Psalm 136 ~ His steadfast love endures forever

Psalm 136 reminds me of a beach vacation we took with our sons when they were small. On our vacation Sunday, we were not going to church and so we decided to read Psalm 136 with them responding "His steadfast love endures forever". Being very young, this just struck them as hysterical. They laughed all the way through and created an real moment of strong love for their youth, their innocence and because their joy was apparent. That emotion that wells up of overwhelming love is how much God our Father loves us.

We then had a discussion of the movie, “Prince of Egypt.” I recommend it for all ages seeking the Kingdom of Heaven. Prince of Egypt - There Can be Miracles When You Believe - listen You Tube.

Psalm 136 (Revised Standard Version)


[1] O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
[2] O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
[3] O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[4] to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[5] to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[6] to him who spread out the earth upon the waters,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[7] to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[8] the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[9] the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[10] to him who smote the first-born of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[11] and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[12] with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[13] to him who divided the Red Sea in sunder,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[14] and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[15] but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[16] to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[17] to him who smote great kings,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[18] and slew famous kings,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[19] Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[20] and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[21] and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[22] a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
[23] It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[24] and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures for ever;
[25] he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
[26] O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.


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John 20:19-31 ~ by believing you may have life in His name

John 20:19-31 (Today's New International Version)

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus [a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe [b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.



Footnotes:

John 20:24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.
John 20:31 Or may continue to believe


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Matthew 6:19-21 ~ treasure in heaven

Funeral for Isabelle Claire

Beloved baby daughter & sister.

September 23, 2008

Loved, treasured and taken up in mercy by Jesus.

(Our worship leader and ladies sang this at Isabelle's funeral, it was beautiful. We also sang "Open the Eyes of Our Heart, Lord". )

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me on You Tube - listen


Isaiah 35

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;

4 say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."

5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.

7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.

9 No lion will be there,
nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,

10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.


Matthew 6:19-21

Treasures in Heaven

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Jesus told us what heaven would be like in Matthew 13: 31

31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

What can be given to anyone that is a lasting gift? We want to fill the lives of our children and loved ones with gifts to remind them that they are special, precious and chosen. We live in a world where we do not stay for even more than a century. The Lord God Almighty, who created the heavens and the earth, says we are chosen, special and precious to Him. He calls to us to be the children of God. God reaches out to us in the love shown in Jesus and His words given to us in Scripture. He gives us the promise of His word that He wants us in heaven. He promises us heaven is open up to us in baptism in Jesus Christ.

On Tuesday, September 23rd: Anne Laurel, Edward and Isabelle began a journey that would begin and end Isabelle’s life. Doctors had already told the family that Isabelle had chromosome disorders and Isabelle’s life could be filled with pain. Isabelle received so much love in so many prayers. The love shown to the family, they have told me, gives them the remembrance to the end of the last day on this earth, the love that God gives to us. It is a sample of heaven. Isabelle was part of the church family in a strong way. Isabelle and the her family were blessed to have many people come over to pray and visit for hours. Many Christians called to say that more Christians were concerned and many prayers were offered. Friends of friends called to the Lord to express love and hope. Isabelle and Anne Laurel were picked up and taken gently in large vehicles to meet people at church to have group prayer. The Lord gave words of comfort and love to last a lifetime.

When Isabelle was born, she received the one gift that IS lasting. Isabelle Claire was taken and sealed in Jesus Christ’s love forever. Psalm 111 says: Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

On that day - busy, fear filled, fast-paced, unannounced day, this great congregation, this loving church family showed up, stayed, wept and provided their youngest Christian with baptism. As Isabelle was being born, her church family gave Jesus Christ to her. It was a time of tears, Isabelle would not fill the lives of her family with her life and their love. It was a time of mercy, Isabelle was born with a beautiful face and was blessedly, blessedly asleep in the Lord. The youngest Christian of the church family was going to the Lord with a look of love, baby joy and contentment all over her face. Her parents will remember that peace for a lifetime. They will wait for patience for the day the Lord brings them home and know one of the first voices calling to them on that day will be Isabelle reunited with her family. It will be a great day to walk with Lord in love and a great family reunion.

God’s promises of eternal love and life with Jesus Christ given to us are read today from our church family who participated in Isabelle’s baptism:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Colossians 2
1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.


Colossians 2: 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.


Colossians 2: 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.


20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.


Acts 19:4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them

Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.


Hear the words that Jesus speaks to us when we looked to him in faith:

Luke 23:43
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."


A further conversation on grieving, a two year later perspective. Scripture for Today. Blogspot. Com 9/2010


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Psalm 80 ~ Thou leadest Joseph

Our household is in mourning for our baby daughter Isabelle, she went to be with the Lord on September 23rd. This Psalm sooths me as I look to the Lord for comfort. Joseph had a difficult life, his brothers sold him into slavery & his life had times of real sorrow. As Joseph lived God’s plan for his life, God was Joseph’s father loving him more even than Jacob/Israel. The trouble of this life can be so very painful, but this life is temporary.

Psalm 80 is God telling us he did not forget the sorrow & the reunion of Israel and Joseph. God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, sits today with a living Israel, Joseph, Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. It must have seemed to Israel, as father, and Joseph, as son and slave, & Benjamin, as son and brother, that God had forgotten them and their love for each other. It must have seemed to them that God was angry or had forgotten to care for their prayers. But God had a plan for them that was God’s plan, higher than human wisdom.

To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:16-21)

Psalm 80 (Revised Standard Version)

[1] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
thou who leadest Joseph like a flock!
Thou who art enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
[2] before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh!
Stir up thy might,
and come to save us!
[3] Restore us, O God;
let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
[4] O LORD God of hosts,
how long wilt thou be angry with thy people's prayers?
[5] Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
[6] Thou dost make us the scorn of our neighbors;
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
[7] Restore us, O God of hosts;
let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
[8] Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt;
thou didst drive out the nations and plant it.
[9] Thou didst clear the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
[10] The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
[11] it sent out its branches to the sea,
and its shoots to the River.
[12] Why then hast thou broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
[13] The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
[14] Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
[15] the stock which thy right hand planted.
[16] They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
[17] But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand,
the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself!
[18] Then we will never turn back from thee;
give us life, and we will call on thy name!
[19] Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

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Luke 6: 1-11 ~ He knew their thoughts

Luke 6:1-11

1 On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

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Acts 9:10-19 ~ chosen instrument of mine

The House of Saint Ananias (called Chapel of Saint Ananias) is believed to be the house where Ananias baptized Saul (who became Paul the Apostle).

Located near Bab Sharqi (Eastern Gate), at the very end of the Street Called Straight. 5m below ground level, the church is supposedly the cellar of the House of Ananias, but more likely it is built at the level of the Roman street. The church that has been restored many times, is the only early Christian house of worship from the first century to survive in the city. A simple structure consisting of two small rooms with bare stone walls, it houses only an altar, some icons and a few pews. The icons tell the story of the conversion of Paul. It represents the simplicity of the initial Christians and is one of the earliest still standing churches where services continue to be held to this day.

Acts 9:10-19

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.


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Luke 9:51-56 ~ turn to Him

Leading by example is something Jesus did and touches us everyday. We purchased the Lost Books of the Bible and discovered right away discernment clearly, clearly shows some of the bible books have the light of God in them and others were not books of the bible, but rather comical in someone’s idea of God. The lost books were not chosen by the Nicene Council because the books did not include new information, the gospels are repeated. The wonderful little story about Jesus as a child creating a clay pigeon and giving it life is found to be untrue because the next parable has the wonderfully creative Jesus using laser eye to burn to death children and a village for ridicule; definitely not a lost book of the bible.

Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Luke 9:51-56

51 When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; 53 but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.

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James 5 ~ pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power

Camellia Japonica

The Scripture reading brought to mind my grandmother, a mature Christian, asking Father God to please bring her into heaven by allowing her to see the second coming of Christ. She wanted to be like Elijah and walk into heaven.

Which brought up a discussion a long time ago with Grandmother about prayer requests – similar to Matthew 13:16-18 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

We pray with great faith and good intensions and God hears us. We prayed with great faith that our infant daughter Isabelle would be granted a complete healing. We prayed that if it wasn’t God’s will, she would be given great mercy and peace from the Lord God Almighty and not the some of the terrible predictions of months of suffering and pain given by some of the doctors.

I am a great fan of English history. Queen Katherine prayed, devotedly, for a son to please Henry VIII. Her concerns included her love for her husband, that he would ruin his faith by wrecking the holy church and committing adultery. She prayed for his soul, the spiritual leadership of his country, for her marriage & for her love to have a child. We know she prayed and was heard by God who loved her.

My long time ago talk with Grandmother included asking her if people prayed for centuries for Jesus Christ, to be born and to see Him in their lifetime, and were not answered with yes; why did she think about asking for the second coming to hurry up and happen to avoid death? She answered me that she understood time was in God’s hands. She wanted to be in God’s plan and path, but had a prayer request. I asked her she had an additional prayer request about her death. Grandmother wanted to drop to the ground like a Camellia. Grandmother was with us until she was 94, she was an interesting person & beautiful christian to the last. She was wearing her wedding band still after being widowed for over 50 years.

I expressed to my mother my great sadness I will not raise my daughter Isabelle on earth and would wait to see her in heaven. My scripture reading lead me to read in James 5: 7 to wait patiently for the coming of the Lord.

We will wait patiently for the Lord. We will work to walk in His plan and His path. We will work to remember with gratitude that Isabelle was asleep in the Lord when we received her. Camellias fall on the ground whole – they do not wither on the stem, but fall on the ground whole, where the gardener gathers them up. Our sweet little daughter was asleep gently in great peace. And our church family gathered to give her a baptism and seal her forever as Christ’s own. Our daughter was given eternity with God, who loves Isabelle so much.

In the "Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren, he makes a really great comment about our faith diminishing as we are embarrassed by our score card of our prayers not adding up to 100. And some people begin only to pray for "God's Will to be Done." We should always pray for God's will to be done, but God does answer our prayers. They always are an A+, we have to allow God's will to be the answer. There is always a dialog in prayer, not a dictation. The whole of Scripture is about man's journey to be changed by God and, in hope, the ask the hand of God to move in our favor. He hears us lovingly.

James 5

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.


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John 17 ~ full measure of My joy within My Word

John 17 (New International Version)

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

6 "I have revealed you [a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify [b] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.


20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Footnotes:

John 17:6 Greek your name; also in verse 26
John 17:17 Greek hagiazo (set apart for sacred use or make holy also in verse 19


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Colossians 2 ~ you have died with Christ, and He has set you free

Colossians 2 (Living Bible)

1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers* of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.* 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.*12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.15 In this way, he disarmed* the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

16 So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18 Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels,* saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"?22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires.


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Micah 4 ~ Now and forever more

Isabelle Claire Gardere
(Israel Kamakawiwo Ole sings the lullaby 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' - listen)

Born Tuesday, September 23, 2008. Died and Baptized September 23, 2008.
Happily kicked and heard lullabies from her mother, happily kicked and prayed for by many, many kind people.

Our daughter with her beautiful face and fragile, fragile body was born not to live upon this earth but to be whole in heaven. Loved, treasured and taken up in mercy by Jesus.

John 11:35

35 Jesus wept.

Micah 4

Revised Standard Version

In days to come

the mountain of the Lord’s house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised up above the hills.

Peoples shall stream to it,

2 and many nations shall come and say:

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.’

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He shall judge between many peoples,

and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;

they shall beat their swords into plow shares,

and their spears into pruning-hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore;

4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,

and no one shall make them afraid;

for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

5 For all the peoples walk,

each in the name of its god,

we will walk in the name of the Lord our God

forever and ever.

6 On that day, says the Lord,

I will assemble the lame

and gather those who have been driven away,

and those whom I have afflicted.

7 The lame I will make the remnant,

and those who were cast off, a strong nation;

and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion

now and for evermore.

8 And you, O tower of the flock,

hill of daughter Zion,

to you it shall come,

the former dominion shall come,

the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem.

9 Now why do you cry aloud?

Is there no king in you?

Has your counselor perished,

that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?

10 Writhe and groan, O daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor;

for now you shall go forth from the city

and camp in the open country;

you shall go to Babylon.

There you shall be rescued,

there the Lord will redeem you

from the hands of your enemies.

11 Now many nations

are assembled against you,

saying, ‘Let her be profaned,

and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.’

12 But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing-floor.

Arise and thresh,

O daughter Zion,

for I will make your horn iron

and your hoofs bronze;

you shall beat in pieces many peoples,

and shall devote their gain to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Matthew 5:27-37 ~ It was also said

Model of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. 2nd photo looks up the hill; the temple is on the right corner.

Matthew 5:27-37

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.


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Matthew 21:23-32 ~ What do you think?

Matthew 21:23-32

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

24 Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."

27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

29 " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

31 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.


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Psalm 145 ~ Every day

Psalm 145

Listen

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

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Psalm 71 ~ Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone

“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
James 5:16

Psalm 71

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
turn your ear to me and save me.

3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.

6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother's womb.
I will ever praise you.

7 I have become like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.

9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.

11 They say, "God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him."

12 Be not far from me, O God;
come quickly, O my God, to help me.

13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.

14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.

19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?

20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.

21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.

22 I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed.

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion.

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Genesis 1: 1-3 ~ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1: 1-3

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

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Psalm 47 ~ For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise

Psalm 47

1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.
2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!

3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.

4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
Selah

5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.

9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

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Psalm 63 ~ You have been my help

Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

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Psalm 44 ~ redeem us because of Your unfailing love

Psalm 44 reminds us that Jesus endured Good Friday for us. In troubled times, we still look for Father God's steadfast love.

Psalm 44

1 We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.

2 With your hand you drove out the nations
and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
and made our fathers flourish.

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them.

4 You are my King and my God,
who decrees victories for Jacob.

5 Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.

6 I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;

7 but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.

8 In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.
Selah

9 But now you have rejected and humbled us;
you no longer go out with our armies.

10 You made us retreat before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered us.

11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You sold your people for a pittance,
gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.

14 You have made us a byword among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads at us.

15 My disgrace is before me all day long,
and my face is covered with shame

16 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

17 All this happened to us,
though we had not forgotten you
or been false to your covenant.

18 Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.

19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
and covered us over with deep darkness.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?

22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

24 Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?

25 We are brought down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.

26 Rise up and help us;
redeem us because of your unfailing love.

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Matthew 18:15-20 ~ by my Father in heaven

Matthew 18:15-20

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed [1] in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Footnotes
1. 18:18 Or shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed

Our family is expecting our third child, a daughter, in November. This week, we had news that our infant daughter, Isabelle, may not live long after birth. Please agree with us in prayer that we will seek a complete miracle for Isabelle. We will agree in prayer, in the highest name of Jesus, that she will be healed. And we will thank Father God for His answer.

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And the phone rang, people called to pray. Flowers arrived. People took us to prayer/healing meetings. At one of them, about 10 members of our Church family were there waiting for us at another Church's service, Wednesday night at Woodsedge. I cried, they cried. The minister prayed. And... our daughter Isabelle leapt for joy. I could tell she really liked the prayer and the beautiful music. She was less and less active, but at that prayer meeting she was dancing.

Because Isabelle died while she was being delivered, it is one of my beautiful memories of her.

Our prayers did receive an answer. We have a daughter who lives in Heaven. Isabelle knows the highways and the mountains of Heaven. One day we will have the joy of holding her again.

Isaiah 49
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
9 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.


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Luke 5 ~ gifts of the Spirit

Old wineskins were harder and less resilient. Their shape was fixed by the wine that was put in them when they were new. New wine would exert more pressure than the old skin could tolerate. The skin would fail and be ruined, and the wine would be spilled and lost. Old wine could be put safely into old wineskins, but new wine could not. The context of all this is that we cannot receive and benefit from the Holy Spirit if we are unwilling to become new. We cannot make ourselves new. Only God can make us new again. The Holy Spirit gives us so much more than we are used to, that it will burst out of an old style life. If we try to force the Holy Spirit into our old lives, it won't work. We must have a new life in Christ to make full use of the Holy Spirit. And the gifts and the new life come together. That's God grace acting on our behalf.

Wayne Tucker

Luke 5 (Today's New International Version)

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, [a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. [b] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

33 They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."
34 Jesus answered, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."

36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. If they do, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And none of you, after drinking old wine, wants the new, for you say, 'The old is better.' "

Footnotes:

Luke 5:1 That is, Sea of Galilee
Luke 5:12 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.

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Matthew 12:22-32 ~ the age to come

God sees everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Matthew 12:22-32 (New Revised Standard Version)

Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons." He knew what they were thinking and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.


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2 Samuel 12: 1-12 ~ before all Israel

2 Samuel 12: 1-12

12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

The commentary from The Methodist Church of Great Britain points out that men in charge of government often work very diligently hiding unpleasant points of their leadership. David was king having absolute power to hide aspects of his kingship, but instead we all grew in the word of God knowing this truth. This honesty kept David in God's favor during the failures of David. God's judgement for the coming hardships of David's life were just, but even during the difficult times, David relied upon God not to leave him without love and comfort.

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Hebrews 10:32-38 ~ live by faith

Hebrews 10:32-38

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”


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Psalm 149 ~ exult in glory

Psalm 149

1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to wreak vengeance on the nations and chastisement on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written! This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!


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Matthew 16:13-20 ~ He asked his disciples

Caesarea Phillipi - Philip II (Philip the Tetrarch) built and expanded the city, in order to please Roman authorities and retain his own power. This Jewish King called it Caesarea Philippi to brown nose. Jesus was claiming His authority & His Church over the earthly powers to reveal Himself to His disciples in this location. Also, we see that rock upon which the Church was built was in Rome, where Caesar’s authority went forth.

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

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