Luke 12:1-7 ~ even the hairs of your head are all numbered

Luke 12:1-7

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

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NOPE!!!

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How do we please God? 

Knowing the secrets of our hearts are His. Giving Justice with Mercy. Being humble.

 Honoring God. Honoring others and not forgetting ourselves. 

The concept - I am third is incorrect!

This comes from thinking we all heave ourselves to the top. Actually, the Bible tells us honor others as ourselves.

 A shared concept. 

There is a story of a poor newlywed couple at Christmas. The wife cut off all her hair for her husband to have a component to his hobby equipment. The Husband sold all his hobby equipment to buy all the beauty accessories to place in his wife's beautiful hair. 

1 Corinthians 13 is perfect love. Psalm 100 is as well. 

With God all secrets of our hearts are seen and known. 

With human beings, questions need to be asked.

A child is given money as a family tradition from his grandmother to buy Christmas gifts. His mother insists he needs to spend the money on himself and not the adults. He never learns the joy of Giving at Christmas.

A wife always gives her children and husband the best in life. She eventually sits behind in the adventures in life.

A mother tells her child - go with friends to the football game at Thanksgiving, almost every year. When the mother dies, the adult child has been invited to vacation with friends and knows her mother would want her enjoyment.

Good intentions - bad results. God thinks your life is worth knowing in such great detail - He knows about our hair. Asking for no respect, will indeed have the effect of - no love.

Respect is what we owe; love, what we give.
Philip James Bailey

Psalm 33

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!

3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man

Ephesians 1:11-14
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory.

Mankind has a way of upholding traditions of men. Jesus had a whole lot of this figured out when He walked among us full of Grace upon Grace. Walking a better path.

Are we sure this Jesus is God? Look what the Disciple John wrote after following Jesus:

The Ryland Papyrus in Manchester, England is from 90 A.D. John's Gospel. Bishop Papias of Hierapolis wrote his History of Jesus while John was alive in 103 A.D. as an aged and active man. Isaiah 47 explains why Jesus would ask the disciple who remained by Him to take care of His Mother.

1 John 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.


Father God, John knew You bring Joy. You know all of us - all our variations, flaws and sins. Where would we go, Father, other than You? Your Words give Life. Both Peter and John knew Life was Yours. Give us the Day, Jesus!

From the beginning Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Solomon and Paul  have written saying you are the Word of Life. Long life is from honoring You. We honor and serve You Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, remembering the abundance of what You have Given. A very good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, Living Water flowing in abundance.

Lord Father GOD make us mindful of the blessings we would never wish to depart!!! In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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1 Thesselonians 4 ~ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God

1 Thessalonians 4

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God,
your sanctification:

that you abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11
and to aspire to live quietly,
and to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.


13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,
that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The purpose of prophesy is to encourage and increase faith. Small prophecies make you say, "Yay God!" With joy. Large prophecies take time. Prophecy is for believers. And we are all on different paths and journeys back and forth with faith levels. Small amounts of faith can make us bounced back and forth - that can be Very Uncomfortable. Why would God say this and do this?

Ephesians 4:14a
we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine

This is why Jesus had so many learning parables of His life on the Sea of Galilee. The Golan Heights have wind sheer storm changes from the Mediterranean Ocean. The weather changes arrive on the Sea of Galilee like a jet in wind sheer. Jesus didn't work with soldiers of faith, He worked with men. And mostly the disciples were in unusual territory and unsettled and in fear. Jesus didn't ask for perfection, He asked for people who wanted to walk with Jesus and learn about God.

God wants to see us become firm in what we believe. That we encourage believers, make curiosity for wonderers and stir faith to curiosity, adventure and joy. To promote a conversation. God sometimes takes a question and if we shake it and shake it - we are left with lava lamp goo. Jesus got up and quieted the storm. Joshua's advice was similar, be centered on God. Be in courage.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command

Romans One tells us God speaks to all of us. John 1 tells us the Light of God is all of mankind. Statistically the large majority of people, in the USA - pray daily to God. Believe in Heaven. Google would attest to the fact - people are searching for God and Scripture - in vast proportions.

John the Disciple wondered when all of this would occur. John walked with Jesus and wanted Jesus to return quickly. John wrote The Book of Revelation expecting God shortly .

Revelation 1

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants[a] the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant[b] John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Did John's Prophesy Fail? Was John wrong? The Essenes of the Dead Sea Scrolls agreed with John's assertions. The world was coming to a close. Where they wrong? Absolutely not. John would go on to his Heavenly Home within just a few years, as a very aged man. Well into his hundreds. The Essenes were right, the end of the world was near. For them. The Roman Empire stopped in the Desert to put all of the Essenes into Eternity.

Does that indicate there is no end of the world? No. The star will fail to shine. The Word of God will be fulfilled - in a manner pleasing to God. And in God's Days, Millions of Years are a Day to Him, according to the Psalms and to Peter.  The eternal will be all that holds life.

The Word is living and Active. Accurate. God uses Scripture again and again to make His point. Very little in life is permanent - beyond God and our souls. His Promises to the Faithful. God will stretch your faith, it's up to us to be strengthened - to be thrown out.

The recent 2,600 people studied in near death experiences were reported to have no brain function.  The monitor of brain activity was done. And the survivors recalled seeing God, Light or Heaven. They knew where their loved ones were and saw emotions. No explanation. Except The Lord is keeping us as souls. We are the missing 5 pounds of soul after we die. This is all true and the best explanation of our existence.

Why be caustic? Why be in doubt? Hope fills the heart with His Grace.

Dear God, with You there are amazing solutions. Your Open Heart and Open Door policy is like the 12 open Gates of Heaven. You want the Creation You call Good, to be in desire of the One who is Good - Jesus. More. We pray. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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1 Thessalonians 3 ~ standing firm in the Lord

The woman knew to reach to Jesus. Her eyes were blessed to see Jesus. Her hands touched Him. We can read about how we are truly loved in Scripture. Today.


1 Thessalonians 3

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.

For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 

For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.


















Ruth 1
“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”


John stayed with Jesus. 

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

 1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

John 16:27
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love

Described as


Romans 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,

His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,

His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,

His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—

His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,

His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;

His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them

His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder

His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,

His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;

His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;

His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,

His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings—

His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites

His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan—

His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance,

His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.

His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate

His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies.

His love endures forever.

25 He gives food to every creature.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever!

 Matthew 5 answers an important question - from Psalm 8 - God patiently answering our questions.
 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

Matthew 5 The Son of God answers what He sees -

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world.




Father God, you have called us Light helping the dark to banished, bringing truth clear.

You have called us Salt. Bringing forth flavor, enhancing individuality no other seasoning does what salt does. Salt cleans, restores brightness and white. Salt is delicate and will remove old tarnish on metal. Salt takes out odors. Drives away vermin. Salt cleans up mouths, an antiseptic fighting off illness. Blessing the visage. Salt removes shells - on eggs and pecans. Salt extinguishes fire and cleans up an oven. Salt removes bitterness. Salt preserves.

Too much salt weakens the bones. Corrodes. Creates hypertension. Help us be Centered on Jesus. Not to the right or left.

We ask the blessing of Wisdom. The Blessing of our Sins Forgiven.

Praise God for the Nation. Help us God. All people, let us pray to Him.

Your  love for us is great, and Your Faithfulness, God, endures Forever. We claim You in Expectation. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Job 13 ~ Speak to the Almighty

Jackson Browne just might have seen with the eyes of Job

Job 13

“Behold, my eye has seen all this,

my ear has heard and understood it. (!!!!)

2 What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

3 But I would speak to the Almighty,

and I desire to argue my case with God.

(Rather like Jacob, who was a blessing wrestler)

4 As for you, you whitewash with lies;

worthless physicians are you all.

(We are the elbows-out-generation, even our CNN has subtitles. God just did not put in subtitles, He expects us, like Cornelius to ponder HIM.)

Luke 6:29

To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

I was once mocked in a Christian school falsely, asked for my coat to see if I would hand that over. You think that if I'd handed over my coat I'd have earned a new Christian??? Nope. However, I was soooo shocked I began to pray for a woman who'd mock a Scripture. And she returned, after Christmas, to say her mother, her parents-in-law, and her husband bought her coats for Christmas. She said her husband, upon being 'grilled', her own word, had felt compelled to buy her a coat. I'd have to say, from her words and her tone, this was something for her to remember for a long time. We don't resort to prayer, we are thrilled to run to Him in prayer and rejoice in refuge.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Who are we following?

Jesus Christ the LORD. Not the paraphrases. The intent. The Spirit of Truth.

Jesus was asked foolish questions and He responded meekly? No, Jesus did reply kindly in almost all circumstances, however HE didn't roll over when HE knew HE should not.

We seem to have a vision of meek Jesus submitting. Jesus fought the good fight. He dealt with people constantly giving false judgements for various reasons. Jesus didn't submit, Jesus was fighting the good fight to the end, know HE gave His life for undeserving people, when HE could have called down angels to serve Him.

Proverbs 25:11

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.

Jesus is represented as Wisdom in Proverbs laughing at the beauty and joy of creation. Wisdom.

Matthew 10:16

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

With a huge remembrance, Jesus said mercy is given to the merciful.

I happen to like a shrewd retort now and then. And Job has a rather memorable one. I think Jesus Himself enjoys this.

Job 12

Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you.

(Jesus was even mocked by Nicodemus.)

John 3:3-4

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night ......and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

This is not the policy of most people in dealing with Signs from God. Jesus got rather snappy with Nicodemus.

John 3:8-12

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 

I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

Certainly, Jesus loved and helped the Woman from Syria asking HIM for crumbs from His table. Jesus would not have helped her if she had drawn a false humility. Today, remember with me in gratitude, God sees us transparently, searching not for teeth gritted humility, but a willingness to contend with briar burr patches with HIM helping us.

A lot of situations require not, sigh, more prayer, but Joyfully more prayer. God has saved the World. HE does not seem to mind Jacob frankly wanting HIS attention and blessings, although to contend with HIM is not comfortable. Jesus Christ the LORD never requires a false halo.

Psalm 81

Oh, that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!

Mark 10:32

They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe)

Father God, You love mercy. And honesty. Help us to discern how to communicate effectively for Your enduring peace. Remembering Jesus saw all of mankind and never became so jaded that He did not forsake mankind.. An enduring Love for us.  We ask in the name of Jesus for His Love. Amen 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 2 ~ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests

Luke 2


13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.




Psalm 126
A song of ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
like streams in the Negev.
5 Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them.



1 Thessalonians 3 

3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.


6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Paul and Timothy Scripture stirs the heart.

If You had created the Universe and enjoyed Your creation so much - You saw it was good. And Said so seven times.

You might have thought about what the birth of Your Son would be like. Remember what Peter and the Psalms have said - Your day is millions of years.

Genesis 15:5
He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Our Father God sent a vast lullaby to His Son Jesus. Making all orchestras, all symphony - pale in comparison.

Jesus surely remembered this as He was part of Creation and was before even Abraham.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
                                         for I am gentle and humble in heart,
                                                                         and you will find rest for your souls

Father God was singing a Song of Ascents. I love George Handel's Messiah. When you see the Love in the Scriptures, you are reading of God's Ascents. Jesus was not born in the Palace. Not even the usual welcoming committee of innkeeper - innkeeper's wife. And so God looked to see who would welcome His Son. God sees souls of great love and the Shepherds would run to know this Miracle of God. Their joy and enthusiasm would complete this Miracle.

God loves those who have these attributes.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Isaiah 51:16
I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my people.'"

Our Scripture Passages point out a search for God. Last year we were very privileged to have Preston Yancy facilitating our HopePointe Bible Study. His book has been published on Amazon with good reviews. Preston is very inspiring and very insightful. God bless him on his journey and many more wonderful insights.
Tables in the Wilderness: A Memoir of God Found, Lost, and Found Again
Hardcover – September 30, 2014 - Amazon
by Preston Yancey

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We pray with You, Father God this night and tomorrow in Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Ephesians 5 ~ because we are members of His Body

Mark 16
9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Yet God works beyond what we believe, working His Plan - which we all fit into.

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, save the king!
May he answer us when we call.

God is in relationship with us. The more we lean upon Him, the more He sustains us. Verse 3. We are always in need of relying on God. He doesn't have to explain. He's God.

His attributes are vast. David knew people of trouble in his 22 years of working God's plan by faith. David had his followers want to stone him to death at one point. Something Paul knew about. Inner faith doesn't rest on events that make smiley faces. Events don't always have a that 'feel good' feeling.

Ephesians 5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

I'm hardly the one to point out about sin in silliness and humor. I enjoy my humor. And find, mostly, humor helps people connect as humans on the planet. I'd go on to say while I adore comedy, I sometimes find philosophies of anger and mean politics in comedy and move on. I Leave entertainment I find hurtful.

I'd have to point to God's Words. Quoting Abraham saying,"My faith credits me as righteous" in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord in His Perfection, Power and Mercy.

There are times I'm fully not qualified to say this Scripture describes me. In Faith, I say God is Greater than me and I believe HIM.

The Word of God is accurate.
There are 3,000 pages in Scripture. All are Truth and Valid.
To bring forth the message of God, we shouldn't disqualify His Words and instead point out His Worthiness.

Words matter. God's Word is Power.

 

In not disqualifying ourselves - God doesn't say be third. He says Love Others AS yourself. Love God  first,  then, secondly others with ourselves.

When we make choices, God does not say - Gideon be Abraham. Barnabas be Lot. Mark be Luke.

What we don't want to do is stop being ourselves.

Using the small aspects we have, our gifts. God is so glad we give thanks to Him for our gifts - to speak words that are honest and deliberate. To find the fruit of light in all people. To pray to further people in their relationship to God.

God's Mercies renew each day. Set up the day. Every day - desire to be clean in our person and homes. Saying the Temple of God matters. Not being idols or idle. Not to the right or the left. Exercise. Every day. Begin the day with Prayer. Read the Word. Read the Word during the day. Pray as you work. Meals that encourage each other in God and in our gifts.

Letting God fully know when we protest our circumstances. Deliberately finding out if this is for our deepening core. Or if the Mercy of God will change the circumstance.

Trouble.

I'd like to avoid it. Having attained this age and these many circumstances, sometimes I feel, to use my gone-Home-to-Jesus, 94 year old Grandmother Anita's words "Oppressed." Ok. 

Well. Trouble will visit us. We have a choice. To be bitter, to roll over and give up. Ask God to tend to our honest attitudes and find us in that Truth. In that Mercy. In that Faith. In that Hope. We will find the day brings new mercies and He is going to Sustain us. God is Love. Joy is going to make that path uphill to be great adventure and interesting.

David found malcontents wanted to know him. They were expressing their dissatisfaction with their present living conditions.  Jesus found this to be true as well.

Other times we deal with worthy people and wonder with our own words. Moments we all have where we look back and say, "I didn't express warmth." Or. "I talked to much." "I looked fearful." "I made myself look preachy or talked down." "I looked like a dolt." God puts His Hand in life. We are told life is filled with sheep and goats. Weeds and wheat. Why do we just love portions of Scripture - Personality. We need those human moments to find that narrow path. Those moments of weakness - God says - His Strength rushes in. Don't be your best fake self. Use the moments to be who you are. Be glad who you are - God is. He rarely says in Scripture "What Were You Thinking!"

The Scriptures talk about anger. Oh gosh. According to God - we get Angry. We see the disciples as - Fearful. Jesus did not remove the disciples in disgrace. God is Nourishing and Nurturing. Jesus did not cry out to the crowd "WHAT! YOU DIDN'T BRING DINNER?"

However, However, HOWEVER! He didn't say "Oh fine, one more huge feast today." Jesus is telling us find our feet. Believe. And about that time - in Joy, in Love and in Ease and Delight - Jesus puts His hands out again and creates a Feast to Sustain Us.

I Believe - I have Faith - Jesus is not done with the Creation and His Children. Find Faith. Find Hope. Don't ever expect to hand God your willing crud and say - "You clean this up, I'm Your KID."

Father God, we find Your Love is high, deep, wide, unconditional and steadfast. Renew us again to active Faith reliance upon Your unseen Ways. Thank You for our reason, we will use faith with our abilities You have given us.

When the Scriptures point out troubles come, help us to deal with them in gracious trust in You. Or in bold rebuke. Knowing You will save us as Your Words say and as we communicate truthfully.

Father lead us away from situations not pleasing to You. Forgive sins in us and around us. In Your forgiveness, change circumstances to Your Glory. We anticipate You in Your Actions.

Continue to fulfill us in sanctified nourishment and in Your cherishing Love. In Your blessings we hope. Bless our Families with wisdom and encouragement. Bless our future in-laws with peace and love and security. Our future children and grandchildren. Bless our Churches with Positive Encouragement to our Leaders and to each other. Bless our Nation with solutions, rewarding work, a people who ask Government to be uplifting to God. In Jesus we pray in gratitude. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves † 

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