Luke 4 ~ with authority and power He gives orders

Luke 4

Audio Link to Luke 4

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

⁴ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' [Deut. 8:3 ]"

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

⁸ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. ^[Deut. 6:13^]""

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' [Psalm 91:11,12]"

¹² Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' [Deut. 6:16]"

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
¹⁸ "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." ^[Isaiah 61:1,2^]"

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

²³ Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "

²⁴ "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy [The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin—not necessarily leprosy.^]" in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil [unclean] spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

³⁵ "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

⁴⁰ When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. [Messiah]

⁴² At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. [the land of the Jews; or Galilee]

In the 4th chapter of Luke, Luke is still introducing us to Jesus. If you are familiar with the Gospels, it sounds a little funny. Let's see how the chapter starts out, the description of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Not your typical method of evangelism. I once had an evangelist come to my door and start out his prepared speech with Hell. I cannot tell you how fast I exited. In evangelism, it is a method that should be stamped with the word - Fail.

Let's take a second and think about evangelism. The lost and the wondering, the injured and the spiritually impoverished are not going to Church. They are still unreached. And... thinking about the lessons I learned from a very gentle, successful Priest bringing the message of Jesus' love and hope - God gives us opportunities to introduce Jesus.

Why would the Gospels of Jesus Christ tell us about the devil... it's obvious mankind understood 2,000 years ago and today - there is a force of evil at work in the world. People still really do believe it - this why there are horror movies. Just as there are horror movies - - there are people who discuss them. They want to discuss them to have a venue to talk about their own spiritual issues.

What types of spiritual questions will be asked? The ones God wanted to tell us about. The ones people will ask you about if you are familiar with the Scriptures. The ones that plant a seed to be thought about - the conversations you are gentle with and you pray during and after.

What Luke 4 Teaches Us

There is a devil, he tempts everyone. There are evil spirits and they can be found in very unlikely places. The darkness pretends to not be subject to God and pretends not to recognize God.

Notice, also, Luke doesn't get busy explaining where the devil came from. The Christian witness moves away from minute discussions of evil. If they are interested in the details of the devil biblically, tell them, gently and kindly to look them up in the Scriptures.

God set the boundaries, the devil tells Jesus his boundaries have been given to him. The temptations are sometimes not effective at all, evil is not always the sinister genius we tend to think of. Darkness sometimes tries to expose good to add confusion.

Another common misconception about the Scriptures is that in the "dark ages" everyone believed evil spirits caused illness. Jesus didn't believe Peter's (Simon) mother had a demon with fever. Jesus rebuked the illness - i.e. the cells.

Another mistake is people believe the devil is the power today because miracles have died off. No, Jesus is telling us even biblically, miracles occur when God intends them. Today as well.

Yes, you may have the opportunity to bring Jesus up in this fashion, but remember what Luke progresses on to:

¹⁸ "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

The compassion of Jesus is the real message. Just as Jesus did, this is what we proclaim. Very, very few people are against the real hope, the real love Jesus proclaimed, yet there are a lot of people who don't know of Him.

Father God, You are Love. The Scriptures tell us so. We give Your thanks for Your love & the opportunity to give Jesus to others. In the highest name You've given us. Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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Luke 15:1-10 ~ Rejoice

Shepherd, Beautiful Valley by Thomas Kinkade

Luke 15:1-10 (NRSV)

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

"Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

This is the Shepherd who finds the lost sheep. Rejoice.

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Luke 14:1-6 ~ which of you

Luke 14:1-6

1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.

~ Jesus responded

When we really expect the Holy Spirit to show up, there is great joy and expectation. Our Lead Pastor was a graduate law school student & his priest invited the congregation to come for a Wednesday Prayer Service, the Priest said he'd been praying about the service and felt the Holy Spirit nudge him to have the Wednesday Prayer Service. The Priest said he hoped some people would attend. Clark, our Pastor, law student at the time, felt nudged himself & he showed up. When Clark arrived, he'd expected a small service and 500 attended. Everyone was surprised.

Clark said everyone felt very excited and people were literally looking around. The Priest prayed for people for different needs and everyone could tell prayers were being answered. It was exciting and low key. 500 people in prayer, the one person being prayed for stepped into the main aisle and everyone prayed for that one person, one at a time.

Several Wednesdays went by and still 500 people came for a Wednesday Prayer Service. About the third Wednesday service, a 2 year old boy was presented for prayer. One leg was significantly shorter than the other leg, by 4 or 5 inches, the boy had been born that way. The Priest prayed for the boy and carried him up and down the aisle for all the praying congregation to be able to see the toddler boy. He explained the leg was so different the boy wasn't learning to walk well and boy's mother feared for the baby's future life. The mother stood at the aisle and wept.

The congregation was pleased to pray for the toddler boy. It was the first Wednesday the congregation felt their prayer had not been answered. People were disappointed and left pretty quietly.

The next Wednesday, Clark guessed wouldn't be so crowded. But it was. Several new people, several new prayers, the air of expectancy for the Holy Spirit to be in the church was high. Prayers were joyfully given and received. The boy's mother presented her son for his leg to be healed. The Priest walked him up and down the aisle and showed the congregation and beseechingly asked the Lord to heal the baby boy. It was fervent prayer. An answer was not seen.

Several more Wednesday passed; still about 500 people and expectation for the Lord God Almighty to reach out to all of them in love. They had experienced His presence, received a blessing and all of them wanted the toddler boy to have normal legs. The whole congregation wanted so much for Father God to let this innocent baby experience a normal life, it was one desire.

That Wednesday, Clark Lowenfield and 500 others saw a miracle. The toddler's leg grew inches in front of all of them. The love and power of God healed. Both legs were the same. A significant change took place, all at once, after several weeks of prayer. Another change took place, too, Clark decided, and knew, the only thing to do was to quit law school and serve God. Any other effort was wasting time.


Today, let's remember we have a Living God filled with mercy.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶Rejoice evermore.

¹⁷Pray without ceasing.

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

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1 Timothy 1:1-11 ~ Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope

Jesus Christ Our Lord, as painted by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902) was a French painter who spent years in Palestine painting over 700 watercolors of Jesus. His paintings are known for detail and the emotion Jesus would have given. This looks to me to be the sincerity Jesus had for people and the Words He gave them.


1 Timothy 1:1-11 ~ (American King James Version)


1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

2 To Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

3 As I sought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside to vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for murderers, 10 For fornicators, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for enslavers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.


Because God the Father loves you, Jesus Christ is your hope. His gospel is your trust. When we look for the sincerity of Jesus, we can follow some pretty basic things in the teachings we receive.

Luke 4:12
And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"


Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?


2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

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Matthew 6:26 ~ your Father feeds them

7/3/2009

For the loved pets, we wish to remember, gather with our other treasure in heaven.

For Spenser, who never traveled to the beach, but is missed. Age 13, when he ran to the Lord.

Do Pets Go To Heaven? Do Animals Go to Heaven?

Scriptures never say heaven is only for humans.

Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"

God’s covenant with Noah included both people and animals (Genesis 9:9-11). However, that covenant was not one of eternal life, but that He would not again destroy the earth with a flood.

The fourth commandment as recorded in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 includes a Sabbath rest for animals as well as people. Again, it reveals some equality between people and animals, but makes no statement regarding animals going to heaven

Psalm 148:5-6
Let everything he has made give praise to him. For he issues his command, and they came into being; he established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.

Animals and man will be in harmony Isaiah 11:1-9.

Isaiah 11
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of power,

the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

The passage in Romans 8:18-25 certainly does include animals as part of “the creation.”

Elijah was picked up from heaven by horses, this was told to Elijah before it occurred and Elisha saw it happen. The Lord could have sent anything to convey Elijah to heaven, but the horses came from heaven and the Lord sent them.

2 Kings 2:
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

The four winds sent from heaven are on horses. The four winds are written of in Daniel, Zechariah and Revelations 7.

Zechariah 6:
2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3 the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?"
5 The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.


A good man cares for his animals
No one but Jesus can be called good.

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

Luke 18:18-19
18 A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

1 Corinthians 9:9, Deuteronomy 25:4

For it is written in the Law of Moses,"You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” God is concerned about oxen, isn't He; He's not too busy.

We are not told implicitly, but heaven has been told to us in verses in the bible and the verses seem to hold God’s love spreading to animals in His eternal kingdom.

Father God, You sent horses from heaven to earth. We hope you would gather our loved animals into Your kingdom. Your love never fails. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Psalm 149:1-6,9 ~ the judgment written

Psalm 149:1-6

1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,

Psalm 149:9

9 to execute on them the judgment written!
This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the Lord!

His Love Endures Forever, sung by Michael W. Smith

Judgment is not one of the words mankind has ever favored. Judgment means power we are not in charge of, something that weakens us. Judgment means vulnerability. Mankind has fought the idea God is superior to us since the beginning. God's judgment isn't flawed. He judged mankind to be sinful. He atoned for us and gave us His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we accept Jesus Christ- for us, seeking God, judgement is not something to think of in fear. In Jesus Christ, we are declared forgiven. Fear of God is the 'beginning' of wisdom, but God helps us recover from fear.


2 Timothy 1:7
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Romans 8:30-39

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Jesus Christ, the judgment written is forever marked as paid in full. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

Salvation is not something we experience just once, but is something to savor and rejoice in all the days of our lives.

Praise to You, Lord God!!!

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Psalm 98 ~ The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

Psalm 98

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

A big thank you to Southern Hills Church of Christ, Abilene Texas for this Son-Shine!

Matthew 10:6-8
6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Jesus told us the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, so does Psalm 98. God's salvation, steadfast love and faithfulness to all the ends of the earth.... the sea, the world, us- who dwell here, rivers, hills, the here and now. Salvation is at hand when we accept Jesus Christ in our lives, His Holy Spirit Lives in us and salvation is here.

Hallelujah! Praise to You, Lord God.

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1 Corinthians 5:1-8 ~ in the name of the Lord Jesus

1 Corinthians 5:1-8

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [Jesus].

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

One of my children had a refrain in Junior High School, he said people are just worthless. He didn't know why God would want to save us.

The heart of man is known to God. It is no surprise.

John 2:23-25
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

It was explained to me - as a 17 year old college freshmen, by a group of grown women - after people have been divorced, dating, vacationing etc. the rules were changed. No one is a virgin or expected to act as if they are. Men look for a certain type of behavior in their wife, in college (some men), but after that people act as they will.

Mankind hasn't changed much in 2,000 years.

The problem with this is ... leaven. What we act in front of our children or grandchildren will be carried forward. Our local PACN Pregnancy Assistance Center teaches there are 28 Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 3 are fatal. Not just AIDs. STDs are occurring in younger and younger children. This isn't just hormones and media influence.

It seems no one really wants to remember the values we teach our kids are important by determination and not just words. Some churches have large later-age-single-groups where no one speaks of morality. It could be a little of the fortune hunting required in Baal worship of old. This topic isn't comfortable or fun, just necessary. There was one wedding I remember. My grandmother re-married at age 71. Yes, she married an Episcopal Priest, but when he came to "court" her, he stayed in a motel. My grandmother used that advice to me while I was engaged. Really, the "niceties" are pretty nice. Kids are naturally horrified by the thought of adults having sex, but it is worse when they are forced to live with uncomfortable choices made around them.

Let me tell you another statistic that is heartening. My son learned it in college. You've heard forever the divorce rate is about 50%. According to more accurate statistics - the divorce rate is 1 out of 3 marriages end in divorce. The increase from 33% to 50% is the people who keep re-marrying. Divorce runs in families, it can be handed down one generation to the next.

As a child of divorce I know, divorce is not always chosen (by the spouse or by the children), but occurs anyway. Remember the innocent ones around this unhappiness can be forced to observe how really unfair life can be at home. I remember when my mother started dating after the divorce, it wasn't pleasant, but my mom did a good job setting an example. I wasn't aware until years later, it can be so terrible for the children.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
And from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption

Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Isaiah 54:10
"For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Father God, You have called us to be salt and light. Grant us the ability to speak when given the opportunity, compassion when the situation calls for it and strength when we feel insecure. Let the wisdom of Your Holy Spirit guide us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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2 Kings 9 ~ in Israel

2 Kings 9

1 Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”

4 So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.” 6 So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the fellow and his talk.” 12 And they said, “That is not true; tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” 13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

14 Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria, 15 but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) So Jehu said, “If this is your decision, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16 Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram.

17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18 So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” 19 Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus the king has said, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride behind me.” 20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

21 Joram said, “Make ready.” And they made ready his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah (son-in-law to Ahab, married to one of Ahab's daughters - Baal worship) king of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, and met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22 And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” 23 Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, “Take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him: 26 ‘As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares the Lord—I will repay you on this plot of ground.’ Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

27 When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him also.” And they shot him in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 His servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.

29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. 34 Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.” 35 But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, 37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’”

It's a familiar passage, most people know of the treachery of Ahab and Jezebel. What is unusual is one of the prophets' son, now a servant of the chief prophet, adds to the Word of the Lord heard from Elisha. The servant adds considerably and very unusual information - to slay part of the Davidic line. It seems it would go very badly for the servant. Being unnamed as a servant of the Lord isn't necessarily an indication of displeasure. Genesis 24, Abraham's trusted servant, sent to pick Rebekah out as a wife for Isaac isn't named. Being a servant of the Lord says something about the person's soul. The telling must have been correct and Word from the Lord. Although, the servant's Word isn't adding new facts to previous Word - Ahab himself was notified by Elijah his house, his line would be killed. Jezebel's body had already prophesied to become food for the dogs.

The Word of the Lord is sure. Saul was not to be killed by David, but the house of Ahab was to be destroyed. Elisha did not say how Jehu was to be king. The Word of the Lord Elijah spoke came to be. Jehu wanted to honor Jezebel's birth right as king's daughter, but the Word of the Lord was fulfilled first.

What God speaks is stronger than man's will or desire. It's interesting remembering, Ahab himself was granted forgiveness from being annihilated, after hearing Elijah, because he believed the Lord and had remorse. The end of Ahab's family is the opposite - Elisha, the head prophet, merely proclaims another king. Perhaps these ruling sons were just waiting for the end, perhaps they believed but were unwilling to have remorse and change - we cannot know their attitudes, but their action was not remorse from Baal worship.

Jeremiah 19:5 tells us Baal worship involves child sacrifice by fire. This passage tells us prostitution and sorcery is in Baal worship. What would induce the people away from the Lord God Almighty and His mighty acts? By that time, Israel had placed God in the Holy of Holies, an inner sanctuary, behind a curtain - Israel was both afraid of God and unsure of His acts. The relationship between God and His people had become obligatory in the heart of His people. The priests of Baal offered a set of steps to financial security. For good crops or more children, child sacrifice was said to work. The worship required by Baal was not like anything God ever asked for. Child sacrifice, prostitution, sorcery were always abomination in the site of God - who considers us as His children, and Himself as our Father.

Father God, You love justice. Yet You are a God who listens to remorse and has mercy. Help us each day to be just and merciful. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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Genesis 45:1-15 ~ he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it

Jesus Wept. Sculpted by Mike Scovel.

Genesis 45:1-15
Audio for all of Genesis 45

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

⁸ "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'

¹² "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

John 11:35
Jesus wept.

By Dr. George C. Anderson

The good news in the story of Joseph is forgiveness. God wants us to know Joseph’s compassion didn’t come from a careless heart or a blasé heart. The good news of forgiveness is repeated when Jesus wept for Lazarus, "Jesus wept." God will get us from the valley of the shadow of death to the summit. He will meet us at our lowest place and stay with us until we get to a better place. He will meet us in our grief, in our fear, in our doubt, in our despair, in our dark depression. In Christ, God joins his cry to ours. He shares in our grieving so as to share in our rejoicing. God joins us in the verse "Jesus wept."

I say this for all those who may have lost loved ones months, even years ago, and who still grieve, maybe with added pain because others have gone on with their lives and have perhaps forgotten how much was lost in yours. There is good news in knowing the weeping came from Jesus Himself. By His grace, our sighs can become our prayers to the one who raised Lazarus and did not Himself remain in the grave. The Spirit of that resurrected One will join with our spirit and share in the sigh too deep for words and raise it as an offering to the throne of grace.

Repeat Scripture for Today Blogspot.com from 3/9/09

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James 3:13-4:12 ~ who speaks against a brother

James 3:13-4:12

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Chapter 4

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions [pleasures] are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. [brothers and sisters] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Here is really quite a great sermon on James 3 & 4 written by J. Ligon Duncan about the Church today. Worldliness in the Church. I have to say, I enjoyed it enormously having all that good teaching on the Church and maybe not as much as it got to the root of the problem & that finger pointed in my direction.

All of Chapter 3 in James is about not having what we typically think of the good life. Happiness. There is a great difference between what the world thinks of the good life and what God tells us. It is so easy to forget. Peace plays an enormous role in getting along. Not the brown nosing anything for peace variety, but the I-don't have-to-have-my-way-variety. Big difference. The you don't have to think I am so smart variety, because I am willing to listen.

Hard work for a talker.

Chapter 4 has more nuances - I read it and I am in the clear. I don't start fights, I am not huge about coveting. I feel like I receive. I am not adulterous. You see where we are headed with this? I,I,I, I and I. Wham. Selfishness. Thoughts centered on self. There it is. A lot of what I think about is myself. The truth is I'd like to buy the world a Coke. Because I am sure "I" would like it if I had more admiration. How am I distracted at Church? When I have a problem I can't solve or when I have a problem I just didn't deserve. Work it baby, chew that problem, you have the inner tools somewhere to solve that difficulty today. Work, work.

My 22 year son and I have had discussions on happiness. He is not finding college as fun as he matures. I worked so hard to make it about self-respect because College Seniors don't want to hear all the God talk from Mom. Especially when they've taken a lot of philosophy classes. God called us to be salt - and salt is sprinkled graciously if we are going to have it consumed. But in truth, self-respect does help for giving kindness, mercy, walking humbly with the Lord. But the main aspect for happiness, one we forget when bogged down, is to .... look up. We have a great opportunity.... to put down our burdens... and focus on One who is Righteous.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.


Forever with God. What is important. Amen.

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Psalm 135 ~ bless the Lord

Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant! [for he is beautiful]
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, [Or remembrance] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them!

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! 20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!

Sometimes in Bible Study people ask why are the Psalms mentioned so many times? Well, for the same reason I would choose the photo for today - it reminds me of my son when he was young. See that youth and innocence? It speaks to me.

The Psalms to David (they record he wrote most of them - 73, while some do not say) are different than the books of law or history, the Psalms capture the aspects - the Nature of God - in His works. The Psalms are God's greatness speaking to David.

These are the Psalms of David, telling not of dry - dusty ancient history, but fresh, warm and alive. These are the stories of his father Jesse, his grandfather Obed and his great-grandfather Boaz, his not-too-distant- fathers. David didn't just hear these stories in the Temple, the written history, but like our family stories - in family moments. Just as Jesus was to become David's family, these are David's family stories.

To David, the Lord is beautiful, good, pleasant & part of the victories. They spoke and sang of these when in the field at night - taking care of family business - watching over the flocks. David doesn't just think about God's mighty acts, he feels in his soul about God's love as the events are told. Not only in David's family, God is part of his nation, his land, God dwells all around Him. God's goodness pours forth.

The awesome, overwhelming righteousness of God dwells not just in the miracle, but in the every day. Blessed be the name of the Lord. David did not suddenly rise up to slay Goliath, David grew up like Jesus. Not just writing the Psalms some day, but living them.

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

How David, as a young child, might have pictured God dwelling around him

Father God, Matthew Henry once said the Psalms are a warm place to be. Let us be like David and Jesus - to feel the nature of Your goodness in Your creation. In Jesus, these are our family stories. Abba, we are Yours. Amen and Amen in the name of Jesus.

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Mark 16 ~ they will recover

The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulcher on the Morning of the Resurrection, by Eugene Burnand, c. 1898

Mark 16

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.


9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.


12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.


Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The fear of most things makes most people mostly stay home. Even just what is uncomfortable causes most people to avoid it. I had a friend in college, Suzanne, she could gather a crowd and make fun happen. She could get people to drive across the state of Texas to bring trucks and equipment so all the people she could gather from our dorm would have a day at Lake Somerville. One day she asked me to come to her dorm room at 2:00 on a Friday and not mention it to anyone. When I arrived she was so embarrassed and began to tell me she is intelligent. I agreed. She said she wanted to go to church, but when people talked they seemed to know all of it. What? The people they talk about. I was puzzled. Suzanne explained some more. I was still puzzled. Finally I had some comprehension. You mean "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?" Right!

How difficult it is to come to Church and not know what is going on. How many people come to Church & leave because it is uncomfortable? Watching the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live is enough to cause anyone to bolt.

What about the phrase "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" ... it sounds medieval.

The first day of the New Covenant - when God decided to create Heaven and abolish death by giving us His Son, Jesus - no one was feeling peaceful. Easter Sunday had a tremendous amount of fear. All of the Saints were acting very humanly. They were hiding, filled with trembling & astonishment. The embalming of Jesus was left to the women (the disciples were so much in hiding they didn't know the body of Jesus already has 75 pounds of spices) because the men were in fear of their lives. None of the children of God had it remotely figured out.

This first day they had more disbelief than hope. And God didn't take the hope from them or punish them for their less than saintly reactions. They didn't know how to react.

What happened next is known throughout the world. This is the fear of the Lord, it is only the beginning of the wisdom. They did recover from their fear. Not because they became more saintly, but through the gift of God. With their belief, with their courage, with the overwhelming help of God's Spirit, Jesus Christ changed the heavens and the earth.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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