John 7 ~ for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of Him.

Jesus Traveling, by James Tissot



John 7

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews ^[leaders] were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers ^{[brothers and sisters, also verses 5 and 10]} said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”


25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”


32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”


37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as ^{[let him come to me, and let him who believes in me drink.]} the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.


40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

53 They went each to his own house

Garnet Hill Synagogue

Elliott Tartan, Ancient

Wilson Tartan, Ancient

Anderson Tartan, Ancient

Man, if you looked at the Talmud records found in Scotland, home of the Jews I'm related and descended from you, would find Jesus was very discussed by the Sadducean Council, of His day. They were terrified to lose their power and unhappy with the miracles of healing.

The Talmud Unmasked, Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians, By Rev. I. B. Pranaitis
Roman Catholic Priest; Master of Theology and Professor of the Hebrew Language at the Imperial Ecclesiastical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church in St. Petersburg; Discusses the slurs placed upon Jesus, I am frankly not going to repeat. Things the Gospels refute.

Jesus returned to visit his family in John 2:12. Jesus probably would have liked to stay home away from the crowds.  He did stay with His mother after the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus was extremely His Father's Son in His ability to not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

We so relate to this:
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

When the people heard Jesus, the hearts open to Him were touched. Including the officials sent to pick Jesus up for punishment and questioning. The hearts that were untouched questioned the details and not Jesus, the Man of God.

We see the Gospels as so old. The questions of Jesus walking to the great assembly of the godly are fairly similar to today.

Out of Jesus' heart His Living Water flows still. People still ask the same questions the Talmud raised. We should ask HIM, Lord what can I do to serve you today. Let our own hearts become living water for those around us.



Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.

This is the passage of Jesus, the Word of God, creating the Word. The people who believed were called to HIM to believe further.

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.


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John 4:27-42 ~ Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

John 4:27-42

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

♔Lord Jesus Saves †

Jesus had so many things to do and was pressed on all sides using His time to teach. He was the parable of trimming His wick, keeping his loins girded and we also see He had a balance by spending a lot of time in prayer.

Looking at each passage so see what Jesus was doing informs us of Jesus as a man, choosing our life. Jesus chose to talk to a woman. A woman HE saw as worthy.

When the crowd tells the woman we don't believe from your words any longer, that seems rather harsh. However we learn several things in Scripture, look at the fruit of the person. Ahab was spiritual, he believed any spiritual matter than comforted him doing what he wanted to do.

The events the stories, the morals of Scripture repeat in history:

There was a young prince who decided the priesthood would deepen, strengthen, and make his spiritual journey better. He prayed and was a specimen of all the world thought would strengthen Christianity. The prince was suddenly, due to his brother's death, made King. This virtuous, continually praying King ended his realm with starvation being the largest cause of death in his prosperous kingdom. Starvation was not prevalent until then. He was so virtuous he believed destroying his queen, his daughter, his wives, women in his court was not a real obstacle in his life. He ended having the dogs lick his blood up from his coffin that was dropped. Just like Ahab. His name, of course, was Henry VIII.

The disciples were doing their best to care for Jesus. Or were they? They see Jesus talking to a woman and a woman at the well at an odd hour. They can't very well confront the Teacher on His behavior. Jesus is saying we do not live by bread alone. But by His Grace.

Matthew 15:11
What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'"

Matthew 4:4
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 6:33
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

When the Word of God says work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, the Word of God is not kidding. The town people could not allow the woman, of what seemed to them easy virtue to call LORD, LORD and live in the grime of sin. Just as Jesus said go and sin no more to the woman caught (in the hypocrisy of one person being named) in adultery, the point is go and sin no more.

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

Which brings us back to Jesus not being the God who ignores and ridiculed the woman. God is the circle of go forward, discern, love.

God is a God of Love. Jesus tells us the Law, the Prophets and The Word of God are Love.


We know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.




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2 Samuel 21 ~ And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David.

2 Samuel 21

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, 6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.


15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels[b] of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.[c] 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.


Giants, grim necessity and weariness.

The giant (right), was apparently unearthed in County Antrim, Ireland, and found to be 12ft 2in high. Its girth of chest was 6ft 6in, and length of arms 4ft 6in. There are six toes on the right foot. This skeleton was on display in exhibitions in Dublin, Liverpool and Manchester.

Giants sound very improbable.

Tennessee River, USA - giant human footprints with 6 toes
Crittendon, Arizona, USA - sarcophagus of a giant who sported 6 toes on each foot
County Antrim, Ireland - fossilised body of a giant with 6 toes on the right foot
Kiribati (Pacific Ocean) - a number of footprints of giant men, most of them with 6 toes on each foot

The United States has a large number of skeletons found over 8 feet, google if you must.

TURKEY: a human finger bone which is twice the length of the average adult bone today.
In the Hittite Museum in Ankara, Turkey; In the late 1950's, during road construction in south-east Turkey (in the Euphrates Valley), many tombs were uncovered, which contained the remains of giant humans. At two sites the leg bones were measured to be about 120 centimeters (47.24 inches).

Joe Taylor, Director of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum, in Crosbyton, Texas, was commissioned to sculpt an anatomically correct, and to scale, human femur of one of these ancient men. One part was a human fingerbone which is twice the length of the average adult bone today.

Giants are probable considering all cultures report giants and we see gigantism in genetics.




Giants in faith - David. And weariness in a task protecting the realm. Perhaps we could have scooted through this chapter. So much of David's Biblical History is about war, loss of life and destruction. Here David has a chance to clear his dynasty from Saul's descendants. He takes that opportunity. Because David is man of God, we know he must have felt some dismay in the taking of a king's children and grandchildren.

The weariness is not recorded until Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had stood watch day and night over the bodies of her sons and grandsons. David then buries Saul and Jonathon.

David was so busy, he is at war again when his weariness almost gets him killed. A haunting chapter to be sure, the mother, not wailing at home but living day and night to protect her loved ones' bones. Rather like Aaron being invited into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle to splash blood all over.



God is blamed, so many times in the Old Testament for how incredibly harsh He is. This passage emphasizes:

John 2:25
He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

Isaiah 40:30
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted

2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."

John called His Jesus, the Son of God he walked with, the God of Love.

What would Father God say about the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Mera the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite?

Isaiah did glimpse His glory and said, Isaiah 49:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.
17 Your builders make haste;
your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.
18 Lift up your eyes around and see;
they all gather, they come to you.
As I live, declares the Lord,
you shall put them all on as an ornament;
you shall bind them on as a bride does.

19 “Surely your waste and your desolate places
and your devastated land—
surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children of your bereavement
will yet say in your ears:
‘The place is too narrow for me;
make room for me to dwell in.’
21 Then you will say in your heart:
‘Who has borne me these?
I was bereaved and barren,
exiled and put away,
but who has brought up these?
Behold, I was left alone;
from where have these come?’”

22 Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,
and raise my signal to the peoples;
and they shall bring your sons in their arms,
and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”


Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!








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Judges 5:12-21 ~ a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.

Judges 5:12-21

“Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, break out in a song!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
O son of Abinoam.

13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
the people of the Lord marched down for me against the mighty.
14 From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley,
following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen;
from Machir marched down the commanders,
and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's ^{[commander's]} staff;

15 the princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
and Issachar faithful to Barak;
into the valley they rushed at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
there were great searchings of heart.

16 Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
there were great searchings of heart.

17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
and Dan, why did he stay with the ships?
Asher sat still at the coast of the sea,
staying by his landings.

18 Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death;
Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.
19 “The kings came, they fought;
then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they got no spoils of silver.

20 From heaven the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The torrent Kishon swept them away,
the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
March on, my soul, with might!



Bob Uecker says, "On TV the people can see it. On radio you've got to create it." Well that's just a bit offsides, however the quote works for: Do you remember the Biblical story for the namesake of the USA President Barrack Obama? Daborah‎, a prophetess of God, the fourth Judge Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth, in the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5.

Judges 4:7-9
And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

This woman knew of what she spoke.

Deborah, if we paraphrase, was telling Barak the battle was his. She was vividly saying "Draw a Line in the Sand." This was not a casual day. This was a day Franklin Delano Roosevelt would say, ""a date which will live in infamy."

So often we come to crossroads in our lives and we are hardly aware of the date. How, since miracles do not usually occur with a trumpet blast, are we to know. Deliberation. We know in HIM we live, move and have our being. That is how we know. Deliberation. We are intimately seen, known and loved by God. John, who met HIM in Jesus Christ the LORD, says God is summed up in one word, LOVE.

How will we not be caught entertaining a day of the Lord unaware? We let that line be drawn in the sand. Where do we stand? Are we proud of where we stand?


1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Hebrews 2:1
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds,
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
why did he stay with the ships?
sat still at the coast of the sea,
staying by his landings.
The torrent Kishon swept them away,
the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.

Hebrews 12:1-14
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Marched the remnant of the noble

The people of the Lord marched

Following You

Those who bear the staff -
for You are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me (Palm 23)

The princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
and Issachar faithful

Psalm 47:9
The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

A people who risked their lives to the death

Hebrews 11:32-38
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

On the heights of the field

Psalm 18:33
He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

The kings came, they fought;
then fought the kings of Canaan,
at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
they got no spoils of silver.

2 Kings 5:16
The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

From heaven the stars fought,
from their courses they fought

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

Hebrews 12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.



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Matthew 16 ~ For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Jesus, the Light and Nativity, painted by Correggio

Matthew 16


16 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.


5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.


13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.


21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”


24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Annunciation, painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Why did these people choose a life waiting upon the LORD, when they could have had the comfy chair? Like Isaiah, Isaiah said this because he saw His Glory and spoke about Him.

In December of 2008, Chelsea Barton was dying of pneumonia. These are separate photos. One is the hospital security camera and the next is the Mother's cell phone. Here is the Fox News Network Interview from the Hospital Spokesperson. 

~ whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

FoxNews.com Mom Captures Daughter's Life-Saving Angel in Photograph ~ Published December 24, 2008

The mother of a severely ill teenager in North Carolina says an angel saved the life of her dying daughter, and she has the photograph to prove it, South Carolina’s The State reported. Chelsea Banton was suffering from an advanced case of pneumonia in November – the latest in a string of illnesses in her short lifetime. But this past fall, a bad cold turned into pneumonia and Chelsea spent seven weeks in the hospital on life-support. The pneumonia spread from her left lung to her right lung. Then she had sepsis and blood clots, staph infections, E. coli, a collapsed lung and feeding problems.

“We had been praying every day, my oldest daughter and I and Chelsea,” Banton told the newspaper. “Praying for a miracle. I wanted to do what the Lord wanted me to do,” Banton said. “And I really felt like I had her for 14 years, and if it’s time for her to go to heaven, then I know she’ll be healed.” As family and friends went to visit Chelsea – for what they thought might be the last time on Nov. 5 – and prayed over what to do – a nurse practitioner called Banton’s attention to a nearby monitor, which displayed the door to the pediatric intensive care unit.

“On the monitor, there was this bright light,” Banton said. “And I looked at it, and said, ‘Oh, my goodness! It looks like an angel!”

Banton immediately took out her camera and captured the image. Chelsea, who turns 15 on Christmas Day, went home from the hospital three days later. Her family believes a miracle has occurred.


Romans 15:19
By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

~ setting your mind on the things of God

Romans 8:14-19
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

John 1:12
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God


1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Jesus said behold the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, in HIM, we shall see more of HIS promises as we so sojourn in His Path. The best is yet to be.

1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.



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That's My King

That's My King, by Dr. S.M. Lockridge


♔Lord Jesus Saves †



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Luke 3:15-22 ~ added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

Photo Model of Herod’s Jerusalem Palace - Fortress in the northwest corner of the Upper City walls.

Monday, July 04, 2011 -
Jerusalem visitors had a rare opportunity to visit the Kishle prison inside Jerusalem’s Old City. King Herod’s palace fortress was used for a police station; constructed on the site and guarded by three towers. After the Romans destroyed the palace, the Tenth Roman Legion encamped on the site. In the 1800s, the Ottoman rulers constructed the present prison and the British continued its use, also the Jordanians, and the Israelis have as well. According to the AP article, the jail has never been open to visitors.


Luke 3:15-22

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”


"His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Why in the world didn't Father God rescue John the Baptist. John asked Jesus again, from prison, if Jesus was the Messiah after bravely giving his testimony. We all can be afraid in dire circumstances. Peter was rescued. Paul was rescued from a snake bite and a shipwreck. Why did the Children of Israel languish 500 years in Egypt. Three different Emperors of the 2nd Exile in Babylon promised freedom. Joseph had a similar problem with suffering.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, a Dutch born, British painter. 

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Genesis 41:9-14
Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, "I remember a promise I failed to keep. 10 Some time ago when Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he confined me and the chief baker to the captain of the guard's prison. 11 We both had dreams the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. 12 A young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guard, was with us. We told him our dreams, and he told each of us what they meant. 13 What he told us happened: Pharaoh restored me to my position, but he hung the baker on a pole."

14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and immediately he was brought from the prison. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came in front of Pharaoh.

We learn the answer in Galatians, Paul is the author with the Holy Spirit. An answer to the difficulty of suffering.

Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We also learned of the Law giving Mary a bumpy time. Jesus was to fulfill the law. And spoke of the fulfilling.

John 4:21-26
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”


Isaiah 49:8
This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' "They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill."

Each year, since 2011, The Woodland, Texas has gathered 30 Christ Believing, Bible Believing Churches to act as the united Body of Christ. We have days of  prayer with fasting until the last Sunday in January. 

We expected between 40 and 200 people, many more attended. We planned 2 hours and ran over by at least an hour. Our county experienced a tri-county fire that year, we experienced the remarkable mercy of flames scorching homes and amazing photos of the homes being saved. This is the ecumenical Body of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We pray for a Great Spiritual Awakening and we are invited to pray a specific prayer request for ourselves. Our fasting is like a giving up something dear to us similar to Lent. Our Pastor/Bishop Elect Clark, has given up Mexican food. And I have given up refined sugar with an eye on carbs. Please join us in praying for all our communities, in prayer and fasting this January. What a great way to begin a new year.

Father God, the prayer that moves all of us is the Father running to the Prodigal Son. When Jesus died, You ran to Him. In this eagerness, we put out our hands, ask for forgiveness in our lack of holiness and look to You eagerly for Your mercy and steadfast Love. Answer our prayers making this life more like the Heaven we look forward towards and help us in each situation to let Your wisdom, mercy and love reign in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Psalm 102
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.


Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Perhaps with prayer and fasting, your prayer requests should come out of the dust bin. For two thousand years, the Church of Jesus Christ has overcome. In Faith, Hope and Love. Let's go forth this year in these same wonderful qualities.


John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.





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Psalm 29 ~ Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.

Beautiful Footage of a Thunderstorm

Psalm 29 ~ New Revised Standard Version

The voice of God upon the waters

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace! 

10 Minutes of Thunderstorms

Jesus used memory devices. When HE spoke in Aramaic picture language, HE was teaching in the ways people who receive instruction on teaching learn. He spoke a memory in a visual image, He gave auditory listening and His Word became written. Jesus is a Teacher among the many aspects of Father God.

When Jesus tells us:

Matthew 13:
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying:

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Jesus is being figurative and literal.

Revelation 21:21-27
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.


Bringing us back to Psalm 29. We begin with a storm and end with peace.

Psalm 107
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
29 he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him







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