1 John 4 ~ Dear

Cute enough for the little ones, not so appealing at age 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and on.

1 John 4

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.

This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.


Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen (John tells us he is an actual eyewitness) and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.


16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.

20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister







So - this love business and the anti-love advice - What's it good for?


If you say to someone 'Eschatology' - we realize there is a level of worry in all readers to the news publications and newscasts. We are in uncharted waters of invention and time and space. No toga here. The absolute giggling relief of the population - thinking about Halloween candy fear is just about completely unjustified. And Ted Bundy. And red moons. And porn is the ruin of the internet. Except the statistics also reflect prayer and Bible verses are extremely sought after on the internet.

Do we talk about the weather? Na, we talk about the World Wide Wrestling event in the NFL. We talk about politics delicately at first and then with the zeal, fervor and tact of the 1st century Romans. I tell you what - win, lose or draw - President Trump is built for the backlash like a triple decker nuclear safety facility. I hope Barron, his son, has the same backbone. This is bravery to face this. Absolute sheer bravery. You don't have to like Donald Trump to see the bravery.




So Boston, recently, with 25-40,000 rally-ers  has caused Martin Luther, Jr. to cheer in Heaven!!! His dream is Alive.

Where are we - we have a national past time telling each other how deeply flawed and off track and sad the world is today. Good News - according to the Bible - God still has ownership of His Creation.

We are a nation looking at the times at hand. Continually. I was at the grocery store during the election and a Rapper was at the Pavilion with 70,000 ticket holders listening to him. (I heard on the microphones outside the Pavilion.) As he closed, he thanked the audience for their time, their money and his joy in performing and looking forward to each event like a child. His career, he related, is possible because the people want to pay their hard worked dollars to come to hear him. His Joy. Profound Joy for their interest. He went on to say - he wished the Presidential Candidates - this was during the election - would apologize for the absolute garbage they all put on the American people hoping their Government does right. The Crowd Stood and Cheered him for 10 minutes non-stop.

We are united!!! We want the people who lead the enforcing the Law to be good.







What does this have to do with the passage.

I have two neighbor stories to tell you. We had a quiet time in our loud neighborhood. All the kids grew up and moved away to be adults.

We got our first new neighbor in a long time. In her 30's, she moved in and ripped out everything. The house had been quite lovely before. And she snarled. Her face looked snarled up every time I saw her. I wondered what we would do with millenniums coming up in the world. Hey, now that's a sad commentary on the way we all say "millenniums." I struggled to speak to her pleasantly and she always acted as if she had dog poop on her shoe. Asked a few of our old neighbors, got vague back.

And like Joel Olsteen said, "God Blesses you, you drive down the street and BEHOLD - your neighbor has a FOR SALE SIGN!!!" (I like Joel Olsteen - my friend Michele offices across the street from him and his Church 'Routinely" floods from small rains. Put up job - cough, cough. (If you don't like Joel Olsteen - well, ok, you deal with that.)

So, the scowler moved. And the other new neighbor literally did a dance. Hands in the air and body moving down the road. She lived closer to her than I. And my mouth fell open and she said, "According to the departed, Houston is horrible, our neighborhood is horrid, the weather is horrible, the people here are horrid, our schools are horrible and she is leaving!!!!!"

ARRIVAL - we got 5 new millennial families and their kids and the neighborhood has flocks of smiling children, smiling moms, sidewalk chalk, toys looking like Nemo, Cars and Monsters Inc. and all are amazingly, amazingly, smiley, happy and FUN. Millennials - whatcha gonna do with 'em!!!



Now I told you that story, to tell you this story.

We have a man neighbor, for many years living here, who is impeccable. He is dignified, handsome and is always accompanied by his child. He speaks to his child as a very, very accomplished parent. Except, he can be tightly impatient with flaws. He deals with the passerby with complete disdain. He sneers. His face contorts. And it is - Hurtful. I ran into him a dozen times and he is most pleased I do not acknowledge him or his child, now. One day, a woman who was in her 40's, passed him and spoke. He gave her exactly what he gave me. I saw this woman looked shocked and gathered power in her face to possibly, really weep tears. He saw this, the child saw this and I saw this. She was in an audience of 4. She was now dead even with him on the walk. I said to her, "Don't worry about a thing! He does not SPEAK." What?  "Do not allow this to bother. Disregard. He does not SPEAK." Sunshine.

The man was most displeased. SCORE...!!!






So  - what will we do with this information?

We are not going to let the Scriptures pass us by. Yada yada love yada yada yada. No - hold on wait. Hear with the ears of your heart. Ok, we know the 'old phrases'. People. People. People. Who told us there is - yesterday, today and tomorrow - wheat/chaff? Chaff is the silt getting in the way of producing food - nourishment and nutrients. Chaff is SO Annoying - it blows in the way. BLOW IT OFF.


Jesus was not kidding. Let the dead bury their dead. Why... in the world... do you think the world is fixated on... Zombies?  Yep.







Now listen, Agggggggies I have another Story to tell you. Listen UP, AGGGIESSSS.

A man had a daughter. He spoke to her endlessly. He was fun, funny, genius. He sparkled. He cooked. He told jokes. He made meaningful stories. He was a rolling ball of entertainment. He loved to have parties and people. Boats, photography, antique cars. Model making of rolling objects. He made dueling pistols and carved the handles. He had loads of fun every week. Life was a party.

Until. The Passerbys wanted his polite attention. Then he could be the Iceberg of the Titanic. This was not on his planned agenda. Who was 'this person'? The child was embarrassed. I know - I was this child.

My father loved Jesus. When Jesus was convenient. He disliked Church - the people were so - so - so - perfect. Chilly. (Chilly? The things people point out.)




On New Year's Eve day - I walked into our acreage home with attached garage, as a 5th grader, and found we were being robbed by 15-25 very tall motorcycle team males. Taken: food, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, all the contents of the freezer and probably, according to Police - just about anything else until they were interrupted by a child.

Coincidence. The man who is the cold neighbor (above story) was robbed for a week as he and his family were out of town for a week. Coincidence. Both neighborhoods are just about crime free. I was told in later years by a friend of a friend that my father was robbed because he was cold. Another neighbor, robbed, is routinely cold to his clients and after being robbed for 6 hours of robbery shopping - he said he knew it was his client. (Because a client had threatened him with this.)

This didn't work out very well for O.J.

The people who bother you - probably - bother others. Sadly, my father - whom I adore to this day avidly - did not end well. We are all - all of on this planet - building ... somewhere.





What would Jesus do?

Jesus - when He returned and defeated Death itself - Jesus is not recorded whining about what went on in Caiaphas' Temple. Jesus didn't go out to lunch and explain how Caiaphas was all messed up and troubled. Jesus forgave Caiaphas and moved on. Jesus let the dead bury their dead.

God is in charge. When His Son died - The Holy of Holy was revealed - the Curtain couldn't tear and yet the Curtain did tear. The floor of the Temple split open. A very - vast - statement when you consider the height of the foundation Herod had built. This is a God Sized Statement. Caiaphas had a very, very nice sarcophagus. Archaeology has found Caiaphas' tomb, sarcophagus and ruins of home. The dead were indeed left to bury their dead. God is in charge. Interestingly, there was more intact of Caiaphas forgiven than the building of the Temple.



Now what are you going to do not to bitter up? Jesus left us words He has spoken.


What's the response. Well, upon thinking about this - the response is this:

1, This is a perpetual, generations long opportunity to see the Word of God. Jesus fully and completely and by example and by worded advice - routinely faced. (The old phrases have a lot of meaning - when we are looking at them with fresh eyes, heart and soul.)

2. The Light is not overcome by the darkness.

3. Not bitter up. Not join up.

4. A Sure Defense = Prayer!!! Jesus has assured us - we have access to our Father. This Prayer is going straight past the 12 open Pearl Gates of Heaven right to Our Father:







Abba, Abba, Abba,

I am Your Child. Beloved of God.

Consider the one who has offended me:

Be kind to your fair feathered friends
for a duck may be somebody’s mother (father)
Be kind to your friends in the swamp,
where the weather is very damp.
You may think that this is the end.
Well - we pray.

Especially in October,
Dear Father,
From Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long Legged Beasties
From things that go bump in the night,
Good Father deliver us!!!

Our Father,
Who is in Heaven,
Holy is Your Name.
Jesus above All Names.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will on earth as in Heaven, we pray.
Give us this Day.
Our daily Living Bread Jesus.

Forgive me my sins,
as I forgive others who sin against me.

Lead me not into temptation,
Deliver me from evil.

Because as John bears eyewitness,
Thine is the Kingdom,
the Power
and the Glory.

We take the offender and place them in Your Loving arms.
In the name of Jesus, we gird up their loins with Truth, putting on the breastplate of Righteousness.
The helmet of Salvation. The sword of the Spirit - the Word of God. The shield of Faith. Clothing their feet in the Gospel of Peace. Praying trouble down and God's Love up.

Forever and ever in the Name of Jesus -
please cover the ones I love,
the people You've given me, increasing the Holy Spirit in our
Churches, cities, states, to the Nation and the world.
Covering us with Jesus, our Wonderful Jesus.
Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Acts 7:48-50 ~ Heaven is His Throne

We have talked about God's purpose for us in life being the first verses of John 14. We are invited to God's House - why wouldn't God send us circumstances to show what foundation we built upon and where we built to eternity.

We have talked about the Exodus being God's care for the quality of life available.

Is God interested in Sustained Happiness?






We are always seeking the Balance. If we build on the foundation and fortify our lives to remain secure in God's Blessing - have we risked enough to do for the least of the Kingdom of God - where Jesus says what we do with the least of the brethren - we have done to Christ Himself.

God is telling us to build - God is telling us to risk.

In fact, God tells us after we build on the Rock of Christ that the Holy Spirit comes into Mose's life as fire. And also to the Disciples of Jesus Christ. Hebrews, Paul with the Holy Spirit, tells us our God is a consuming fire.



And with this fire, we wonder if we have done what pleases God, the Almighty. If we are humble as we consider the Word of God:

Acts 7:48-50

48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’


We do not Give God happiness to buy His Joy. Abraham believed God and God considered him righteous. Abraham is a prime example. He went where God asked Him to Go. Abraham argued to God the Almighty for Mercy for others.

David believed God's major component is Love and Mercy.

And the Scriptures support the Scriptures. Abraham went to lengths to move where God told him. David went to lengths to have the anointing of God. Moses? What does he tell us of the Blessings of God? Actually, Moses travels far to tell of the Blessings of God and these are hidden in all the Books we say are boring. Filled with problems we don't face. Filled with the Law. The Truth is the Blessings of God are surrounded by works of faith in every day life.

Did they fail? Yes, all of the people of God have failed. All of them. And in belief rise in God again. We all deserve the judgment of God and we all have His Grace in faith.

Why would God surround the Blessings of God with the Law we cannot uphold? Why would God place the Blessings of God surrounded with boring rules. It's probably an analogy. We can't!!! Why Try???

The Grace of Jesus on Easter morning saying, "Your Father and mine." What Grace of a man flogged, beaten, mocked, giving HIS Life and giving us Grace. Worth the effort of try for the Goodness of God to us. He sees us. He wants us.

And one more case for why try? If you had to pick some of the horrors to avoid of the Pentateuch to come home and live with you, you'd probably pick to try for God. God has a clue.

Why did God our Father surround the absolute deepest and specific Blessings of Father God around 5 Books becoming increasingly difficult to read. The accusation is they are tedious and boring. An analogy of Life. The thinking we do at traffic lights is our life. What we think of as we begin the day. Think in the shower. The chores we repeat. Caution: Life is Happening.

We lay down our lives to have life. We give this life to others. No greater Love is to lay down our lives for one another.

And in this is tucked ... Jabez. The passion of the 1990s. Blessed by being more noble. Tucked into each day is the amazement of the Blessings of God. Keep trudging. Jabez had sustained happiness.

Who else has sustained happiness? Recently I had the privilege of praying over prayers offered to God. I wept for the Graciousness of the Prayers. The real prayers said, "I know Jesus. I am ok. I have people I love who don't know Jesus. Who live outside of His Grace and have tremendous difficulties." Just like Abraham. Just like David. Mercy for others.

Look at that Happiness and Consuming Fire photos match. Hmmm.

The Consuming Fire of God does not consume. Not Moses. Not the Bush. Not the Disciples. Jesus told us His yoke is easy. Many very devote Christians say to themselves, "What did I do?" St. Augustine answered. We have small lives and if we intensely love the few who are interested in us - we have done the call of Jesus. When we offer hope to the people we have been given by God in our lives - we have done well. God is God.


How will we please God? We believe Father God. We believe, we believe, we believe God has established all this life - all the prophets pointing to Jesus - Jesus Proclaims, Lives, Tells our hearts - God is for you!!! GOD LOVES YOU. All this life is for you to find you believe in the One God has sent to bring you - to live - in God's House. 1 Peter 1 tells us God's plan is so very precious to you, Angels longed to read of this plan for a very, very long time.



Abba,

Our Abba, we pray in unison with Jesus - to increase the Holy Spirit.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,

like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.

And in Jesus Christ - our years will have no end.


We pray for our Loved ones, our cares to matter to you,
we pray for the people You have given us.
Blessing the people who delight to give what is in their hand - like giving a dress for free.
Jesus bless these Ladies.
For the people who buy us coffee - Jesus bless them.
For the people who come to give you a word of encouragement and thanks - giving a Blessing.

Jesus Bless our Communities, neighborhoods, Church, State, Nation.
All the way to surrounding the World - we do with Jesus and Father God and the Holy Spirit in prayer.

What shall we see?

Jesus, our Jesus. wonderful Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
Jesus is the exact imprint of Your nature,
and Jesus upholds the universe by the word of Your Power.

After making purification for sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
and we will bow our knee and witness His Glory and know His Love.

In Jesus we pray, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

The Terrible Two's

On Monday, after the Post, I decided to write Tuesday and Wednesday. Really about being limber of the soul. Staying nimble to Love. In traditional terminology, keeping your heart open to be Loving and receiving the Holy Spirit.

I heard a sermon once about a Minister who was asked all the time as a man of God, what prayers he wanted. He always replied, "Please pray for me to finish well." And as the sermon progressed, we found the ongoing prayer request was fulfilled. He loved the Lord to his eternal life. His messages and ministry were effective until the end of this earthly life. He loved. His passing on was very peaceful.

Is this a surprise?

It's harder for older people to love. They have accumulated years of thoughts and emotions about life and events. There has been rejection for all of us. It's difficult to slow down. It's difficult to face pain, physical pain, as we age. I've known several large employers who were generous at the start, felt unappreciated and died as skin flint employers.

I have a very dear friend who faced grave depression. He went to the Doctor, and without any of what we would guess as a symptom, found his testosterone levels were 2% instead of 100%. He was sent to the Doctor of Urology in Baylor Medicine who researches and writes the tests for the young doctors of Medicine to pass the Urology Test. He said that old people (his words), "Are depressed because their cells do not receive the necessary hormone level." This expert went on to say all hormones, according to his 10 years of paid research should only be administered through topical creams. This way the body has a small dose and doesn't shock organs like the stomach with high doses of unusual hormones.

Our friend dramatically improved in mood. The Urologist says there is a male menopause.



Why discuss this in Scriptures? God tells us His first commandment is love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. And the second commandment is love yourself. To be nourished and able and willing and effective to love others.




Does this always apply to wrinkles, slowing down and life experiences? No.

Absolutely not. When you look at the Book given in Scripture - and then are given the Chapter - if you see the Chapter is 2 - expect grand conviction. Encourage and rebuke - Rebuke - this is the Truth. You are going to find when Father God says "Get with the Plan of God" in Chapter 2. Who went and made Him God? - Why - HE did.

The Blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk and the poor will have Good News... God. Amen.



And then...

We met John. Living well into the 2nd Century. Many experiences. Willing to jump to the task with vigor in the 2nd Century. And John writes 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and you melt and melt and melt for the absolute Love John carries for two centuries and picks up being more loving.

This tells us about being warm hearted, encouraging, leaning to the One who Loves you and wants to place you in the shelter of His pinions. John's life expands and expands as he realized the unbelievable reach of God's Love.



We have to be nourished in God to find this Love.
We have to be forgiving to find His Love.
We have to be willing to do like the Gospels and the New Testament and fail - to find this Love.
We have to be willing to continually explore His Mercies Renew. With expectation.

We have to find in the depths of frrrrusssssstraTion that we will rise up and continue.
We have to trust.
We have to Speak UP for Righteousness in Effective and Loving Ways of Positive Jesus Approach.
We do the Work God gave us Daily - To Believe in the One - Who Loves Us - and calls us to Rise Up.

Some days are storm laden, this is when Jesus says, "Rise up and go - from here." Guard the faith given to you as - cherished.

Climb out of the clouds, rise up, up, up to find the Glory of Blue Skies and Pristine Clouds to Find the Light of Jesus.



2 John

2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,
the Father’s Son,
will be with us in truth and love.


It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.
I ask that we love one another.

6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.

As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

John!

Eyewitness to Jesus.

               Steadfast to Jesus.

Increasingly Loving.

                                 Rising up on the wings of eagles in his old age:




1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.


Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

A Message of Biblical Proportions

Abba, Abba, Abba!

In the Glory of God's Love - Jesus - we will with the Holy Spirit -

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

We will make the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.


We believe and know we are in the presence of God as we pray. 12 Open Gates of Heaven - Jesus gives us access to our Father.

In His Home - where we are invited -
Jesus gives life to all things.

The Bravery of Christ Jesus, who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.

We will only with God's Grace in Jesus keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.



Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect!!!

We will press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

We will forgive - forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead

We will press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We will be one in that number as the Saints go marching in - Let those of us who are mature think this way

Only let us hold true to what we have attained.



Abba, You have told us - we have to WORK to believe in Jesus whom You have Sent.
We cannot lift ourselves. We will need Jesus.

For ourselves, for the ones we love, for the people God has given us.
For our job, for our communities, for our neighborhoods, for our cities, State to the Nation and the believing world of today and tomorrow.

Our Mercy and Love are Your Joy and make Heaven come to earth.

Amen to Abba, You promise to Hear us as we ask in the Name of Jesus. We are in expectation.

Jesus is our Savior, Thank You, The Word of God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

John 1:1-3 ~ that where I am you may be also

Standard
Plumb line of the Bible
John the Baptist called this making Straight Paths.

Difficulties in life. Jesus said we would have troubles. Sometimes what is critical defines us.






6,000 Children.  KSBJ Christian Radio Harris County and Montgomery County reports orphans and foster children are looking for a home to be loved and live with families. We have 6,000 Churches.

God does the same thing. Who will He have into His Home? Why we keep Hope in our mind, body and soul. To increase our Holy Spirit.

Making Love and mercy, because of Jesus - our Standard.

John 14:1-3

“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.

God decides who He will have live with Him forever in His Home.




The Prodigal Son tells us the purpose of life. We develop our soul and mind and Spirit. Going to present ourselves to Father God. God is choosing us. Will we fit into His Home.





My grandmother Anita fed people during the Depression. One day, a Sheriff stood at her door with a badly beaten and burned child - brain damaged during his birth. A two year old. His first adoption had beaten him for being unable to be potty trained and burned him. He lived with my grandmother adopting him in 1930 until 1989. She loved her son.

The Sheriff might have chosen my grandmother for this baby's mother, but God knew exactly what He was doing.

We can trust - this wasn't always their easy lives.

And we can trust God when life isn't easy. Creating a place for the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us.





Abba,

Days arrive that are just storms. All seems pretty despairing.

And we have You come in and warm us with Love. And we are filled, nourished, Loved and filled with hope and Joy.

We pray this Goodness all over, covering those we Love. The people You have given to us. All of our cares. Many they sometimes are. Sometimes our cares are only Thanksgiving.

We take comfort in the Holy Spirit caring and loving those who pray to You. Surrounding Your earth loving those in conversation with You, Father and with Jesus.

We lift up all of our hearts and cares to Your Loving and Good Will.

Today we chose not to consume the whole pineapple of the things giving worry and concern. Instead we will focus on what is Good. Doing the work - what is in our hand to do - of Believing Jesus sent by Father God.

We believe Jesus is the Word of God. Revealing His Love and Goodness. We rejoice in His Word and Good Will. Jesus is Love.

Father God, turn the eyes of our Heart to see Your Good Will and Blessings.

Faith, Hope and Love make Life Joy. Gratitude releases our worries.

Making our soul a good place to be. Loving our God and bringing His Love forth around us as a Mother Hen to her chicks.

Increase our Jesus Christ Joy. We believe this accomplished!!! Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Philemon 1 ~ effective

If a line is drawn in the sand, where will you stand?

Philemon 1

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
5 because
I hear about your love for all his holy people
and your faith in the Lord Jesus.

6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective
in deepening your understanding
of every good thing we share
for the sake of Christ.

7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.

It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.

14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.

15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Seen as a grey line horizontally, the object is only a mirror - as we know mirrors today - only 500 years old.




The Imitation Game - a movie.

Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine. ~ Christopher Morcom


Paul was set to be upwardly mobile. Educated correctly, well placed. Top jobs. Correct political ideas. Believing in God.

And Paul met Jesus and went all over the European and Middle East world. Home arrest. Meeting Governors and Emperors. Mamertine Prison.



The Enigma destroyed and gathered the greatest code breakers - encryption solutions - of the U.K. Defeating the Nazis of World War II by understanding every message put out by the Nazi war efforts. Unfortunately, this led to secrecy and pain to use the message to the greatest effect possible. Defying detection to create a crucial victory. True hardship.

Later, after the war, the secrecy was ridiculous and short sighted. Taking lives and letting brilliance and heroicism be labelled as criminal. Costing the world loss. The death of a true hero.










A mirror is an object that reflects light in such a way that, for incident light in some range of wavelengths, the reflected light preserves many or most of the detailed physical characteristics of the original light. This is different from other light-reflecting objects that do not preserve much of the original wave signal other than color and diffuse reflected light.

If we take a message and make the message about our agenda - we have lessened the message. "All about me."


The Light of the World is Jesus Christ.



The first computer took all of the data and ran 159 million letters 20 million different ways for only 12 hours. And reset the message the next day.

Facts were processed. Statistics. Risks. Failures. Deaths. Grief. Trauma.









Nothing we would know about. We all live lives of perfection.

We do not need to know 1 in 3 adults in the USA will face alcoholism.

We do not need to know 50% of marriages without college degrees will end with crisis, embarrassment, financial implications affecting generations. Social implications changing the direction of lives as the divorced need a new life. Changing the hope of the fabric of family and love.

We do not need to filter the basic fact  - college debt collides with mortgages our grandparents didn't have. We do not need to look at the hopes of this debt laden generation.

We do not need to look at the correlation of marriage, home ownership (Thomas Jefferson said our hope of financial security is owning a home) family cohesiveness. The increasing division of 3 classes of society.

We do not need to know that as cancer death rates decrease, Alzheimer increases. We do not need to know suicide moves from the leading cause of death to 13%, a jump from the prior 11%.






We should probably look at the fact of marriage lasting from vow to death-due-us-part substantially increases with college education. God believes in the Exodus - slaves are given freedom.








And then, regardless, if you are the 1in 6 who experienced sexual molestation in the USA -


We have only one decision to make when we are faced with:

~ job loss

~ tragic accident or fatal accident

~ illness - the highest probability of bankruptcy

~ injustice

~ racism

~ crime

~ power struggles and attitudes used as weapons

~ families that do not care for one another

~ domestic violence

~ physical illness

~ labeling - false or true

~ aging

~ isolation caused by divorce, illness, distance for jobs, children growing up, widowhood









What Decision?

Is God Good?

Why this Question? Because even to decide there is no God - based up things like the variations of water used to create life on the planet. The intricacy of DNA. The inability to create dirt. The inability to reproduce ourselves without using what God has given us. The solar system creating gravity. The beauty of the world. Love.

This is a crucial question - is God good?

Job fought this. Humility found the answer. Humility can be a tool used of cruelty. So, what is the answer. Love.

When we are Loved  - we are filled by something we can hardly define. We recover. We Hope. We have the ability to rise again.

Critical

I was talking to a Pastor who said he is called into the hospitals to help strangers. Dying is hard. Generally not for believers. Usually a believer comforts the ones the believer loves. And passes on to Jesus. Why talk about death when we are talking about finding Joy in Life. Because at this critical time - we find what matters. There is no greater revealing, than at critical.

Romans 8:28

We know that in all things

God works for the good

of those who love him,

who have been called

according to his purpose.

If we believe God is Good - we have the power of His Grace to rise again.

If we believe God is Good - we can Love.

If we believe God is Good - in this faith - we are nourished. Able to fill others. Filling up ourselves.

If we believe God is Good - we can take failings of life and trust God for better days.

If we believe God is Good - in this impossibility - we are able to read the Word of God applying to us. To our core.



If we believe God is Good - we are moved beyond our comfort zone. Creating failure. Jesus declares this to be true. Creating courage. Creating Life. Creating a funny path we never saw - giving us meaning. Making our obscure quirks part of life. Making life a beautiful work of stained glass - from the bits and pieces. Creating quilts. Creating paintings. Creating space to trust and love. Overcoming. And in the Body of Christ taking chances - we find we are part of a culture coming out behind the walls of the middle ages. Learning to read and see the Word of God. Defeating disease - creating hospitals. Feeding the starving - creating a culture of farmers to feed one another. Defeating slavery - of debts - creating a place where families can have hope.

Because we believe God saw His creation as good.

Because we believe God sees inside all of us and finds us worthy of His Love. To save the world.

To believe well enough that it is not, "all about me." Blessing all of us. Making our lives, our families, our homes, our jobs, our neighborhoods, our risks, our failures, our joy - making the blessing cover us all. Because we hold Christ in our essence. Christ in our being. Jesus is our hope. Jesus is Love. Jesus Loves. Jesus Lives.

Because God is GOD.

We believe in Mercy.

And in the Love - we are all blessed.

Luke 1

77 "to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, t
o guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 18:27

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."

Papa, Abba, Daddy, Father God,

We have one hope for ourselves, our worries, our loved ones, for the people You give us - Jesus.

The Good News. Increase our Holy Spirit within us.

We are blessed. Amen in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Haggai 2 ~ from this day on I will bless you +

Haggai 2

1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 2 "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 'Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory?

How do you see it now?

Is it not as nothing in your eyes?

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD.

Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt.

My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.

9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts.

And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'"




10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, 11 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 'If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'"

The priests answered and said, "No."

13 Then Haggai said, "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?"

The priests answered and said, "It does become unclean."

14 Then Haggai answered and said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 

Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD.

18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing.

"From this day on I will bless you."


20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.

23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts."






How will we make this Scripture more than the work of building long ago?


Our feet walk this planet. The very earth God has called good.

And if we are blessed to have children, we did not create them ourselves. We are part of God's creation today.

And as I finished the post, I went to Church, to The Harvest. And Susan Kent preached on how valuable we are as believers - holding the essence of the Holy Spirit within us. And this verbally confirmed what I planned to finish this post with. The tandem of encouragement from our Almighty God, our Father. He loves us tenderly.

The Second Temple existed for 600 years. Jesus told us it would be thrown down. And the ruins sit at the base of the Temple Mount. Jesus, Father God and the Holy Spirit did not mourn. God Almighty placed His Holy Spirit within us.

We create the soul, not our cranium brain, carrying our essence to Jesus. As John was so fortunate to experience.

Abba,

Blessing of You to talk about Your Word.
And in the comfort You give

Please bless our loved ones,
the people You have given us
unto the Nation and the World.

We rest in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

John 11:1-38 ~ to the tomb

Lazarus is not found in a tomb in Israel

John 11:1-38

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."


4 But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."


5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.


20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”


28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept.

36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb

Caves are found on the coast of France with drawings pointing to Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

Mark 8

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”



Mahatma Gandhi gave a very quotable quote — ‘I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.’



A fine point really. More like a camel and a needle. No one can be Jesus Christ. Judas wanted to be. Lucifer wanted to be. Moses knew of Jesus. Isaiah knew of Jesus. A good healthy attitude of Jesus is awe - gratitude - Love. No one can do for us what Jesus has done. We live and move and have our being - for the Acts of God.

We, being Christians, can do like John 11:38. We can go to the tomb of the bereaved. And this is a fine thing to do. To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

But we can't do what Jesus did. Jesus saved Lazarus. He saved Mary and Martha. Jesus, according to historians (and old, old, old caves and Church buildings) say Jesus did not bring Mary, Martha and Lazarus so far to merely drop them on their heads. History records as people began to be martyred for their belief in Jesus as God - the family saved by Jesus - traveled to spread the word. And Churches and tombs and records are found of sustaining faith and of living a Word of Father God - miracle. Sustained life. Sustained Family. Makes sense. What God has done - cannot be undone.

We can't do what Jesus did. We cannot put life on dead bodies.





God has given us His view of Life. From a unique vantage point. God says we can bend over backwards to be peace and find no real joy.

God says sometimes to have faith makes life difficult. God says the challenge of faith is to believe the One He has sent. Jesus. (Why many biblical artifacts exist and really the heartfelt Word of God changing lives for Love.) And if we cater to transient human beings - we find we have no framework - for the days where we and the ones we love are Lazarus. Mary and Martha.


Jesus went to the tomb - as we should for the people God has given us. To mourn with those who mourn. And the days of - Rejoice - with those who have joy. Jesus just can do so much more. With awe and gratitude - Jesus is God.

In Jesus Christ, we will have faith and love - this is where we live, move and have our being. For days of rejoicing. For days of sorrow. For strength to rise.




Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury have reported being depressed. Not all events and conversations are winnable. Jesus showed us this. We have to trust God when we can't lift up a conversation, an event, someone we love. We can't be Jesus. And even in the difficult times we will all have eventually we decide to hope with reality and with a touch of 'God super natural' hope. Or we can just slog on.

We aren't God. GOD IS. And His Mission is God Sized. We don't have to have idle hands - we pray. And the One who Listens Loves the size of the Universe.

In God we Trust. That is really - Good News.




Jesus bless us all, we ask alleluia in the Willingness of Father God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †