Mark 12 ~ Watch out

Mark 12

1 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you read this passage of Scripture:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?"

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

And they were amazed at him.

18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

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.

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." '
37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.

38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Jesus replied to Jeremiah's writings by saying
John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus was doing something in this passage we should listen to - He was listening. On several occasions, He cried out - if you have ears - Listen. Jesus rose up at one of the Holy Days, in the midst of the dry routine and He jumped up and said:

John 7
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

And when Jesus taught He taught in parables. Because He was asking us not merely to hear the Word, but to be doers. Know the Scriptures and know the Power of God. Living Water is flowing into us as God's Believing Children.

The Holy Spirit will draw up a lesson and apply your life and your knowledge of His Word - the same Word that called Jesus into being - and all things He created - and if you listen - if you pray - if you have a continual conversation with Him - if you allow your mind to dwell richly on His Words. He is never going to leave or forsake you. If you seek Him with all your heart - your efforts will please God - and Jesus will answer you.

Rev. Allen Hughes said it's almost like a skip in the "Matrix" movie. God places Himself near and close and with His Beloved. If you see a coincidence, if your mind attaches two things - PRAY. I'm not in any way, shape or double meaning saying life is the Matrix, I'm saying, Expect God.

So who did this in the Scriptures and was ordinary. Good question. All the people in the Scriptures are real and ordinary. All will fail. All will fall short. Of God. Because we are not Home with God. God's works don't belong to Moses or David - they belong to God. The One who takes you are you are Today and says "Beloved."

Why we fall short - well, that's easy. We are selfish, but we are trying to apply the Living Law of God - Honor Him first, then love others AS ourselves. Ooops, thats part of the problem. We then start loving to our own detriment Not called to do that. WE then want more - perhaps we should feel guilty. And then we bounce or swing like a yo yo between Jesus saying He fulfills the Law and the Law of Love. Or we just hike out on our own.

Oh Dang the question - who expected God and wasn't like Moses or Jeremiah or someone overwhelming. Ok. Solomon. Solomon expected God. God wanted to speak to Solomon and praise him and gave him wisdom. Solomon promptly married the Pharaoh's daughter and set out on the hike of "suits me." And God responded. Solomon left the Temple he build and ran off to the high places, which sounds good. Except Solomon took all that new 'wisdom' from the foreign wives and went incense and ooom. Solomon was demanding his own time, his own method, his own way and wanted God To Speak with the King.

Jesus tells us - the law of love is - Honor God First. Keep finding your gratitude in allowing God to make your life sufficient. Praise God for the moments HE will provide in the day to let you know - it's ok. Feel unblessed? List all your blessings - your hearing, your site, your family, your health, your provisions, you joys in life and say 'I will give up this blessing." You might suddenly feel considerably more blessed. See the beauty He bestows in your life with renewed interest. Home!

We cannot be like Solomon and run down our own path and expect God to continually shower us with His Blessings. But like the Prodigal Father - Solomon did find - at the end of his life - God would also run to him and Solomon returned to His Beloved Father God. And without living the blessings - the Kingdom was divided and did fall during Solomon's uppity son's reign.

The Honor God first thing - HE knows what HE is about and means what He says!!!

…Before Abraham, I Am. John 8:58

…And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1: 34

…are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

…We have found the Messiah which, is being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41

…I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

…through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 2: 20

..a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16

…I am the Light of the World. John 8:12

God is the same yesterday, today and Tomorrow!!!

.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 4:38-44 ~ they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them

Luke 4:38-44

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 At sunset, 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 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 proclaim 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.

I love the fact the crowds wanted Jesus to stay. As Biblical fact, Jesus had multitudes of women come to mourn Him passing. At the end of Passion of the Christ, I always want to cry for Jesus to stay. And the truth is, Jesus does stay. Millenniums of can't otherwise be explained miracles express this verse is still going strong:

John 5:17
Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Believers always want to know why Jesus didn't jump up and down proclaiming He is the Messiah. Nain's large crowd clearly saw Jesus could raise people from the dead before Lazarus. Jesus didn't proclaim He was God. This was simply too gigantic to say - "Look, here is God!!!"

Yet that seems a little unfair, however true - John's Gospel Chapter One is John bringing Jesus as God and explaining who He is - immediately. And yet John is not sure Jesus released him from the promise to be quiet about the Transfiguration, so he alludes to truth.

If you look diligently in the Gospels - you see people were Told. Jesus just understood this is as it is today. To find God, you have to diligently seek. This is far more relationship than fact. Jesus knows the fact is Messiah is a wide highway - a fact to be believed and not cared, an issue far away. Jesus is interested in meaningful. Jesus is about relationships in trust and love to you.


Luke 6
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 17
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.


Lord God, we want You always to guide us and lead us in mercy. Help us to remain centered on You. We thank Jesus as God for the merciful. Big time. Jesus bless them forever. Nice couple. Yes, we have no doubt Jesus loves and blesses His people across the continents. Lord, we give You thanks for life and today. And say Jesus is Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart

What do we do when we have a problem to solve. God is good about making the Scriptures apparent.

God gave us good brains. He tells us we can look up Scripture when we need an answer. Google is an excellent source. You put in: Bible then your question or the quotation you are looking for.

Take for example this put into Google "Bible Decision to make"

One good site is openbible.info

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

God gives us steps, we who know basic principals of the Bible - discern which step is needed.

Life can sometimes be shrouded in Trust God. And usually in that place, God will step up mightily.
In miracles, in peace, in desire to be soaked in the Word of God.

Other times, we know exactly the principal to apply.

Mercy is a first step. If the issue goes into over drive, more people are asked to step in. Then the magistrate.


Matthew 18
15“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Which corresponds!  Because the Bible does support itself and has different solutions for different problems.

Luke 12:58
As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

Father God you are a lover of peace. Provide peace please. Let honesty be spoken between people.

We pray Jesus to soothe and help for the people in fear. We pray for people unwise. We pray for people who want to be healed. We pray for those worried about illness. We pray for those who need patience and love to be that.  Thank You Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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John 2:1-12 ~ Do whatever He tells you.

John 2:1-12

2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. ⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers^{[brothers and sisters]} and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

What pleases God? When we expect Him to do something Good.

We went to the Houston Art Museum. And I love the impressionism paintings. When we got to the art of the mid 18th century - it has lost it's vast appeal. My mom's generation would like it. But this generation doesn't see hanging it in the living room. A whole lot of the paintings are saints. Man, those saint paintings are completely uninspiring. Dressed in long time ago costumes we don't wear. It looks like curtains. They are fat and jowl-y and look like they are suffering. Nothing to connect to. Dry.

Instead, let's look at them as family. Gathered in groups and put on a cheerful background. Inspiring Again.

We don't know their lives well. Not everything is actually published. But they got through troubles that where thrown at them, troubles God gave them, troubles they created. By hoping that someone larger than themselves - Father God - would care and help. Prayer and expectation sustain us.

We are supposed to expect the Scriptures to be living and active. We are supposed to read it like a letter written to You.

We are told for so long - "this is the meaning of this Scripture" that we fail to see the glory for ourselves.

Does it grab you yet - Mary knew Jesus. She lived with God's Son. She expected something Good from Him. If you were going to tell a dry story - one you made up - why would you say Jesus was henpecked by his mom to get started. The Scriptures are telling us about Jesus.

"No, Mom, it's not what Abba/Daddy would want - it doesn't look like God's work - making wine."

And Mom still expects Jesus to do it. So Jesus gets stuck with the embarrassment of having His first sign be wine? No. Jesus tells us later He is about Joy. And having a Feast.

Jesus' First Sign Was Making Wine at a Wedding!!! God is about Joy.

Father God. Forgive me when I'm wrong. And when I'm right give me the mercy to do what is pleasing to you.

We pray for a young man, that his adoption would provide his family with stability. We pray for families to communicate soundly with honesty.

I give you thanks for Edward's birthday. For his party and that my bee stings didn't stay to hurt and cause pain. I'm pretty sure it was a miracle. Thank you, Jesus.

For those in quandary, to know God expects us to do our best and look out for others. For the wisdom God gives us in Scripture. For the people in our lives who actually do give us needed advice. That God would uphold us when life is super confusing. We will expect Father God's help. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Romans 13:8-10 ~ love is fulfilling

Romans 13:8-10

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.


So Morality, surely an outdated word and some icky concept.

The problem in, a nutshell, is this. If you are loved, you are cared for. That's mostly the goal.
To love and be loved.

The problem with all this free sex is it's mostly a game of "Gotcha!" And usually, there is at least
one heart in the game that is going to be bruised. You wouldn't take your child and say "I love your depths" and then say, "But I think I could exchange you for a better model, maybe better hair, more money, better body, more interesting, less whiney, less needy, in general more fun to be with."

The next problem with "Gotcha!" is one of what happens to the hurt. What if that child says, "I can do this because if I'm not lovable, then I can color WAY outside the Circle. Way, Way."

And then that child feels more unlovable. And it's not as if this is the smelly bully sitting at the next desk over. This judgement came from being "KNOWN".

So the child self-corrects. "I'm Not doing that Again." Well, goodie, goodie, that wasn't really your friend, so the friend IS GOING TO TELL. And then the colored over circle is going to not have boundaries. Or shame is going to be produced, guilt.

So fie on goodness, fie. Shame is great for the Sunday Holy Rollers Right? No. God asks a sincere heart to say, "I'm SO Sorry." Shame is when the heart tells itself that perhaps they are very far from "being all that."

Oh the comforts of fitting in, except what is that child being taught? So much pain that chemicals are required to soothe the harshness of fitting in. Father Francis MacNutt says the problem with sin and our lives - they are so hidden. We think we escaped but like the 30 Churches of One Mission say, "All is not well behind the trees."

The problem with jollies, they will eat your lunch and look eventually to tear you down. The world says it operates one way and yet it operates in another.

A loved one was stable for years. With some quirks, men say, men will be men. His wanderings led him to not be surrounded by love and he chose to put his life down. It's rarely said, but suicide is the 13th leading cause of death.

Love up builds.

We get in such jams and if we are not quickly uncircled we can get into patterns of coldness. Into habits that abuse ourselves. We need a letter from God to say, "Hey that sin, that's not unforgivable. What really, really hurts ME and you is that - now you've forgotten in all that effort to shield yourself from being unloved, you've made yourself believe that you stand apart. That you must hurt before you are hurt. That you have learned mankind is so hurtful, strides are made to push out anything less than perfect. You have forgotten the joy in being who you were before you added on all this junk. Unwind! Rediscover! You are Loved. You will Love. Let Light grow Your Being!"

Life is stuck in a rut, stuck in a rut. Our culture needs help. We discuss TV as our entertainment. We sit in a darkened room, in a darkened house and we need to look to see what other cultures are doing that keeps them ALIVE. Spain expects to go out every evening after dinner - The Kids Go With. Tables expect to talk to the table next to them. Australians do this too - not to the same effect - Dads go alone. Let's nix that, we need the tribe to be a unit. Dads stick with those kids and wife. In South America, you have coffee. And neighbors drop in for a continual coffee feast. In the UK - tea - dessert will be shared. Houses are open - like we used to do in the 1970s and before.

People need good activities. Learn to make things. Bible Studies. Sports. Games that don't kill people.

The goal isn't to wound. Shame brings no worthy goal.

One Beautiful thing our culture has - we want to lift our children. If you wouldn't want something for your child - why would we do that to ourselves? You are a child of God. You are Loved.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 99 ~ In the pillar of the cloud He spoke to them; they kept His testimonies and the statute that He gave them.

Psalm 99

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
4 The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.

8 O Lord our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy!




Isaiah 6:5
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”


Much easier to stay on the most traveled, well worn paths of the work a day world. A resume comes to you, someone knows someone and they are looking for work. A personal email/letter to you is accompanying the resume. Yes, the applicant has had a rough path. He has cheated his dying father. But he was young & his mother helped him. Sure, he was a run away during his father's dying, but he went to work for a relative for years. Years. And he did great work. The relative/boss cheated him. Then he stayed with the cheating employer for years. Sure, he has his way with women and ... women servants. And yes, he did put the women servants in harm's way when his dangerous brother came to call. Oh, yeah. He does have an angry, violent brother who terrifies him.

This man needs work. He has 12 sons and a daughter. He's a great father. Except he favors two of the children. One son, slightly more than the second. The kids are angry, but come on - the man needs work. One of his sons was killed in a wilderness trip. He is willing to leave his beloved promised land and relocate. He is the kind of man to wrestle with great difficulties. Look at the years of work record - this man is even willing to change his name if you promise him eternal loyalty and steadfast love.

So please, make Jacob your banner. He will make a great CEO.

Our God is might to save. And forgiving, seeing the intentions of the heart in difficult situations, forgiving the intentions of the heart in difficult matters.

Exodus 34:7
maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Numbers 14:18
‘The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’


Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.




So where do we draw the line. Jesus was definitely hearing from the Pharisees about friends He kept. 


I've heard teachers of the Bible say, guests in their home - married or not - sleep in the same room. I've heard people host Bible Study and clean up from their significant other. Later to look both ways and tell the group - they are cohabiting.  These facts are accumulated over the years and not meant to point current fingers.

I volunteer where we talk to people about their sex lives - freely - at the Pregnancy Assistance Center.

I've been considered regarding my morality. And frankly, I find that pleasing to have morality thought about. I was pretty sure after seeing mature Christian Singles, the culture and the easy breezy life - we had forgotten about morals.

Why. Why don't teenagers who have their parents going to Church regularly hear abstinence. Two words. Safe sex. I've met five women in two years who are pregnant on the full strength injectable Depo Shot. I know and love someone conceived on their mom's five year birth control pill run.

We are still a Nation not thrilled with the Divorce rate. Baylor Statistics Class says Americans succeed - yes succeed, in their marriages - 2 out of 3 times. The third group marries and marries and marries and the statistic is 50% will remarry again.

The stability of all nations rely upon families who help each other.

What does the Bible say from the Author of Sexual Intercourse?
Read the Song of Solomon where you find out - God is Pro Sex.

Imagination, Longing, and BOUNDARIES are the keys.

If you go past the longing - there are some constants. Delighting in the one you love - not wandering off. Chapter 8, verse 12 says Solomon is busy, busy and implies this is not the path for the woman in verse 12. Her garden is for her beloved.

Verse 8 and 9 is even more to the point. Love making is for two people. And the people near love making are to be protected from it. Especially the young.

Song 8 tells us of personal histories are well known between the two lovers. This union is well considered and is be intimate. The woman says when love occurs it doesn't need to be enticed - this is a fullness of the right time given by God.

Chapter 7 ends saying my love is only for my love.



The Author of this Book, God, does say this is His Gift to His People.

And continues with this:

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.


We hold more often to the traditions of men and I'm sad to say, morality is not usually discussed for fear of looking priggish, becoming over-bearing, being judgmental to look suave, when what we need to consider is the fate of the family involved. What God would hope for them. What God has established as boundaries for children to learn.

Falling into sin happens. So let me say to my child - I pray for you. Do you know these early years are the most likely to conceive. Why put yourself - EVER - in the position to conceive a child unless there is The Way to say I love you - I'm here for you forever. When Real Love Occurs - The Song of Solomon says - it's not enticed - God finds a Path for that Love.

And I applaud the men who make sure their woman is cared for. My youngest son's friend married his wife while in the Army. I fully understand there are military rewards for marriage. Yet this young man said to his girl friend, when I return home, I want people to understand, I'm with my wife. They were states apart, and they married civilly. And after his time with the army was over, he and his wife will celebrate their marriage in Church. Because now they live as marrieds. And they have taken the time to marry in His time. For life.

God says HE loves us so much, why don't we believe this and love ourselves? Ask more from one another and expect God to Bless what He will Provide.


1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.





Father God, David danced naked through Jerusalem to become king. Thank God for New Orleans Jazz and Let Me Be One of the Number when the Saints go marching in. Help us to catch one another when wrong occurs and be put back on Your Path of Restoration.  Guide us, lead us, please forgive us and bless us with good circumstance. We ask in the Name of Jesus for Your blessings here. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 130 ~ my soul waits

World-Class Christmas Lights in Medellin, Colombia

Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
²O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³ If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But 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 become so used to our lives. And we forget to Look Up. What God plans for our lives... the places we haven't been, the people we have not met. The weddings yet to happen. The family yet to be born. Opportunities to come. Blessings. Not because we are so deserving; God in His willingness to bless.

The Scriptures record people to be self-centered. We believe we can corner life, put it within our boundaries. Manage everything. Easier to take the Mississippi River and believe man is in charge. Far better to be like Isaiah who cried out -

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

I read one of the most popular and thought about verses in the Bible is:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

How many of us believe it? Best to wait upon the LORD.

Luke 13:19
It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.


Hebrews 12:12 
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Matthew 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Luke 2:13-14
 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 122 ~ I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the House of the Lord.”

Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.

Isaiah 60
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.

2 Corinthians 6:2
For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

Today is the anniversary of our daughter Isabelle waking up in Heaven six years ago. She had the sweetest smile. We will go to a funeral tomorrow for a wise, compassionate, very witty 93 year old Doc.

We learn lessons from people at all ages, when God Plans for us to go Home, there isn't any fear.

When we say the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We are saying Eternity is Today.
I've seen young mothers cry about child loss, I volunteer at a Pregnancy Assistance Center and we have had bereaved moms arrive to speak to volunteers. So many bereaved parents are told, 'You will never recover from this loss." Well, tears fall for no better purpose than grief over Love. We should cry when we miss someone we love. However, I want to tell you, if you trust Father God that all of this Is Real - there is enormous purpose. And Comfort.

I learned when you cry really hard and you know your daughter Lives in Heaven, HE wipes tears away. After a good cry, peace arrives. Probably with prayer. Scriptures record a long sigh can be the Holy Spirit moving, dwelling, having our being - our eternal core - comforted. If you haven't experienced this, Believers get there.

I'm astonished medical people will tell someone they won't recover. I have a friend who lost her David at birth, like we lost Isabelle. I saw her weep with abandon for her David forty years later. That does not indicate she did not recover. She mourned her loss, just as I mourned my Isabelle. What is more fitting than tears for a child you love? My friend has recovered. Years before. We know our children live in Heaven. Isaiah 49 says these children know the hills and the high roads of Heaven.

God is interesting. My friend had one of her children marry a man named David. David will tell you, having lived with his in-laws during his Masters, with many years after that - and with teenagers - his in-laws are the Best. You might hear my friend tell about David coming over to help his father-in-law with this or that. God's mercies extend far beyond the 12 open Gates of Heaven.

John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Father GOD, the gift of life is from You. At the beginning, the middle and the end. And to eternity. This day, this point in time, draw near to us. We lift to You the troubles of the day and the Joy You give for finding gratitude in the blessings. We lift up those who are so good to us and yet don't know You. We lift up the prayer requests of those who Love You now. And know we don't beg and plead with a God who is far away, instead we trust our Father God that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. In the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 126 ~ Restore our fortunes, Lord

Restoration, God is still ascending today! Even out of the very rubble of the Temple. The Biblical Ascents are left to us.

Psalm 126
A song of ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.


 

Love...is the Fire and Wind of the Holy Spirit in The Book of Acts. 

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Loud...

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?

And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown

But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most-
the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost-
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died

In the Early Days of Christianity ~

When the word 'treason' came into the Latin vocabulary - people ran for their lives carrying Scripture to live another day. This was when the early Church was tested on forgiveness. A necessary component for any relationship.

As the people fleeing for their lives had a relationship with Father God - God was indeed with them. They used their life experiences to tell the new people about Father God. God probably provided the Acts 2 version of Language gifts as well,  repeating His miracles as He does so often.

And one of the chief complaints to people who didn't understand about God - they asked, "Why?" Why would we want to worship a God who gives His Son. How is this Victory when Love Hurts.

We hardly can answer this with the WONDERFUL Quotes God gives us on kind love. Love is patient, kind...

AND FORTUNATELY - Jesus answered this for us.

The Greek Jews knew Jesus was in some deep trouble. And they went to meet Jesus and Jesus answered by uncharacteristically saying He would not meet with them. John 12:21. Jesus was not going into His Life Sacrifice with patience, kindness, free from envy, pride, dishonor, self-seeking, angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, evil, no rejoicing, no real truth. Jesus was going to live out God's plan for Him.

Love wasn't always protecting and hoping during anguish Christians do not want to dwell upon.

Jesus as Innocence and Perfection was taking on humiliation, hardship, torture, denial, desertion, Mayo clinic doctors say heart attack to failure, suffocation and more than we can hardly bear to see this reenacted.

Jesus was telling us of
the depth of God's passion for all the world.
The way HE sees our pettiness, vindictiveness and rejoices in the way people will seek to love. The lengths people will go to comfort, help, encourage, uplift, sacrifice and honor one another. God sees people rise up every day. It's not always pretty and easy. God understands the depths of the fight.

God doesn't ask us to fight our way through challenges He has not done more. God shows us what we can understand in loosing a Child.

Ezekiel 38:19
In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

He empowers, and creates.

Romans 5:3-4
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.


Hebrews 13
20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 22 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

God doesn't call us to smile peacefully in the storm. The disciples didn't - they Wailed in the boat with Jesus. However, as the disciples walked with Jesus, they didn't typically fall over in terror, even when they had a lot of questions to what they witnessed.

Jesus sat to give the Beatitudes. This is God who is comfortable with His Beloved.

God fully comprehends the way life can become so overwhelming. God is not speaking of a brisk run in the park when He tells us fight the good fight. Run our race to win.

We love Jesus who understands us fully when we wail at the storm. Jesus made the Path possible to live the next day; Jesus was with His Disciples as a day to Live. Jesus said take Today and find what is Good. And He said Give us This Day.

Psalm 126 isn't for the future. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Give us This Day.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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