Zechariah 9:9 ~ Rejoice Greatly

Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights above.

2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for at his command they were created,

6 and he established them for ever and ever—

he issued a decree that will never pass away.

 7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

stormy winds that do his bidding,

9 you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all cattle,

small creatures and flying birds,

11 kings of the earth and all nations,

you princes and all rulers on earth,

12 young men and women,

old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,

the praise of all his faithful servants,

of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.

Advent is the Preparation for Christmas. However, on Saturday, I was at Hobby Lobby buying trim for my den sofa when our puppy Poodles decided to rip up the sofa skirt to get back the tennis ball. And the crowd at Hobby Lobby was mothers and daughters of all ages preparing for Christmas. Seeing very elderly people preparing for another Christmas. And as I've walked in neighborhoods with the puppies, Christmas trees are being put up with early bird Christmas lights.

We just can't pretend Christmas isn't in Preparation Mode.

Recently I was asked why Santa Claus doesn't show up at Church to draw in the little children. We kindly observed Santa doesn't arrive at Church.

Why?

We are the children of God, we sit on His Lap and talk to Father God. Who Loves us!!!

Galatians 4

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 
crying, “Abba! Father!”

7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

The real story of St. Nicolas becoming the gift-bringer of Christmas was to get young women out of slavery.


Seasons. We don't want to fall back into stockades and say Christmas is just one day. We don't want to delete Christmas Carols and proclaim this is for after Christmas when babies - are - lovingly prepared for. We don't want to have Less Than JOY for all the work Christmas is. Season of Love Comes Forth!!! We just don't want to Rudolph up and forget the Joy of God bringing us Love in the Birth of His Son.

Live the Joy.

Seasons.  A few years back, when I was volunteering days a week for Pro-Life and Mothers with Babies and doing STD Testing, we had a very devoted woman volunteer who loved going to Church. All her life, she loved going to Church. It was something she looked forward to doing. Sunday was absolutely the First Day of the week. And her husband fell ill with cancer his mother had died from. When it was discovered it was in the 4th stage. Their Church was close and loving and she said after 2 years - she dreaded and dreaded going to Church. She had to give the weekly cancer report from 5 to 40 people who were in various grim and worried stages for their family from her husband's hereditary cancer. Up to 40 times, good friends wanted to know if he was ok. And then the conversation would decide if they should lovingly prepare her for widowhood or rejoice.

We all prayed for what she should do. And we decided she would say, "If you don't mind, I've talked about cancer all week and, today, I just need to be with the Lord on Sunday." In two months, she said this was really working. Sunday was great again. (Her Husband miraculously of Jesus beat the stage 4 cancer!)

I know this happens today, too. Sometimes people under great stress go to other Churches to be anonymous worshippers.  Really, really Support Groups talk about how to survive the support. :)
And never, never be stopped from caring. One Pastor's Wife still talks about the 16 Angels who shared bringing dinner on Chemo Days. The care itself was Survival of Love and Hope.


Seasons. Sometimes in the middle of Joy and Holidays, we find people who have lost a child. Lost a Spouse. In the middle of crisis. And great emotion is going to happen. What better place than Church. One member of our family found suddenly a childhood divorce of mother and family was being re-examined. Suddenly tears happened only in Church. Grief for all things and all times is like a rogue wave that will strike you without warning. And this is only just human growth. Sitting on God's lap in God's house.

Now, I won't finish this thought without this Sincere, Worthy and Profound Message.

Seasons.
Of all the people I know who Cry in Church, these are the people you will find have Miraculous Memories. Miraculous Events. God tells us Joy comes in the New Day. We will find Joy. We will have the Comfort of Love. And the people brave enough to face the emotions in a fairly public place - are going to heal. No sitting in the isolation of a bedroom to mourn. Finding real people have real lives and share and bother and pray and hope and encourage and bother and overcome with Jesus Christ.

There is nothing in the New Testament not dealing with upset, bother, discomfort and then Love, Joy, Peace, Faith and Hope.

Celebrate Your Season. Celebrate Love. Work past what is discomfort. And find in doing so we walk with Jesus in Awe of His Goodness.

Christmas Trees Decorated with Family Photos

Abba,

You renew Your Blessings each day, give us the heart and soul to see all Your Blessings.

Help us to Live Abundantly seeing Your Path in our Life. Our Blessings are like the Path of the Children of Israel to Freedom, You might have flown the Children of God to the Promised Land like Jesus in the Boat - immediately - at the other side in John 6. We have to have Faith to see Your Path is in our desire to Please You.

You are The Good Shepherd. You are The Door. Life Abundant. And in believing You, learning who we are, we find we are more interested and concerned for those around us. In making the Path for 40 Years, the Children of God were willing to work the Gifts of God given to them. This work and this Hope created the Faith and Love You gave us in the Old Testament and New Testament Holidays.

Develop in us Your Willingness to use the gifts and talents You give Your Beloved to make Life Abundant.

We ask for Elliott - who has so much faith - for the continued healing of Your Love and Word. His family is in Awe of You, Jesus Christ. We pray for Peace and Love for all in Jesus Christ.

Giving Jesus our Thanks for His Mission to save the world. For saving the Lost.

The Blessing of asking for more of Your Good Will done on earth as in Heaven. For This Day. This Present Joy. For our Loved ones to know Your kingdom, Your Power and Your Glory.For Nations trusting You. Covered in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Luke 11:1-4 ~ pray

Luke 11:1-4

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

The Italian Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci has Jesus enthralled in Life, surrounded by many thoughts and emotions. The Russian Last Super 1863, canvas, oil, by Nikolai Ge had Jesus very burdened. Leonardo did his research well. But how are we to take this portion of Luke 11 without thinking it is fairly pointed and without gracious discourse?

This weekend I was having a conversation about a mother and daughter dreaming the same dream the same night, with some different details. My thoughts were advice to write down the dreams and put them in envelopes with all the details and see what Father God would bring. We live in the New Covenant where God Himself tells us He will live in us and tell us what He thinks.


A Youth Minister, who was superb about the time this century began, was very respected in his profession. When he went home to his far away hometown, his family found him irksome, tiresome and self-important. He was young and he wanted to discuss with the more mature people in his congregation why this happened. The New Covenant. His family did not expect a twenty-something young man to teach them anything about their decades of Relationship with God.


And yet we'd all have a sneaking suspicion to ask each other how we pray.
Like an Eggnog Recipe.

Abraham didn't seem to have any trouble about his God conversations. Both the Pharaoh of Egypt and King Abimelek wanted to have conversations with Abraham about their conversations with God and their ideas about God. The difference is probably Old Testament to New Covenant differences.

Abraham just simply talked to God and heard the answers. Moses did the same. And I know several people today who have this experience sometimes. Others are like me and just have an idea of understanding from Father God. Especially while reading Scriptures.


Many times people were asked how will we boldly and with confidence approach the Lord our God, Father of All? Isaiah wondered.


Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."


Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?


Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Micah 3:17
They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

Our God is God of Love. Always warmly treasure Him knowing how treasured you are.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Psalm 53 ~ God looks to see

Exodus 12:2

This month shall be for you the beginning of months.

It shall be the first month of the year for you.

Psalm 53

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath.
A Maskil of David.


The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.


1 Samuel 16:14-23 David had been making music since he was a young boy. Finding his gifts and talents. Finding Joy.

If we compare this to Scripture what would find? Jeremiah would recognize this as part of mankind (from the Royal Palace prison). Romans 1 would find this as part of mankind.

Amos would recognize Psalm 53

Amos 5
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 Instead let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings
during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?


When we seek Justice in our own lives, we suddenly realize we will need Blessings. And in seeking Blessings... the people of God turn to God and not their own ideas, God returns and Blessings occur.

David was angry for God for allowing Uzzah to die. Anger can lead to gloom and upsetting thoughts.

2 Samuel 6:7
When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah steadied the ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law, and he was immediately killed for his error.

David writes this Psalm and has anger with Father God. How did God react? He blessed someone else. God didn't fuss and stew, God moved on to have Joy, Love and Blessings.

2 Samuel 6
10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and The LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12 And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.

The Will of God is the WILL OF GOD.
And the people willing to let God be God find Blessings and Rejoicing.

Autumn ~ still time to bloom where we are planted!

2 Corinthians 7

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, 

and to which God has called him.

The Psalm song could have really been held up and used against David. We could find we sink into sadness. Change, trauma - many things will put us on a gloomy path. If we follow David's path - we find a Way.

How has David prepared? David certainly has enemies from within and without. We want to know how anointed David has a cup overflowing. Surely, we'd want to know how goodness and mercy follow David all the days of his life. We want to dwell in the House of the Lord every given day.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Psalm 87 ~ The Lord loves the gates of Zion

Psalm 87

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God. Selah

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah

7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

Jesus traveled around Zion. What is Zion?

Zi·on 1. the hill of Jerusalem on which the city of David was built.
2. (In Christian thought) the heavenly city or Kingdom of Heaven.

In Revelation we are told Heaven does not have an Ocean, instead has Shining Water. The Sea of Galilee is not an ocean, but it is shining water. Why wouldn't Jesus who gave His Father a new Heaven and a new earth - want some similarities? We are told that the new City is so elevated the city arrives from above.

We are taken care of in so many ways. We take careful thought to the Blessings He gives us.

God puts His gifts and talents in all of us. We might find each of us - gifted and talented, He calls this Springs of Living Water.

The Lord Loves the Gates of Zion. Jesus dwells in you, you are a Gate of Zion. A Child of God.

When Jesus chose where He would live, He chose with great care. Capernaum was one of the loveliest cities in all of Judea. Truly Beautiful.

Jesus knew Heaven as well as He knew Abraham, no doubt Jesus would chose wisely where to live.

We find in the Scriptures -

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

1 John 5:11
And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

2 Corinthians 1:21
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us

It's not really up to us to pick God, our Father. The Choice is God's. When God says He has put His Living Water in us, we have been chosen by God. God doesn't sigh and put up with people. God saves the lost. God saves the world in Jesus Christ. Proverbs 8 says God delights in His Creation and in mankind.


God has been choosing People for a long time. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Mount Arbel and the Temple look very similar. I believe this is a foreshadowing of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Abba,

Blessed to be chosen and Loved by God.

Blessed to ask for more of Your Good Will in Heaven as in earth. Blessed to be Given this day. Blessed to find Your Kingdom, Your Power and Your Glory as Life goes forth.

Blessed to have our prayers heard. Blessed to trust our Loved Ones to Jesus. Blessed to be the Children of God in Jesus Christ. Blessed to have Hope, Faith and Love.

Blessed. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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