Psalm 141 ~ Let my prayer be counted as incense before you

A column capital and a huge stone that was part of the original Temple in Jerusalem.

Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.

Floor plan of Solomon's Temple. It's an Unusual Shape!

1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

It's wonderful the doors were called Jachin and Boaz.

1 Chronicles 9:9-11
and their kinsmen according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers' houses according to their fathers' houses. Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, 11 and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God

Boaz? David's Grandfather, Solomon's Great-Grandfather.

Boaz knew himself. And told us of his heart.

Ruth 3:12-13
"And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”


Even the Temple of THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY had touches of family, hearthstone and heart.


Our prayers before God:
Revelation 8
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel

What was offered to God as pleasant aroma? Flatbread.

From the Court of the Priests in the Temple

David remembers distress and fear. He recalls salvation belongs to the Lord. And remembers prayer will help him. God regards our prayers as something pleasant.

Numbers 15:3
and you present to the LORD food offerings from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD--whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings--

2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing

1 Timothy 2:8
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


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Luke 9 ~ Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 9


And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

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

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”



Do you ever think you are repeating yourself over and over, but your meaning isn't clear?

Jesus is in Bethsaida.

He call over the twelve who as they were going along the road, some question, talk live, walk, eat, sleep, hear and do a lot of wondering. And He does this, "And He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal."

Who is this man?

Herod was perplexed.

5,000 all ate and were satisfied.

Twelve baskets of broken pieces. Twelve sons of Israel.

He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him.

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Twice in two days.

When He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

As He was praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white. And behold.

The Gospel According to John
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him!”



Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the Majesty of God.

While they were all marveling at everything He was doing

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. Jesus took a child and put him by His side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My Name receives Me."

In His Name. Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

“Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice. He will. He will. He will.

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” He set His face to go to Jerusalem.


"Who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”


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Matthew 18:21-19:2 ~ forgive your brother from your heart

Matthew 18:21-19:2

 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^{[a monetary unit worth 20 years' salary]  25}  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  

²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,^{[a day wage]} and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 

 ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[torturers] until he should pay all his debt.  

³⁵  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And He healed them there

The true feeling of forgiveness is exactly the same as the one we all experienced as a child, when we would swim underwater and come up gasping for air. 

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Psalm 134 ~ Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!

Psalm 134
A Song of Ascents.

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!




Psalm 102
He looked down from His holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.





Psalm 111
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!




Blessed be the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Who was and is and will be. For His many wonders, acts of love and compassion. Now and always.


Amen. 







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Psalm 125 ~ Peace be upon Israel!

Hills of Jerusalem, Lithograph by Eberhard Emminger, c 1855

Psalm 125
A Song of Ascents

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.

3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!

5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!


Psalm 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways

Psalm 91 was continued from the First Temple to Jesus.

Luke 4:11
They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Colossians 1:16-17
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

There are so many things in the universe. Water on Mars. The stages of water, steam, ice and liquid. All designed by Him. So many wonders. The Hills surrounding Jerusalem remind of the angels God says He places in our lives. The Word of God choosing to dwell with us. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, in Him. In Him all things hold together.

Jesus in The Temple, painted by James Tissot

Hebrews 12:21-24
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Thanks be to Jesus our Lord, all who call upon HIM will be saved.

Psalm 48:2
Beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.

What wonders we will encounter in life, Paul choose to call life an adventure.

Hebrews 12:25-29
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

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Luke 6:17-19 ~ came to hear Him and to be healed

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born 1936, serves as Pope Francis, 266th Pope since 33 A.D. Peter, the first Pope.


Luke 6:17-19
And Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.


In the Exodus, God was healing His people. In this Scripture, people had believed, asked of the LORD, acknowledged the Lord, and acted upon His Word. They expected to earn the right to be called the Children of God. They had grown from the slaves thinking God should do things for them, their way.


Judges 1

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” 3 And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron. 20 And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, 32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. 36 And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight"

Judah was a son of Jacob and Leah. He believed with the help of his brother, he would fight for God's will. He deemed a fight was necessary, he believed himself capable of the task with godly counsel. He expected success. He expected to help others.

Manasseh's tribe had a famous father, Joseph. They enslaved people to go forward to success. We all have a choice to adopt the ways of our parents or do differently. Ephraim, the same. Zebulon.

Asher, Naphtali and Dan were sons of women wanted not as wives. They compromised, they capitulated. They knew their place, had been told all of their lives. Sometimes a compromise accepted is just that. And rules out a greater opportunity. Life will eat your lunch and not thank you for it. Or tell you your place, if you listen to life.

There are times a fight is required. And without the fight, the struggle not to sit at the back of the bus, you are Far worse for Not Fighting. A lot of fights depend on the struggle motivation for His acceptance. Compliance is not always the way to peace. There is a quote from the movie "Cowboys and Aliens." It's rather like Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus.

[referring to his wife being taken by the aliens]
Doc: It's my fault she got took. I never should have taken her to that town.
Meacham: Oh, no! No! No! It's not your fault. You'll get her back. You're setting things right. Just gotta have faith, that's all.
Doc: Faith?
Meacham: Mmhmm.
Doc: Yeah. God's been real swell to me. I don't mean no disrespect, preacher, but either he ain't up there or he don't like me very much.
Meacham: Well, surely you don't expect the Lord to do everything for you. Do you, Doc? You gotta earn His presence. And then you gotta recognize it. And then you have to act on it.

The Canaanites. What did they want of HIM, of the Children of Israel? Jesus died for them. God knew their hearts and decided. The Old Testament said follow HIM. The New Testament said follow HIM.

With the Word, "God's Plan"

Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio -
"If the church stays wrapped up in itself, it will age. And if I had to choose between a wounded church that goes out on to the streets and a sick, withdrawn church, I would definitely choose the first one.”

"Poor girl who, rather than returning the child to sender, had the courage to carry it into the world, must wander from parish to parish so that it’s baptized!”

Decrying, their exploitation, "Children are mistreated, and are not educated or fed. Many are made into prostitutes and exploited." He denounced a "culture of discarding" the elderly and treating them as if they are disposable and worthless due to their advanced age.

Having witnessed a woman, called after a vegetable, mistreat her children simply by not standing up for right. I find the new Pope, with his fights for the weak and needy, as riches for the Church. Perhaps we will see Him fight for the rights afforded to Peter and the Lord's brothers. Peter, the man Jesus said would prevail. Peter's mother-in-law served the Lord after He healed her.

1 Corinthians 9:5
Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?

Ephesians 5:32
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

I would say the Church should acknowledge, Jesus had brothers, Mary was married as part of His Plan. And the early Church Fathers were married. The Early Church was very pro-marriage and understood marriage as a Union He created. Hear HIM and be healed Church! It takes one Pope to say other Christians are saved in the name of Jesus Christ, let's see one with courage say, "Peter was married." Let's affirm marriage.

Sermons used to be in Latin, as well as the Readings. The Church determined the Word. If we say the Plan of God - then we say we believe His Word. We have Scripture because people lived to deliver us HIS Word from 395 years of Roman Empire indecision. The People who loved Jesus, lived to spread His Word. Ask Him in prayer, work for His will, and act upon His Word.

The Catholic Church should understand the Sermons... based upon His Word. Church? I would definitely choose the first one. His. Jesus Christ the Lord.


Psalm 112

Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!


Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.


Think about how mighty the Church has been,  early Church Fathers - who were married with offspring. And today. Some mysteries are not so mysterious. We were a generation raised thinking of the Holiness of the Church. We did not expect to dictate to the Church, bend down to learn the wisdom of the people. Look to HIM. He tells us. Love.

God's workmen go home. His Plan endures. Fight the good fight.

People of Israel inquire of the Lord. The crowd sought to touch Him, for power came out from Him and healed them all. Seems we would inquire of the Lord, for our needs.

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.


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Revelation 2:8-11 ~ Do not fear

Revelation 2:8-11

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

This is an unfamiliar passage of God's Word to a lot of people. We discussed it with a Bible Study once and people asked to look it up and study it as an aside to our evening study. It caused a lot of reaction. It surprised me. People were angered at the thought of hell being ended by death. I think it is amazing, and it needs to be not as discussed as other passages. I was telling it to someone I dearly love and it provided assurance - the hell they worry is in their future - is not going to be eternal. This really is not the point.

The point is that God is above all things.  His dominion is over all and He will be merciful over all. I find comfort in that. It speaks to how merciful He is.

What is man, that God is mindful of Him. God follows the unredeemed into hell, to cause them not to suffer. Now that really is Light.

John 1:5
New International Version (©1984)
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

New Living Translation (©2007)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

English Standard Version (©2001)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

It is absolutely our joy and obligation to pray diligently, as Jesus Christ is LORD, for the people we care about in salvation. This passage far from eliminates the worry. This tells us there is a Kingdom of God and hell.

When you read Scripture, God is specific about a judgment. My uncle was saved in his 78th year. My grandmother said she would never give up praying for him. My mother said her mother was dancing in Heaven.


Never give up. Never.


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Romans 7:1-12 ~ So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Romans 7:1-12

Or do you not know, brothers^{[bothers and sisters]}—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.


7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

What do we learn from the Ten Commandments? When you sit down to memorize them, they are orderly. God comes first. Right after God gave HIS Commandments, He said if you follow His Commandments you will be blessed.

Our Pastor asked a question in the Sermon on Sunday, and I thought it was the oddest question. "What do you hate about men?" Actually, he was asking what do you hate about Lent. But given that I actually learn a lot from the Sermons, I gave thought to the rather surprising question, "What do you hate about men?" After all, I have a husband and two sons.

It turns out what I hate about men is they always expect the maid is coming to clean up after them. We don't have a maid. Although.....

So, I hate to sweep up after other people's messes. I get angry, I think of harmful things. And I growl and make weird noises. Usually I'm not good company after their extended visits get cleaned up.

I think  God probably feels like this when He is called upon to clean up our messes. We need all the grace He willingly bestows and we should avoid messes.


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Song of Solomon 2 ~ As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.

Song of Solomon 2


I am a rose^{[Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, daffodil]} of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

2 As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.

3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
6 His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
7 I adjure you,^{[that is, I put you on oath; so throughout the Song]}
O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.

10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.

14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15 Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes^{[patures his flock]} among the lilies.
17 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.

Love, we are told, makes the world go around. God, the inventor of Love, says Love flourishes with His Laws of Love.

The Roman Republic began in 500 B.C., and upon becoming an Empire, lasted until 395 A.D.. The History of this vast government has a profound, lasting influence on the development of language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and forms of government today. When you look at what brought down this government, I would say conclusively, its marriage laws.

There is a direct correlation in society between up-building and destruction in the way society looks at marriage. When two people are to be one, it is working of the Holy Spirit. It affects the fruit - children - and culture in all aspects.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. Interesting the world was working on marriage during the birth of Christ, calling for David's house to report to Bethlehem. (They've found the census, by the way.)

Augustus was a tidy man, someone who wanted to be a Caesar beyond reproach and his wife, Caesar's wife (whom he proposed to while she was married and pregnant with her other husband's child), as well. Romans had been allowed to marry in different forms and it was all pretty much live and let live as far as marriage went. Augustus decided it needed to be .... Defined and Legal.

 

1. Confarreatio (divorce almost unheard of)was a traditional patrician form of marriage. Divorce for confarreatio marriages, diffarreatio, was a difficult process and therefore rare. A special type of sacrifice that caused the dissolution of the relationship between the man and woman. She would then pass back into her father's home or family. Originally, the confarreatio was indissoluble. The wife leaves her family and becomes her husband's family, or property = cum manu. Later, divorce was easier the dowry returned with the wife.

2. Coemptio (slavery/service) was in essence a sale of the woman to the husband. Coemptio occurred at any time throughout marriage. This was a process of mancipation (slavery/service). The transaction occurred with a scales-holder and in the presence of at least five witnesses, adult male Roman citizens. Coemptio could occur not only with a husband but also with an outsider. However, this process is deemed for the “sake of trust” not for the “sake of marriage.” Coemptio was only a convenient legal practice. If a wife became cum manu through the process of coemptio divorced, then she became emancipated. By the 2nd century AD, a wife was able to compel her husband to emancipate her, a right not shared by her children.

3. Usus (living together, owned by husband) Cum Manu acquired by usus was simply the cohabitation of the husband and wife for the duration of a year. After a year passed the wife was transferred into the ownership of her partner, she was considered taken by the decree of yearly possession. This process required no ceremonial practices. If the woman was not willing to come into ownership of her husband, manus by usus was easily preventable. As conditioned in the Twelve Tables if the wife absented herself for the total of three days and three nights before the end of the year, each year, the marriage was not cum manu, and she was not under the ownership of her husband. If a woman married cum manu through the process of usus divorced then, she became Emancipated. Subsequently, the law of usus was dissolved by legal enactments presumably because it fell out of use..... so Do Not Spend Your Anniversary Together at all costs....

4. Sine Manu (living together, owned by father instead of husband) the wife legally and ritually remained a member of her father's family, standing under the control of her father's potestas. The bride is not under control of the husband. This form of marriage held no ceremonial formalities led by a public official. Ultimately it involved a husband and wife living together under the intention of a marriage, in conjunction with the legal capacity of marriage under the Roman law. Although no official ceremony was held, it was customary for the bride to be escorted to her bridegrooms house. The children of this union were legally members of the husband’s agnatic kin.

Women faced with the loss of property when entering a cum manu marriage began to only consent to sine manu (father's family property) unions (similar to living together, today, to avoid prenuptial agreements and financial wedding issues.)

So, Augustus was trying to put marriage together better for inheritance when he created these types of marriages, legally. They had been used for centuries. When we read the last paragraph in brown, Augustus' goal was promoting self and not promoting a couple living as one person.

Does it sound like these forms of marriages would help sort out society better and then the playing field is easily understood? It had an effect. A definite effect. The love of many grew colder.

Marriage is a work in progress. Dating or living together leads to a non-committed society - free to abandon hearts and children. Those abandoned hearts hurt others, the cycle goes on and on to the detriment of society.

True, we don't consider women property in most of the world today. But we do consider property, income, commitment instead of Christian marriage for love, honor, obey, cherish in sickness and all circumstances. Confarreatio (devoted love forsaking all other things) began to be a thing of the past.

The End of the Empire? Selfishness. Christianity is said to have split the Roman Empire, but really selfishness. Lack of family, a place to go, fairness - is the downfall. Marriage laws made family and oath and position always an uncertainty. Claw your way along.

Weakness created invasion, civil war, plague, economic depression, hyperinflation caused by years of coinage devaluation. A denarius coin, a day's pay, quit using silver and was devalued. Trade increased during the good years of the Empire, but war created large landowners unable to send their goods abroad. Local city dwellers were trapped and unable to buy what they needed by war and unsafe trade on the highways, pledged themselves to local land barons. The Empire broke up into 3 parts in 258 AD. Large, open cities of Classical antiquity slowly gave way to the smaller, walled cities that were common in the Middle Ages.

Alec Gerrard's Temple Model of Solomon's Porch.

Solomon's Porch, the portion of the first Temple still incorporated into the Second Temple, during the days Jesus chose to teach in the Temple. 

God saw something marvelous in Solomon and preserved part of the Temple Solomon built. This portion of Scripture is an interesting. Reminding us God, developed human love.  The footnotes are important here and show God intended love to be an oath of commitment. Without commitment and dedication, love becomes a bramble area.

Solomon was visited by the LORD and given the commission to ask for a blessing. He asked for wisdom. Solomon would spend his reign visiting, creating, being absorbed in selfish pursuits of getting the LORD to speak to him in the altars of high places, historically in pagan worship. What would take Solomon away from his Temple built to the Lord? Solomon forgot the Word of God - to be in union with faithful followers of God. Using wisdom to be a worldly wisdom. The effects of Solomon's self-centered absorption would be Solomon's son Rehoboam was not well versed in wisdom, loosing David's Empire for God in the third generation. Wisdom was forgotten in the building of Solomon's House. We see examples of monogamy and polygamy in Scriptures. In polygamy, we see the same examples in the fall of the Roman Empire.


The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.


Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.


We live in a world were marriage is now considered to be very expensive. Many couples don't get married because they cannot afford a very large wedding. The Justice of the Peace costs about $140 and is considered a poor substitute for a Church wedding. So, if the whole cake doesn't look pretty, they forgo the wedding, probably to look progressive or worldly instead of poor.

However, we still see jubilant expectant mothers, and mostly because their future with their spouse is secure.

Why would God want us to know of this Glory in His Word. He delights in two very different types of creation, reaffirming their love and commitment in the merging of self into union. God sees this as a celebration of love.

the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.

Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle

What Beauty He Bestows Upon Us.



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