1 Thessalonians 1 ~ gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit

This is the house of Peter, the rock upon whom the church was built. It is located in Capernaum, Israel. We know Jesus was in Peter's house (in many ways) because the bible records the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law in Peter’s house in: Matthew 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-39 & Luke 4:38-44. Peter’s house still has the church people and pilgrims writing their joy to the Lord on the walls. After Peter left to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to share the gospel all over the world, Peter’s house grew to become the church in Capernaum.

1 Thessalonians 1

[1] Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalo'nians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
[2]
We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

[3] remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
[4] For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you;
[5] for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
[6] And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit;
[7] so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedo'nia and in Acha'ia.
[8] For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedo'nia and Acha'ia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
[9] For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
[10] and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

This photo is of Osios David, a Greek Chuch built in 400 A. D. The front porch and yard have been continually used and enjoyed by the Church family for over 1,600 years.

Last night, our church remembered Jesus & Lent by having a time of fellowship, a meal and prayer for healing in a church member’s home. This is a beautiful, full of love tradition in the church for 2 millenniums:

Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

James 5: 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

I Corinthians 16: 19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.

Romans 16: 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

Colossians 4: 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

Philemon 1:1 To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home

Father God, bless our Churches to be families. Please bless our homes to be places of worship. And help us to live each day as a dwelling of the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.



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Psalm 81 ~ open your mouth wide

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. ~ Mark 10:15


Psalm 81

Max McLean Audio Bible, English Standard Version

1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,
a rule [just decree] of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over [against] the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your [his; also next line] shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah [quarreling]. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you [Israel; Hebrew him] with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”


Is the glass 1/2 full or empty? In this Psalm we are given a statute, a rule, a just decree and seemingly just the hope to just open our mouths to God's blessings. It is both a Psalm of hope and an appeal to us to have more faith in our souls and actions.
The Scriptures are neither 1/2 full or 1/2 empty. They are the Word of the Lord. A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Except in the Scriptures it is much more vital, living and important! The law isn't the 10 commandments every word coming from His mouth, it is:

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

More important than empty or full. It's the LORD who doesn't change. Times are difficult during this intense year. Even in Deuteronomy - Christians don't find very exciting, Deuteronomy 5 is about Father God wanting to willingly bless. Just like this Psalm. Prayer isn't the dry need to cultivate a needy Deity.

What we usually pray to God is not that His will be done, but that He approves ours.

~Helga Bergold Gross

Prayer is about opening ourselves to the willingness of God. Just as the LORD tested the Children of Israel at Meribah As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. Prayer is a conversation!

What is the factor of variation seeming to exist in this Psalm? It is within your soul and my soul. It is the expectation God hears our prayer conversations. That this life is meaningful and the works and words accomplished in them matter to Him. Greatly.

Psalm 126 is a great example of this. It tells us of great blessings to come and the desire for more blessings. And ends with:

He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Shouts of joy are required!

Father God, each day help us to cultivate the garden you've given us for our lives. Help us to work in Your Light. Help us to weed out what is not holy in Your eyes, even when we cherish that weed. Help us to see, diligently, Your blessings even when it is rain. Let us be children of Light even when we work with fertilizer. And in the reading of Your Word, help us also to be do-ers, let our lives reflect Your work in our garden. Bless our garden, like a mustard seed, which we took and planted in the garden You've give us. Let it grow and became a tree, so the birds of the air perched in its branches may sing to Your glory. Help us not to cultivate the garden for our use alone, but to be blessings to others with a generous heart.

Father God, teach us to let our words, our time, our talent be the meditation of the heart You hope for. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. In the holiest name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

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Daniel 9 ~ He has confirmed his words, which he spoke

Angel Gabriel, painted by Francesco De Mura c. 1782.

And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. Luke 1:19

Daniel 9

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, [our judges who judged us] by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 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, [for the Lord's sake] make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

24 “Seventy weeks [sevens] are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its [His] end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Awesome prayer from a soul greatly loved by God. Written for you.

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments

We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments

We have not listened to Your servants, the prophets

To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness

To us, open shame, because we have sinned against You

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness

We have rebelled against Him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.

Yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by Your truth.

O Lord, according to all Your righteous acts, let Your anger and Your wrath turn away

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

O my God, incline Your ear and hear. Open Your eyes

For we do not present our pleas before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for Your own sake, O my God"

~ At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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Numbers 21:4-9 ~ he lived

Mount Hor, Jebel Nebi Harun ("Mountain of the Prophet Aaron" in Arabic), a twin-peaked mountain 4780 feet above the sea-in the Edomite (Edom – children of Esau) Mountains on the east side of the Jordan-Arabah valley, near the city of Petra. On the summit is a shrine of Aaron. Aaron's death, situated "in the edge of the land of Edom" (Numbers 33:37, 38).


Numbers 21:4-9 (New King James Version)

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Father God, in faith we know this is the area where Aaron entered Your Kingdom. We rely upon You when the wild winds of life howl, You are our rock. Just as Moses and Aaron had Your help and attention during their journey in life, You are here with us in love.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Psalm 5 ~ for You bless the righteous, O Lord

Psalm 5

Max McLean Audio Bible, English Standard Version


1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you [I direct my prayer to you] and watch.

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.

9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.



Some words are filled with faith (I believe!), hope (He means me!), and Love (All there ever was and could be directed to the soul God created to be - special, chosen, precious - you).

Behold is one of the phrases. In this Psalm, watch is the key word. Watch for answered pray, watch for favor as with a shield. Sing for Joy. I will exult in You. God hears our voice in prayer.

Psalm 28:2
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Psalm 63:4
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 77:2
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.

Psalm 134:2
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

Psalm 141:2
May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 143:6
I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

Father God, You know me. You know my Spirit, You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret. How well You know me, You know I am a frozen chosen when it comes to lifting my hands in public. How You laugh. Father, but You know my Spirit. Your face Lord, do I seek. The joy to know You hear our prayers and they Delight You. Blessed be the Lord God forever. Blessed be Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 13:1-23 ~ root in Himself

Housing in Israel during the days Jesus lived, moved on earth, giving us grace and truth. Rooms were small, house centered around a courtyard, windows were shuttered and the roof would have a tent and be used for outdoor living.


Archaeological Capernaum

Matthew 13:1-23

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 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.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Look at the good archaeological bones the digs have brought unearthing Capernaum. (Luke 10:15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.)

Such a pretty town, located in the most fertile Sea of Galilee coast, with views of the Sea. No wonder Jesus chose Capernaum as his adult hometown. (Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.) Remember what causes a ruin. A ruin is caused by devastation, abandonment or prosperity. In devastation, only small parts will be discovered. Abandonment makes the best ruins for archaeology. Prosperity is iffy for posterity, sometimes covered over and preserved, sometimes ripped to fragments.

What do we know of Capernaum architecturally and historically. This is where the Jesus Boat was found in 1986 during drought. An intact ship, the kind dated to the day of grace and truth when Jesus prayed, walked, listened, asked and healed. Where the wealthy, largest home of Peter was used as a Church, as Peter went out to spread the Good News. The graffiti types and messaged date to about identical as the tomb of Peter found 80 feet below the Vatican Altar today (a complete village similar to the photo except underground).

So, what did Jesus' hometown do with the verbal seeds planted by the ministry Jesus based in Capernaum? Capernaum is a suburb of Kinneret, listed by Joshua as one of the fortified cities in the Naftali tribe. Capernaum grows up just before Jesus and is a Roman city made in logical grids. When we remember Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the soon to be Roman Emperor Titus, in 70 A.D., we remember Jesus forgave everyone on the cross. It wouldn't have made Jesus sacrifice and forgiveness for us so majestic, if God had allowed the destruction to occur during Jesus' natural lifetime. The people of Jesus' day lived in mostly orderly rule.

Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Capernaum - where Luke 4:23 records Jesus did so many miracles and signs, where people knew to look for Him - fared much better than Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Peter's house was overflowing with people coming to worship Jesus after He ascended into Heaven. They even added onto the house to accommodate larger numbers of worshipers and pilgrims.

During the three Jewish Revolts against Rome - still good soil. Capernaum is recorded as being a "fertile spring" by Josephus. Many mills for grain and fisheries are in continuous operation and the town expands.

What would Jesus have said to the new 4th century Synagogue on top of the one where He taught and the new Byzantine Church built over (literally, they did not destroy) Peter's house? He probably would have been pleased they were much more interested in peace. And mixed emotions over a prosperity peace seeking than true peace. Perhaps, perhaps He would have called this a seed being choked by weeds. Maybe.

Capernaum isn't intact, as we see in the photo. In the 6th century, Persia invaded, the Church and Synagogue were destroyed. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched.

The Persian invasion left Capernaum unmolested, until the 11th century, to continue to provide fish and grain. Until later the town of Capernaum was destroyed, as the Persians continued to be a governing force. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

What will we do with this Capernaum analogy with seeds and the words of our Messiah? Capernaum is like Gideon; we are like Gideon. God didn't see Gideon as weak. God saw Gideon, outside of time, as a great child of His. We can call Gideon as a work in progress.

Judges 6:11-22

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”

Father God, with Your willing blessing, we will seek and work for Peace. In the name of our brother, Jesus Christ, Savior of the World. Amen.


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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot readings on Matthew 13 or Jesus' Parable on Seeds:
August 23, 2009
August 9, 2008
July 24, 2008
March 4, 2010
July 23, 2007
June 2, 2010
February 1, 2008
February 8, 2008
May 10, 2010
October 30, 2007
July 24, 2007

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Prayer Requests ~ abide in me

Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you



For Patricia, who is having knee surgery. Her last foot surgery lead to liver failure from the pain meds. The alternative is pain and a wheelchair, doctors have said they will be more careful with meds this time. For healing. For an increase in willingness to get along better with her grown children. For her children.

For the lady who came to our Baylor Parent's League 1st call to prayer group and was appointed to be the new Chairman of the State Board of Texas Education. To do well in her new job in a time of budget crisis. For our new prayer group. A thank you to the Lord for the placement of a praying Christian. For the Governor of Texas trying to get people out to pray knowing God hears and answers our prayers. For the event August the 6th.

For Brooke, getting married on a Naval base to the love of her life. That wedding deliveries will go well in the increased security and a beautiful wedding day.

For Wayne, for his health concerns before his surgery.

For Merit, our Springer Spaniel, for his allergies to diminish and heal.

For all Christ honoring Churches, their leadership and their pastors. To help the Churches correctly address the trepidation people feel in these times in hope. For the Holy Spirit to awaken people in the response to their prayers. For the generation starting out, so many pressures - for the Light of Jesus to shine as a beacon.

For the economy and the world to be refocused on Christ-given opportunities ahead, in hope, instead of worry. In the name of Jesus, I open my hands in prayer, looking for the willingness of the Father to bless. Amen.


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1 John 3:11-21 ~ God is greater

1 John 3:11-21 ~ God is greater

I Believe in Love - BarlowGirl
The chorus of this song was written on the wall of a concentration camp and was found after it was over... to think someone going through so much as the holocaust could have so much faith...
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1 John 3:11-21 (Today's New International Version)

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a fellow believer is a murderer, and you know that no murderers have eternal life in them.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

Written by Rev. Ken Kingston, Methodist Church U.K.

John has themes that he returns to again and again as he writes. In the first part of the letter he talks about God as being light, without any darkness at all. He then goes on to speak about God as love – "this is the message you have heard from the beginning" – we should love another (verse 11), as Jesus loves us.

In this passage there is an allusion back to Jesus' teaching of the 'Sermon on the Mount' in Matthew's Gospel (chapters 5-7). Jesus not only says that those who commit murder will be open to judgement, but anyone who is angry or insults their brother or sister will be similarly liable (Matthew 5:21-22). Not to love then, is to be in God's judgement as sin.

Love, as John rightly suggests, should consume our whole being, and be evident from every pore of our body. What we do, what we say and what we think will reveal us to be people of love and people of God.

~ My additional comment would be, this is the love John saw modeled by Jesus. This would be John's eyewitness account of what drew the disciples of Jesus and the crowds Jesus had such compassion upon. We, of course, pale in comparison.

Come, Lord Jesus, dwell in me.

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Isaiah 62 ~ And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

Isaiah 62

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the Lord in remembrance,
take no rest,
7 and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it a praise in the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“I will not again give your grain
to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink your wine
for which you have labored;
9 but those who garner it shall eat it
and praise the Lord,
and those who gather it shall drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”

10 Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
12 And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.

The Holy People. High Church. Low Church (not liturgical, more contemporary music). Any which way in between. People seeking the Lord. Isaiah 62 reminds me of Joel Olsteen saying "One touch, one touch, just a glimmer of God's favor is a blessing indeed."

http://theresponseusa.com/downloads/the_response_promo_480p.mov

I am tired of the news. I am tired of hearing of riots, needs unmet. I've read the news with trepidation, lately. At Church on Sunday I was surprised to hear that Texas Governor Rick Perry woke up in the middle of the night, from a sleep last November, believing God had spoken to him.

Rick Perry says, "We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles. According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America."

The media has lined up. Governors all over the USA have been invited. So, now people are offended. Who is excluded? Oh. So. What.

I'm ready for this to happen. Our Church gathered with 30 Churches from different denominations and it was TERRIFIC!! What an atmosphere of expectation for the LORD to hear us! I'm ready not to hear about war. I am ready for people to look to God for favor. I plan on being in attendance. This isn't just for America, this for the redeemed of the Lord. I hope you will join this event - in prayer - wherever you are - geographically or spiritually. Let's all Look Up to the Lord.

Historic Crisis
Historic Response
Historic Breakthrough.

http://theresponseusa.com/


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Matthew 6 ~ practicing your righteousness

This band Only Gets Better - the More it Rolls!

Matthew 6

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

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. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name [Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence ]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread [our bread for tomorrow],
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life [single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches] ? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Shofar Trumpet -God calls us to Him with a Trumpet


Josephus records the Temple Treasury being thirteen trumpet-like receptacles of brass. ("Ant." xix. 61, "B. J." v. 2, Jewish Encyclopedia) Shaped to prevent dishonest people from taking out coins while pretending to cast them in. The description of the trumpets being brass also means the correct Temple coinage - (available for exchange on the Temple grounds in Royal Stoa, or Portico, built by Herod) the coins made a noise going down the trumpet, perfect for showing off.



When Jesus told of going into the vast, wonderful Temple and seeing all the people - He saw the widow putting her coins into the Temple treasury. All she had. (Mark 12:35-44) Jesus saw the Religious Elite sitting in the best places, but He still saw and understood the widow's generosity.

When we combine the Mark 12 Gospel and the Matthew 6 chapter, we see again Jesus' eye saw further than we can hope to see. Jesus tells us of generosity in this passage, and in our priorities, but Jesus goes further than any observation, telling us more about God's willingness to bless.

God's righteousness doesn't dwell on shortcomings, but is upbeat. Not gloomy. God's eye blesses us with Light!

Psalm 139:17
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.



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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot readings on Matthew 6 or the Lord's Prayer:
April 12, 2011
October 13, 2010
September 28, 2007


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Psalm 145:2-9 ~ One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.

Psalm 145:2-9

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.

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."
- Patrick Henry

"This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed."
- Patrick Henry

"It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible."
- Theodore Roosevelt

"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!
- John Adams and John Hancock, Founding Fathers (April 18, 1775)

"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience...without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure...If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."
- Ronald Reagan

I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.
- Benjamin Rush


We overlook men trying to do the will of God. We try to judge their hearts in an attempt to understand what really made them tick. Why this debate, do we believe - If we do not pass the test of perfection, we cannot be a Christ follower. Surely we must join in men rejoicing in God's blessings.

Thank You, Father God, for Your Greatness. The Mighty Acts You've given to enjoy freedom. To bask in the efforts of people willing to do acts of greatness greater than their capabilities or giving us acts of sacrifice. Mankind blessing us with Your abundant goodness. You are good to all, and Your mercy is over all You have made. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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(Blessed and glad to be back after a Rainstorm, in Texas, knocked out the internet!!!)


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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot readings on Psalm 145:
December 10, 2009
July 26, 2010

Matthew 9:14-17 ~ the Bridegroom is with them

Jesus teaches by the sea, painted by James Tissot. 3D.

Matthew 9:14-17

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

14 Then the disciples of John came to him (Jesus) , saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Oblation - an offering. In Communion, it is when the bread and wine become an offertory. We always have Jesus, the Bridegroom, with us. Especially when we earnestly put out our hearts and ask Him to direct us, or be with us.

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.


Matthew 28:20
behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age


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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot readings on Matthew 9:14-17 and new wine:
January 18, 2010
July 5, 2008
January 19, 2011


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Psalm 147 ~ those who hope in his steadfast love

Psalm 147

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio


Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant, [for he is beautiful] and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble [afflicted];
he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.

14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules [just decrees] to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules [just decrees].
Praise the Lord!

On a summer night around a fire, when it is still, it's so pleasing to hear the summer night noises. God draws us to Him in the still, quiet.

The Lord determines. He is good. He gathers, He heals, He binds up, He gives. He covers. He prepares. He makes. He delights. His pleasure. His Word.

In Him, we live, we move and have our dwelling. In Christ Jesus our Lord.


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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot readings on Psalm 147:
December 31, 2010
February 12, 2010
November 21, 2010