Exodus 22 ~ if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Exodus 22

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, 3 but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

7 “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. 9 For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

10 “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, 11 an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.

14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.

Laws About Social Justice

16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

31 “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Psalm 140

6 I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.

You have to love the ones who want to whine about the Old Testament...

• It's all rules!!!

• God doesn't provide for the truly needy.

• They are just slaves - How Can HE Expect Them not to Be Afraid.

• Don't Complain - HE won't provide for you.

• Slaves - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

(Some people whine more creatively!!!)

Slaves. Slaves in the desert. As many camels as you can steal. If you take a camel - leave a clue. If you see two chickens, take one - leave an egg. That Egyptian gold - IS Gonna Run Out..

Instead of coping - The LORD gives Expectations.

God did not just lift them on gentle clouds from over the Red Sea and say let's meet the neighbors with Meet and Greet. 

And HE did not say - they are slaves - they cannot be expected to adapt. He did not hand them land and say go farm - HE said learn the way and go forward.

THIS IS A VERY TODAY MESSAGE.

Oh - Rodney Dangerfield - Respect. Elbows out. 
Joshua began to take over the Exodus, because it fell over.
God said wanted balance and said - not to the right, not to the left. 

Christians love to say "I'm Third." That has been a mantra for some people. If you truly look at the Word of GOD, He says love others as yourself. That is a balanced second place.


Now we could whine about GOD not providing the man with anything but a coat -

27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Even in the desert, push to shove, He expects His People to be Just, regardless of the circumstance.

I talk to all manner of people. People who run Exxon. The elderly. The poor. HE expects all of them to live by His Plan. We all have a choice in Life - work with HIM - work for HIM by avoiding His path. We all expect a different level of "life provides". Focus on Him first and see what He will bring. 

He says to challenge Him - He just never said plop down in front of the TV at night. If you are awake - you could be learning something, making something, phone calling encouragement. Sunday is for rest - not thou shalt veg in front of TV every day.

When we expect GOD to show up in our lives - lives change. Paul wrote of "seeing how it will go with me." The adventure of opening our hands in the morning and saying - Lord, what would you have me do today? 

And when we have asked - the sweet rest of -  HE promises - HE is not going to leave.

Father God, help us expect the best of ourselves. You expected mere nomadic slaves, freed in miraculous circumstances, to pick up their pallet and walk. Help us to avoid the comfy chair of complaining. Help us to give our best, encourage each other in Truth, and allow room for You. 

Help us Lord to help one another - in expectation - we will work together for Your good. Open our hands to You Lord GOD - saying I want to pick up my pallet -

Father God, You have said Words are important. Help our speech be gracious. Help us be straight forward in our conversations. Not misleading hearts as being overly harsh or overly whiney. 

Let us be discerning as we offer words to You and others.

Father GOD, we welcome You again. Dwell in our families, our children, our homes, ours places of work. 

We welcome you in our extended families. In our thoughts and prayers. Let us be a good place to dwell. 

We pray for restoration of the young in our Churches. In Church, let the Youth be so encouraged, that they will never want to stay away. 

We Pray Expectantly for Revival of our Federal Government, our States' governments, our Local Governments and for the Police protecting and serving. 
Especially Lord for those who have shown mercy.
Lord blessed are the Peacemakers.
Building families and fathers to their sons.

We pray for good health and restoration of health as we have all suffered with flu, fever, stomach flu, strep throat and sinus infection (as I have this year, one after another). And the return this week of sinus headache, we pray for healing.

Thank you, GOD, for HEB and the physicians assistant providing antibiotics and medications for sinus crud.

In the name of Jesus we pray.
AMEN and Thank You Father God.  

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Matthew 18:1-20 ~ Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Matthew 18:1-20

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

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

For the sake of Jesus Christ, we band together to love and serve our community.

The One Mission Movement started in early 2010 when a small group of local pastors came together in an effort to mobilize the churches of The Woodlands and surrounding communities to be more deliberate in joining together in ministering to the needs of the community.  We are partnering together in an effort to reach the lost with the message of hope and salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

As One Mission Churches we embrace and support the following:

We declare that …

1. There is one church in the city
2. We are on the same team
3. We belong to the same cause, the cause of Christ
4. We are for each other
5. We will say No to competition, jealousy, and speaking ill of other congregations
6. We will bless each other
7. Our focus will not be our own congregations, but on the kingdom of God
8. We will pray, serve, and work together, because our community needs to see this
9. We will pray, serve, work together, because we can do together things that we cannot do alone
10. Most importantly, we will pray, serve, and work together, because this pleases Jesus Christ

Why in the world wouldn't you want to do One Mission?

We might be tempted to do the coat tail riding thing... However

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The first year we (the Pastors planned in 2010)  gathered in January of 2011 - coincidentally enough - the phrase we heard over and over was,  "All is not right behind the trees."  When The fire reporting sites for the tri-county fires were taken down from Facebook  - the overwhelming consensus was the relief- so many houses were scorched, but saved.

So many temptations to stay home from this Amazing Endeavor - we did that last year.  Yet every year is the opportunity to say "THIS IS THE YEAR WE DO THIS BETTER!!!"

Yes, it does get a little confusing to find what Church is holding what Wednesday Night Meeting and What Church is housing the 30 "+" Collective Churches - Learning about Evangelism (the Saturday Classes routinely held 300-400 People). So hint, hint One Mission - share the Love - but Let One Church be the Headquarters for one year and announce in advance the next year which place holds the Love.

We need One Place and One Brochure ! One Website for One God. 

(Don't you love the people who sit in the back and have advice. Well, good... there is more of that. And - we need the  One Mission Website to list the open to the public events for the Churches.  I.E. HopePointe does a Fabulous Christmas Stroll.  

Now this - WEBSITE - http://www.one-mission.net/  would help people needing a centralized location to find Church activities. A large portion of the PACN clients I see are Bored - this is a great solution.  

The Website would help newcomers and help those just sitting at home. I know families who have left Churches - never putting in the time to shop for another home. We are to Shepherd even the departed loved ones of our Churches. 

The Book of Acts tells us - food is a gatherer. Management from Texas A & M teaches us what people will work towards - they will support more dearly. That is Win Win. And left-overs - Do You Know - Meals On Wheels blesses anyone making their daily house calls on the elderly more Fun. Churches say - Aluminum Foil Containers Please.  I bet there are a few people who would swing  visit the elderly and widows and orphans some food. By the way, Meals on Wheels is collected from the Building Next Door to the Library. (Thanks Mike McDonald for making sure our Youth Group participated!)

(And Smaller Churches - how about that mid-year enthusiasm for - host the meetings - Pastor Pray for and Thank!!!)

Psalm 122 

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.


Yet Temptations come...  Matthew 18:1-20 

During the devil’s temptation, what did Jesus rely upon? Being the Son of God, Jesus could have relied upon His own name and status of God’s Son, but instead Jesus gives us a framework to resist the devil. Jesus relied upon the Bible to reveal God, His Love and Steadfastness.

What of the devil’s methods of trying to tempt Jesus?

*** He tempted him to despair of his Father's goodness, and to distrust his Father's care. (Distrust one another - not just speak up kindly.)

Then the devil tempted Christ to presume upon his Father's power and protection, in a point of safety. (It's difficult to find the place, it's dark at night early, I'm tired and worn down after Christmas, I did that last year, they can pray for me.)

Nor are any extremes more dangerous than despair and presumption.

I'm hopeful this amazing Mission will continue with all the steam it began. It was going STRONG Sunday Night - we need to stay diligent! When the people who hear of One Mission for the first time - they are blessed. This Mission is still a child in age - yet the Pastors who feed our Community are being blessed by the Ongoing Monthly Pastor Fellowship.

400- 700 People wanted to find out each Saturday - how to share God's Love.

Many, Many People prayed and fasted. 

400 People arrived to Be the Body of Jesus Christ to Celebrate the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting!

Yet. This is overlooked some - we ARE Supporting the ministers WHO SHEPHERD THIS COMMUNITY.

Let's be sure when we receive the emails - we are praying. When we get the opportunity to pray for the One Church of Jesus Christ - make sure you make the time.

When we host the Community - Let's make sure we feed them.

THIS IS LIFE. Unless we truly see the Woman singing her heart out - IS Serving HIM.

Unless we see these Pastors are working themselves Each DAY - as Heroes for HIS KINGDOM.

Unless we see WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST ! -

UNLESS WE WORK THE HARD GROUND OF 'this is reality' FOR BLESSINGS -

THE JOY OF THE LORD goes on and - if - we let this pass - us - by.

When the song of the angels is stilled.
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the kinds and princes are home.
When the shepherds are back with their flock.
The work of Christ(mas) begins:

The find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Alleluia! Unto us a child is born.

Let us Declare HIM - JESUS CHRIST THE KING !!!

IS YOUR AREA INTERESTED IN ONE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST?

One Mission Could Provide You with Details - How These Pastors Minister to Each Other and Worship Each Year as the United Body of Jesus Christ.

FATHER GOD!!! ABBA ! You are the Shepherd of our Souls.
We pray daily you use our lives in ways to not to us, O Lord, not to us;
to Your Name give glory!
Great is Your steadfast Love and Your faithfulness!

O CHURCH trust in the Lord!!!
He is OUR Nation's help and our shield.

The Lord has remembered us!
He will bless us!!!
We Expect His Blessings!


He will bless our Churches!
He will bless our Pastors and Families!
Jesus will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the small and the great.

May OUR Father give you increase,
you and your children!
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

The heavens are the Lord's heavens,
but the earth He has given to the children of man.

We WILL bless the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

Thank YOU FATHER GOD for the Beauty of this Land. For the Freedom we have to Gather and Worship You. For the salvation from Fire You Provided. For the county graciously asking Your Mercy and Grace upon these people and their Pastors. Encourage, Uplift and Gather in Love - the Pastors drawing us together and reaching all the way to Jerusalem.

Thank You for those who faithfully pray for our loved ones and the ones who still need to know

HOW HIGH, HOW WIDE, HOW DEEP, AND UNCONDITIONAL IS GOD'S OVERWHELMING LOVE FOR YOU. JUST AS HE CREATED YOU, TODAY.

Praise the Lord! We Know to Expect HIS Blessings. Always.

IN JESUS CHRIST THE LORD!!! AMEN!

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God Loves

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

Expectation. Boundaries. Angles of Victory and Defeat. Life rarely rests in one angle. But in Jesus Christ - the Victory is - Ours.

The first time I painted a portrait and a frame. I was told I did well. And then the additional comment was - it needed a fence. Don't we all need fences.

Now if you were God and you went - Oh, the places you'd go.

Ezekiel 17
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it;
I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it;
it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.
Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.

24 All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.

" 'I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' "


God goes like the Wind. Where He wants to go - He exists. Our boundaries are in HIS hands.

!  
We've been blessed to witness this murmuation blessing as a family.

Who do we expect God to be in our lives? What do we expect from one another? Do we have enough belief in ourselves to press forward? Do we have enough belief to step back? And the wisdom to know the difference.

And do we have the innate confidence in Him when the winds of life, of ennui, blow around our lives, hearts, head to say - to the Gentleman God is - I allow You.

When our cage is rattled or unnoticed - do we still say - Your Will be done.

Where we put our faith is very important. We build a legacy when we press forward with Him.

And on the days when we don't feel victorious - remembering Paul roundly chewed out Peter publicly - saying "I no longer Live but Christ in me!" - Oh those days remember - that was the Holy Spirit saying - Jesus was going to triumph even if Jesus didn't chew Peter out publicly.

Remembering the Magi - traveled, risking  all to proclaim - The Birth of the Son of God!!! - to - Herod.

The Disciples said a Journey to please God costs a lot. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake - and they continued. Believing blessings would be given from HIM who generously does not run out of Blessings.

 

What about Psalm 100.

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

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

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

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

Jesus said Abundant Life.
Give Us The Day! John lived until the Second Century. Luke lived to be old. Timothy was fighting the good fight in his eighties. Thessalonians were a constant bother - visit the Church in Thessaloniki - Still Standing!!! Based upon the house Churches in the Book of Acts.

We think of all the hardship and we say - that's a Saint. Maybe we need to really think of the Joy. The Joy of the Lord is our Strength! Centenarians believe in every situation - God is going to eventually work this out. And ... they are correct. Faith might be mocked, yet the joy is the Faithful- whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 

Faith is a a complete circle - the joy it brings - creates more joy. The Bible begins with a tree of life, a flowing river, and humanity at peace with the creation. Genesis 1–3 circles to Revelation 20–22.

God loves us so much He continually brings more Life into the world. It's almost like exactly the way the Scriptures repeat.

Another circle - The carpenter didn’t build the Temple. He is in Our Temple. We create lives where we Give Him our day. Or with sincere apology we say - help my Temple to be more joyful and loving to You.

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

We all have exactly two choices. To Do His Will with Verve. Or to go darkly.


In The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis says:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is ...with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ‘ordinary’ people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit — immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind...which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously.... And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner.

We are immortal creatures, destined to live eternally, resurrected. An existence with Jesus Christ. Or destined to successfully have avoided God. 

Jesus told us what the New Covenant deal truly is -

Jonah cast lots to get out of his mission - but Jesus said:

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Matthew 8:
But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.


Mark 2:19
And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast!


John 14:12-14
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

What would God say to us about Evangelism? HE would say - HE paid the Price. Jesus paid the Price. He would remind us - One must be called to be Chosen of Him. God called us to be Salt and Light. Like a potato chip. We all know one potato chip is almost impossible to not want more. Jesus was asked about Salvation upon leaving the tail end of His Ministry. Down from Transfiguration Joy, He was greeted by failed disciples and a father crying out he had faith - but needed more. Jesus did not castigate the father's love - He urged Him to fast and pray. Jesus reached out willingly to give - even when pressed. Jesus did not break a bruised reed. Jesus is Our Hero. Jesus Loves Each One of Us. All who call upon God - Will Be Saved.

Preach the Gospel - if you have to - Use Words.

Humility is an important factor. Creating the teachable moment is planting the seeds of what you believe. Speak up. God is for us. In a Huge Way, Truth, Life. People don't care so much what you know - they care that you Love. Does the Bible ever say life is a test? All the time. See Psalm 11. See trial and error and try again throughout Scripture. Faith calls us. Go forward.

Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

John 14:12-14
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.


Give us the Day, Father GOD - and Let Your Will be done. In Jesus we pray. Help us - this - and each day - to be a blessing to You. We pray You take our lives - to let them be for Your Glory. Asking You to Equip us, Guide us, Lead us for Your namesake and in Your Glory. Strengthen and Establish Your Plan in our lives. Blessed are You, Lord Father God, for bringing us Salvation in Jesus.  - Amen !

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Luke 23:26-31 ~ a great multitude of the people

Today in Jerusalem, this is a model of the 2nd Temple with a close-up of Solomon's Porch.






Luke 23:26-31


And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.

28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

A good question, surely, when we are 2 millenniums past Jesus giving us all of God's promises and changing Heaven forever.

And how often I pictured Jesus dying like "Godspell" with just a few sympathizers. Here we read, the truth, a great multitude of people Mourned for Jesus. These are the people in the Book of Acts who filled the Temple. They are referred to as a multitude again.

Acts 2:6
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

Acts 5:12 -15
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

People will forever disagree if the day is all at once, or like the people who come back from near death experiences - immediately. Time belongs to God. It is His invention. I suppose He can use time any way He wants. We, who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, will find out what time is all about in Heaven when we get there.

What does the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, say about the time when the wood becomes dry? 

But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel [2nd Chapter of Joel]:

17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes,
the great and magnificent day.

21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD.

I've been thinking this weekend about my son's friend Cory's funeral. He died in Iraq and people turned out for his funeral lining 6 miles of road from the Church to the Interstate. And I knew Cory had 6 really good friends. People wanted to honor the valiant, Christian, Hometown 19 year old. The stood on the overpasses with firetrucks and ladders extended with the flag hanging. Traffic on the interstate - the other side - was halted. It was amazing. I prayed for Cory not to depart this life without seeing what was done for him. Volunteering for that mission. His mom is Christian Child Minister for her Church. I believe he is the only man I've known who died for this country.

He was an excellent young man, encouraging delinquents of the neighborhood to stop setting fire to their fences and play hide and seek they called 'Commandos'. Organizing an intervention for a very young boy, from the country, not to go in the woods & hurt what that boy called "critters." Changed the life of that boy. I really prayed fervently this glory would be revealed to Cory, as my son & I drove the 6 miles behind the hurst. I felt assuredly Cory could see it all. The day Cal told me Cory had gone behind his parent's wishes (and I hear them on that completely) and enlisted, I saw a cloud, as Cal spoke, in the shape of a star.

 

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