John 4:46-54 ~ When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

John 4:46-54

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

Jesus was just getting started. He was spreading His wings in the Holy Spirit. His first sign in His ministry could have been chasing the money changers out from 36 acres of the Temple. Or could have been flinging open His Word in His Hometown Synagogue. Jesus could have had his first sign be walking on water. Instead Jesus started His ministry showing he'd been invited to a wedding with His mom and some friends.

So this - austere - Jesus. What did HE do after He created wine at a wedding? And is this politically correct? Some people should not drink. I mean this might offend someone. And maybe if this is a Church event, Alcohol Should Not be Served. You might cause something. Perhaps we should explain this to Jesus.

Well, back to the point. What did Jesus do after the first sign. Oh c'mon. No one Could Know what Jesus DID after the first sign. He is the Son of God and God is not that interested in telling us the details of Jesus like That.

John 2:12
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus gives us the example not just of wine, but honoring parents with time and attention. According to Exodus 20, this is the fifth commandment.

Jesus is the Word of God incarnate.

What do we learn about the Great I Am, the Lord, the Father, the Creator, God Himself Almighty from this.

His second sign raises a child from dying with a mere Word. A spark of faith. A possibility.

Colossians 1:15-20

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


God makes wine so a wedding is blessed. God expects us to enjoy life, believing His Word.

Now, that is worth celebrating. 

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Psalm 149 ~ Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!

2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written!

This is honor for all his godly ones.

Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 6
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Psalm 63
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Today was a lovely day. A beautiful day. Our Pastor became Bishop Clark Lowenfield. A life's work, A Calling by the Lord! Was being fitted perfectly into the puzzle and adventure of life. And the joy on Clark's face. 


Ephesians 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Isaiah 25:9
In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."


We gathered, we fixed food and we saw old friends. And everyone rejoiced. We all agree this was like a double wedding and filled the large Church.

One of the reasons, when you get together for a large gathering with lots of people, you are usually at a wedding or a funeral. And the talk goes along the lines of the occasion.

I went to the funeral a long time ago of a friend's mother. She was rather young and died unexpectedly. She had been very, very active in her Christian Church. Her minister praised her saying, "You could always count on this lovely lady - her belief was right or wrong - her Church!"

Nothing could be further from what is pleasing to Father God. He expects us to walk by faith and discernment.

I spoke with a lovely lady today who left the Church, primarily because grief for her almost life long departed lovely husband. And there is a problem with the way America looks at grief. If we loose someone we dearly love, tears are appropriate for around two years. It has become rather fashionable, I heard in a prayer circle recently, to dredge up a grieved person's hurts, and say sadly we just don't know how we will watch this person not progressing. Not progressing? Grief is a two year process. What goes around comes around, deal gently with grief.

One thing we all agree upon, you go to Church, you are going to encounter people. What other building material is there for the Church??  You can count on being rubbed the wrong way. However, you can count on being loved as well. The people who love Jesus make mistakes.We are people. And We are the Children of God.

Jeremiah 31:19-20
After I strayed,
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion for him,”
declares the Lord.

Isaiah 33:5
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

Matthew 23:37
How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings

Colossians 1

To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

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John 1:29-42 ~ for this purpose

John 1:29-42

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29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour [4 p.m.]. 

 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter [Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively).

In this passage John acts as the Church. John doesn't exist to serve himself, but to be part of God's plan. Hurray for John! I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God!

Father God, so many souls, so many needs, so many seeking You. Establish and strengthen Your Way! Help the men and women who act as the Body of Jesus Christ. Daily encourage, strengthen, lead, and empower Your children with Your Holy Spirit, the people who shine Your Light. We ask in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Isaiah 9:2
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."


This is an older post,but this post was chosen without knowing which post it would be. And I love the importance of seeing the Church being moved. Most of our Church that weekend was preparing to help with our Pastor in the  Church. And we are borrowing a larger Church facility to celebrate this time. We are all making sandwiches, BBQ and having out of town guests. So please join with me in being so pleased for the Verses. 

All the prayers you send this way are appreciated.

Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for the adventure of seeing diligence in You well rewarded. Amen.

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Psalm 68 ~ Father of the fatherless and protectors of widows is God

Sycamore tree in Jericho

Psalm 68

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock [1] found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

11 The Lord gives the word;
the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on Zalmon.

15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked [2] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 Summon your power, O God, [Your God has summoned your power]
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.

32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his [your] sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

Deuteronomy 10:14,15

To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.

The great wide path isn’t the path of the Lord. The Lord doesn’t ask us blend in with the crowd. He asks us to look for Him, to seek Him and to find Him. The Lord our God and Father asks for a personal relationship like Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus went out of his way to find Jesus and found Jesus. Jesus, teaching us about our Father, welcomed Zacchaeus with love and interest. Zacchaeus was jubilant with joy.

Luke 19:1-6

1-5 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Also remember an important subject on family and fathers. One of Jesus' last words was to adopt John into His family by giving John His Mother. Then as Mary Magdalene found Jesus at the empty tomb, Jesus tells Mary, "Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" We Are Adopted into Jesus' Family.

Does God understand the challenges of not having an earthly father? Yes. God does. I know I do, my father left us when I was a teenager. It is heart wrenching to loose your dad.


Exodus 22:22
You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

Job 24:3
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

The Scriptures are written for you, here is what God says:

Job 29:11
When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had no father to help him.

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Proverbs 28 ~ When the righteous triumph, there is great glory

Proverbs 28


The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5 Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 If one is burdened with the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;
let no one help him.
18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Lucy did discover He is not a tame Lion

You have to love the Word of God. There is so much good soil for willing seeds to grow. Now the people who let life cover them up. Well, you have to wonder if they do meth, or crack their head a lot.

The Bible is like the Vineyard the Vinedresser told us about. You have to dig and you have to look with gratitude. 


Proverbs 28

The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.

To make changes in life - you have to be very honest about not accepting when things are not working for you. Putting up, with a little halo, can mean saying yes to paths better not traveled at all. 


For example,  a young wife works all the time and her husband lets her. I guarantee, in middle age, this solution has a well worn path unchanging and not accepted in middle age.
And a well taken care of wife is never, exactly, pleased with the luxury life affords her. In middle age, the wife keeps the house and the rest of the family lives more or less happily in an apartment.
We have to complain when we need change and press hard with prayer.
2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.

Parents need to show respect for one another when this is good for the family. Not when children are told a bear will eat them.

3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.

In the United States, we are working harder and harder to be allowed to have fewer luxuries -  like houses our grandparents paid for in cash. Or a car. Or a college education. Currently, we have people so unhappy they blowup and kill people with guns and, here in Houston, with knives.  

Gun control, wake up. It's a farce. No one on earth could collect all the guns owned in the United States of America. It's the farce of  - we let you keep a Constitutional Amendment - yay - while the country sinks into what Pope Francis says the real conflict is - the United States sinks into a form of communism. Our country is becoming very poor.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

Our Constitution allows State Legislators to propose Constitutional Amendments  for needed things like this - Term limits to those who make laws.  The Congress should follow the laws they give us. Line Item Veto. The laws should not 'Frequently' turn into the tangled mess President Ronald Reagan threw on the floor of Congress, during his State of the Union Address. Line Item Veto is needed; lobbyists destroy the law. Article Five of the Constitution.  

8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.

Cornelius Vanderbilt knew this and it made him furious generations in advance.The Kennedy's live this today.

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

Where is our freedom of speech in prayer?

10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
Jesus Christ chose to come into the world, when the upright were not so upright. Strive for the goodly inheritance of giving mercy in a cynical world.

11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

 Confession is good for the soul. Open communication is Psalm 39. 
My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue


14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

A hard heart is not pleasing to Father God. He is described in completion as a God of Love.

15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Saul was and example. Then David continued to be merciful, even to the men who ran up to him only after he was king. He was a shepherd to them.

16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 If one is burdened with the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;
let no one help him.
18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

A life lived with meaning creates more harmony and gives life abundantly. David lived this. Solomon was told to build the Temple. All the people of Scripture discovered the path of the godly has frustration. They 'just' overcame believing He would help them. Jesus loves faith. Jesus does miracles with faith.

19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

We have shortened the phrase to this and we smile. 
Play golf often enough, the luckier you get.
 
21 To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

We've seen this in our culture, people are killed for their tennis shoes.
 
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

Cat Stevens sang about this in the song, "Cat in the Cradle."

Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.



 
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.

My brother, working in law enforcement as a Assistant District Attorney said many problems stem from parents telling their children constantly that bad behavior is excusable or dismissing punishment.
 
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
 26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Sometimes in life, we are forced to turn the other cheek. Not as He would hope. And we learn to turn these things over to Him. Not is defeat, but in Victory. His.
 

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

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Psalm 9 ~ he Lord has made Himself known; He has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Psalm 9

A Psalm of David.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah

17 The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah




The Word is important because we cannot know Father GOD without His Word.

Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

James 4:5
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?


Many times when we look to Scripture, we are in difficulty in life. Sometimes we are awake in the middle of the night with things disturbing our peace. We want our lives to change. In HIS path, in His Good Will.

David sounds so sure in Psalm Nine. David is on a journey. We are seeing with David, in faith - He is interested. Events unfold in HIS plan, path, and His Will. David is about to tell us part of our determination and steps to see our lives in faith.

We begin at why we open the Scriptures....

1 Peter 4:12
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you

Acts 14:22
Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God



Do the Scriptures journey, giving us our lives as a road to walk along with Jesus? Will the concept hold up?

Deuteronomy 1:40
But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.

Deuteronomy 2:24
‘Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.'

Judges 18:6
And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

1 Kings 19:4
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

1 Kings 19:7
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.”


We see God does know the Journey is gentle, encouraging, swift, fierce overwhelming and He understands.




And Jesus, did He journey? Did Father God see fit to record a journey?

Luke 2:44
But supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances




God says our prayer life is a journey.

Luke 11:5-10

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.



David is giving us basic steps to Journeying with the Lord. He leans upon the Lord. He trusts God to be his Father God. Whatever situation David comes upon on the run, living in caves, meeting kings, taking work, becoming almost king and being set aside for a concubine's son of Saul's. David is walking the adventure, doing as Paul said, "Seeing how it will go with me."

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart

I will recount (the Lord has not brought me this far to drop me on my head)

I will be glad and exult in You

I will sing praise

The Lord sits enthroned forever

He judges the world with righteousness




Acts 17:11
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Acts 17:28
For “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’


John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

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Psalm 18:1-20 ~ I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies

Psalm 18:1-20

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.

7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.



This Psalm of David is rejoicing with an overflowing heart in the mercy of God. This passage remembers the deliverance of the children of Israel. Written 1,000 years before Jesus’ death, verses 8 to 14 describe the earthquake & events after Jesus forgave us and dismissed His Spirit. Because Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit, the psalm is about us, individually. In our day of trouble, we call out to Him and He saves us forever.

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1 Peter 4:7-11 ~ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7-11

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.


The Scriptures are just like your beloved parent. The advice and lessons continue in a circular pattern, because we are so involved with our own lives - we need Father God to talk to us.


We sometimes wonder, in all different events in our lives, if God is interested. The Deist Theory of God - He gave us all this goodness and explains HE steps back very far. Nothing is farther than the Truth than this. God loves us dearly, and as we keep talking to HIM, our journey is like the song in "Godspell."

Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

Luke 9:57
As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

As we journey the great adventure, taking disciples in all places, we begin to see HIM more apparently.

Is God interested? Is GOD Interested!!!

Psalm 139
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.


Romans 8:27
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.

Genesis 16:13
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

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

Psalm 40:5
Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

Ecclesiastes 7:8
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:40
But all things should be done decently and in order.

 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:10
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

1 Corinthians 12:11
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

1 Corinthians 14:1
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Elisha asked of the LORD, for more of the Holy Spirit. He did Not say gift to me more blessings. The Lord understanding Elisha wanted more to proclaim HIS Glory, had the Holy Spirit increase. Let Your will be done on earth, asking Father God, please let me bring Heaven here in this life. David did this by going out of his way to let goodness and mercy be what his life brought others. Elisha knew these gifts not to be warm and fuzzy but His Path.

Elisha was willing to go farther. Helping Elijah who was sometimes irritable and overwhelming.

To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 6:17-20 The Message

13-18 When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!” Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they’ll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.

18-20 We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.

Romans 15:5-6
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:1
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God


Luke 4:16-19
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

There are many reasons to let the Word of God live, move and have the holiness dwell within.

Isaiah 66:13
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

2 Corinthians 7:4
I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

2 Thessalonians 2:14-17
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
  
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

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