT

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It Was Not The Nails

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Things which the angels desire to look into

To the carnal, earthly, degraded mind of man — the mystery of the Person of Christ, of the cross, of the sufferings, blood-shedding, and death of Jesus, whereby He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself — is foolishness. He sees no beauty, blessedness, or glory in the Person of the Son of God — nor any wisdom or grace in atoning blood and dying love.

But not so with these bright and pure beings! They see in the Person and work of Christ not only the depths of infinite wisdom in the contrivance of the whole plan of redemption, and of power in its execution and full accomplishment — but they see such lengths, breadths, depths, and heights of love as fill their minds with holy wonder, admiration and praise. They see in His incarnation, humiliation, sufferings, blood-shedding, and death — such unspeakable treasures of mercy and grace as ever fill their minds with wonder and admiration; and they long to understand the depths of such a love, but they cannot -- these wonders are for the bride alone. All lambs of the Living God should be ever seeking and inquiring into this heavenly mystery, that we may discover in it ever new and expanding treasures of the wisdom, grace, mercy, truth, and love of God. It is to our shame, my friends, that this vision of Eternal Love, in its sacrificial essence is not always before our eyes. Tonight I want to look into this scene of our Lord's offering of Himself, and share a few thoughts that He has laid on my heart.



Let your mind and spirit come with me now to view that day on the hill of Golgatha,
To see, by the eye of faith, as revealed  by the
power of God — our savior bound, scourged,
whipped, spit upon, mocked—and then, as the climax,
crucified between two thieves.

But what we see, is that this was the
smallest part of His sufferings— there were yet depths of
soul trouble and agony from the
hand of God as a consuming fire, in justice
and righteous indignation against rebellion, sin, and corruption; that our
Lord had to endure until He was poured
out like water, and His  heart, in the fires of
judgment became like wax, and melted within Him.


It was not the nails driven through His hands and feet — it was not the crown of thorns forced upon His brow — it was not the stripes which mangled His back — it was not the languor and faintness under which He suffered — nor the loss of blood that caused the Lord to die. It was not the mere bodily agony of the cross — it was not simply the pain of the nails driven through His hands and feet, as severe as this must have been -- It was not the being stretched upon the cross six hours, that constituted the chief part of the Redeemer's suffering.

No, far more severe, were the agonies of His
soul — the wrath of God in the Redeemer's heart was so much
more devastating than the nails that pierced His hands and feet,
or the thorns upon His head.

It was this load of imputed sin — the imputed sins of millions — a load unbearable for any other -- it was the tremendous pouring of the wrath of God into His innocent soul — it was the hiding of His Father's face, and the very fires of hell that sought to take hold of Him -- as prophesied in His Word:  Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. Our suffering Savior drank the cup of the wrath of God to the very dregs — when the penalties for our rebellion were laid upon Him -- it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; as Isaiah wrote: He has put Him to grief: when You shall make His soul an offering for sin. This is what claimed our Savior's life: it was not the nails.

Uncounted thousands may have died in greater bodily agony than our Lord, for He only suffered in body for six hours. Martyrs have perished in the flames, in dungeons, at the hand of the executioner, and on crosses, as burning torches lining the roads of Rome. But of all the generations of men, none have ever felt what the Lord endured in His soul — for He had to suffer in His soul what the elect of God -- His lambs -- would have had to suffer in hell, if He had not paid the price for them; and this eternity of pain, is what He endured in those same six hours.


What is the body anyway? We all know that our body is not the chief seat of suffering.  It is the soul that feels, and rejoices, and mourns. All of our deepest agonies are of the soul. It was so with our Lord as well. It is true, His body was racked and torn — but it was the racking of His soul in which lay His chief agonies. And the greatest of all was the final stroke of God reserved for His last moments — the last drop of the cup in all its bitterness — which was hiding His face from His Son. Nothing else but this last bitter drop extorted the cry of suffering from His lips:

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

But when, to crown all the scene of suffering, the Father hid His face from Him — that was more than His  soul could bear.

In the words of Thomas Morton:
"What heart can conceive or tongue express what must have
been the feelings of the Redeemer's soul when He, the beloved
Son of God, who who had lain in the bosom of the Father from
all eternity, was by imputation, made a sinner—the deep wounds
of suffering love felt by the Son of God when His Father, His own
Father, hid His face from Him?"

That instinctively evoked from Him that plaintive cry — such a cry as earth had never heard before or since — a cry which made the sun to hide its face as if in sackcloth; caused the earth to shake; rending the veil, and tearing open the very graves as if the world could no longer hold its dead. And I guess that is the point: at the foot of the cross, is pardon and peace
for the guilty. Here is thorough justification for the
condemned. Here is salvation,
complete and everlasting, for all the redeemed family of
God. Here is a fountain, ever full and free. Here is
a robe, in which the Bride stands without blemish
and without spot before the throne of God. Here mercy is
magnified everlastingly. Here dying, sacrificial love displays itself in all its
breadth, and length, and depth, and height. Here, my friends, grace,
all-glorious, all-triumphant grace, reigns unto eternal life,
by Jesus Christ our Lord!

It says in His Word: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.  His death of sacrificial love gives weight to His words and a certainty to their promise.

There is no beginning to the love of Christ, for it existed  from eternity. Neither is there any end to that love. His love then, is as eternal as He is. What strength it is for those who live and walk in the love of Christ, to know that it is from everlasting to everlasting—that no incidents of time—no storms of sin or Satan—can ever change or alter that eternal love—but that it remains now and will remain the same to all eternity. The love of Christ to His people is eternal, unchanging, and unchangeable.
This eternal, unchanging character of the love of Christ gives us strength and power to stand upon—apart from our fluctuating feelings—our wavering frames—and the changes that always seem to come in our thoughts, hearts and lives. The love of Christ to us is not changing and changeable like ours to Him—but it abides forever, as He does. Jesus freely, fully, and unchangeably loves those who were given to Him by the Father in the councils of eternity—and presented to Him as His spouse and bride.
Christ's love to His bride was love at first sight. For when she was presented to Him by the Father that she might be His spouse—as soon as He beheld His chosen bride He fell in love with her—for He saw her not sunk and fallen—but in all her beauty as clothed in the fullness of that glory in which she will one day shine forth—when she sits down with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb!
Nothing can quench or destroy the love of Christ! It will prevail over sin, death, and hell—yes, over every impediment and obstacle—until it achieves the final victory, and in all the blaze of His glory — it will fill heaven with its eternal magnificence.

So, my friends, keep this vision of His sacrifice ever before you, and do not shy away from it or forget it; for it is the highest and greatest glory of God and all creation; and it is life itself, life eternal unto all who believe. Amen.

JOIN US FOR Z LIVE FEBRUARY 18, 2012 11 AM EST

 ZLIVE Saturday Feb 18th 11:00 a.m. EST - transmitter 3, ZnFnt and thee, call in first hour to 505 908 9189 or skype to metazeph.. Z word 2nd hour.

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New $5-a-month cable channel launches — for dogs

— A TV channel just for dogs: it may sound at first like a “Saturday Night Live” parody. But DogTV, a cable network expressly for man’s best friend, launched this week in San Diego.

“A lot of people laugh and think it’s funny or a gimmick,” said co-founder and chief content officer Ron Levi. “But then we explain the research and the science behind it. This is a great opportunity to makes dogs happier and their lives more pleasant while they are home alone during the day.”
Levi, himself a cat owner, came up with the idea after watching his pet’s dejected behavior as he got ready for work. He decided to use the television to entertain her while he was out and realized that the concept could apply to other pets as well.
After pitching the idea to the Jasmine Group, an Israeli media and production company, Levi refined it to apply to canines and spent the next three and a half years researching specialized content. Originally, programs included scenes and audio that humans thought would appeal to dogs, like barking, but test group dogs got irritated. The shows now avoid loud noises that frequently scare dogs, and keep well away from showing their traditional nemesis, cats.
DogTV has created nearly 800 programs for dogs, each around three to five minutes long to fit with a dogs’ limited attention span, and is constantly creating new content. The programs are designed to “relax, stimulate and expose” dogs to situations they come across in daily life, like car rides and romps around the park.
Other programs include animations of moving objects, nature scenes set to soothing music, and dogs sleeping or resting.
While San Diego dogs are the only lucky viewers at the moment, thanks to carriers Cox and Time Warner, DogTV is in talks with other broadcasters in the U.S. and hopes to expand into other markets in the coming months.
For the next few weeks the station will be offered free to all cable subscribers, but will eventually carry a $5 monthly fee.
“We can’t exactly sell ad space,” said Ron, laughing.
With 78.2 million dogs in the U.S., according to the American Pet Products Association, that’s a lot of potential subscribers.
DogTV has also teamed up with a professor of veterinary medicine and behavior at Tufts University to further research how dogs react and respond to DogTV.
But will it work? Well, it certainly can't hurt say the experts.
“DogTV seems a fun concept and it may help your pet make it through the day,” said dog behavior specialist Cesar Millan, star of the reality show “Dog Whisperer,” and publisher of Cesar's Way magazine, told TODAY.com. “But what they see is much less important to dogs than what they smell. Dogs are pack animals and to be separated from their pack leader is one of the most stressful things that can happen to them.
"Don’t make a big production of leaving because it will raise their excitement level. Make sure they have their favorite toys – particularly ones that engage them. And if your dog is calm, let him kick back and watch all the TV he likes.”

Slow walking 'predicts dementia'

The speed someone walks may predict the likelihood of developing dementia later in life, according to researchers in the US.

They also told a conference that grip strength in middle-age was linked to the chance of a stroke.
The scientists said more studies were needed to understand what was happening.
Experts said the findings raised important questions, but more research was needed.
Suggestions of a link between slow walking speed and poor health have been made before.
A study, published in the British Medical Journal in 2009, said there was a "strong association" between slow walking speed and death from heart attacks and other heart problems. A Journal of the American Medical Association study suggested a link between walking faster over the age of 65 and a longer life.
Dr Erica Camargo, who conducted the latest study at the Boston Medical Centre, said: "While frailty and lower physical performance in elderly people have been associated with an increased risk of dementia, we weren't sure until now how it impacted people of middle age."
Brain scans, walking speed and grip strength were recorded for 2,410 people who were, on average, 62 years old.
Results presented at the Academy of Neurology's annual meeting said that 11 years later, 34 people had developed dementia and 79 had had a stroke.
The researchers said slower walking speeds were linked to a higher risk of dementia and stronger grip with a lower risk of stroke.

"Before people take stock in the strength of a handshake or the speed you cross the road, more research is needed to understand why and what other factors are involved”

Dr Anne Corbett Alzheimer's Society

Dr Camargo said: "These are basic office tests which can provide insight into risk of dementia and stroke and can be easily performed by a neurologist or general practitioner.

"Further research is needed to understand why this is happening and whether preclinical disease could cause slow walking and decreased strength."
The findings have not yet, however, been published in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
Dr Marie Janson, director of development at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Although this study has yet to be published in full, it does raise some important questions about whether physical problems, such as difficulty walking, could precede other symptoms associated with dementia.
"Further study could shed new insight into how walking speed and dementia may be linked."
Dr Anne Corbett, research manager at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Before people take stock in the strength of a handshake or the speed you cross the road, more research is needed to understand why and what other factors are involved.
"The good news is that there are many things you can do to reduce your risk of developing dementia.
"We recommend you eat a healthy balanced diet, don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, take regular exercise; and get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly."
The Stroke Association's Dr Sharlin Ahmed, said: "Around a third of those who have a stroke are left with some kind of physical disability, including hand weakness and difficulty walking. However, this is the first time we have seen research that looks at the presence of related symptoms before a stroke.
"This is an interesting study, but a lot more research is needed before we can conclude that strength of grip or walking speed can determine the risk of stroke."

Morning Glorious!

"Let this be your daily prayer, my beloved, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

It is good that a lamb be examined regularly by his Shepherd -- amen."

I have begun a new series of morning devotionals called
Morning Glorious! at my newest podcast site.

The initial podcast is now up @
http://brightclearing.podbean.com/

Z LIVE ON LOCATION SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2012 11 AM EST

Tune in to Z LIVE Saturday Morning 11 am EST
Hour 1- Z & Frankie with Trish
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The Voice Of My Weeping

"The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping." Psalm 6:8

How often has prayer found me grieving; weeping almost in despair; but left me triumphant in His hope and assurance.

Tears have a voice, and God has an ear to our groanings, our sighs, and our wimpers, just as upon our prayers.
The burdened tears of His lambs are divine ambassadors, which never return from the throne of Heaven without answers of grace. Peter
said nothing, but went out and wept bitterly — and obtained mercy. These bitter tears are an unarticulateable utterance of the soul, prompted by the Holy Spirit;
that will prevail for His mercy.

There is a voice in weeping; it does speak, it utters its meaning in that universal tongue which is known and understood in all the earth, and even in heaven above. When a man weeps, it is the inexpressible eloquence of his sorrow, needing no interpreter, but understood of all -- our tears are understood even when words fail us.

Our prayerful weeping is a witness of our spiritual life; these deep groans and sighs are a constant flow of importunate intercession;  they are the pantings of His holiness, implanted deep within our hearts, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They are also the outward expression to God of the grief within our own soul, for we suffer when we are tempted, or anytime His holiness within us feels contact with evil.

The spiritual sighs and groanings of the believer are interpreted by God as the prayers of a broken and a contrite heart -- our sobbings of the soul are of great price in His sight, and bring Him praise and honor, as the smell of sweet sacrifice. The believer's moans resonate throughout heaven: as His Word proclaims, "the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping,"  "and my groaning is not hid from Thee".

Our tears speak to Him of godly sorrow, our moans as the breathings of a contrite spirit. God hears the cry of our soul, the voice of our tears sometimes better than the voice of our words; for it is the Spirit itself that makes intercession for us within these groans, and  in these tears, which we cannot utter -- these devout, and simple tears, which cannot speak of their own, speak loud in the ears of God, my friends. These flowing overtures of repentance, pouring out of the sorrow of the heart and the groaning of the spirit, open the very doors of our soul to our Risen Lord, the Living God, that He may enter into His temple, setting the captive free. "From heaven does the Lord behold the earth: to hear the groaning of the prisoner." (J C Philpot)

I will leave you with the testimony of His Word:

"The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer."

"Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee"

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities"

"I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears."

"For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

"They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble"


"A lamb's face never shines so beautiful, as when it is bedewed with penitential tears." (Thomas Brooks)