John 6:16-24 ~ in search of Jesus

John 6:16-24

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

So we are told as it is written:

John 9:4
"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work."

John 11:10
It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.

We can learn about THE WORD OF GOD made manifest - Jesus our Lord - from what is written.

1. Psalm 139 tells us that nothing is dark to God. He is Light. He is not going to stumble, because He is God.

2. I like this message the best - walking on water - at night - was not "work" to Jesus. This was Joy!

3. John 17 13
“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."

This point is wonderful. Jesus abides in God - His fruitfulness is Joy.

Can you see the disciples talking in that boat...

"Simon, Simon says hoist up that sail." (Simon the Zeolot and Peter Simon - c'mon you always wondered where the game 'Simon Says'  originated right...)

"Ok, I DID, the wind is really picking up."

John says, "Did you see the way our Teacher fed five thousand people!" The men talk about the wonder of God. Matthew adds, "Well, it's clear we are going to have to have another Party for Jesus!" The men look at Matthew. "And this time - we let Jesus cater the Party!"

Thomas says, "I really admired Jesus today. He fed and healed so many. Jesus put His amazing hands into the bread and even the fish to provide. Jesus puts his Hands out and does whatever is needed for God's people."

The men are silent. It was another amazing day with God.




Thomas cries out, "What is THAT? What am I seeing?"

Then they began to discuss among themselves who was the greatest to see this, Jesus' disciples said, "Now speak clearly and without figures of speech!"

They then had a rapid discussion - how to pray.

James and John cry out, "What would stand like that - there? How is it placed there?"

Andrew cries for Peter to come and look. Andrew yells out, "I think this is the Messiah!"

They cry out together, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Thomas said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go to Jesus that we may ... too, so that we may die with Him."

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to get someone to explain this if you were not here to see this yourself."

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, "How far would this story go among so many?"

They all started talking at once and said to each other, "What must we do to do the works God requires?”




Yesterday we saw that Jesus just by passed the people who did not want Him to be God.

Today we see when the Disciples see how fully Jesus is God, John 6 reports they were very afraid.

And then we see the people want God to serve them and they show up immediately. 


Jesus reveals hearts. 

Father God, let me each day ask to let me be a good place for You to dwell

Search my heart and mind, discerning the thoughts and intentions of my heart.

Help my heart of flesh - please You.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

I will ask you to help me Trust in You with all my heart, and not leaning on my understanding. I will acknowledge Your Ways, and will make straight our paths.

Keep my heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Place your spirit within us, and in Your name, we will be pure in heart and we shall see God.

We ask this for ourselves and the ones we love and our Nation. In the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 4:14-30 ~ To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!

Luke 4:14-30

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.


23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

The year of the Lord's favor sounds fabulous. Isaiah 61 tells us of this:

to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

4They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

7Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.

8“For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”


Father God had this situation before prophets. When The Ark of the Covenant displayed the ways of God and His Power. The people built a Temple and put Him and His Mercy Seat - The Ark - behind a curtain. Politely labeling that "Holy of Holies."


We dislike when God is silent and then when God acts as God - we want our own way. This has been the situation between man and God since the Garden of Eden. Eve wanted to eat from the tree of knowledge to tell God what was right and wrong.

Jesus demonstrates what He does when His Way is ignored - He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.

God does things His way. His ways are holy and eternal - ours are not.

Father God, I give you my heart today - guide and direct me to be in thoughts, emotions, attitudes, discovery and works to Please You. And help me to convey Your Love to the ones I love and You have given me. In Jesus. Amen.

Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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2 Samuel 22 ~ With the merciful you show yourself merciful

Zion Gate - exterior of the Old City. King David is buried on the exterior about 150 meters from here

2 Samuel 22

David's Song of Deliverance

1 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
2 He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.

4 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
5 "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.

8 "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them.

16 Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

20 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
21 "The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.

25 And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

26 "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness.

30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

31 This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

32 "For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.
34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great.

37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip;

38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet.

40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

44 "You delivered me from strife with my people; you kept me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.
45 Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreigners lost heart and came tremblingout of their fortresses.
47 "The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48 the God who gave me vengeance and brought down peoples under me,
49 who brought me out from my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from men of violence.

50 "For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.
51 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever."

Queen Elizabeth I was inclined to believe David and His God. She set out against the piracy of the Spanish Armada. And won.

For years she was regarded with suspicion and people sought to both use her Royal credentials and to trap her. When the day finally arrived for her freedom. She quoted David because God fashioned us to learn from real people in sticky, real life situations.

Elizabeth was indeed worried about death before her time arrived for peace.

Psalm 118 says:
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.



Elizabeth did not flaunt all of her feelings or bemoan, instead she said the following upon
news of her arrival into peace - saying as the news reached her:

23 This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes!


And Elizabeth kept this in her heart:
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Why should we care about a 500 year old story about a Queen?
Because we will all have trials and if we look to the Lord and His Bible for strength -
we will find God's strength which no job, government, person, place or thing can provide
as we all run into seasons, problems and mere opportunities for a solution. Elizabeth was known to read the Scriptures for an hour each morning. And she wrote Hymns. One of the accomplishments of her long reign - one of the largest causes of death in the prior Kings and Queen's reigns was 1/3 of the population died of starvation.  Elizabeth's era saw the increase of jobs and trade. Prosperity and peace.

For Davids, for shepherds, for people suffering injustice, for leaders - the Scriptures
illuminate the certainty - looking to God for answers - bears fruit of God.


Father God, for myself, for the ones I love, I pray Your abundant blessings on this nation. And the way statistics ask questions and for the answers our Nation needs - we say Jesus is Lord. We pray these blessings be given to us - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And look expectantly to You, Jesus. Amen.

Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 4 ~ With authority and power He gives orders

Luke 4

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' [Deut. 8:3 ]"

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. [Deut. 6:13]""

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' [Psalm 91:11,12]"

12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' [Deut. 6:16]"

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [Isaiah 61:1,2]"

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy [The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin—not necessarily leprosy.]" in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil [unclean] spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ [Messiah].

42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. 

In the 4th chapter of Luke, Luke is still introducing us to Jesus. Something unusual the  Gospels bring us - this introduction is continuing. Let's see how the Chapter starts out, the description of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Not your typical method of evangelism. I once had an evangelist come to my door and start out his prepared speech with Hell. I cannot tell you how fast I exited. In evangelism, it is a method that should be stamped with the word - Fail. However, not for Jesus.

Let's take a second and think about evangelism. 
The lost and the wondering, the injured and the spiritually impoverished are not going to Church. They are still unreached. And... thinking about the lessons I learned from a very gentle, successful Priest bringing the message of Jesus' love and hope - God gives us opportunities to introduce Jesus.

We are given teachable moments - not to expand to the point we are shut down. In Youth Ministry this is also called "Earning the right to be heard."

Why would the Gospels of Jesus Christ tell us about the devil... it's obvious mankind understood 2,000 years ago and today - there is a force of evil at work in the world. People still really do believe it - this why there are horror movies. Just as there are horror movies - - there are people who discuss them. They want to discuss them to have a venue to talk about their own spiritual issues.

What types of spiritual questions will be asked? The ones God wanted to tell us about. The ones people will ask you about if you are familiar with the Scriptures. The ones that plant a seed to be thought about - the conversations you are gentle with and you pray during and after.

What Luke 4 Teaches Us

There is a devil, he tempts everyone. There are evil spirits and they can be found in very unlikely places. The darkness pretends to not be subject to God and pretends not to recognize God.

Notice, also, Luke doesn't get busy explaining where the devil came from. The Christian witness moves away from minute discussions of evil. The Scriptures let Judas out of the discussion quickly. If they are interested in the details of the devil biblically, tell them, gently and kindly to look them up in the Scriptures.

God set the boundaries, the devil tells Jesus his boundaries have been given to him. Really doubt what evil will promise. The temptations are sometimes not effective at all, evil is not always the sinister genius we tend to think of. Darkness sometimes tries to expose good to add confusion.

Another common misconception about the Scriptures is that in the "dark ages" everyone believed evil spirits caused illness. Jesus didn't believe Peter's (Simon) mother had a demon with fever. Jesus rebuked the illness - i.e. the cells.

Another mistake is people believe the devil is the power today because miracles have died off. No, Jesus is telling us even biblically, miracles occur when God intends them. Today we have miracles! A King of King triumphs every time.

Yes, you may have the opportunity to bring Jesus up in this fashion, but remember what Luke progresses on to:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

The compassion of Jesus is the real message. Just as Jesus did, this is what we proclaim. Very, very few people are against the real hope, the real love Jesus proclaimed, yet there are a lot of people who don't know of Him.

Father God, You are Love. The Scriptures tell us so. We give Your thanks for Your love & the opportunity to give Jesus to others. In the highest name You've given us.Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 5:27-37 ~ Perform to the Lord what you have sworn

Jesus Teaches from a Ship, painted by James Tissot

Matthew 5:27-37

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.


31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.





Matthew was a tax collector/thug who wanted to write to the Jews to explain Jesus as the Messiah, bringing in his friends to the grace Jesus brought to his own life. Mark is John Mark determined to be too much of a light-weight follower of Jesus to be allowed to go with Paul and his missionary worker, Barnabas. Barnabas, John Mark's cousin, believed in John Mark (Colossians 4:10), or Mark, would deepen in his faith to become reliable. Mark's Gospel is to reach out to the gentiles explaining to them of Jesus' faith, His Jewishness.

Luke (Colossians 4:14, Phil 1:24) is the wonderful physician called to be a worker of Jesus Christ with Paul. It is wonderful to imagine the joy Luke would have seen the miraculous healings taking place in the name of Jesus. Luke brought an accurate, thorough, historical documentation to his Savior's life.

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.

The Scriptures, being real, give a very real discussion of the disciples learning how seriously their Savior, Jesus Christ, took sin.

Matthew 19:10
The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

As a child I wondered why oaths were so important to be discussed.

2 Chronicles 36
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

End of Zedekiah - he had encountered a living God. No one told him he was part of the Scriptures. Life isn't permanent and God is drawing us to Him.

Jesus wants us to act as the Lights of the world. He expects our yes to remain yes and our no to remain no. The Savior of the World, our Hero, said He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law. Jesus adopts us and in His name covers us in His Righteousness.

1 John 4:16
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

We would never ask Jesus to be our waiter. And to ask Him to deliberately clean up our messes.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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John 17:11-24 ~ my joy

 

John 17:11-24

I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.


This is one of the truly wonderful prayers in the Bible.
Just as Jesus was loved by Father God - then and still today.
This prayer is for us - His beloved children today.

Josephus the Historian writes in Antiquities 18: Chapter 3
"And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." Josephus is recording the unity of the Christians. Truly a Work of God in these circumstance.

I prayed this prayer with the Lord's Prayer this morning and found, joy. Jesus has Joy within Him. Giving us the comfort of His sanctification, His truth as we believe in Jesus.

Hebrews 7
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever,
he has a permanent priesthood. 25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them.

26 Such a high priest truly meets our need
—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.


Father God, The mystery of Your holiness is great. Jesus descended - our very God - came to live this life with truth and grace. And Jesus ascended higher than all the heavens. Jesus fills the whole universe. Ephesians 4 tells us.

Father God, You are that gentle and this vast - You fill the whole universe.

All fall short of the Glory of God. Jesus had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.   In Grace upon Grace, Jesus was fully human in every way, in order that Jesus might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that Jesus might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus.
Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

God of Love help our faith reveal hearts of Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. We will guard the people entrusted to us. We call their names out to You. And in You all Your merciful Word will be filled to Your Joy.

To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 9:27-34 ~ Have mercy on us

Matthew 9:27-34

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

 In Jesus. Amen.

When Moses was to see God, a great and auspicious occasion, Moses was covered. 

Exodus 33
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 

19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Both Scripture passages reflect this is a process to see God. Beginning with the earnestness of seeking God. And Father God is present.

Exodus 34
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord,

Jesus!

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,a forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

Luke 1 finds through the Millenniums the Worship of Father God continues and in the New Covenant God redirects His mercies as He gives us Jesus for our Salvation.

Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

The Gospel of John says in the First Chapter:

John 1:45
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Father God, just as Moses wrote us of Your Living Word - Jesus - We pray for those in need - crying to You, Lord Father God Almighty - as Moses did and was heard - “Please show me your glory.”

Father, You are working today - our Church Family celebrated the one year old baptism of a child told from medical tests to be missing organs and in severe ill health. That child was given Healing by Jesus the Lord and is whole and well today. A beautiful daughter.

This year, Father God at PACN we have prayed with local Churches for an unborn baby named Hope with a brain tumor and malformed brain. The mother and child were transferred for delivery to a major Houston downtown Hospital. The birth process was to include whisking the child upon birth to the next hospital over for Intensive Care and potential brain surgery. The baby named Hope, so prayed for by so many with faith - went home instead and her mother reports her to be completely well.

Father God we pray for unborn baby Jackson. Born in good fortune into a family of abiding believers. We ask for Your Living Word to go forth and heal baby Jackson - unborn at 20 weeks - to heal his unformed eye and cleft lip and the disturbances of his face. We pray for his soul in the womb to be strengthened and encouraged and have this comfort. Lifting up his young parents in their first time of need like this. In Jesus, we look to expectation in You Lord Father God. Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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