Proverbs 31:10-31 ~ Rubies

 

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him.

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than 
Rubies.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.

15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.

20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in 
scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Who wrote the passage?

The Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Aboth, Chapter 5) says six names were given to Solomon:
Solomon, Jedidiah, Qoheleth, Ben Iokoh, Agur,
and Lemuel.

King Lemuel - David's son is "Towards God."

This is similar to Prince Charles was born Charles Philip Arthur George.

According to A. Cohen, Proverbs (Hindhead, Surrey: The Soncino Press, 1945), p. 209, Lemuel is another name for Solomon that when translated means “towards (lemo) God (el).”

The Septuagint translated Proverbs 31:1 as follows: “My words have been spoken by God.”

Which is profoundly accurate - Words Spoken by God.

Solomon records this as from his mother - Bathsheba. Family was important to Solomon.

Family was important to David. Psalm 86 records what David felt about his mother (his father was content to skip David when Samuel came with blessings - Samuel replied they would stand to wait for David to come in from tending to the family flocks.)

Psalm 86
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did!


When Solomon built the Temple for the Lord - he named the "Pillar" by the front door - Boaz.

Boaz is the 3 Greats Grandfather. The man who gave a home to a widow and married a foreigner, making a family. Announcing King Solomon has Moabite blood as he builds the Temple of God.

Bathsheba was pretty flashy. And this book is her efforts to raise Solomon Towards God.

1 Kings 2:19
And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right.


Remember with me - Solomon received Wisdom and promptly used all of that Wisdom to pursue worldly goals.

Bathsheba was not so warm with David

1 Kings 1:15
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). 16 Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” 17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me."

Bathsheba is very formal for that private, death bed chamber.

Why did people who spent their lives pursuing goals for themselves have a say so in Scripture?

There is a Profound Reason.
When you think upon all the Kings and Chronicles in the Scripture - not very many wanted to write Scripture themselves. Yet David did. He took all those years he tended the flocks - by himself - which Scripture records  - and David learned all about the History of Israel and God to be depended and trusted upon. David's relationship with God - created harmony in a very disharmonious family.

Solomon missed hearing from God and went up to the high places to demand God answer him and Solomon tried that for years. Until Solomon realized God is God and Solomon is man. God ran to Solomon when Solomon decided God might be right.
And found God is right.

Bathsheba learned how to exist in a household that was not for her primarily.
She was part of many wives, others were honorably acquired, in a dysfunctional family life revolving around David.
David is the poster child for - don't have too many wives and children.


Solomon is now a child and a  little lost in the herd of children, wives and concubines.
But All see that David has something going for David beyond the civil wars, the gossip, the sin and the power that goes up and down.

David is evangelical.
If David can exist living in ditches and put his goals on God first -
If David can exist as a mercenary and God wants Him to be King after all that -
If David can ride in on his favorite donkey to be Crowned and God Loves David -
If David can survive family civil war and still believe in Love - crying out for mercy for his dear enemies.
If David can hope for redemption for a child everyone talks about -
If David can flub up Fatherhood this badly and God sees the Victory -

David's Family is led to discover Father God.

Proverbs 31 is a road map on this - 
How to Endure. How to Live Life and to have Hope, Faith and Love - God has a Plan. 
Believing God is going to help us within the Framework of Life - He has willingly Given. 

Worth saying again:

This isn't so much a list of virtues - this is a list about learning to survive and endure - and living with Hope.
God has a Plan.
We can trust God.
We can learn to endure. Believing God will lead us to Thrive.

This is not about putting self first.
This is about learning to be a team and working for others.

Solomon fails Bathsheba's list and at one point says women are not that great. Bold words from a man with 700 wives.

Ecclesiastes 7
27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered:
“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 while I was still searching
but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman among them all.
29 This only have I found:
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.”


“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it be good or evil”
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14

Solomon discovered something we know today.
We are not capable of Salvation for ourselves.


Paul wrote the exact same thing as Solomon.
Scripture repeats. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Father God is still building people to relate to each other across the millenniums.

Romans 7
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am!

Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are not capable, ever,
for being sorry enough to pay for our Salvation.

We are not capable, ever, to be so like Christ - we earn our Salvation.

We are not capable ever, to give enough - to earn our Salvation.

No one is perfect enough to write Scripture unless the Holy Spirit speaks within.

Gandhi, gave a rupee and said,  he likes our Jesus Christ, but Christians don't look a lot like Jesus.

Paul did agree and said, All Fall Short and Are Sinners.

Romans 8
1 There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

34 Who is to condemn?
Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, 
nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, 
nor powers, 
nor height nor depth, 
nor anything else in all creation, 
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 



Father God, with the Works You have Accomplished in these many millenniums - know my heart, my soul, my mind, take all of me and bless every single cell to eternity - flood me with the Love and Light of Jesus Christ - Savior - Who freely gives Salvation to those who would call out in wisdom - Jesus is Lord! Take Your Love, flood my being and those I love - Sweep this Nation with Your Love. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Daniel 12:2 ~ everlasting life

The Book of Life

Daniel 12:2

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

Do you try and do you resist getting angry? We don't shine when we are in anger or bitterness.

God gets angry.
And we then say, "How can God get angry?"
Anger isn't always bad.
So we have to discern with wisdom on anger.
What about when we feel just angry?

As soon as you feel the slightest resentment, gather together your powers, not hastily or impetuously, but gently and seriously. For as in some law courts, the criers make more noise in their efforts to preserve quiet than those they seek to still, so, if we are impetuous in our attempts to restrain our anger, we cause greater discomposure in our hearts than before; and once thrown off its balance, the heart is no longer its own master. -- St. Francis de Sales

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.



Hebrews 1:14
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Luke 1
Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." 

19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20"And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words."

We will never be privileged to know in this life  if this was the absolute plan of God or in anger Gabriel, we all love, displayed some impulse.

Even saints, kings and Archangels get irked.
Thank God He is real and gives forth real Testimony.

David wrote Psalm 39
I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. 3 My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue

When you read Psalm 139's closing and Psalm 137 you find some very politically incorrect emotions. God is GOOD. He is telling us - we are ALLOWED to have STRONG EMOTION.

Doesn't that sound like the view of the "religious" - never speak up in anger.
Always be meek.
God says we would probably burst if we repress anger.

And yet:

Psalm 37:8
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Avoiding evil is good!

So...

Ephesians 4
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,
for we are members one of another.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

The solution has an answer - anger is allowable and acceptable emotion-   269 times anger is in the Bible - control anger to stay away from what is Evil.

God getting angry? He being Lord God Almighty Creator of All Things
Who Upholds the Universe with His Word - Doesn't have that problem with anger.


And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;
and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Father God,
We who believe, know we will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
You are the God who creates and calls the stars by name.
Ephesians 3:15 says our very names come from You.
No human being can tame the tongue.
We cannot.

Mark 14:36
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you."
We lift our cares to You, Father God.
For ourselves, for endurance and successes.
For our loved ones.
For this State and Nation.

All things are possible with You, Father God.
In Jesus equip us to do Your Will and good works. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Revelation 20:4-6 ~ They came to Life

Matthew 24:30-31 

30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Jesus opens His arms in Victory

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:15
5 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.

Just as the Time Jesus was being raised victoriously into Life.

Matthew 27
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

The Great Sleep

Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Acts 7:60
"Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep"

John 11:11
Jesus "said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.'

John 6:40
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Many times in the Old Testament we read - someone slept with his fathers.

 Even The Book of Revelation deals with sleep as Heaven is discussed for the whole book:

Revelation 6:11
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer

What are we doing right this moment reading the Scriptures for Today, http://scripture-for-today.blogspot.com  ?

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


1 Corinthians 15:50-52
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 

Isabelle was born and she was asleep in the Lord - with total and complete Joy!

 

For many years, we've all heard about marvelous life after death stories.

Jesus was asked about people returning from the dead, when Jesus was asked in:

Luke 16:30
"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'


One of the most famous recorded returns is Pam Reynolds Lowery (1956 – May 22, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter. In 1991, at age 35, Pam died on the table for many minutes and was clinically recorded as brain dead with no life during a seven hour operation. She was operated on with ear plugs. When she woke up she was able to tell about floating, knowing the operating conversation, the tools used and being in Heaven with her grandmother. She was disappointed to find her uncle escorting her back to her body.


10 Astonishing Near-Death Experiences- Wow - (Link)

Revelation 20:4-6

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


Now could John have meant only the people who have endured the actual tribulation, end times? The Book of Revelation is not just Scripture explaining the end of all times, The Book of Revelation is about us - meeting Jesus - the end of our lives.

Life is a test and if we do not worship other gods - if we do not worship the traditions of man - which are have variations in generation to generation, if we work to be in the world and not of the world. If we do not bear the mark of overly safe and comfortable - not spreading God's Love - We are called like the Disciple John - who was not actually beheaded - and did overcome the beast of fear during the time of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Revelation 1

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw -

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore."

What was John doing?
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet!


Some of John - who called Jesus The God of Love - said this of his experiences with our Hero Jesus, repeating what Peter said about Jesus being Life:


1 John 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—
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, In Jesus we will not let our hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Jesus. In Your Word we learn the truth, and the truth sets us free.

We are to Love one another. As Jesus has loved us, we must love one another.

Father, We ask You and You will give the advocate of Your Holy Spirit to help us and be with us and our loved ones forever. Thank You, Jesus! Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Hebrews 1:3 ~ He is the radiance of the glory of God!

Eventually we will all have a day, where the Light that lights everyone in mankind will call us Home.

What would we hope to hear on our going Home day?

Hebrews 1:3
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen

Hebrews 12:2
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 14:17-18
He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

1 Corinthians 2:9
It is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

Revelation 21:23-25
Its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Ephesians 1:17,18
The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

Father God, I pray to have the encouraging Word of God arrive just as I need this. I pray this for the ones I love. Praying Jesus, for Your Wisdom as Your Will would have me called upon to offer comfort and assurance. 

We ask that this generation be strengthened for the task to know God calls upon His Children to help them encourage the saving Love of Jesus go forth. In Jesus, we pray for the ones we love, and the People You have given and surround us with. We ask in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

James 4:13-17 ~ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go"

When you need to make a decision about the way to behave, what guides you?

If you look good after the decision is made to - your audience, your friends, your family, your co-workers, your bank account, your enemy, your destination ... your - you.

Do we really believe that we are invisible?

Do we really believe we are accountable to God?

Do we really believe we live to Jesus? Or are we tired out and it's boring?

Do we try sensationalism - just to remove mediocrity?

Do we believe we will do something new for ourselves or for God?


The Absolutely Wonderful thing about life is that we take this so for granted and there is a purpose.

God tells us His purpose for Life. He lumps us all into one category and says He wants to save the World.

Lumped together - we are all going in the same direction. God says so. We are going to the 12 Open Gates of Heaven. We will all see Heaven and we will bow to Jesus and tell Him about what uses we made of our days and our talents. And Jesus is going to listen. We know because Jesus listened to people when He already knew their problems and their names.

The Absolutely Wonderful thing about life is we need to take the Bible less for granted and tune into His Word. Not little cliches, that we forget the Bible is the Word of God. And because this is God explaining God to us and life - that real decisions, real complaining, real hate and real communication is ALL OVER THE SCRIPTURES.

People in the Scriptures made Amazing Choices we are not sure we would have the courage to make.
And when we think about that courage - we want to say, "Not me, buddy, I'm smart."

And if we want to learn more about where we are going - we are going to keep learning. About God and why He possibly thinks the way God thinks.

The Scripture being living and active will set us on fire when we meet God just where HE meets us.

Is God always going to rattle our cage?
Do we want to know God if He is going to rattle our cage?

Yep. Hilariously - we will all leave this little, fleshy cage.
The Roman Catholics have this exactly right - "Pray for us  sinners, now, and at the hour of our death."
Perfect. We are all going to meet Jesus and we want to End Well!

I love the "Pirate's" movies.
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Dead Man's Chest
At World's End
On Stranger Tides

Why? These start out as good girl seeks good man to have good life. And LIFE jumps allll over her.

Now this - this - this - oddly is Good Bible Study. We can plan, we can make lists and The Lord God tells us in Scripture - Father God is going to laugh. Life is GOING to Happen. We just have to adjust to the speeds. Life is more like a Pirate's Movie than Pollyanna. Mostly because we are the TV generation and what we see and laugh and mourn and worry and are entertained by. Images.

James 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

So going back to Scripture is God Almighty always going to make us uncomfortable.
Buhawaaaa. Nope. We can just lull ourselves into falling into doldrums that make us veer waaaay off into pride, unwillingness to go in directions best taken for growth in fear of personal comfort. Making all of our lives merely a show. Tiring us out.

Why "Pirates"? 

One Side says this:
We are all emerging and changing in our journeys. Life is an enormous force like the Mississippi River.
We need to see what Godly voice we are listening to.
Is it trite like these sayings we used for our images today? Images...


The Other Side says this:
Is Father God only going to grow us when we are uncomfortable?
No. Father God is going to Equip us to do what He wants us to do. Our DNA and our gifts and talents give us ideas and solutions for our lives.



And when we are dry out of solutions?
The Lord God who has made Heaven and earth - has not forgotten our address.
WE HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING IN THE MIDST OF TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS!
We are giving God a dab. And not our heart. We have given "our" God an image.
We have to Know How to Endure to Patiently Learn how to thrive in Creator God's Framework He is
WILLINGLY going
to Provide.

Egad and Little Fishes. So much humanism.

Make our children special, heard, honored, comfortable.
GOD LOVES THIS ABOUT US!!! We DO THIS. THIS GENERATION has a Virtue! WE PLEASE FATHER GOD WHEN WE WORK HARD TO WELCOME A CHILD. Father God has entrusted us with the long-term care of our children to make valuable contributions to life and not allll about me. We are not to forget to raise our children to the place they were intended to be and say, "We made them." It is not we who made them - this is God Himself. Sometimes children are happy being where we would not be happy. Sometimes we grow when our children hurt. Really, really grow. Sometimes we have to stretch to love more. Sometimes we have to tell them your ego has gone over the top come back to the "Body of Christ."

God has uniquely called Noah, David and all of His Beloved Children.

Why did God give Noah that task of that Ship that would not BE BUILT AGAIN UNTIL THE 1900s? The SHIP that is "NAUTICALLY CORRECT." (Ha!) That's right. God had to have built that ship. GOD! THE CREATOR OF THE INFINITE UNIVERSE!
Once again, the Scriptures repeat. "God's Plan is Perfect." For? "What God Intends."

Humanism. In a lot of our entertainment. An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

Jesus said, Paul said, find the way to say "GOD IS LOVE!"

So Humans are looking for solutions! God. God is actually a rational solution.

Noah - tell me about - having a difficult job. Exacting specifications. Nasty atmosphere in which to work. Why did God pick Noah - Father God had built Noah to be DNA, God Planned, Equipped to do the God Job. Noah was obedient to God.
Sounds bad? Noah said, "Yes!" TO... Father God!

David needed solutions because he believed God. David needed to leave sheep herding because a price was on his head and sheep sloooooow you down. God had told David, David would be a king - David went into the military. Sounds good. Except he was a mercenary and dealt with kidnappers and thieves and the nay sayers. For-ged abod this Guy. He's... Bad.

He has a wife he left behind at her father's. He next took off with the man who was feeding him - his wife. He acted like he was insane. He did questionable things for money. He was Gone. He seemed to be violent. He marauded where he wanted across this border and that. We can surely see - this is not the man.

God has a Word for that - God never said sit down and tell me about this person - I need to know. God said:

Romans 11:34
"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

Isaiah liked what Paul said, so he said this first in the same Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 40:13
Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?

God is like E.F. Hutton, the late stock brokerage firm. "When He speaks, Listen to HIM." Because. God just doesn't lie.

We don't see Noah had a lot of conversations with God. God is like that. Father says, "Do what I Say for you to do."

God didn't always talk to David and David had unique ways that God spoke to him. Father God is talkative when He wants to be.

Why did God pick David? God tells us in His Word - David would be obedient to God.
Making that image above - David was comfortable with what God told David to do.
Making that image above - Noah was determined to be comfortable with what God told Noah to do.

They had a skill - they learned to endure - believing in God's framework - they would be blessed and thrive.

God wants us to be mature. Not tossed back and forth by opinion.
God brought Jesus in by notification of a star. People looked Up to God to go in the right direction.

We keep our eyes on Jesus - not the cultural norm.

Not the traditions of men - worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

When we fall. When we are wrong. When we are human. When we sin.

We can never, ever come close to earning what Jesus has done!

Jesus has clothed us in HIS Righteousness. For our belief, our Love of Jesus.

The Spirit of Truth says live with Jesus as our Fulfillment. Do not lean towards sin.
Let Jesus, by prayer and calling on His Name and His Will and His Help. Be our Rest and Shelter.

Because Jesus said we are to be in the world, just not of the world.

Jesus didn't say hide away. Jesus said be Salt. Be flavorful personality. Be zest.

Jesus said be Light. The Light that shines in all of mankind. Jesus.
God loves the World. God sees His Creation as Good.

David did all these things to do survival and God's will. And God said, "I want My Son to be Yours, too!" Wow. David didn't always do great fatherhood. David worried about his kids and sometimes chose non-involvement as the answer. Except David was involved - David loved and prayed.

David wrote us of many emotions not publicly correct. Not a cultural norm for today. Except David was working out his emotions before God.

God appears to listen to hearts more than grade performance. Or else. Father God sees further.

David found peace in God. Usually by being emotional and determined at the time.
We can do this too.
Father God runs to us when we seek the Lord.

The Scriptures tell us all the Time God will arrive where He is asked.

We can rely on His Plan.
Draw up God as a Comfort around you. Give God your cares. Believe He will Help. David always believed God would go Further than God even said. Jesus Knew That! Go Two Miles when you are asked for one!

Jesus did this and Jesus then walked a little on water. (Do you think that Jesus, as God, was surprised the Disciples could see Him do this?! David had an idea God has humor.) God does abundantly more than we plan.

When you need to make a decision about the way to behave, what guides you?
The best idea is to Please God - who is pleased when we want to please Father God.

When you know that you know that you know you are on God's Plan - some people will not be pleased. Some will say you are going down hill. But if you are trying to Please God - You are Going Forth to ALMIGHTY FATHER GOD just by calling upon His name. God has given us no choice in His plan. We work God's Plan willingly or unwillingly. I vote Willingly for Jesus! He helps us because we are not God!

We can never, ever come close to earning what Jesus has done!


Thank You Father God! Thank You for Belief in Your Word. Your Love.
You sent us to this Life almost the exact way we send our children to College.
To Learn, to Grow, To be Stretched. To Experience, To be in Dire Circumstance,
To be in Comfort, To be Challenged, To Decide for Ourselves.
And when we look to You - for help - You Run to us.
We will be Blessed in You. Always. 
We pray this for our loved ones, 
For the elderly and the disabled.
For good decisions and life to be in Wisdom of Jesus' Love. 
For the soon to be born,
For the Church Family,
For our health and eyes,
And give thanks and thanks and Thanks for answered prayer and yes.
And Faith, Hope and Love for what was answered as wait, as no, as different direction
Knowing that Father God plans for us to have Hope and a Future in Jesus.
God has designed us to want to live together and to work for Jesus.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!! Thank You Father God. In Jesus.
GOD bless us All. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Titus 2 ~ All good faith!

Titus 2

¹ But as for you, teach what accords with sound ^[healthy] doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Slaves ^{[bondservants]} are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The George Washington Family Bible at Mount Vernon

Anglican Rev. Bird Wilson knew George Washington and after President Washington died, there was a campaign to glorify Washington. Rev. Bird Wilson, went down in history (son of Declaration Signer James Wilson) in a way he probably wouldn't find flattering to himself. Rev. Bird Wilson refused to have George Washington glorified and deified as a devout believer. He went so far as to castigate the late George Washington for his beliefs. However several quotes about Washington's faith are really quite over-inflated and were corrected by Rev. Wilson.

If you look to the people who knew George Washington so well as to be there when he died - like Washington's nephew, you find they say this about George Washington: He was raised by a devote Anglican mother who told him about Jesus Christ. He was a devoted attender of his Anglican Church. Washington's nephew witnessed him doing personal devotions with an open Bible while kneeling, in both the morning and evening.

This sounds like George Washington:

Sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Reverent in behavior, not slanderers. Show integrity, dignity, and sound speech. Teach what is good. That the word of God may not be reviled.

Be zealous for good works. Jesus told us other words to add to what Jesus, our Hero, asks of us - to be filled with Light and Salt.

Mount Vernon says this after careful consideration and study of George Washington's faith: His religious life is complex and should be approached as such, without trite labels and descriptions.

Which rather sounds like something Jesus Christ would say about a Child of His.

The bottom line is this - We are waiting for Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us and to purify us for Himself - we cannot save ourselves.We lean upon Jesus and ask Him to be our comfort, deliverer, and joy - love - faith - peace - hope arrive.

When we have doubts or fears - we can cast them (like a fishing net all of those concerns) upon Jesus. Knowing He is caring and will hear - telling us Prayer changes the Heart of God. And changing our heart to be open to God is Love.

God loves us first.

John 4:19 

We love because he first loved us.

Ephesians 2:8-9

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Micah 6:8 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Father God, we lift up Edward with his all day headache and symptoms of his illness yesterday. We ask for Your Mercy and Goodness to Edward. Thank You for his bravery and diligence in finding each day as good. We lift up the upcoming weddings in our family. Communications to be honest in Jesus. We lift up our Nation to You. Rejoicing in the Good News of the Overwhelming Love Jesus has. Amen. 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †