Romans 11:33-36 ~ who has given a gift to Him

Romans 11:33-36


Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.


What would we give the LORD, that He has not given to us - we can only give Him thanks with a grateful heart....

Thank You, Father, our Abba.

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Isaiah 9:1-7 ~ abundant joy and great rejoicing

Isaiah 9:1-7

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.




Handel's Messiah



A Song of Bethlehem at Christmas - well worth seeing & listening to

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1 Peter 1 ~ You shall be holy, for I am holy

1 Peter 1

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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.


3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.


13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, [girding up the loins of your mind] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.





Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.


The Scriptures speak to us. Today. We are the exiles, we are outside of the Kingdom of God and look through a mirror dimly to know the height, the riches, the depth of His love for us. These are the plans of salvation Angels long to participate in.

There have been Angels who have chosen to step away from the LORD; not to serve Him as messengers, jealousy and self-centeredness led to bitterness. We should not become part of that, life will test us with fire and trials, but we should not conform to what isn't right. Love with a pure heart. Untangle what is difficult by seeing with gratitude God's blessings in our lives.

Obtain the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul - love one another sincerely, earnestly from a pure heart. Love Jesus, believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

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Luke 21:1-4 ~ contributed

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1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. [*] 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

[*] 21:2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer).

After searching for Lepton pictures, none of them fit the parable descriptions of Greek and copper. Herod in 36 BC, didn't even produce a Lepton, considering it to be too poor. So the coin in the parable, was actually old, about 40 years old, when the widow added it to the offering box.

Six years of civil war (93–87 BC) between Alexander Jannaeus (grandson of Simon Maccabaeus and the great, great nephew of Judas Maccabaeus (Maccabees Apocrypha & Hanukkah) between Sadducees against the Pharisees; Alexander asserted his position as King by crucifying 800 Pharisees, who invited the Greeks to come to take Jerusalem. The coin proclaimed him King, when people - not of the Davidic line - were not allowed to call themselves king. Kingship was again signified by minting coins “King Alexander” in Greek and “Yehonatan, the king” in Hebrew.

Trouble everywhere - We think of the Middle East as being complicated now - her coin is in Greek, and it was Greeks who fueled a civil war, as needed, between priests in the Temple of the Living God. A Greek coin used by a Judean, in a Roman puppet state. The trouble is human beings using their need for meaning to propel themselves forward in self-centered and destructive ways.

The King who cannot be a King because he is not of the Davidic line; the Herods look like they are here to stay, the coin suggests change and power shifting as a sign from God.

Notice the symbol of the star encircled by a royal diadem provides two emblems of the priestly and royal Messiahs (Balaam’s prophecy of the Scepter and the Star).
The coin predicts the Messiah:

Numbers 24:15-17

15 And he took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
17 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel


We all wonder if we're doing life the way God wants us, after all, we are dust in the wind. Does God really mean it when He says we are important to Him. More important than a sparrow, does He .... really .... know about a sparrow? .... Or me?

Look at the widow in 1st century A.D. - she is a woman. Strike one. She is a widow - without a husband to speak for her or care for her. Strike two. In the middle of the most fortunes to be made in ancient history, Roman conquest, her contribution is small. It is all a strike out.



So... Jesus sees her as worthy - her action - she is generous to God. This video emphasizes good works, even all we have to offer will not be our salvation.


What does Jesus see?
Jesus sees - not the vast Temple, not the many priests, but sweeps away the vast & the temporal - sees this woman. The woman living a life pleasing to God. Much more important to Jesus than the wealth of the Empire. More important than the interesting coin. More important than the title of King to Jesus. Her generosity lived on far longer than the Temple. She matters to the LORD and she will come into His promises.


Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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Prayer of Azariah

Imagine turning on your personal entertainment center in Heaven. What's on today? An interview with King David - he is going to talk about rising from a shepherd to slaying Goliath. What it felt like to be finally crowed King of Israel. Surely, we would watch that.

Is there bad press in Heaven? No. But speaking of bad press, let's talk about the Apocrypha. Who decided the Apocrypha would be in the Bible for Christians? All of these books were declared part of the Scriptures by the first Christian Council, the Ecumenical Church, by the 300 bishops around the world who had faced persecution by proclaiming Jesus as Lord. They further risked their lives to travel to the council in 325 A.D. (Are you going to quarrel with St. Nicholas?? The Bishop of (now) Turkey, after he rescued the 3 young maidens from prostitution, was imprisoned by Emperor Diocletian. Nicholas was only released from prison when Constantine called him to attend the Council of Nicaea. This is the Early Church and these were the men who risked their lives, highly educated men, chosen by the Holy Spirit to preach Jesus as Lord.)

Okay, maybe you are committed to not liking the Apocrypha... you might feel differently knowing because it was written in Greek instead of Hebrew or Aramaic, they were not accepted into the Old Testament. Well, the New Testament is written in Greek.

Give it a thought.... everyone rushed to read the Gospel of Thomas in the last century and people couldn't wait to read the Lost Books of the Bible. Let me tell you, the Scriptures ring of truth... many lost books of the Bible do not have truth, this has truth.

This is an exciting passage - this is the interview of Hananiah (Schadrach -Babylonian name), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego) in the midst of the fire of the furnace. The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children appears after Daniel 3:23 in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles. And it's in the ancient Greek Septuagint. This is used by the Anglican Churches and the Lutheran Churches.

Why is this a good thing? We will all have a firestorm of trouble in our lives at some time:


Prayer of Azariah ~ (Revised Standard Version)

1-13 Then Azariah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said:
"Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers,
and worthy of praise;
and thy name is glorified for ever.
For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us,
and all thy works are true and thy ways right,
and all thy judgments are truth.
Thou hast executed true judgments in all that
thou hast brought upon us
and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers,
for in truth and justice thou hast brought
all this upon us because of our sins.
For we have sinfully and lawlessly departed from thee,
and have sinned in all things and have not
obeyed thy commandments;
we have not observed them or done them,
as thou hast commanded us that it might go well with us.
So all that thou hast brought upon us,
and all that thou hast done to us,
thou hast done in true judgment.

9-14 Thou hast given us into the hands of lawless
enemies, most hateful rebels,
and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the world.
And now we cannot open our mouths;
shame and disgrace have befallen thy servants and worshipers.
For thy name's sake do not give us up utterly,
and do not break thy covenant,
and do not withdraw thy mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham thy beloved
and for the sake of Isaac thy servant
and Israel thy holy one,
to whom thou didst promise
to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven
and as the sand on the shore of the sea.
For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation,
and are brought low this day in all the world
because of our sins.

15 - 18 And at this time there is no prince, or prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
no place to make an offering before thee or to find mercy.
Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit
may we be accepted,
as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
and with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
such may our sacrifice be in thy sight this day,
and may we wholly follow thee,
for there will be no shame for those who trust in thee.
And now with all our heart we follow thee,
we fear thee and seek thy face.


19-22 Do not put us to shame,
but deal with us in thy forbearance
and in thy abundant mercy.
Deliver us in accordance with thy marvelous works,
and give glory to thy name, O Lord!
Let all who do harm to thy servants be put to shame;
let them be disgraced and deprived of all power and dominion,
and let their strength be broken.
Let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God,
glorious over the whole world."


23 Now the king's servants who threw them in did not cease feeding the furnace fires with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brush.

24-27 And the flame streamed out above the furnace forty-nine cubits,
and it broke through and burned those of the Chaldeans whom it caught about the furnace. But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace, and made the midst of the furnace like a moist whistling wind, so that the fire did not touch them at all or hurt or trouble them.


28-34
Then the three, as with one mouth, praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace, saying:

"Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers,
and to be praised and highly exalted for ever;
And blessed is thy glorious, holy name
and to be highly praised and highly exalted for ever;
Blessed art thou in the temple of thy holy glory
and to be extolled and highly glorified for ever.
Blessed art thou, who sittest upon cherubim
and lookest upon the deeps,
and to be praised and highly exalted for ever.
Blessed art thou upon the throne of thy kingdom
and to be extolled and highly exalted for ever.
Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven
and to be sung and glorified for ever.

35-68 "Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all waters above the heaven,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all powers,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, stars of heaven,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all rain and dew,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all winds,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, dews and snows,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, nights and days,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, ice and cold,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, frosts and snows,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Let the earth bless the Lord;
let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all things that grow on the earth,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you springs,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you whales and all creatures
that move in the waters,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all birds of the air,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all beasts and cattle,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you sons of men,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, O Israel,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you priests of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you servants of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, you who are holy and humble in heart,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever;
for he has rescued us from Hades and saved
us from the hand of death,
and delivered us from the midst of the burning fiery furnace;
from the midst of the fire he has delivered us.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Bless him, all who worship the Lord, the God of gods,
sing praise to him and give thanks to him,
for his mercy endures for ever."


The prayer is a faithful prayer, believing God will show up; it echoes Psalm 51 - David's penitent Psalm. Azariah's humility of assuring the correct judgment of God is similar to the Canaanite woman who asked Jesus to heal her daughter in Matthew 15. The Blessings Azariah showers on the Lord remind of the praises the Children of Israel offered to God after walking through the Red Sea and being saved from Pharaoh's army, or Psalm 136.

This passage has the attitudes we need when we require the Lord's attention in prayer. It is a blessing to read it and learn from it.

Blessed be You, O Lord God our Father. You are mindful of us. You offer us salvation in Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Matthew 12:14-21 ~ Jesus healed them all

Matthew 12:14-21

14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah [42:1-3]:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

I'd been a Christian for more than two decades when it was pointed out to me how many times the Scriptures said "He healed them all." I remembered a lot of healings, the ones written about in more than a few sentences. Yet that small phrase "healed them all". Sometimes Scripture says they sought to touch Him & not just Jesus reaching out. Sometimes He physically touched them, and it also says merely, "He healed them all."

Sure, a lot of people were ill. When you think about the age: slavery, war, destruction, highway robbery, people born blind & the parable of the Good Samaritan - this was a difficult time. Not just the people who were deaf, blind, ill, but the sorrow of the people who had seen difficult things happen to loved ones. Children who died, loved ones who died in child birth, people who were well and suddenly died of fever. There are a lot of stipulations in the Bible for the fatherless and the widow.

What does it mean, "He healed them all?" The Word of God, proclaimed in love. The hopeless, the fearful, the lonely & the cut to the quick. The ones who had heard the Word of God in their youth - life had stamped on their seed of hope. The fruit of circumstance and the weed of bitterness, the joy found in life, had robbed them of their greatest need - the need of God. Jesus fulfilled their blindness - physically & spiritually. The deaf were healed. The poor had hope, God cares for them. He healed them all.

These people who found Jesus had put aside the every day of life, they sought Him. Jesus didn't stay to quarrel, debate the Pharisees, shock, anger, and create a stir - Jesus wasn't a sidewalk hack or a temperamental star.

No, Jesus repaired the bruised reed. Jesus rekindled the flickering flame, the light became a torch. Jesus gave hope & mercy to the word - justice. Jesus didn't select a few, the light of Jesus Christ is for all. Not just to the eyes blessed to see Him, but those who look to Him in faith, after He died, and today.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

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Luke 19:45-48 ~ He entered the Temple

The Shepherd, by Greg Olson

Luke 19:45-48

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45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

In the book "They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations" by Dan Kimball. It has a good basis- 70% of Church-going college students quit going to Church after 2 years, with a large percentage of 20-30 year olds having nothing to do with the Church & don't think it's relevant.

This passage speaks to us in the Church and those just loving Jesus without the Church. Many people, like the Essenes, had fled from the 2nd Temple due to the climate - it was being politically correct as a tool of the government/establishment. So, Jesus came from an era finding the Temple insufficient.

Jesus said that we, in our bodies, are the Temple, yet it came with a caveat:

1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own

Jesus went into the Temple (not just His Body, but the physical location) at least 26 times, recorded in the Gospels; And Jesus entered Synagogues at least 12 times. Every day, Jesus acknowledged a problem with the system and with the "religious" but He didn't feel as He was above the difficulties.

To us, already part of the Bride of Christ, this passage brings up other situations, the religious are using God's House for their own interests:

We ignore the regulars in order to get more people in the door. Robbing the richness of community. We become a business and not a house of prayer.

We are known, today - this generation, to speak down to Non-Christians. Or to make sweeping generalities as judgment. We act as the judges seeking to destroy.

We ignore everyone who isn't already a friend. We act as the Principal Men - too important and comfortable to reach out.

We work the crowd to increase our business. We rob God of our worship.

We work the crowd to increase our friendships. We rob God of our love.

We worship control over contribution. We seek to become chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people.

After some harsh words, it is good to remember - the Un-Churched are waiting for the Light of Christ. The Non-Church-Going shouldn't throw stones. The Church should not act as the world. And know this - we all have earned God's judgement, but Jesus never threw the first stone.

It would seem to be impossible to move the Non-Church-Going into part of the solution. It would seem impossible to move the Church into being the Body of Christ. And then, in our goal-orientedness, we have forgotten. We do not worship the Temple, we worship the LORD. When all seems without hope, it is because we have focused on man being the solution. We need to hang on His Words.

Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that ..... Jesus Christ is Lord! To the glory of God the Father!

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Genesis 18:16-33 ~ Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak

Abraham (in the front left) entertains 3 Angels. Painted by Aert de Gelder, 1645-1727, was one of Rembrandt's last pupils and considered the best.

Genesis 18:16-33

Then the men set out from there, and they looked towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; so that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.’ 20 Then the Lord said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! 21 I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.’

22 So the men turned from there, and went towards Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23Then Abraham came near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ 26 And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.’ 27 Abraham answered, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ 29 Again he spoke to him, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ 30 Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ 31 He said, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ 32 Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

~ 23Then Abraham came near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

Why wasn't Abraham turned into a pillar of salt for questioning the Lord?

Father God tells us. The Lord’s plan for Abraham is to keep the way of the Lord. If Abraham had kept his mouth shut and let God Almighty go forward, his nephew Lot would have died.

My niece is being trained as a paramedic. She was in a large crowd of people at a rodeo and the bull gorded the rider. She could tell from the stands the accident was extremely serious. Brooke became alarmed because in the huge crowd, no one was going to help the rider. She ran down through the stands, asking for someone to help him. No one replied. The people hired to be the medical attendants had not shown up for the evening.

Brooke jumped over the rails, spoke with the man to stay conscious, not to look down and pressed her shirt into the gaping wound in his abdomen. At that point, Brooke had to direct a bystander to call 911. No one in the auditorium had called and the 911 operator said help was 10 to 15 minutes away.

Much later at the hospital, the man found out from the hospital staff, who’d heard from the paramedics arriving from the 911 call, that without Brooke’s help, he would have surely died.

For the crowd, they’d paid for rodeo entertainment and no one even lifted their cell phone to help the injured man. Not everyone speaks up. Not everyone speaks up.

Abraham was willing to speak up to the Lord for his nephew. The Lord was teaching Abraham about loving his neighbor as himself. This is only the 18th Chapter of Genesis, the beginning of the Scriptures and God as Father is teaching us to care for others as ourselves.

Galatians 3:6
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

James 2: 22-24
22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

Romans 4: 1.18-21
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

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Psalm 141 ~ let my prayer be counted as incense before You

Psalm 141 ~ (New Revised Standard Version)


I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me;
give ear to my voice when I call to you.
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not turn my heart to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with those who work iniquity;
do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the righteous strike me;
let the faithful correct me.
Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head,
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,
then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land,
so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.

But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I alone escape.



Luke 18:1-8

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Prayer is our conversations with the Lord.

Ephesians 6:18
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Prayer helps us grow in the Lord.

Philippians 1:9
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment

God honors people who have turned to Him, even as a last resort.

Psalm 102:17
he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.

God is not the prosperity gospel, or fond of easy grace.

Proverbs 28:9
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

God expects us to care for each other in prayer. Jeremiah was directed not to pray for the Children of Israel, that is far from usual. Moses prayed for the people. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer.

Jeremiah 7:16
As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.

Exodus 32:31-32
So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

God wants you to pray for your Church.

Daniel 9:17
Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.

In all and extreme situations, God wants your roller-coaster prayer.

Jonah 2:7
When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

God expects us to have conversations knowing He is God. To be His creation.

Matthew 6:5
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

For hopeless situations, God says:

Mark 9:29
And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

The prayer of faith, expecting God to show up:

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Letting God's will be done in our lives:

John 17:1
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you

Praying in community:

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

2 Corinthians 1:11
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.


Father God, we thank You for hearing our prayers. Thank you for answering 'no' to some of them, in time we see Your blessing. Thank You for the gifts You've given us in blessing. I am grateful today for some of the no's. Thank You, Jesus Christ, Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.


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Ezekiel 39:21-40:4 ~ I will set my glory among the nations

One of the clay tablets revealing the presence of the Judean royal house as prisoners in Babylon. Excavated from an arched building near the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. The cuneiform texts, 595 - 570 B.C., contain lists of rations of barley and oil issued to the captive princes and artisans, including "Yaukin, king of the land of Yahud." This is a direct reference to Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah). The other tablets mention his 5 sons accompanying him to Babylon. Staatliche Museum, Berlin

Ezekiel 39:21-40:4

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21 “And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. 22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.

25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. 26 They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, 27 when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. 29 And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”


1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city. [brought me there] 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”


Ezekiel was in captivity with the King of Judah, Jeconiah, eleven years before Jerusalem was destroyed. Ezekiel never mentions Jeconiah's uncle, the successor Nebuchadnezzar put up as puppet king, Zedekiah. This is the 25th year of captivity for the first group of captives, they will not be released for 34 more years. 57 years from the 2nd Temple being built.

It is utterly astonishing the Babylonian Emperor, Darius, would give directions to free the slaves and build the Temple. Build with his funds and the original Temple tools, held in waiting through 3 different emperors. It defies anything else on earth. And, recently historically, the world saw this happen again - 1947 - Israel was re-established. Imagine a country not only in ruins, but obliterated - the people scattered & yet they return to their homeland. Does Archaeology agree this occurred. Yes. Scholars debate the timing by six months.

If we know Israel came back from being annihilated, several times; these amazing events set a pattern to believe God's Son would rise from the dead.

Blessed be the Lord God, our Redeemer. Amen.

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Psalm 100 ~ Serve the Lord with gladness

Psalm 100

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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his; [and not we ourselves]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100, sung by the Cy-Ridge Varsity Treble Choir - sounds like Angels

We were blessed to have Andy Piercy recently come to our Church. He is the head of AMiA (Anglican Mission in America) worship, he is really talented. How talented? This man has his own Wikipedia site. Before he turned to Christian music, he was opening for Queen, ELO and Van Halen. Then he began to be on fire for Christian music, and began writing /recording many of the songs used on Alpha and produced records for Delirious, Matt Redman, Rita Springer, Soul Survivor and Graham Kendrick.

Andy made an off hand comment during his humble, down-to-earth sermon & said, in his lovely English accent, Worship is a bit like going to a party where everyone there is holding their breath waiting for the famous person who may or may not show up. That analogy is wonderful, perfect for Psalm 100.

Psalm 100 is about what we bring to the Lord. It is the expectation - the Lord IS going to show up. It's about going to Church, it's about opening our hands to ask Him to give us His daily works. It's about what we bring to this life, it's about the next life.

It's about making the decision to place ourselves in God's hands and let Him work His Plan. Rejoice! This is about putting anxiety down with our decision to trust.

We are the Lord's !

And the music today is from my childhood. It is like putting on the Holy Spirit - the Comforter. Andy Piercy read us terrible letters written to the minister saying how terrible, romantic, uninspiring the new hymns were. Of course the letters were written 140-300 years ago over songs like 'Amazing Grace', 'Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee', 'The Old Rugged Cross". We all have a different taste in music, Psalm 100 is a song sung with practice, with joy, with a decision to put down our interests and concerns, to take time to Praise God.

It is He who made us, and not we ourselves!!!

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Doxology of Psalm 100, always a blessing


O Praise Him, David Crowder Band

Psalm 96 ~ oh sing to the Lord a new song

Psalm 96

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1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; [of holy attire]
tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Our Church family small group had been studying Bill Hybels' (Pastor of Willow Creek) book, "Just Walk Across the Room." One of the things I've enjoyed about this reasonable study, looking for the opportunities to share God's love with others. We are studying the 5th week, the video was pretty hilarious and we laughed a lot.

The main theme today is being more clear on having a one minute personal story - how God's love changed our lives. The video gave rave performances - not to be too long, rambling. Avoid being fuzzy, unclear, wobbly. Not to be weird and give God stories best shared in a small group who love you and know you. No to lots of esoteric Religious speak - i.e. too many thee's and thou's are not easy or comfortable. And flee from giving holier than you, speak downs.

Years ago, I went to a Christian renewal weekend. During my time with this group, I realized they had a love for the Lord causing them to glow with joy. We were in the very rural country and it was so dark outside. We were in the Chapel, and the priest said the light in the lantern represented the Presence of Christ. We were asked to remember Jesus as the Light of the World. We were asked to decide, did we indeed believe or would this merely be a light. It was a question I had been asking myself. I knew I had a decision, I knew Jesus as Lord. Suddenly I was given a peace, a joy, a Love. I was filled with the Light of Christ. I'd never felt such love wash over me.

Over the years, as I've journeyed as a follower of Jesus Christ, I've felt the Light - the free gift of salvation - given to me - strengthen me in times of need. Lift me higher in joyful times. Giving me more compassion to others. Growing me to go home to the Lord. The Lord is my rock.


John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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Psalm 134 ~ may the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made Heaven and earth!

Evening Prayer, by Jean Francois Millet


Psalm 134

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Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!


Years ago, the Roman Empire began to crumble when inner corruption, greed, overcame trade. Christ then began to be proclaimed as Son of God and propped the Roman Empire for another 200 years. Then cities became afraid again, we slid into the Middle Ages and major fortification was established as cities became walled in and lives became walled in. Distrust and starvation set in and the Churches, acting as stewards of Jesus Christ were the first to feed and to care for children of God and provide hospital care. At the end of the plagues, when people began to leave serfdom all over Europe, the Church was the first place built outside of the fortified walls. Churches were responsible for people beginning to trust their environment. People left the walled enclosures to attend evening prayer. The Evening Service is called Vespers, people would, and do, gather to give thanks. A blessing for the Lord.

Here is a sample of the prayers:

Jesus said "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp to put it under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand where it gives light for everyone in the house. And you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellow man, so that they may see the good you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine unto our heart the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night; you established the moon and the sun. You fixed all the boundaries of the earth, you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:15-16

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall. Psalm 16:7-8

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139:10-11

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13




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Acts 28 ~ and welcomed all who came to him

Tomb of St. Paul

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (the Aurelian Walls, city walls built between 271-275 for Rome's seven hills. Unfortified area of Rome.)

Earlier this week we remembered the monuments to Paul, all over his travels. Here is Paul's current house, dedicated to His LORD. It was built with his tomb at the altar. The Basilica named for Paul was built in 354 by Constantine. It was fortified in the 9th century and burned by roof repairs in 1823. Rebuilt in 1840.



Acts 28

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1 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people [barbaroi that is, non–Greek speakers] showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice [justice] has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, [honored us with many honors] and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods [Greek gods Castor and Pollux] as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers [brothers and sisters; also verses 15, 21] and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.

17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement:
“The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “‘Go to this people, and say,
You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
27 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’’

28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, [his own hired dwelling] and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Paul knew he was probably on the voyage ending his life.

Acts 21:11
And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

While shipwrecked he stayed with the crew. Healing along the way. In each stop, Paul meets brothers and sisters in Christ all along the long journey, just 26 years after Jesus rose again. Paul has been told he will meet his death at the hands of the Gentiles, yet Paul is here to proclaim to all ~ Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior.

Just as it was since 60 A.D., all are welcome at the house of Paul. Paul's house is always the home of the Holy Spirit.

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