Acts 8:26-40 ~ Go over

 

Acts 8:26-40

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went.

Pompeii has a relief of a Chariot

during this time frame

With an intact Chariot

of this art

 And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, 

“Go over and join this chariot.” 

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

    and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

    so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

    Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the Good News about Jesus. 

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 

38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 

39 And when they came up out of the water, 

The Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away

And the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the Gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Are we sure Philip experienced the Power of God's Word to suddenly find he is in Azotus?

Not really. But there is an expectation of God for us to live in each moment of our lives! Today!

Luke 1:45-51

45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

48 For He has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for He who is mighty has done great things for me,

    and Holy is His Name.

50 And His mercy is for those who fear Him

    from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with His arm;

    He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

Verse 51 suggests God does not want us just wandering about. Or texting and driving a car.  This doesn't suggest God is overly thrilled if Phillip was la la la la

for miracles near him.

 And gives us the opportunity, because this is placed before us, to keep our minds intact until the day we enter Heaven Triumphant. In the Highest Name of Jesus, we pray! Amen!  Blessings are marvelous and to be expected in faith. 

When we pray,

 thinking of the 

Height of the clouds,

God's Steadfast Love

And the depth of the Universe.

We give our faith to Jesus Christ. 

Peter gives us an example of

being tossed into the deep waters of faith.

And swimming like 

we are in the flow

of God's Idea

of Living Today.

Acts 12:5-17

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, 

Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 

9 And he went out and followed him. 

He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 

11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 

15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 

16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.

 And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

Peter is so living in the moment, he realizes he is not staying where the Roman officials will knock on the door.

Rome, Mamertine Prison

where records record both

Peter

and Paul at separate times.

Giving us an idea

of prison during this time frame.

Abba, Father,

Very much a work of the Lord.

When the 

Events of

Easter

coincide

We remember

John Wesley said, “The Work of God 

continues 

His workers go home”

Coinciding

John Wesley never left the Anglican Church

and The Anglican Church

never left

The Roman Catholic Church.

One God,

One Plan

As we think of the Sacrifice

of Jesus Christ

His Love

as He Forgave

We realize 

a Thousand Years 

are a Day to You.

And Give You Thanks

for

our

Salvation.

God of Light

You are in all things

You are Light of the world

Light of mankind

Light of Heaven

In all Things, You Create

You have given us Jesus Christ

Holy is

the Highest Name

Above

all others

Your Kingdom come

Your Good Will be done

we pray for more

on earth

just as it is in Heaven.

Give us This Day

Our Daily Bread.

Jesus the Living Bread.

Forgive us our Trespasses

as

we forgive those

who Trespass 

Against us.

Lead us not into temptation

Deliver us from Evil. 

For Thine

is the

Kingdom

and 

the Power

and 

the Glory.

Amen in Jesus Christ 

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You Jesus

Luke 11:1,2 ~ praying in a certain place

 

I have always loved the blue of Hydrangeas

and Phlox

They are like capturing the sky

in cloud form in the 

Garden

Luke 11:1,2

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,

Our Father, Who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name;

Thy Kingdom come

Thy Will Be Done

Luke 11 begins with love and respect. 

The Disciples waited upon Jesus Christ's timing to speak to Him.  And Jesus immediately answers their love and respect. There is praise in the Words of Jesus, here. 

Our Father in Heaven

Today's post centers around 

Matthew 4: 4 and, not coincidentally, 

Luke 4: 4

We Live by EVERY WORD OF GOD.

We discern the wise words of John the Beloved Disciple in the Holy Spirit.

John 1:1-4

The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 He was in the beginning with God. 

All things were made through Him, 

and 

without Him 

was not  anything made that was made. 

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

Immediately, 

we see The Lord's Prayer identifies God as vastly and immortally and imperially more than in Heaven. Not far away. This knowing requires a prayer immediately to our core, the soul, and our mind and body.

There is a certain prayer going parallel to The Lord's Prayer:

This is my Bible. 'I am' (a child of God, saved in Jesus Christ to believe) what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess: my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, and I will never be the same, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God is more than in Heaven

Our Father is Mightily Present

in

ALL

Almighty

All Things His

Life

Light

Light of Heaven

Light of mankind

Light of nations

And in that very day of Jesus' ministry

Jesus is saying in the exact words, I Am. 

I am present with you, as you wait for me. 

Even as I Am praying with our Father, I Am with you. Jesus is aware the Disciples, kindly, with love and respect waited upon Jesus to come and speak with them. In Verse one.

Immediately we are aware God is more than the clouds beautifully surrounding Him in His Kingdom.

Jesus knows them, all their thoughts, words, deeds, flaws, sins, hopes, and the goodness He knows in mankind.  

The response for us is, God is not far away. Not far, far away.  

And if He does feel far, far away, invite Him to live in you that minute. 

“Father, Lord God, sending us Your Only Son, Jesus Christ. Please Live in me, know every aspect of my being. I am Yours, Father, Thank You for your Love and Mercy.  Lead me and guide me. In Jesus, Highest Name, I pray. Amen.”

Then Jesus proceeds to tell us this about speaking with God, as Prayer.  

Luke 11, Jesus tells us speak to Me like your Friend. We are Friends.  And the Disciples have approached Jesus with kindly, respect and love.

Matthew 6 is very different regarding The Lord's Prayer. 

A very possible reason , Jesus sent the Disciples ahead, to learn ministry. 

This is a different day in the Ministry of Jesus. Definitely, the tone is different.  Jesus discusses practicing Piety, Giving to the Needy without being rather awful. Jesus calls this hypocrisy.  Being seen for being all that. Using repeat prayers with words that have become empty. Definitely, 2 ways of approaching God.  Then Jesus does continue, not fasting, looking gloomy, dark, or gothic.  Reward seeking.

Jesus is then upbeat and tells us the Reward of God is to pray secretly and there is a reward. Our believing hearts have a reward.  Pray secretly and then God rewards.

Is your prayer life like Maria?

Out of focus and bemused

And I never know exactly where I am

Unpredictable as weather

I know I fail to pray, intend to

and instead pray about what is in front of me.

My Aunt Clarice told me one time, she had utterly awful hip arthritis, she knew I helped her in my prayer life. The opposite was true. In high school, we prayed for her in a group. And I realized I could pray for Aunt Clarice forever and just get depressed. And the girl sitting next to me asked if we would continue, and I said no. And she said, oh, awful, I was sure this was working. Her prayers for Aunt Clarice had worked. I still feel so badly about this.

Instead, just pray as often as they sang.

And being guilted about praying.

Have you ever thought, Oh, I was really lazy about praying about that. I didn't even intend to forget. So sorry. Or someone comes to you and says, We prayed for that person and now the problem belongs to you, you - you must have not prayed enough - sinner.  Guilt giving in prayer. Ridiculous as a label. Not in actuality.  2 separate situations.

Hallowed be Thy Name;

Thy Kingdom come

Thy Will Be Done

That is self-talk or judgment and is pointless. An incredible number of praying people know they have had our Father hear their first prayer, and a miracle happened. The miracle only God could do.  Prayer is Always what God is doing. 

One of my favorite sermons. Father B said, If your mind wanders during the homily or sermon, just remember Jesus. He would not overly scold you. He simply would say, Welcome back. And smile.  Just as He was gentle with Mary and Martha. Welcome back!

And so we have to believe in our through the glass darkly, this is exactly as He sees us asking and seeking in our prayer lives.  And probably why we are invited to pray ceaselessly. So we wander back through to the Heart of the Prayer.

And to realize anything we pray for, He is willing to hear. One of the reasons David includes things that can be uncomfortable. David saw himself as the Apple of God's eye, and believes like Abraham, if we believe the best of God and not that God is a perfect Judge,  He remembers His Mercy to us, given in His Son's Life. 

We have all had times when we pray in secret and immediately an impossible and wonderful life event occurs.  Wham O.   

And then. We cajole God. 

And we try and try and try.  A certain author calls this the disappointing silence of God. 

Luke 11

8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is His Friend, yet because of his impudence

He will Rise and give him whatever he needs. 

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 

13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more 

will the Heavenly Father 

give the Holy Spirit 

to those who ask Him!”

Jesus tells us there is trouble in life, and occasionally we need to ask and ask because in our lack of understanding. Like the disciples couldn't get the son of the, "I do have faith, help me to have more, Jesus!"  We consider God to be a  faraway and not attentive Judge. Pry the Judge to do something. Instead of Pray the Lord to send His Holy Spirit Help. 

And not ask enough? 

Instead, Thy Will be Done. 

The Lord God Almighty upholds the Universe with the Power of His Word.  In this lifetime of Jesus, He asked once and replied upon God to decide and do.  God is really not the Pry the Judge. And do not use empty words to bore Him.

Abba, Father,

We ask Jesus Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

We ask to be being rooted and grounded in love

and have strength to comprehend with all 

what is the breadth and length and height and depth

of Your Love.

To know 

the love of Christ 

surpassing all the books ever written 

fully know

We are filled with all the fullness of God

Your Promises,

Father,

Are Sure.

In Jesus Christ,

we live and move and

have our being.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

You are The Lord Jesus

Thank You, for hearing us