Isaiah 65:24 ~ Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

Before they call I will answer; 

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

We live in a time we really want to see answered prayer. And, yes, Covid is still active. But the population of the USA says 2/3rd's are closer to God and read Scripture more than before.

Life experiences tell us Christians know God answers their prayers. Today, I had this occur to me. Yesterday's Post was titled,  "Lifted Up".

Today, this week, has been, "remember how many years ago" week:

My mother had her 88th Birthday. Let's see, Edward and I have been married 35 years, we married when I was 22 years old and our niece Brooke was born the next year, she is 34. She married in 2011, she and Brad have been married ten years, and now they are having their first child. Making this, Susan and Brad's first grandchild!

My mother and mother-in-law are both 30 years apart from me, born in 1933, so this is the day of my mother's 88th birthday. We moved her from her house of 47 years. And travel from our house of 20 years once and twice a week for six months to visit both my mother and Edward's mother.

Mother had a Chocolate Mouse Birthday Cake, and I was hurrying outside her house.

I fell really hard in the front yard and landed on the sidewalk. I landed on my hand and knee, my hand had part of my knee on my hand.  I cried like a child, loudly and sobbing, it hurt so badly. I couldn't even move off from the terrible position. The fall was so swift, I wasn't aware I was falling. 

When I finally felt I could move, my hand, my whole left hand, didn't move. It was utterly, it was utterly broken. The fingers were splayed apart. My hand, I couldn't get it to move curl or straight, it just was limp. Finally, my hand would move, but not my fingers. And I knew that I'd have to go to the ER until Friday. Then I realized my knee hurt. Edward had arrived and I was sobbing loudly, unable to stop.

15 minutes later, I could stand up and sob, still like a child. By the time I could stand up, my hand worked perfectly and has a small scrape. Pebbles dotted my palm where my had had landed on the sidewalk. I know my hand didn't work and looked frozen and useless.

Within 30 minutes, we were traveling home. Moving briskly down the interstate. And as we drove home, we saw a huge rainbow.  This was a mere tens of minutes later, from the accident, and I had amazingly recovered from. But I just couldn't look for the whole Rainbow. I was too jarred and pained to twist, to look for the whole rainbow by Downtown Dallas about 8 pm.

Genesis 9:12-17 LIFE

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” 17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

I said to the Lord, Yes Jesus, Life! I prayed if you want me to see the whole Rainbow, I know you healed my hand. And then there was a shadow, a double Rainbow. And I said, "GOOD WITH ME!

THANK YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST!"

And then the whole Rainbow appeared bottom to top the beginning and the end.

As I sat to write the Post, I just realized the Post is, "Lifted Up". Jesus the Lord is GOOD!

Abba, Father,

Dwell in us.

With the Light of Jesus Christ,

help us to be a joy for You to know us.

We want to seek You first.

And end well.

We earnestly seek this blessing for those we Love

and give You thanks for the people You have given us.

So many prayers, You uphold the Universe by Your Word.

And we pray diligently, sometimes for years like

Grandmother Anita for her beloved son, Jimmy.

And 7 decades of Prayer became Joy.

Today, I cried like a small child for the hurt felt in an accident.

And suddenly, before I could even ask, in the shock, hurt and surprise,

I didn't even pray yet, just cried.

Your Love and Mercy are overwhelming.

Thank You.

Bless our State,

we are experiencing so many new Covid cases in Texas and surrounding Houston.

The vaccinated are unharmed, mostly.

We pray for Haiti and Afghanistan.

For our Nation to rebuild and heal, health, hearts and employment to 

Your Glory, Jesus Christ.

We ask Your Help for all the world.

And rest all our daily concerns

in Your Capable Hands and Love.

Grace upon Grace.

Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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Isaiah 40:3-5 ~ Lifted up

 

Isaiah 40:3-5 

A voice cries:

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

and 

every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

When would God speak tenderly to His People?

When would Father God comfort His people?

In the Vast Love, our God of Hope, God of Love, God of Encouragement - we find out. Days would come. We read the news.

When everything is in question. So many changes. To destabilize the world - nothing is comfortable. When we are all uncomfortable - then we are easily scattered. Fake News?  Less likely to work for our families and pull for all their future. Hezekiah became so concerned with how huge Assyria and the future was - he just gave up and shrugged when it came time for his children's futures. And Hezekiah was Quite a Saint. Hezekiah was raised to give up Judea to the Assyrians - to become a puppet king to the powers that be. Instead, Hezekiah fought bravely. But we can't give up on our children as easily as Hezekiah did.

We will Give the Comfort of God.

We will Seek the Comfort of God - for our Families and the people He has given us.

We Will. In Jesus Christ.

Days would come.

God spoke so tenderly to His Beloved People - after Jesus died. Brings tears to my eyes. Jesus said not to weep for Him, weep for us.

Father God knew the vast changes coming. In 16 years religious persecution was really upping the ante. At 70 A.D. For 325 years. Father God knew the sheep would come forward looking for our Jesus. They were like sheep going astray, but now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. Can you fathom it - His Son was Killed. God our Father would comfort us.

To Father God, a day is like thousands of years.

Comfort, Comfort My People

This is what the probable, 2 million people, flooding the 36 acres in the Temple right- after the First Easter - Saw:

Colonnade left from King Solomon's Portico. Could be from the First Temple used in the Second Temple. John 10:23. A portion of the Temple, according to Josephus History of the Jews. 5:5, section 1; Ant. 20:9, section 7, remained from Solomon's time. It rose from a great depth, occupying part of the valley, and supported by a wall 400 cubits high, formed of immense stones, some 20 cubits long. The Chaldeans spared it, for the strength and beauty. This is where the Remnant left from the Babylonian Exile worshiped.

Jesus the Lord walked in the Colonnade left from King Solomon's Portico. 

God's Plan is so far back - as the people gathered to find Jesus - this comfort of Solomon, of David holding the material, of Jesus - The Portico was there for the multitudes after Jesus died.

Acts 2:6       
And at this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  

Acts 5:12 -15      
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.     
        
Joel 3:14 
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

 A very active time after Jesus was crucified.



 

We can see this today. Our Grandparents wouldn't have. But Technology has allowed your eyes to see part of Solomon's Portico.





In Crisis. People prayed.

Acts 1:14
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Mary and her children were with the believers.
 Unified in God's Care.

You are God's Temple

 Father God knows your path through this great wilderness and journey. 

These many years, the LORD your God has been with you. 

God has carried you these many years 

and

 He will safely lead you.

 Mark 9:24 

 After Jesus questioned the father, Jesus told him, 

“All things are possible for one who believes.” 

You are God's Temple.

God the Almighty, Creator of All Things. Our Father Who Knows the Heavenly Host by name. 

Abba with us as we view the stars, babies, weddings. Moments we know Emmanuel, God with us. God within. 

Philippians 1:18-22 

 Yes, and I will rejoice, 

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful work for me.

And give You Thanks for the many Years and Eternity where You will Continually Bless us.

Thank You, You Dwell in us.

Help us to always seek You first.

We want to end well.

Please Well Bless our Families

and Loved Ones.

Thank You, Father God for the amazing ways we have all witnessed Healing 

and answered prayer. Your Word upholds the Universe. Thank You.

We give You thanks for Your Word telling us You Delight 

to bring Your Good Will and more of Heaven upon earth.

Amen in Jesus.

Abba, Father God,

I sing a song of the saints of God,

patient and brave and true,

who toiled and fought and lived and died

for the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,

and one was a shepherdess on the green:

they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,

God helping, to be one too.

 They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,

and 

God’s love made them strong;

and they followed the right,

 for Jesus’ sake,

the whole of their good lives long.

And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,

and one was slain by a fierce wild beast

And there’s not any reason, no, not the least,

why I shouldn’t be one too.

They lived not only in ages past;

there are hundreds of thousands still;

the world is bright with the joyous saints

who love to do Jesus’ will.

You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,

in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;

for the saints of God are just folk like me,

and I mean to be one too.

Our Alleluias 

are in Jesus Christ.

Aaaaaaaamen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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Mark 11:27-12:12 ~ Authority

 

May 2020 Rioters and News Media Clashed all over, especially in Atlanta.

Mark 11:27-12:12

27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 12

12 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;

11 this was the Lord's doing,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

When Jesus began to engage daily in Conflict, He fought to be all in. And as a result Jesus' ministry

lasted the entire duration Jesus wanted His Ministry to last.

The Gospels teach us the crowd began as entire towns on day one, 3 thousand or more. And the crowd became what the Gospels tell us was "Great Crowds." 'Multitude' describes 2 Million according to Josephus, in "Antiquities of the Jews", and this happened when all of Israel realized Jesus is Alive.

When Jesus spoke of His Return, He made the Statement: "The Son of Man would not find faith on earth."  Jesus also said, all the Gospels would be known throughout earth. This has not occurred.

Jesus did not lose crowds over His conflict. 

He pulled up concerns all-the-travel-to-Jesus-people had noticed. John the Baptist routinely denounced Herod running the Temple married to his brother's wife. The people had noticed the hypocrisy in pleasing the Roman Government. Herod had built the Royal Stoaa housing the Money Changers in the Roman Style. Pilate had a violent riot, killing Jews on a High Holy Day.

The verses end, teaching us the agitators left. 

Today, the agitators continue.

The unreasonable lying is boring. Conversely, to the time of Jesus, we have reached velocity news viewer

 loss. The Conflict isn't unique. It isn't fair, it is repetitive, boring, lying, lacking common sense, apart from the Greater Population Desires. Feeds nonsense and lack of moral compass. Breaks all tradition of moral fighting behavior. And assumes the viewer is unintelligent and easily shocked, amused or led. Bold statements are made, not gracious, not based in fact. This level of dishonesty isn't going to be able to have a firm foundation.

Jesus only lost people - one time. 72 Disciples did not want to know the reality of eating and drinking Jesus. Jesus uniquely claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Jesus was proclaiming a level of faith and reality the 72 Disciples could not adhere to.  Jesus was always constant. And His Claims did not suddenly change one day.

AUTHOR

Greg Koukl

A. Jesus either directly or indirectly made many profound claims for Himself:

The Son of God (Matt 26:63)

The Son of Man (Matt 16:13; Mk 14:62)1

Giver of eternal life (Jn 10:28)

One with the Father (Jn 10:30)

One Who Forgives Sin (Mk 2:10)

The Bread of Life (Jn 6:35)

The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11)

The True Vine (Jn 15:1)

The Great “I Am” (Jn 8:58)

Before Abraham (Jn 8:58)

The Giver of  Living Water (Jn 4:10)

The Light of the world (Jn 8:12)

The Future Judge (Jn 5:22–23)

The Lamb of God (Jn 1:36)

* The Lamb of God is the Lamb loved, cared for, held to avoid blemish and then sacrificed to the sorrow of all. Sacrificial and Beloved. Undeserved death. Stained. 

The Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16)

The Door of Salvation (Jn 10:9)

The Savior (Jn 3:14–16)

The Messiah (Jn 4:26)

The Healer (Lk 18:42)

B. The greatest claim: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (Jn 14:6).

This is the cornerstone claim of Jesus because it subsumes all other claims under one of these three categories.

1. The Way

• Lit. hodos, “a natural path, road, way” (Vines, p. 668).
• Used to refer to Christians because they represented “the way” to salvation (Acts 19:23).
• Jesus is the exclusive source of salvation. He’s not a way but the Way.
• This is the most offensive claim of Jesus, it seems.
• It is the first claim that is jettisoned when Christian groups begin to get “tolerant.”
• Yet there are at least nine separate lines of reasoning that the Scripture gives demonstrating why Jesus is the only true “way.”
• Jesus is the source of salvation for the world (Acts 4:11–12).
• Jesus is the Father’s choice (Jn 6:28–29).
• Rejection of Jesus is rejection of the Father (Jn 5:23b).
• Rejection of Jesus results in God’s wrath; belief in Jesus rescues from wrath (Jn 3:36).
• Jesus is the one who provides forgiveness from sin (J 8:24).
• Jesus will be man’s final judge (Jn 5:26–27).
• Many impostors will claim to provide salvation (Matt 24:4–5).
• But there are no other alternatives for salvation (Gal 2:21).
• Therefore, all nations are to be given this Gospel (Lk 24:47).

2. The Truth

• Lit. aletheia, “The reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.... Not merely ethical ‘truth,’ but ’truth’ in all its fullness and scope” (Vines, p. 645).
• Jesus is the substantial foundation of all reality.
• 3. The Life
• 
  
• Lit. zoe, “Used in the NT of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, the life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself” (Vines, p. 367).
• Life which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself (Jn 5:26).
• Life from which man has become alienated as a result of the fall, “...excluded from the life of God” (Eph 4:18).2
• This “life” is a reference to Jesus deity. Jesus is the life; He doesn’t merely have the life. He is the source of it

3. The Life

• Lit. zoe, “Used in the NT of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, the life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself” (Vines, p. 367).
• Life which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself (Jn 5:26).
• Life from which man has become alienated as a result of the fall, “...excluded from the life of God” (Eph 4:18).2
• This “life” is a reference to Jesus deity. Jesus is the life; He doesn’t merely have the life. He is the source of it.

4. Conclusion:

Jesus is God in the flesh, 

representing to man all that God is and His plan for mankind (Col 1:15–22).

The phrase “Son of Man” is actually a messianic title from Daniel 7:13.  

Zoe is also used of that life which is the common possession of all animals and men by nature 

(Acts 17:25)

Completely astonishing,

Jesus had 3 years of Ministry.

Jesus drove out the money changers from the Temple.

John 15:27 - He told His apostles that they would bear witness of Him because they had been with Him from the beginning.

John 21:24 - John wrote his personal testimony and testified that it was true. [John 20:30,31]

2 Peter 1:16-18 - Peter denied they had followed fables about Jesus. He claimed instead that they were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Matthew 7:15-20 - Beware of false teachers.

Matthew 15:13,14 - If the blind leads the blind, both fall into the ditch. God will root up all such leaders.

Matthew 3:17 - At Jesus' baptism, the Father spoke from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 17:5 - At the Transfiguration the Father again spoke from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

Matthew 16:13-17 - As it is today, some people in Jesus' lifetime thought that He was just a prophet. But in contrast, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Rather than rebuking Peter, Jesus said that the Father Himself had revealed this to Peter.

John 4:25,26 - When the Samaritan woman suggested that Jesus might be the Messiah (Christ), Jesus directly acknowledged that was who He was.

John 9:35-37 - He told a blind man He had healed that He was the Son of God.

Matthew 26:63-66 - During His trial in the presence of His enemies, Jesus acknowledged that He was the Christ, the Son of God.

What a contrast. Jesus filled with the Sovereign Lord, proclaiming Good News to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaimed freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Jesus accused of gluttony and being a drinker,

 Jesus proclaimed the Joy of the Lord.

Abba, Father

We pray You:

Isaiah 49

Saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’

    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

They shall feed along the ways;

    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;

10 they shall not hunger or thirst,

    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

    and by springs of water will guide them.

11 And I will make all my mountains a road,

    and my highways shall be raised up.

12 Behold, these shall come from afar,

    and behold, these from the north and from the west,

    and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

    break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people

    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Abba, Father God,

Thank You for Jesus.

Help us to always seek You first.

Dwell in us Daily. Know every aspect of our Being.

We ask Your Willing Blessings for us

and for those we Love.

To be part of Your Love and Encouragement in Jesus Christ.

Help us to seek You first.

And to end well.

Blessed be the Highest Name of Jesus.

You desire to save the world in Jesus Christ.

We lift up our Nation to You for Your Mercy and Help.

Blessings upon this Nation in Jesus, we pray.

We ask to see more of Heaven on earth 

and pray for Your Good Creation.

We pray for Haiti and earthquakes, Alaska with earthquakes

and 3 volcanoes. War torn areas.

Mercy of Jesus we pray.

Bless those we Love.

Bless our families.

Thank You for Hearing our Prayers. 

We thank You for our Blessings.

Peace. Better than the riots from last year.

We pray for those who are so concerned and not saying.

We ask Your mercy upon the dying. My mother.

We pray for families to find wisdom and Love in encouragement

and the discussions we need to know one another. 

Help families strengthen one another.

Bless our efforts to

communicate.

We pray You Reign over the Changes of Life

we do not control and ask Your Capable Love upon these days.

Your Mercy and Willing Help. Comfort. Comforter.

Bless us with Healing worldwide.

Willing vaccinations.

Freedom.

In the Most Loving, Most Capable,

Highest Name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near 

to the throne of grace, 

that we may receive mercy 

and find grace to help in time of need.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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