1 Samuel 16:1-13 ~ you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

Samuel was having a difficult day. Scriptures record the difficulty. Scriptures are so real. Can we easily picture a High Priest, a Prophet of God say - "Please don't do this. Please don't send me. Please don't endanger me. Please don't change your plan." Nope.

1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

And Samuel - grieved not his words - not the loss of the plan - Samuel grieved over the man Saul. The handsome, tall youth Samuel had been so understanding to allow the Children of Israel pass over his sons for a king. For Saul. Samuel loved the Lord and Samuel had coached and loved Saul. 

Photo of Bethlehem 19th century

Samuel wasn't Isaiah saying, "Here I am send me, Lord!"

The Body of Christ is diverse.

Ephesians 3
4 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.


Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

How Much Does God Love You?

1 John 4:9
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

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

When God says He is "I AM", HE is including the believers who...

Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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

2 Timothy 1:14
By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.


That is a Bold and Big Statement. John, Jesus' Disciple said more. So did Paul.


Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

The Scriptures are messy. Samuel made Jesse and his sons - stand and wait - to do the will of God for their determination - to complain against a Work of God. Something Samuel might know something about. We are all fallen and short of the Will and Love of God. Yet our work is to believe God and go forth in Him. Pulling up His Grace and Forgiveness to continue to be sent from God forth.

What does the human component of God look like?
According to the little town of Nazareth - Jesus and his brothers and sisters looked like Joseph. Joseph did the work of a Father - a Step-father making a family known as a unit. Joseph looked like Jesus.

Matthew 13:55
"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

Mark 6:3
Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"


Blessed are You Jesus Christ, Son of God. Savior of the world and mine. Let us desire mercy and not sacrifice in our words. Help us to do the will of our Father in heaven and be His brother and sister and mother. In Jesus we expect to be equipped, empowered, and led with compassion on the path and in the Good Works He would have us do. In forgiveness. Amen in Jesus.

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Philippians 4:4-9 ~ the God of peace will be with you

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

and

Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

There have been times when I've been lonely, afraid & felt cast down. I've lost a loved one in very sad circumstances. And 15 years later, I've lost a child at birth. Like everyone on this planet, we will face "Those Times." My maternal grandmother lost my grandfather during the months she was in an iron lung, fighting pneumonia. She lost him 50 years.

In the end, she found him. In Heaven. My grandmother was the most remarkable woman. So fearful of everything being the next disaster, so joyous to know the Lord. In hindsight, I can tell you, we can skip the fear. I'd love to tell you I do. I will work that problem until a solution is found.... because I am in charge. No.

We can choose. We can believe there is a Plan, it is greater than we are and it involves more than our comfort and our happiness. It does not involve hypocrisy. And a sunny smile. It is intimately connected with this: God is Love. Faith (believing!), Hope (He meant me!) and Love (All there ever was and could ever be, towards you and for you!).

Ephesians 4:14
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.


Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands!!!



Blessed be the Lord God Almighty! Who was and Is and Is To Come. Blessed be His son Jesus. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, may we each day live showing those who have never been told of Him- they will see, and those who have never heard - will understand. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Numbers 13 ~ Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it'

Numbers 13

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. 4 And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. 16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.

17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Ephesians 3
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3, verse 15 involves Isaac being named 'Laughter' for Sarah's laugh at the second announcement of her miracle - and says - Father God really explains He names us in the Book of Life  many years before we were born. We are chosen, special to Him.

Psalm 139
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

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.





What would God call us in the Book of Life or Psalm 139 verse 16... unit 975937459272subtitle18403 ?

Logically you have to admit when a name "appeals" to our parents - This! Is actually the Bing factor of His name hitting their mind.

And how reassuring to hear all of Ephesians 3!!! Wow. It's Like HE had a plan.

The Lord God Almighty began a huge work known as the Exodus. And the one name that would believe God?

Caleb means "whole hearted".


Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

John 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

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Numbers 8 ~ shall be mine

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


Numbers 8

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10 When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.

14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17 For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
Retirement of the Levites

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

So the Lampstands, what do we know of them?

They stood in the Temple Solomon built. More were added.

2 Chronicles 4:7
And he made ten golden lampstands as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

Jeremiah 52
2 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 13 And he burned the house of the Lord, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

17 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon. 18 And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service; 19 also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.

The Lampstands and all the Mosaic Tools went to Babylon.


Winston Churchill wrote History is recorded by the victors. And Winston intended to be one of the victors.

In one of those unusual - Israel belongs to the Living God Almighty - twists - The Babylonian Chronicles absolutely mirror the Scriptures and we know 2 Ades March 16 597 B.C. was the day of 2 Chronicles 4. The Chronicles Nebuchadnezzar did indeed fulfill his promise to the King of Judah for leniency. And we see what food and supplies were given to...

Jeremiah 27:20
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem--

King Jehoiachin Ration Tablets from the massive Babylonian Chronicles

2 Kings 24:12; 25:27-30
King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his officials, and his eunuchs surrendered to the king of Babylon.


These facts, create some solid faith, leading to this story of prophecy requiring more faith - - -

Daniel 5:4-6
4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Belshazzar's Feast painted by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

The Lampstands continued to be considered by the Lord during the second Exile.

Zechariah 4:1-3
And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.





Rebirth! Although obliterated - Israel is Reborn! The Lampstands and Tools return as a gift from the Emperor of Babylon - setting Slaves free to rebuild!

James Tisson - The flight of the Prisoners

Ezra 1:11
In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:1
Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town)

Psalm 85:1
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.





Did we stop there? No!

The Temple always was centered on the sunrise and the Son of God.

Hebrews 9:1-3
Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place.


Take a second and absorb it. This text, Hebrews 9, goes on to say the Temple is in operation. It is not written in 400 A.D. In faith, the Bible says the daily sacrifice will stop. The Sacrifice stopped at 70 A.D. - the year Jesus would have died of old age.

Why did the sacrifice stop for the last 2,000 years after the 2nd Temple was destroyed, but not for the 1st. The correct answer would be Jesus. Our Advocate.





Give us This Day.


Matthew 6:22
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light."

We see through life just as a veil - to what will be.


2 Corinthians 4:6 †

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.


 



Do we stop here? No, we go forth. Just as Daniel saw the man in the midst of the fire of the Babylonian Furnace.

Revelation 1:13
and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

Proverbs 3:5:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6:
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.



Lord, our Father God, from Zion, we lift our hearts to You and Bless You Father God. You made the Heavens and the earth we seek your blessings from here to Zion. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

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Matthew 5:17-19 ~ great in the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 5:17-19

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
 I have not come to abolish them 
but 
to fulfill them.

18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,
but
whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called 
great in the kingdom of heaven.

There are many ways of looking at the Scriptures. We are so fortunate to have the Gospels with the effort Emperor Vespasian put in burning the copies he could find. The early Christian Church created the word "traitor" for the people who gave up copies of Scripture or other Christian followers under torture. Then the Church had to administer grace to the cries of heresy over forgiveness issues.

What pushes against the Word of God - The Law?

   Sir Edward John Poynter:The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon

What pushes against the Word - The World


Song of Songs 3

Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
escorted by sixty warriors,
the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
prepared for the terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
and look, you daughters of Zion.
Look on King Solomon wearing a crown,
the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
the day his heart rejoiced.



Matthew met the world as a thug. And the Love of Jesus had Matthew write a Gospel to bring in his friends - the Jews to meet the Messiah.

Mark met the Disciples, who found him to be an unreliable lightweight.  Barnabas, John Mark's cousin, believed John Mark (Colossians 4:10), or Mark, would deepen in his faith to become reliable. Mark's Gospel is to reach out to those pushed out. These are the miracle of Jesus that first generation considered to be the most important. Peter had Mark with him to the end. Persevering for Jesus Christ the Lord.

Luke (Colossians 4:14, Phil 1:24) is the wonderful physician called to be a worker of Jesus Christ with Paul.  Luke brought an accurate, thorough, historical documentation to his Savior's life. Luke lived to be very old and he upheld Paul to his death.

John, the beloved disciple, was constantly astonished at the glory of God and wrote of his experiences in awe at the Love and power of God. John had given his word to Jesus not to tell of the transfiguration, and never did write of the experience, yet even his first chapter of his Gospel declares the glory of God.

Not John, Luke, Mark or Matthew would be a fan of cheap grace - living the way we want to and depending on the mercy of God at convenient intervals. The men who knew Jesus and those who encountered the Holy Spirit in the early Church really believed the reaction to God's grace is deliberate and changed behavior.

We witness in the Scriptures that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, but all did extend themselves to please God.

God takes sand. Mere Sand. And Heats sand; to become glass. To become Art. Beauty. Light. The Plan of God is to be held  Upwards - to God's Path for our Lives.

Psalm 11
For the director of music. Of David.

1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

7 For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous

Psalm 33:18
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry

If  you were to build a Kingdom. Establish a place. Would you want the people you trust - the ones you love or would you open the gates to anyone just to have warm bodies?  If we understand God wants to save us and we Believe the Words Jesus gave us about righteousness - being purchased with a price - we understand the Children of God He calls us to be.  

Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.

11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;

13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the small and the great.

14 May the Lord give you increase,
you and your children!

15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens,

but the earth he has given to the children of man.

17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.

But we will bless the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

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