John 14 ~ Salvation ~ will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus is still walking with His Disciples in His Home, His Kingdom. Jesus would never leave us as orphans in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Word of God is for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

John 14

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God; believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.



15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.
And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

25 "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

Rise, let us go from here.

Eternity is today. And our Home is going to be Heaven, God's House, God's Kingdom where God is Ancient of Days and we have no end.


Jesus tells us He goes to prepare a Place for us. Paul tells us there are levels of Heaven. Ephesians tells us families live together in Heaven and are named by God. We hear we will see Abraham sit at table with Jacob. The two men did not live in the same generation. God is blending all life to have life and live together. Matthew 22:32 and all over Scriptures we see this.

God tells us we see glimpses of Heaven in this earth. We learn even clouds are part of Heaven. Horses come from Heaven in the Word of God. Lions and lambs are mentioned. Oxen in the Cherubim. Noah's flood does not exclude the Animals in the Promises of God.

Jesus has lived in Egypt. Jesus tells us His Light is a Light to the Nations.

Revelation 7:9

After this I looked, and behold,
 a great multitude that no one could number, 
from every nation, 
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Reckless Love
Cory Asbury

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine



We know in what we know that we know is the Truth. This is God - for us. God wants us to Live with Him always.

God tells us He is a Light to the Nations.

We know God is blending the generations. Togas will sit in white robes with Revivals in England from the 1730s with white robes. We will sit with Revivalists in the 4th century in North Africa where St. Augustine died at age 75 in 430 A.D in white robes. We will sit with the high like King Louis, Saint Louis IX who reigned for 50 years and will be in a white robe. We will sit with St. Rita of 14th century France, too poor to be accepted, at first, into God's Service.

And will Heaven look like Europe. Will Heaven look like this:

1   

2

 3

Of the White Robes we are sure:

Will Heaven look like what we label as the Future:


4

5 

Will God's Home look like This:

6

Or Maybe This

7

Or will it look like This:

8

9

When we give Christian Witness, we don't have to know all of the Bible. We are not giving an Encyclopedia Testimony, we tell of why God would love you. We speak of what we have felt and know in our souls. What God gives you as your life story - is not to be denied. It's the unique pattern of Psalm 139 - God's Book of Life plans your days, knows your ways and will establish and Live the Plan of God.


And this is the Biblical Word of Heaven. Will the Kingdom of Heaven look like these pictures - Yes. God will blend all Nations, all of "His" Story to have His Place. God does not look at Israel, the USA, Europe and say this is all there is. God does not look at our beautiful magnificent Museums we love to see and Plan His Kingdom. We see glimpses of God in Cathedrals, in art, in music, in "Life". Jesus is the Light of God in Life.

Will David be disappointed to not see the Nation David established for God?

Will Pharaoh, given Joseph, to establish the monies of Egypt, be disappointed in serving One True God to not see Egypt and Pharoah's Dream to establish?

Will Nebuchadnezzar II be disappointed his work, where Alexander the Great chose to die 200 years later after believing Ezekiel about his life,(echoing Nebuchadnezzar echoing the belief of his life for Isaiah)?

No  - God has been a Light to the Nations involved in their lives. God will blend in all of the nations to have a Home.



Photos one, two and three. These are of the description of God's Kingdom. There is a castle in Spain where all the people who have seen this portion of Heaven - altogether acknowledge this is seen in their God-given visions and dreams. This is described in Revelations.



Photos 4 and 5 are similar to the beauty of the Light described in Heaven. Overwhelming Light. Overwhelming Beauty of Nature. Overwhelming Beauty of the Cherubim.




Photos 6, 7, 8, 9 - will require some Scripture. How could God's House look like other pagan cultures and not the Vatican.

The Holy of Holy Tabernacle is actually a 'way' God gave the Children of Israel to know God is God. The Tent Tabernacle is the layout of Pharoah's residence in a tent when he travels. God did this to show that Home was with God. God did not call all the Children of Israel knew to be uncomfortably exiled to, then, worship some strange "God." God was providing Comfort. God calls His Holy Spirit "Comforter." This is the Nature of God Himself. Father God. Comforter God. God is always saing He is Home and we are Home with God Himself. Our Father.

The Original Vatican was built identically to the Roman Stoa of Jerusalem's Temple by Constantine.  Astonishing to realize there have been only two Vatican buildings in 2 Millenniums of Christ's Victory. Another example of earth to Heaven architecture -  Herod copied Roman Architecture to build the Stoa on Mount Moriah's 36 acres of Jerusalem Temple.  Even in Jerusalem where God's Temple was found, had architecture of other Nations.

When David planned his palace and set aside Goods for the Temple. David found materials from the nation of Tyre and of Lebanon. David's Palace was from his time in the Phoenician nation. They also contributed laborers and materials. Where David had worked as a mercenary.

I dreamed of going to see God in His Home. He was not Home, I'm not Isaiah. However, as I was visiting this beautiful place where the Light was dim because I'm not Isaiah and because God is the Light of His Home, I was amazed to see other cultures. Why? God is God of the Living and of the "Nations". God would not provide Pharoah's Tent as His Own Plan without a Purpose and Plan of His Holiness and Goodness. We spoke of bringing people to want to sit in the chairs God would provide in His Home. This is of God - God desires to save all people. And of course, in this Place, Jesus is the Savior Son of God.

Jesse Duplantis spoke of seeing chairs in Heaven. His were Queen Anne and Chippendale. This is not Israel. This is a sign of God - God is God of the Nations. By His own Choice.

God of the Nations. Israel might be the Heart of God. Rome might be the forehead. Italy might be the arm of the Body of God of Nations. The USA might be the neck. Egypt had clear times where the Pharaohs served One True God. Like the God Paul spoke of to the Greeks.


Photo 9. This could look like any Church we know during Candlelight Service. This is what God's Home looked like. God of the Nations, God of the Generations, God without compare.

There is one Certainty of Heaven. Heaven is the Plan of our Father God. Heaven is described in God's Work. God's Nature is revealed in His Mercy and His Desire to save the Generations for His Steadfast Love is Enduring Forever. Heaven is where the Father runs to the Prodigal Son. Heaven is where all who love Jesus will see Glories of God. And Celebrate.


What will we Celebrate? Singing God is Holy, Holy, Holy. He desires to take you and take me to Himself and we will be where God is. We are Chosen, Special and Precious.

Abba, our Father,

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom You have chosen as Your heritage!

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

We are Your Beloved Father God. Your Children. We were once not a people. And now we are Your People. We once did not know Your Mercy and now we know Your Mercy. '

We ask for ourselves, our loved ones, the people You would give us. Make us Your great nation, and You will bless us and make Your Name great, and we will be a blessing.

We ask in Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 Peter 2:1-10 ~ into His Marvelous Light +†+

1 Peter 2:1-10

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-- 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. "They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, not we ourselves,

we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Nourishing our souls - the process of looking for the good God provides.

Believing God loves us first. Growing into our salvation. Believing within us  -we really are chosen and special. Obeying God is worship.

And in shining the Light of Christ, we make ourselves a people. Putting down darkness. Living in His marvelous Light.




These are good words. And unless we reach to receive them - they are as comforting as poetry we can toss the words around behind us or beside us - just trot those words out.

Life will always have stages and then these stages abruptly end.

We have an early childhood - we believe we are chosen and precious and able. And then our childhood meets expectations to grow up and take on responsibilities to become a people. To become invested in talents. In the rub of life, we find as an heir to being God's Beloved, weeds choke out the sunlight.

We progress to early adulthood where we find we like the freedom and wish to have our inheritance to do as we please. We ask our Father to step back; give us the promises of the inheritance to do as we wish.

We enter the cubical world of employment where God's place on His refrigerator for our talents seems a faded memory. Our 5 talents of childhood seem to be half a talent - with no end in sight of increasing demands of cost, time and ability to being thought young.

We have our young and we struggle to establish our house upon a rock. Soccer practice, sewing lessons, boy scouts, room mother, PTO, find  matching socks and locate homework...shoe? the shoe, shoe, shoe..... Shoe! The permission slip, report card, doctor  and the appointment. Major crisis to minor, "fire of the day", gummy/ gum hair. Care locator, lost backpack at daycare, Conflict with caregiver, teacher, den leader. The outing/lunch/vacation led to the need for more relaxation in life.


The wonder of life's every day.
 The emotional discussions of life. The chores. And then - scattering Life - scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.

Help?
Eventually, the needs of the children encourage us to remember Christ is our Rock. Come to Him, His burden is Light. Rest for the weary. Renewal. Prayers with Jesus are Hope.

Christian Radio. Christian Music in the car.  Church. Youth Group - try going 6 times - and then complain. We need the people of God to teach our children about being a people. We return from feeding the wild pigs to be embraced by our Father running to us.

We find we need again to remember we are chosen and special in the sight of God as our children long in their teen years to have the inheritance to be free. And if we have wandered far from Hearing the Love our Father pours into our lives, we can be diminished in so many ways. At this point, our peers complain about the world, the culture aches and pains. We are reaching Ecclesiastes House.

And if we make our security on money, we have received jealousy. We have received a place where we would have lip service and not heart. If we believe God, we fit into His Kingdom,. We find hope to see the good in our lives in all circumstances. In abundance - in need - in full houses and full money - then - we fit into being given to in the mercy of God and being able to give mercy to others.

If we find we are in a struggling stage of life, we find we have the ability to take on our tasks of life given to us by God. We have the strength to dig deep and find God loves us. We find we don't need affirmation as much from others as from God, Who has made promises us to us. We can give God our hearts and desires and see victories and His Mercies each day. Jesus told us always to pray and not give up Hope.

Finding we are His People and He has made us.

Finding in our situation to give help and hope to others.

Making Life Meaningful.

Trusting - if today was meaningful, tomorrow will be as well. And if today was rest or irritation, tomorrow is a new chance. Deliberately finding and seeking the Light of God.

Realizing we are all at varies stages with hurdles. And in His Holy Spirit, having the goodness to make the hurdles smaller or well paced.

Our words are real, sincere, trust-worthy, honoring God and pleasing to Him - our words seek to do what the Holy Spirit does - to Give Life.




Father God,

You are more capable of Blessing than we would ever be, Bless us with Your Ways, Wisdom and Heart.

Strengthen our homes, our marriages, our families, our bodies. Give us Your Strength of soul - to make Life filled with Your Marvelous Life.

Fill us - our Loved ones, the people You have given us - our peoples - our Nation - Your Beloved with the Light that fills mankind - Jesus Christ.

Let Your Words of Life be the Light guiding us to be the Children of God.

In Jesus, we know You long to hold us and we to be held to You. Amen and Amen.

Isaiah 41:13 ~ I am the One

Isaiah 41:13 

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Michelangelo painted about Father God. He carved around the people, places and Words of God. And in all of this thinking about Father God, Michelangelo created the Beginning of mankind as from the Hand of God.

There will be a day when we all have bowed to Jesus. When Jesus lives and moves and has His Being with us.

This week I've been considering Jesus' hands since seeing the movie "Heaven Is For Real" again. We have so many ideas about Jesus in Heaven. At Home in Father God's Kingdom. We don't know beyond the Word of God when Jesus shows Thomas His Hands. I'd believe God has Jesus in His Hands and Jesus is in comfort and Love.

Acts 11:21 

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number

who believed turned to the Lord.

Leviticus 26:12

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people

And Jesus walked among us with Grace upon Grace and Truth. He nourished us for millenniums. Our God. Lamb of God. Son of God.

 

Mark 10:16

And he took them in his arms

 and blessed them, 

laying his hands on them.

Luke 7:14 

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

Luke 24:50 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

Ezekiel 12:23
The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.

Ezekiel 39:8
Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.

Luke 23:42
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”…




Abba, Father God,

You have called us by name, we are Your's. You have placed Your Spirit into the Father's Hands. You will reach out Your Hand and gather us.

Let us give our cares to You. Let us give our Loved ones and their cares. Let us lift up to You, the people You have given us to pray. Your Spirit gives Life. And You do more than we can ask or imagine.

Your Word is spoken, Your Plan, our hope and future, for all Your Beloved, is secure in Jesus Christ.

Amen in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acts 1 ~ you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you

Acts 1

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."


6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem
 and in all Judea
 and Samaria, 
and to the end of the earth."

 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."



12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it';and "'Let another take his office.' 

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.



The Forgiveness of God is great. His Plan will be done. His Mercy is enduring.


Jesus is about to depart leaving His Disciples. And He continues His Steadfast Love by saying again, "Father forgive them they do not know what they do."

Jesus is forgiving His Disciples and gives them the Holy Spirit.

He is not leaving in annoyance. Jesus is leaving forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. He doesn't want Israel to feel left behind. Mentioned are Jerusalem - where Jesus longed to gather the children together like a Mother hen and comfort them. Forgiving them their unwillingness.

Jesus mentions Judea - not Israel - Judea for the disobedience of Israel for generations.

Jesus mentions Samaria where Jesus first proclaimed Himself the Christ of God, the Messiah.

Jesus is making Himself clear. He is presenting them with the Holy Spirit. The Comforter of God allowing us all to do what God would ask of us. We can do all things with Jesus Christ. Jesus is blessing the men who have trusted the Lord God with heart, mind and body.


Abba, Father,

Guide and lead us in healing from muscle weaknesses for Edward and my bad back sounding like Potato Chips being crunched. Lead us all ability to do Your Good Plan and Path.

Strengthen the People of God. The Ones we Love. The Blessing of God on the people You have given us. The Holy Spirit guiding and leading us to have the vital conversations. The Blessing of this Nation with Your Love and Protection. To have the mind of Christ. To please You. To love Your mercy to bring us closer to the Joy Jesus has.

We ask always for Your Help in Prayer. With the Holy Spirit, You do more than we can ask or imagine. Your Blessing we would always ask and hope with joy.  In Jesus. Amen.