When we say Jesus is Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, we could give a millenniums and millenniums long historical search. And what the heart and soul we have cries out to find is,“Today, What is Jesus Saying to Me?”
I'd like to answer this for Edward and me, today. Several years ago, Edward and I set out on a long car, road trip, vacation one early, early Sunday morning. As we got several states away, we were about 10 in the morning. And every Church, we passed, seemed to be well tended and with a 'zero' capacity parking lot. And I pointed this out to Edward.
The vacation car ride became tense. Edward would say, “We have another Church ahead of us.” We would become silent and watchful as a tennis match. Either neither of us would not say a word, but sporadically, we would say, that Church parking lot had 2 cars. This happened for an hour. Edward finally cried out and said, The Deep South is Bible Country! Where is everyone! And it seemed to get better. And then a little better. And then a lot better by about 11 AM.
That night, we stopped in a Hotel, and we asked the dinner staff about our drive. To our relief of decades, the waiter laughed. Laughing was good... He said it's spring forward. Oh, My God. Thank You, God. And the waiter added, this is the South. We like our Saturday and we Love our Sunday. 11 O'Clock is Church Time. Good. Twilight Zone far, far, far away.
Today,
Since the Pandemic, we have heard about the pews being empty. And in light of the recent availability of barely veiled lies, schemes, mistrust, missing truth, lies by omission. Social media trolling rejoicing in blatant disregard for the feelings of others, to proclaim mob rule and get behind the one idea of knowledge, a cold to deliberately cold scheme. We are all aware of what is more politely called, “the divide.”
Good News.
In recent years, Ash Wednesday has become increasingly filled. Filled like Christmas. Dare you to find a parking space. Good News. There are Heavenly Words for those seeking Life to build up to the Lord. Goodness. Mercy. Truth. Kindness. Hope.
Hearts and souls growing warm for the Lord and His Steadfast Love.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Jeremiah 31:25
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
Psalm 107:9
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
The Light shines, darkness has been overcome
Habakkuk 3:17
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls
The Light shines, darkness has been overcome.
Jesus has overcome the world.
Jeremiah 31:12
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD
--the grain, new wine, and oil,
and the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a well-watered garden,
and never again will they languish.
Psalm 62:8
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
Selah
Selah
When we say Jesus had 40 Miracles
or
Jesus had 37 Miracles
The Good News, we are definitely not saying Jesus
healed 40 people
Let's say 41 Miracles!
The Crowd spontaneously Praises
Jesus for His Words, Ministry and Miracles
Luke 19:37-38
As He was drawing near
—already on the way down the Mount of Olives
— the whole multitude —
of His disciples
began to rejoice and praise God
with a loud voice
for all the mighty works that they had seen,
saying,
“Blessed is the King
who comes in the Name of the Lord!
Peace in Heaven
and Glory in the Highest!”
— Multitude —
The Historian Josephus
was a General in Judea,
after Jerusalem was laid waste,
Josephus looked at the accounting of the Temple
and wrote the History of the Jews
and Roman History
for 3 Roman Emperors.
The accounting of pilgrimages told Josephus
the Temple would have up to 16
Temple Ceremonies during
High Holy Days
the pew counts were obtained by the number
of accounting for animal sacrifices,
and the count of Jerusalem High Holy Days
as Good Friday and Easter
occurred on Passover
— was 2 Million Pilgrimages by the people, —
generally excluding children,
this is the definition
of the word
— MULTITUDE —
This Multitude
of 2 Million People
filled the Temple
to proclaim on Easter
The Bible agrees
and during the Road to Emmaus,
the Disciples say all of Israel
knows of Good Friday
and the death of Jesus Christ.
— Multitude —
42 Miracles, Prophecy fulfilled
Luke 1
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth
peace among those with whom He is pleased!”
43 Miracles
Mark 6:56
— Wherever He entered —
into
villages, cities, or in the country,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces,
and begged Him
that
they might just touch the hem of His garment.
And
— as many
as touched Him
were made well —
Luke 9:11
When the multitudes knew it,
they followed Him;
and
He received them
and
spoke to them
about the Kingdom of God,
and
— healed those who had need of healing —
Jesus taught part of John's 6th Chapter in the Synagogue in Capernaum.
This relief of the Ark of the Covenant is found in
Capernaum's White Synagogue.
This Synagogue
was next door to the Large House
of Peter and Andrew and their extended family.
Their plaster walls show pilgrimage messages
from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Century and later.
Their House became a Church.
Beautiful Stone work, columns of the late first Century
listing “Sons of Thunder, James and John” (on Capernaum's Synagogue)
45 Miracles
Matthew 4:23-25
— And He went throughout all Galilee —
teaching in their synagogues
and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom
— And healing every disease and every affliction among the people —
24 So His fame spread throughout all Syria,
and they brought Him
all the sick,
those afflicted with various diseases and pains,
those oppressed by demons,
those having seizures,
and paralytics,
— and he healed them. —
— And great crowds followed Him —
from Galilee
and the Decapolis,
and from Jerusalem and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
begins on Mount Herman
from the snow
46 Miracles, 47 Miracles, 48 Miracles
Matthew 9:35
And Jesus went throughout
all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues
and
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom
and healing every disease and every affliction.
Matthew 10:1
And He called to Him His twelve disciples
and
— gave them authority over unclean spirits,
to cast them out,
and to heal every disease
and every affliction. —
Matthew 12:15
Jesus, aware of this,
withdrew from there.
And many followed Him,
— and He healed them all —
Miracle 49, Miracle 50
Luke 4:40
Now when the sun was setting
All those who had any who were sick with various diseases
— brought them to Him,
and He laid His hands
on every one of them
and healed them. —
Luke 6:17-19
— And He came down with them
and stood on a level place,
with a great crowd
of His disciples
and a great multitude of people
from all Judea
and Jerusalem
and the seacoast of Tyre
and Sidon,
— who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases —
And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
And all
the crowd sought to touch Him,
for power came out from Him and healed them all.
Abba, Father,
Surely, He took on our infirmities
and carried our sorrows;
yet, we considered Him stricken by God,
struck down and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace
was upon Him,
and by His stripes
we are healed.
We ask healing
of Your Good Creation
the fullness of the earth is Yours.
The healing of those we pray
for in our heart and soul.
Dwell in us, Father,
Dwell fully in those we love,
Help us to seek You first
and we will finish well in Jesus Christ.
Thank You.
Our God is working. His Son,
Jesus is working.
Amen.
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