2 Peter 3:11-18 ~ according to His Promise †† †

 Imspired by the Post of January 30, 2017

Is Jesus too busy to hear our Prayers?

Luke 8 tells us Jairus' daughter is dying. And Jairus faced supreme grief to find Jesus was busy and had walked by too late to help his 12-year-old daughter.

Lazarus was dying. Jesus had things to do on His Schedule.

Jesus sent His Disciples to get a colt, He was busy planning an event.

Mary went to find Jesus to tell Him to live safely. But she had to send word to Him via others. Jesus was busy with a crowd of people. 

The mother of James and John wanted to ask Jesus an important question, but she had to wait until all the Disciples had gathered after the crowd had gone.

God Himself gave us Scripture to explain Scripture.




 

2 Peter 3:11-18

What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 

13 But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 

15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To Him be the glory 

both now 

and to the day of eternity. Amen.

And let's not forget the Great and Good News of Luke 8. Jairus and his wife found Jesus caused their 12-year-old daughter to Live.

2 Peter 3

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise 

as some count slowness, 

but is patient toward you,

 not wishing that any should perish, 

but that all should reach repentance. 

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, 

and then 

the heavens will pass away with a roar, 

and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, 

and the earth and the works that are done on it 

will be exposed.

I was with some friends from our last Church, and they asked about someone we both know. And I was relating current life events.  The news was shared, this person prays heavily for their children. One grown child is local and is hostile, hostile for many decades. The other adult child has moved for a career and is open-hearted and kind.  After ten years of praying, the local child has returned. Vacations are taken and delight is shown in many photographs. God listens to our prayers!

We rejoice in His Answers! Restoration and Love.

We  went to a party, 15 years ago, with people we have known for over 2 decades. And this is someone who has done youth groups, hosted a Bible Study for people who are not Church goers, and has many friends from their main Church. Then changed Churches to get away from Politics. The husband was telling us he depressed and very angry. Telling us during the party, the 3 children ignore them. One works in the neighborhood and drives within a couple of miles to their family household and doesn't visit for a year.  And, in fact, drives back into the city to have an apartment. Their unspoken favorite child moved many states away and married someone they didn't think was a soul person. Their large, boisterous family house was quiet. Unbelievable to their father.  We have seen the same thing over and over. Children spoken of with heart sadness.

And we have seen life unfold for over a decade. One person who was on retirement pay told me about depression helped by exercising quite a bit. Suddenly a surprise, unplanned, an elderly, elderly uncle left them the cabin he was living in. And the glory and joy was, their grown children, live near the cabin. God is so good. 

But what happened to the people with 3 children, steadfastly being ignored? One was in Colorado and filled every weekend with sports for the children and outdoor mountain sports. Over the next ten years, they began to pull back from their children and their loud tones of direction. And found other aspects of life. And gradually this has improved. I would say the other, gifted cabin people and the people looking to the Lord, have had God's mercy.

Love!

And around town, I see very elderly grandparents being given toddlers and young children to care for. The part I'd like to pray about changing hearts - the elderly parents might have been handed new grandchildren from divorce. Something. My own mother declared she did not want grandchildren - never once babysat them. Eventually wasn't included in their birthdays. Why - no delight in grandparenting. No excitement. Feeling like the little grandchildren are burdens. Don't ever do this to the small children. We need to fill the world with God's Love. 

Warm hearts.  Especially as life hands us events to conquer. Feed the young with love and grateful attention.  Unburden worried minds by doing kindness. 

My Grandmother Bit lived in Oxford, Mississippi. She didn't often travel to see us, my father did not care for her. But in the visits she packed in a lifetime of Love. Her 4 great-grandchilden, 3 are named for her. She really overcame distance to give Love. And she married my step-grandfather when I was 10 years old, moving to Lake Texhoma.  Never know, what God will Bless and Bring.

Love!

And say, we should pray for the healing of the Nation. And hearts. The country of Israel.

2 Peter 3 The first paragraph Agrees with Jesus,

 trouble exists in this life. 

Remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles - have faith in all trials in life.

Scoffers scoff - when will 'that happen' ? 

God says this is part of problem-solving and happens just about the time the problem is finished. 

Eli was told his children had rotted, off with them. Samuel was told his children were rotten, off with them. Hezekiah was told his beloved children would face a life of hardship and never have the comforts Hezekiah had known. Hezekiah didn't even hiccup. These are praying, God filled people who seemed to shrug at the demise of their children. 

Jesus, was told by circumstance, His own family didn't measure up in seeking comfort.  And Jesus... waited for the time to come. Believing God was alive and working. Jesus Himself was patient with His own Mother, Brothers and Sisters

1/3 of adult children in the USA aren't interested in their parents.  

A friend we vacationed with for years, is a psychologist and was suddenly called by a large local Church, he doesn't attend, to do a set of  Church wide problem-solving Wednesday evenings. And he composed in his mind, what he would say, only to find out, the Wednesday evenings were about the sadness of parenting grown adult children. He was shocked to be asked this, nothing he'd thought about for these meetings was this subject. And upon being asked, he realized half of his 2 children, were in this exact situation. 

My husband's family has a history of the legal profession and stock trading. As our sons grew up and apart, we asked, in the last 2 years, upon parental blessing we received as parents passed on, if we could pass to them the ability to stock trade. Meh. And then we offered to give them my mother's good house, to bring them a life experiencing financial security. It was difficult even to get an answer from them.  Astonishing. We asked if we could help pay for a wedding reception to include Edward's 90-year-old mother, and received.... no answer. We have had 10 years doing Youth Ministry. My husband and I planned on a life being close to our sons. 

The Blessing and Example of Jabez

We all want Father God to speak the Blessing of Jabez.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; 

and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, 

“Because I bore him in pain.” 

Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, 

“Oh 

that You 

would bless me 

and 

enlarge my border, 

and 

that Your Hand 

might be with me, 

and 

that You would 

keep me from harm 

so that

 it might not bring me pain!” 

And God granted what he asked.

Jabez was pretty impudent to ask God. 

Beyond his circumstances labelled by life.

Jesus found Jairus, the synagogue ruler with the dying daughter, to be this honorable. And we do not see Jairus flop like a fish, create a scene, jump up and down saying he ruled the Synagogue. Except, like the woman from Tyre, Jairus really placed Himself at the feet of Jesus. And like the woman from Tyre, Jesus seemed too busy.

The Blessing of Jabez - was not to feel pain.

 Jairus certainly did not give Jesus any pain or harm. He knew Jesus was God. Exactly like the woman from Tyre. The anger of man does not produce the Righteousness of God. According to James, who grew up with Jesus. Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit - especially when addressing God Himself. A Blessing of Jabez, going along with faith and trust in the Goodness of God.

Abraham was told to have hope. God didn't tell him, but to have hope into his 80s. It had to be incredibly difficult when his grown nephew left Sarah and Abraham.  Abraham looked to God and continued to have life, even past Sarah's death. 

Anxiety 

Faith, Fear

and 

the Giant God Gong 

Scripture says people have faced

Jesus

as the wait upon God.

For us, being oddly a worrier or fearful or complaining

to God 

and asking Him about a lot of things 

that might 

Irritate 

the Almighty God of All

Jesus told the woman who reached out and touched the fringe of His Garment without asking - proved - The Spirit prays for us when we need God more than words say. 

And Jesus then recognized Power went out from ... "Him." We do not save ourselves, Salvation is a Gift of God.

Father God tells us, to Him, His Almighty Nature, all hearts are open, no secrets are hidden. Father God tells us to pray impudently to a friend. To ask about everything. And give thanks. Sometimes this genuine thanks can take an hour. To find, now, what was good about that?

Jairus is a declaration of Faith as well.
Jairus asked God and then gave God permission to be God. 

Jairus did quite a few things right.

1. Asking
2. Being impudent to reach past the circumstances of life and ask. Jairus was a 'ruler' and all that, after all.
3. Being humble to God, realizing Him as God. 
4. Being Patient. Believing something good was coming from not flopping like a fish. Pushed to being Strong.
5. Not throwing a jealous fit, God would stop to talk to a mere woman. Bleeding and begging woman. Pushy.
6. Not stopping God by saying, "Too Late!"
7. Like Jabez, Jairus swallowed his own pain to allow God the Majesty of Being God.
8. Jairus lived finding, the meak will inherit the earth.

Abba, Father God,

We Thank You for Renewing Your Mercies Every Day.

 Help us to keep Your truths. 

To be mindful and truly grateful

for Your Blessings.

Help us to build our Blessings 

You've given us people You call as Your Beloved. 

Help us to Please You. 

We ask more of You for Willing Blessings.

When life is overwhelming. 

When our prayers grow in number 

and the times we are frantic, 

we ask Your Love and Your Name carry 

and strengthen us. 

I ask You for the Goodness of God for the People You call Beloved. 

I ask for our Seeking You First 

and 

the Kingdom of Heaven to give us lives of Love, Peace and Joy.

The Disciples You told us in John 6 were fearful. 

You never left them. 

In many different storms, 

You say immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, 

“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Bless all our prayer concerns as we know as You found Nathanael 

- You hear our prayers. 

And we know 

Your Comfort.

To be with the saints in the Number when You march in. To have and find and dwell knowing more Heaven on earth. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Radical Message of the Gospel of Jesus

changed the face of the world. 

16 years after Jesus died, 

the Emperors of Rome began

a 300-year worldwide search to end the Gospels 

we readily have

today.

Romans 8

The University of Michigan 

has 300 intact Chapters of the New Testament 

from the late first century or early 2nd Century 

called Papyrus 46, 

all the Chapters are called Papyrus 46. 

The Gospels changed lives

 to renew Love, 

increase Hope, 

save lives 

and 

change the world.

We will lift up the cares of God's Good Creation 

and put Jesus on the Throne of God 

and 

for His Glory 

we will Trust all the Nations 

to come to His Brightness.

We will join the Communion of the Saints 

asking Jesus for more Heaven on earth. 

Seeking God first. 

And find His Commandment 

to Love one another.

Beloved of God, Jesus live in us always. 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord,

 make me dwell in safety.

Putting all of our cares upon the Lord Jesus Christ, 

for He makes our burdens light. 

We find rest for our soul.

Resting all our people, all our beloved, all of our cares in the Steadfast, 

reliable, determined, goodness 

and Love of Jesus. 

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You Lord Jesus 

Isaiah 7 ~ The Lord himself

 

House of David

John 19

35 The one who saw it has testified to this, 

and his testimony is true. 

He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 

36 Now these things happened 

so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

 

 

Isaiah 7

When the house of David was told, 

“Syria is in league with Ephraim,” 

The heart of Ahaz 
and the heart of his people 

shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

And the Lord said to Isaiah, 

“Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 

And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 

Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God:

“‘It shall not stand,
and it shall not come to pass.

For the head of Syria is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
And within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’”

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 

“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 

And He said, 

“Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. 

Behold
The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when He knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

In that day
The Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

In that day 
The Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

In that day 
A man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

In that day

Every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Today at Church, The Rector asked how many people feel they have an anxiety or worry? And almost everyone raised their hand. Every soul. 

The Strongest earthquakes in the last 20 years?

14 August 2021. Haiti. ...

28 September 2018. Indonesia. ...

12 November 2017. Iran. ...

19 September 2017. Mexico. ...

24 August 2016.

16 April 2016.

26 October 2015.

25 April 2015.

What is The Lord thinking? He is God of Love. God of encouragement. Comfort. Comforter. Help. Helper. 

 Psalm 97:2

 

Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Nahum 1:3

 His way is in whirlwind 

and storm, 

and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

God is Good, He just isn't a Tame Lion.

Why?

King Solomon's Throne with 12 Lions

House of David

1 Samuel 17:34 

David said to Saul, 

"Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. 

When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 

35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. 

When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 

36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; 

this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, 

because he has defied the armies of the living God.

 

37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion 

Nehemiah 9:5

5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said:

“Stand up 

and praise the LORD your God, 

Who is from everlasting to everlasting. ”

“Blessed be your glorious name, 

and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you

 of the gospel I preached to you, 

which you received 

and on which you have 

taken your stand.

1 Peter 5:1b

Share in the glory to be revealed

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in 

Job 11:15

Then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
you will stand firm
and without fear.

God tells us He is God of Encouragement.

Ephesians 2:18

For through Him 
we both have access 
to the Father by one Spirit.

Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Mark 3

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked.

34 Then He looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, 

“Here are my mother and my brothers! 

35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Isaiah 5:26, 29-30

He will raise a signal for nations far away,
and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!

29 Their roaring is like a lion,
like young lions they roar;
they growl and seize their prey;
they carry it off, and none can rescue.
30 They will growl over it on that day,
like the growling of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
behold, darkness and distress;
and the light is darkened by its clouds.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel 

I preached to you, 

which you received and on which you have taken 

your stand. 

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 

Stand firm, then, 

and do not let yourselves be burdened

 again by a yoke of slavery.

We have so many ways to pray and to relate to God, our Father. We can look with emotion, heart and lean into faith of mysticism to see David watched for the wind to blow and to do His Will upon the wind's direction. John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.  Or you could say, the wind was stirred by the movement of troops, and David was led by the Holy Spirit to act. 

You might say the hand of God created a volcano eruption, a tsunami and the Red Sea parted. Or you might believe Exodus 15, telling us the Breathe of His nostril, created the Red Sea parting. 

We could say the gates of hell shake us and we will stand in Jesus Christ.  What is important is to Love the Lord, Believe Him and act.  Even the small good we do, creates a faith God responds to with Great and Steadfast Love.  

In this time, to encourage one another in the Lord, creates a path and a shelter for the Holy Spirit to come and stay. No one loves drought, but we Love to see the Clouds and Winds do the bidding of our Father. 

 Psalm 97:2

 

Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Nahum 1:3

 His way is in whirlwind 

and storm, 

and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

We pray 

to rise

 to shine for Your Glory.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

Your Son.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You Lord Jesus