Psalm 81 ~ I delivered you

Psalm 81

Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,
a  rule^{[just decree]} of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.

7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

The Ascension.

This was ruined for me as a young believer. I saw too many ideas of what the Ascension looked like and felt uncomfortable. Orbit and necessity came to mind.

Then Off to College were I was recommended to take a class of Egyptian History and the Professor, who was said to be a Christian, said most of the Judeo-Christian History is just a jealous copy of the slaves for the Egyptian higher ups. Psalms were quoted. Lack of Exodus History was cited. Then the Ascension was debunked as being a Christ follows what the Pharaohs did for years.

You can't argue with a professor on the first day, but you can get up leave the class in the middle, drop the class and start to do your own learning and evaluation. This I did.

Turns out this battle has gone on for millenniums. It's easy to solve. Pharaohs = dead. Christ, Christian Church = Faith, Hope, Love = Alive.

We can cite The Ipuwer. We can cite Thutmose Tax Records. We can see Joseph EL on Pharaoh Monuments.

So Jesus rose. Why. I wondered for years and years. Dan Brown came a long and we found out why Jesus rose. Jesus did not get married. He did not sneak around with 11 Disciples and 72 Disciples  and His wife. No.  Instead, The Multitudes found Jesus in the wilderness and Jesus fed us and them abundantly.

The movie The Passion of the Christ.

Never has a more difficult movie been attempted or proclaimed and so difficult to see more than once. A dear friend said as he wept, "We could not, could not, see This. If we did not believe during Good Friday that Easter is Coming and Jesus Lives. Is Alive."

And Mel Gibson went on to flounder around and make a spectacle of a man who'd led a fairly amazingly, calm Hollywood life until after the film.

I can understand why. No one. No person. Nothing compares to Jesus.

No one is going to stand and be real and say "I'm just fine." Eventually dirt is going to come out and flaws, weaknesses and sins will arise. Because God says this is True of us all.

We could start naming every famous evangelical and their problems now. Or, let's for fun, dig up the Crusade - the brief period of History just exactly like Empire upheaval and overheaval and underheaval certainly happens regularly. Or we could say Peter and Paul did not always see eye to eye. Or Barnabas and Paul. Or that infidel John Mark, who went on to write books we call The Gospel According to Mark. We do see cohesion when Polycarp and Bishop Papias of Hierapolis both report the Beloved Disciple John actually really approved and liked and affirmed the four Gospels!





The point of the Ascension was pointed out to me. Finally. Last year. Dee and Sharon said, "Well the point of the Ascension is Jesus didn't run off to the Greek Dispersion. He said I will never leave nor forsake you. We know Jesus and where He is."

And we all know where Jesus went. He did not rise and leave everyone to flounder around.

Thanks so much to our Bishop and Canon Stephen Saul for bringing out John 14 today.


John 14

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.”


The Story of Jesus' Promises to us make us more than Conquerors. Consider these pictures:





Luke 1:78
Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

Our desire to hold Jesus to us and the Joy of seeing Jesus restored.


Psalm 81 ~ I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket.

The Ascension.

John 14
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

And being asked Jesus said:

John 14
I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.


Words to live by.

Rise. Let us go from ...here.

Father God,

Jesus waited for His Brothers. And in Seeing Jesus, they came to know His Love.

Help me. I want to be like that too.

In the Name of Jesus, please cover my thoughts, ways, words and walk to be pleasing to You. My Rock and My Redeemer.

My Jesus. My Savior. Nothing is above Jesus. The Highest of All. Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 70 ~ You are my help and my deliverer

Psalm 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame
who say, “Aha, Aha!”

4 May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!


Isaiah 14
For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.


When we look at the formation of the early Church, we see this began, where Jesus did not. In the 36 acres of the Temple, see The Book of Acts, Chapter 5

Acts 5:12-16

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico ^[Porch] 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.


The Lord perfects the telling of His Story again and again. They were all healed.

Jesus departed to Heaven. He ascended into Heaven. Daniel told of Jesus' Ascension and His arrival to His Father.

Daniel 7
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

Jesus told us the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus forgave His generation for His Cross and they lived until they were old. Jerusalem was destroyed at Jesus' natural death. The people Jesus healed stayed healed and even more were healed as the Holy Spirit began a new mission of the Lord God Almighty.

A man called John walked along side in Jesus in wonder, awe, fear and a place was struck inside John that would never allow John to separate from Jesus. John was so overcome with his eyes witnessing Jesus being proclaimed as Christ, Lord of All,  John never could find adequate words to describe what we blithely call the Transfiguration. When you have a quiet time, read the way this man called John wrote the first chapter of His Gospel. He is trying to find words to tell you of seeing Jesus as Divinity from this mountain he climbed with Jesus. John described Jesus and God very simply. God is Love.

The message of the Old Testament is the New Testament. The Story is Jesus Christ as Lord, with God's Word being fulfilled. God is great. 






Father God,

We give You Thanks for Your Beloved Son. You have given.

In our wildernesses of life, help us to find the straight path.
Help us to be like Joshua, level and centered.

Knowing We will see You.

We thank you for 1 Thessalonians 1 - Jesus frees us from the wrath to come.

No one can pay for salvation. We thank You for providing even Good works for us to walk in.

Opportunities to give. Opportunities to be grateful. Times of contentment, because we know to expect and trust in You. Our hearts and soul's hearth for You. Our Souls made for Your Fire and Your Holy Spirit.

We lift our cares to You. Thank You for Your answers.

In Jesus Christ. This is our Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 13:47-58 ~ treasure what is new and what is old

Matthew 13:47-58

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”

52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”


53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

57 And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.





Joel 3:
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness



What shall shine?


Daniel 12
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.



Romans 14
11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Isaiah 45
22 "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. 23"I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. 24 "They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Hebrews 6:13
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,



Father God,

Help us not to grow weary in doing good.

Now may You, Lord of peace, Himself give us peace at all times in every way.

The Lord be with us all.

Let love be genuine

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all.

In the Name of Jesus we lift our cares to Him, He cares for us so.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Daniel 12:1-3 ~ those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

The Book of Life

Daniel 12:1-3 

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.



There are so many things to like about this brief few verses of Scripture.

We find we will have a wonderful hope in our future. And we find the wise shall shine Like the brightness of the sky above; Like the stars forever. And Yet not as a star. An important distinction. Mufasa speaks so soothingly, movingly and beautifully of the kings shining in the sky. Scripture could support that thought; today we know space is cold, quiet and empty. We do not secure an empty place, but a place of Love in His eternal Kingdom of beauty. And in reality, we know we do not see all the stars and to exist as a star is sight out of mind.


Daniel was taken in the second round up of Emperor Nebuchadnezzar II to Babylonian exile. And he did well.

How long did Daniel do the work of a slave, an exile and a court official?

Daniel 6:28
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.


2 Chronicles 36:23
"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be with them.'"

Daniel 1:21
And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

This would seem to say that although we don't hear more of Daniel, he might have returned to Israel. He would have been old.





Daniel had to have had anger. He had a terrifying times seeing Jerusalem destroyed. Being thrown to the lions. Being dealt with as a slave.


Do you ask how to resist anger? As soon as you feel the slightest resentment, gather together your powers, not hastily or impetuously, but gently and seriously. For as in some law courts, the criers make more noise in their efforts to preserve quiet than those they seek to still, so, if we are impetuous in our attempts to restrain our anger, we cause greater discomposure in our hearts than before; and once thrown off its balance, the heart is no longer its own master. -- St. Francis de Sales



2 Corinthians 10
and take every thought captive to obey Christ

Ephesians 4:26-27
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Being honest about anger.

James 1:19-20    Brother of Jesus
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 29:11
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

Proverbs 15:1  Solomon

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.




Deliverance and Salvation are works of the LORD GOD.

Even Archangels get irked. Thank God -  He is real and gives forth real Testimony.

David wrote Psalm 39
I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. 3 My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue


Luke 1:18-20
Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."

The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words."

Father God gives us Free Will. Zechariah demonstrates the will of mankind and the ability, glory and power of God in 2 Corinthians 10. We need God. God does not need mankind to produce His Will.

What is sure is that even in all circumstances.
God is Working. Working towards His Good we lean towards.
Thank God the Word He shows us has so many details - we see God is for us. Telling us the truth.


1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,


Romans 10:12 
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


Romans 10:9
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Luke 12:8 
I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.


God tells us many times Jesus lived joy here. He does not spell this out - He tells of of amazing wonder and we must think that through - although He does tell us a few times. And in real life - joy irritation and humor carry us forth in His Great Plan. God giving us patience to "Rise Above."

~ And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Father God to You, 
Help us to be in the Number when the Saints com marching in. 

When we have strong emotion and are not able. we can reach out to hold on to the Hem of Jesus.

Help those we love to be in that number . We ask to bring forth more light, in Jesus Christ the Lord - bless all of us unto the Nation and to all of mankind believing in Jesus.  Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 7:13-21 ~ Enter by the narrow gate.

Matthew 7:13-21

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
 

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

And let's ask a difficult question. Why does it say:

Romans 10:13
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:13 is repeated in Acts 2:21 and in Joel 2.

What is the disparity between wide salvation and the narrow gate? It is was it all comes down to. The ultimate question. Do you believe the Lord will He save you. Belief is part of salvation. Nations, nations will live in the Kingdom of Heaven. But without belief....some day when nations and multitudes come to the valley of decision, there will be a time when you and God are fully known to one another. A glorious day. Jesus, our mediator, will judge.

Where do you stand in your faith?
 
Salvation is a gift from God Almighty.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

Belief grows into worship, into action. Man can debate Salvation. Ultimately, finally and completely it is God's Plan.





The Salvation Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I have done things not pleasing to You. I have lived my life for myself. I am sorry and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe You died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask You to live in me. I give You my life. Help me to live every day in a way pleasing to You.

 I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Jonah 1:1-2:2 ~ I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and He answered me

Jonah from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo

Jonah 1:1-2:2

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil [evil or disaster] has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah (Proverbs 16). 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [the men dug in their oars] to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah – Chapter 2:1-2

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice."


The Jonah witness bothers people. It sounds like it should begin, “once upon a time.” Great for the kiddies in Sunday School. As Christians we should remember disciples asked Jesus who would be good enough to have salvation, He replied. “All things are possible with God.”

Sooner or later, you will have a Jonah story in your own life. This story is bigger than a fish tale, it is about having a personal conversation with God, not in your brain which isn’t going to survive death, but in the essence of your being – your soul.

We’ve had discussions in the past, that if you’ve lost a child, have a serious illness, something that causes a lot of contemplation – we wonder if we are being punished. No, Jesus Christ died for your sins; you need no further redemption upon believing you are, personally, saved by the Lord Jesus.

When Christians believe they are saved, how do they know? Christians in Bible study have this conversation a lot. The reply is usually this, “you know what you know, what you know.” It describes a deep inner conviction. Unshakable.

Jonah does not want to go into the Assyrian Empire and help the enemy. Just as Winston Churchill would not have wanted to go to Berlin and preach to the German people. Jonah is convinced this is wrong, is too big for him, will ostracize him from the good opinion of his people, sounds nuts and will endanger him. Jonah has a big dilemma. Jonah must have decided God was not asking him something out of line with God’s nature. It did not violate anything he had learned about God, His nature or His word. Jonah decided to use his option God gave him – his free will.

And Jonah’s free will works. Jonah is traveling far and away. Until there is a crisis and every person on board begins to have a situation where they reach out desperately in their belief in their higher power. Paul would have called this their Unknown God. We might call this what the entire Scripture says is true – God’s unshakable Plan. Jesus would probably say this is His promise of “ask and the door will opened for you.”

The men on the ship are 1. Crying out to God. 2. Understanding only by spiritual conviction what the problem is. 3. Seeking to save Jonah’s life. 4. Placing Jonah’s safety before all the ship. Mercy before sacrifice, even at the cost of their lives.

Remember Jesus’ advice to Martha in Luke 10:38-42, the better portion will not be taken away from people seeking the Lord. Jonah finally decides his life is not more important than other men. He offers to do God’s will, even if it will kill him.

So many people are very afraid of doing God’s will and trusting God for exactly the reasons of the Jonah story. It points to a fear button of committing themselves to God. God Will Make Them Uncomfortable. So… NO. Jonah wasn’t forced into doing God’s will. Jonah was grown into placing himself in God’s hands with powerful results. At the end of Jonah’s life, there is no doubt, he thanked God for being part of his life.

The story of the Scriptures is always God’s will is done. In all situations, God hears our voice, we are not left without His help.


Father God,
We thank You.
Amen in the Name of Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 12:15-21 ~ in His name the Gentiles will hope

Matthew 12:15-21

And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah [42:1-3]:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”





I'd been a Christian for more than two decades when it was pointed out to me how many times the Scriptures said "He healed them all." I remembered a lot of healings, the ones written about in more than a few sentences. Yet that small phrase "healed them all". Sometimes Scripture says they sought to touch Him & not just Jesus reaching out. Sometimes He physically touched them, and it also says merely, "He healed them all."

Sure, a lot of people were ill. When you think about the age: slavery, war, destruction, highway robbery, people born blind & the parable of the Good Samaritan - this was a difficult time. Not just the people who were deaf, blind, ill, but the sorrow of the people who had seen difficult things happen to loved ones. Children who died, loved ones who died in child birth, people who were well and suddenly died of fever. There are a lot of stipulations in the Bible for the fatherless and the widow.

What does it mean, "He healed them all?" The Word of God, proclaimed in love. The hopeless, the fearful, the lonely & the cut to the quick. The ones who had heard the Word of God in their youth - life had stamped on their seed of hope. The fruit of circumstance and the weed of bitterness, the joy found in life, had robbed them of their greatest need - the need of God. Jesus fulfilled their blindness - physically & spiritually. The deaf were healed. The poor had hope, God cares for them. He healed them all.

These people who found Jesus had put aside the every day of life, they sought Him. Jesus didn't stay to quarrel, debate the Pharisees, shock, anger, and create a stir - Jesus wasn't a sidewalk hack or a temperamental star.

No, Jesus repaired the bruised reed. Jesus rekindled the flickering flame, the light became a torch. Jesus gave hope & mercy to the word - justice. Jesus didn't select a few, the light of Jesus Christ is for all. Not just to the eyes blessed to see Him, but those who look to Him in faith, after He died, and today.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Father God,
We in hope, expectation of You, submit our prayer requests, knowing You have heard and You will answer.

Just as You, Father, know our names as Jesus did in the Gospels, You know what concerns we have. We entrust this to You.

Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, my Rock and Redeemer.

We look to Your Love.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 91 ~ When he calls to me, I will answer him

Painted by Greg Olson

Psalm 91

1 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.

Painted by Akiane Kramirik

Akiane's painting matches the Shroud of Turin and is a possible explanation of the physical change in Jesus from His living form and His Heavenly form.

Father God and Jesus have answered so many prayers.

They love to see Faith in the people who will have faith
and will seek Jesus
and will pray.

Jesus cured the nobleman's son (John 4:46-47).

Jesus healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45).

Jesus healed the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13).

Jesus cured the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8).

Jesus raised the ruler's daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26).

Jesus cured a woman of an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48).

Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31).

Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 20:30-34).

Jesus fed at least five thousand people (Matthew 14:15-21).

Jesus fed at least four thousand people (Matthew 15:32-39).

Jesus healed a woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28).

Jesus cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37).

Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).

Jesus cured a woman who had been afflicted eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).

Jesus cured a man of dropsy (Luke 14:1-4).

Jesus cleansed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19).

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).


This wasn't just the Centurion, just the woman grasping the Hem of Jesus garment.

These were people who brought others, this happened again and again.

Proving, Prayer works. Proving Jesus, when sought, will answer.

More people saw Jesus so willing and they went to Jesus as well.

Father God,

We ask You, please heal, fix, care for and solve the desires of our Heart. Pray with us Jesus and we will renew our joy in Your Will.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †