Luke 23:24 ~ Father, forgive them

Luke 23:24

And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Why is there suffering. One of my favorite people on the planet used to say, "We know that if someone dies with cancer, it is because God is weak. Satan is so powerful in this world that God is pushed down." No, my brother (s and sisters) in Christ.

Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein

- is still the Word of God. God does not lie and He does not change from day to day.

We live in a world where we sacrifice. Man, don't we. We have children and let strangers raise them in day care. We don't have time for a nourishing meal or we have many memories of a meal that was so stressful - that fast food is delicious. We don't have time for friends. We come home so wrung out that we all turn on the television. How great is television?

We need more wholesome, holy things. HopePointe's Father Bryan says his father asks after every movie, "What was the Moral of that?" I have learned when offered space travel, it might be better to wait by the truck instead. Because if you are an unlikely space traveler - man, you Are the extra to get killed. Even unlikely movies have taught you something. Everything has an idea of life.

Find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind.
John Donne


The sole or soul purpose of fiction - someone invested their time in this work - to tell you what their theories of life. You have learned something. Or strengthened the opposite opinion of the work you read or watched.


People tend to stay away from each other because we aren't always nice to each other. Remember summer days and times in the 1970's and before? Time moved slowly. People gathered. People quilted and sewed. If you looked down your street, people did gather. Time was gentle. Is this sentimental clap trap? No. Look at the news. Now people obsess if they are doing enough work or if work is beneficial. People are jealous of others with time on their hands. Just as people are jealous with more items. Our grandparents bought their houses for cash. Our great-grandparents were cared for in our homes (Lord help me with my parent!). Our parents bought our educations as a gift.

Now we are sacrificing. A lot of my professors at Texas A&M still teach. My total cost of education was $12.5 Grand. Not even a semester now.

Look at the Scandinavian countries. Life is easier. Smaller homes, kids in government care very, very early. Less worry over health care. Yet they have given up freedom and a lot of their beliefs. Watered down. In worst case scenario, they are in Bad Shape if the Government goes Bad. In the United States, we believe in God and yet act badly. Things are not as crisp and clean as when we believed in faith to do right and God will care for us.

Faith and the amount of it effects all of us.

Do you remember in the Scriptures, a loan was supposed to be 7 years. Wouldn't we all be or have been happier with a house affordable in 7 years that wasn't in a woebegone neighborhood with hopelessness, danger and drugs? Why aren't we demanding Congress to order our lives in ways that help people instead of this spiral?

Is God truly weakened by this? I would say No. But God will give us enough rope in free will. So many miracles in the Scriptures are like the father crying out, "I believe, help my unbelief." Can't we all relate to that? We have to put our houses in order and give God glory. People are much more interested, ultimately, in God who gives mercy and blessings. Because God is Love. God says work and grow faith. Believe. Give it a leap.

Faith is a leap. We gave a car once to our Church. Now we have two kids with one car. We need to work on being financially generous to our Church, but funds are a financial diet at our house. Lean. Our financial structure is different than others.

(Have you ever thought about communion? Communion is a meal. It is the New Covenant. The importance of communion is this.... at a restaurant, we eat a meal and we are subjected to a conversation behind us. I've heard some that I Still Remember. Awful. Particularly one anniversary meal at Perry's ... the importance of Communion is - we are together. We wait for the person next in line to Receive. And pray for them. It's a symbol of God. And I believe Communion is God.)

So... suffering.... why does it occur. Is it a weakened God? A man is terminally ill (a friend's family). What could one act of God be in this? His daughter is to step up to the plate. To overcome her ingrained and complete self interest. Maybe she is to learn that she loves her dad more than herself, she is supposed to grow. To have to ask others to help her.

Helping others, when they ask, is an act of God. Helping others by forcing your will upon them, is not. Motivations are important and self defining. It builds a house.

Is love day care? Nursing homes? Does throwing money at someone help them? Withdraw support? Avoidance? Or is it time, talent and effort. Business decisions can sometimes be covered with practicality. Practicality is much more easy to rely upon. But they lead to day care and nursing homes. Less real care. If the sole goal in life is money, we have fragmented families and nights spent in front of the television. In the end, did it make us better people?

Jesus took death from us. He didn't take suffering. We have to grow in faith and see God in all things. Rejecting what is wrong. It comes with a cost. Jesus blazed the trail. Giving us His Holy Spirit. We grow in God when life is difficult, there isn't any praise, but we still believe, believe, believe we need to do as God would have us do.

Reprinted from 3/2/12


Father God,
You have told us: "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

We should listen to the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses. Entrust our time to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. May the Lord God give us insight, reflect on Father God.

We will speak honestly, present ourselves to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. God’s solid foundation stands firm. “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, a knowledge of the truth.

Father God let us see in wisdom what You would have us do and give us Heart to do this well. In Jesus we pray this for ourselves, the ones we love, the people You have given us. This Nation, Churches, workplaces, solutions and the people who profess Jesus in the world. For the increase of His Glory. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 130 ~ For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption

Psalm 130

A Song of Ascents.

 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!


If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

7
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.






We are told so often Father God was a mean God in the Old Testament.

David knew God to be forgiving and the utmost in willing to Bless. When the Prophet Gad came to David and said David had brought God’s sin to Israel for taking the census after being told not to count all the people (probably prevent pride in himself); David taught Gad about God's nature.

David told Gad, "Let God decide, His Will is the best solution, is the best for healing."

And Father God understood perfectly, David trusted God when David was a flawed man. David would rely upon Father God.




Remember in Matthew 20:
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Jesus certainly knew the fate of Peter. Short and long term.

Luke 22
28“You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.


What is the difference?
James knew Jesus had spoken, trouble was to come. James became afraid and deserted Jesus.

John knew Jesus had spoken, trouble was to come. Jesus needed John, John would stay near Jesus. The cup that Jesus was to drink, did not fall harshly on John.

See John's Patmos view:

This is only about the nature of Father God. When we draw near to God and stay with Him in faith. He wants to bless us.

John truly understood seeing the Father in seeing Jesus. John because he believed was able to do this:


Matthew 6
25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?g 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 Edward and I celebrated our 30th Anniversary on Monday. This always says love makes a place where hearts are safe, ideas are exchanged, selfishness forgiven and hope, faith and love encouraged. No marriage is without flaws and only in the Grace God gives us can we go forth.


Father God,

Give us Your Holy Spirit to help us please You in our decisions.

When we are concerned, we will pray. And draw upon Your Comfort.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Mark 12:28-34 ~ The Kingdom of God.

Mark 12:28-34

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Jesus knew and spoke of the Hand of God ~  Blessing and woe. We see evidence written down before the Temple was destroyed by Titus. Scripture went forth while this looked all was standard day to day.

Matthew 24:2

And Jesus spoke of His Church long before His Church was born.

Matthew 16:18  

January 31st 

We all love a  very fine sermon today on overcoming, surviving, doing the earnest integrity of self responsibility in our actions to Father God. And in His Time, finding our lives hold meaningful Love, Joy, Peace to God and to us.

We have been looking at The Book of Ruth.

Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Solomon shows in his life he has truly listened to David. David records his family history. Solomon tells us Blessing and Woe are from the same Hand of God. Nothing is too hard for God. We steadfastly trust God sees us through hard times and will be with us in good times.

Naomi tells us she is bitter. Call her Mara, bitterness.

The Scriptures tell us of a word very similar to Mara, bitterness.

Genesis 22:14
 Abraham called the name of that place Mar-Yah Will Provide. As it is said to this day, "On Mar-Yah's mountain, it will be provided."

The Temple of Jerusalem sits on Mount Moriah
מריא מריא/MarYah is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew יהוה/YHWH . MarYah is literally “Master YHWH”



What do the examples of Ruth and Naomi tell us of overcoming?

~ Believing God is Sovereign. Nothing is too hard for Father God.
To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength
Naomi believed this. Ruth saw her example. And determined this was her life as well.

~ To see His Word as a Lamp for our feet.
Loving ourselves. Naomi took a wise look at her life and decided leaving a famine struck land was best. There was no nourishment for her here. Not really a safe thing to do, leave starving and walk to Israel. This, Naomi decided, was her next step. Regardless of her embarrassment to return with a bitter life to her hometown.

~ Love your neighbor as yourself.
Naomi told Ruth, go where safety is, go to your people. Ruth knew her people did not worship a Living God. She would see Naomi safely to her people who knew Father God.

~ Naomi and Ruth continued to love Father God by telling their circumstances in a forthright, straight path manner. They trusted God would not ask them to make their difficulties better to bluff about the seriousness.

God was seeing them out of their troubles, by their facing the truth of their circumstances. There was no spin on their situation. Some people would walk away. Naomi and Ruth surely knew this to be a certainty. Jesus promised us we would see trouble in the world.


We overcome the world by believing God that faith leads us to His Promises unseen. When we know The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, we are living His Promises for Eternity - Today. We walk, as Naomi and Ruth did - in faith with Jesus. Being humble.


If Jacob had quit believing God would care for him in Genesis 42 and 43, like so many people quit believing God in difficult times, he would not have completed all of his God given quest for Life. Jacob would not have Spiritually Grown from living in truth - finding Joseph - living forgiveness of his sons. Deciding upon Blessings and remaining in the idea of Blessings. Surely God forgave Moses for not completing the task. Instead, this time, Jacob relied upon God to be merciful and found many portions of life are fulfilled when we lean on God in our belief. Jacob's sons wrestled with life to come to the decision to go forth. They weighed what life and their guilt and sins cost them. And continued in His path.

Romans 8
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[h] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 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.


The quest, lives ~ Ruth, Naomi, Jacob and his sons were called to do this:

37 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.


Father God,
 Give me the heart and the wisdom to walk the Plan and Path You have for me in Jesus Christ.  With Your Love I will make my soul a gracious place for You to dwell. Help me to help the people I love to do the same. Let me continue to expect Your Goodness for the People You have given me.

We lift up all the prayer concerns given to us to You, Father God.

We lift up our lives, our Churches, Neighborhoods, Communities, Work Places, City, States, Nation, and The People of the World calling upon You. We look to You in optimism. Let the Glory of God, fill our hearts and lives. We thank You for Your Grace in Salvation and Your Goodness and Mercy. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 91 ~ He will deliver you

Psalm 91

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

 

3
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

 


7
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

 

9
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge
10
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

 

11
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.



14
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.


15
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.


16
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Lamps from the time of Jesus Christ.

Get your lamp burning now
Goodness and Godly behavior is not wasted.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me.



1 Timothy 6:6-7
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

John 14:13
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.



Father God,
Help us each day to choose the good. Help us to use the gifts and talents You have given us to run our race to win. Jesus please help our hearts and souls to have you as the foundation.

We lift up the one's we Love. Their needs and concerns to only draw them closer to the Love, Joy, Comfort of You, Abba.

We pray for the Nation, Churches and Families to feel Your Goodness Alive and at work in and around them. Amen Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Mark 9:1-28, 36,49-50 ~ Jesus only +

Mark 9:1-28, 36,49-50


1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one [no cloth refiner] on earth could bleach them. 

4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.


 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; [my beloved] listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

 


9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 

12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

 



14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 

16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 

20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

 And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 


23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 



24 Immediately the father of the child cried out [with tears] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 

26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.





 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” [with fasting]


36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”


49 For everyone will be salted with fire.  50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”



Salt and Light. Sounds like a good potato chip. Kind of friendly.

When we think of someone being salty, we think of someone being larger than life. Loud, exuberant. Auntie Mame, Popeye.

Then again when we think of Biblical salt, there is Lot's wife looking back and becoming a pillar of salt.... not a desirable state.

Salt and pop culture go hand and hand. Salt looses it's flavor when exposed to the air. It becomes stale, tasteless and isn't even good fertilizer or pesticide. What we become when we soak in pop culture without a discerning heart.

Salt wasn't unavailable at any time in Israel. Without salt, one could die in the desert of Judea without some travel planning and having some salt. Without salt, food is flavorless. 

No one would want to eat salt by itself. No one enjoys having religious talk, religious ideas crammed down their throat.


Let's look at Jesus asking the father of the boy ill with a demon, “How long has this been happening to him?” Recently, in another reading for Scripture for Today Blogspot, we talked about Jesus not being recorded as being a huge conversationalist. Yet Jesus is Love. Jesus is not looking for data. Jesus is not looking for a long debate with the father. 

Jesus is making contact with this man. Jesus is not browbeating him, He is opening up the conversation. Jesus is hip deep in an emotional experience Himself, returning to the grind of all too human disciples. Jesus is taking time with someone looking to Him. Jesus is opening up the man's choices in his thoughts of God. Jesus is being Himself, there aren't any basketball moves where the hips have to be watched to understand where He is going. 


Jesus is getting to the point. Jesus teaches us to live at peace with one another in this whole passage.

Read the passage once more, 
Jesus is teaching us salt and light - to live at peace with one another. 
Jesus did not live in a peaceful world and His words were not always soothing. 
Jesus shows us how life suddenly changes and deal with the emotional shifts with helping others while staying calm.
Jesus is always in a teaching mode. The teachable moments arrive for Him. 
Just  like Psalm 23, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Jesus forgave everyone from the cross; goodness and mercy was not always given to Jesus, but goodness and mercy were the grace upon grace He gave us.




 This profoundly makes a difference in my life.
Profoundly.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me.

My husband has 3 damaged by injury and allergy to anesthetic brain lobes. This is a terminal diagnosis. We pray with seeing great effect that his soul will feed his mind. We pray he will depart to Father God on the day God has chosen in health and in peace. And sometimes the illness rears up and lack of logic happens and is painful and frightening. Not making sense. Hurtful words or hopelessness. Filters gone.

And life continues to roll past. The mighty forces of life.

I think of Jesus dealing with His own death, with Spiritual Forces that are Huge and Comforting, with the fear accompanying something large and different from every day. And being asked to let go of being Jesus and do His Father's work and to forget the Blessings of the Glory of Seeing Abba and Elijah and Moses and deal with fear, uncertainty, life, the father who is in agony for his child and the child's needs.

Jesus gathered the Holy Spirit and gave comfort. This is who I want to be near and be like.
He is Jesus. The Lord God Almighty. My Jesus. My Father God. My Holy Spirit.







Forgiveness with teachable moments are the way forward.

Blessed be the children of God, Jesus.  You want to save the world.

Help us to be Your creation of salt and light. Protect us from the root of bitterness within us when goodness and mercy do not come our way in life.

Help Edward's soul to feed his mind. To bring health until the day written in Your Book of Life. Help his family to help Edward each day.  Thank you for those who help. Jesus Christ Bless them.

Help our words be seasoned with the salt of Your Healing and Your wisdom. We always ask for Your help. In the name of Jesus. The highest name of Jesus, Abba. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †