Luke 1 ~ the whole multitude of the people were praying

 

Luke 1

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,
 of the division of Abijah. 

And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 

19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 

21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”


26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed[b] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.


39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[g] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”


46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.






57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Technically, while the world is wondering what to do with the New Year, this is still Christmas. The Magi will create Epiphany January 6th. And Christmas is completely put away January 7th. Merry Christmas !!!





What else parallels The First Christmas, the Birth of Jesus Christ?

The people had political unrest and wealth and discomfort and customs were replacing the worship of God in Spirit and in Truth. The leaders were married to their sister in laws. The Governor slaughtered people in worship.

This is when Zechariah proclaims his hopes for his child - John.

We will serve God without Fear.

Thank You God for this Country. Founded to protect the worship of God in Freedom.

We will not fear and we will continue in Jesus each day.

Psalm 100 is a Psalm of Gratitude ~ a profound Word of God.
His Gates are Open.

And circumstances are in His Hand to make us or to improve us or suffer us to change us.

It is HE who made us. We have to look at our choices each day and make them with His help.

If our hearts chose to be hostile, angry, impassive, rude, needy, grasping, inattentive, unavailable - then we have not put our eyes on Him as He asks. There is a time - we all will reach a needy state, such as being elderly and we will hope in Jesus Christ we have built our fortress in Him for continued internal hope, faith and love. In this fortress - our soul - having a Light of Jesus shining.


I saw my grandmothers diminish and provide a harbor in their wind down. I hope to be this as well. Psalm 23 says that we leave goodness and mercy as our footprints. Jesus says we will shelter those who rest in His goodness. He says we will provide shelter for the subduing of the earth and a path through the wilderness.


The young will not appreciate the passage. However this is for TODAY. For All Ages. We think in our 20s we are preparing for our important years ahead. Sure. But really we are building our fortress now. Our internal strength of good choices to say - I have been pleasing to Father God. When you know you have pleased God, the wild winds of life may howl, but inside you have warmth and peace - a pleasant place to dwell - within yourself.




The New Testament is interesting. Paul certainly knew of Jesus - as He worked His Ministry - as a Temple Official. And after Jesus was victorious over death - The Temple had much, much more to contend with. Letters survive of miracles and miracles and miracles in the Name of Jesus. And Paul, we see had a very real relationship with Jesus Himself. Just like we do today.

Not just old men running around in the Middle East wearing robes worn today only by royalty; Paul was subduing the wilderness saying Jesus is real, even after His sitting down at the right hand of God. Jesus is available to help us - with such joy and willingness.




I love to hear Father Francis MacNutt proclaim Jesus after 40 years of a healing ministry. The willingness of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, of Father God, to love us far below the level of Creator of the Universe. And to see us and want us to live in His Kingdom today and always.




What we need to do is trust Jesus, the level of His willingness - knowing He has made us and not we ourselves. The Word of God assures us Jesus knows the vastness of the Heavens, families in Heaven and on earth are named by Him. Jesus knows the numbers of hairs on our heads and when the sparrow falls to the ground. His People, His Creation are cherished by Jesus Christ, each day.



Father God, 
Please let my heart, my soul, my words, my mind be pleasing and acceptable in Your Sight. My Rock and My Redeemer. Cover all my loved ones and the People You give me in the Highest Name of Jesus. Surround this city, state and Nation in Schools, Churches, Work Places and Governing With the Light and the Love and the Faith of Jesus Christ. We lift up our cares to You.

Rejoicing in seeing the Heaven You place near to us in Your Goodness. Blessed are You Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Luke 1 ~ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee

Luke 1

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.


5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”


26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.


39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[g] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”


46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.


57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us[h] from on high
79
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Jesus tells us John 5:17
Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”


The Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us of Jesus' birth immediately. And Jesus tells us He was born working for Father God. Jesus arrives with another Minister of God's.


Jesus sent His ministers Two by Two


Mark 6
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two

Luke 10:1
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.


Like the Baptism of Jesus, where Jesus is doing His Father's Will ~ Jesus is working His Father's Plan from His arrival.



We Thank You, Father God, for Your diligence and Your love and care. We give You Thanks for Your many blessings. And look each day to see You are our Strength. Let us renew our selves in Jesus the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Galatians 6:9-10 ~ in doing good

Galatians 6:9-10

9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.


So continuing the idea of a New Year. Each day we have pressing concerns, ideas that occupy us. We have God, family, more family, work, Church, bills, things to fix, places to go, errands to run, friends with needs, pets, yard work and things we want, things that we put on a list - we could go on with health, emotions, spiritual ideas and needs. The requirements of one day seem dire and the next workable. How will we manage the fluctuations? By being centered in Jesus. Asking His help and His wisdom.

Matthew 11
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Isaiah 41:13
For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Hebrews 12
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.


Father God, Help our lamps be burning for You. Help us to do the work of life in a manner pleasing to You.

Help us to see the blessings of each day and build upon those gracious blessings You give. Let us have Your wisdom. 

We ask for ourselves, the ones we Love and the People You have given us. Bless our Churches believing in Jesus and His Word, our work places, neighborhood, cities and states and this Nation. Bless all the People who seek You in prayer and expectation of Your Goodness.

We give You thanks for Your forgiveness, fortification in Your Name and the Mercy You give us in answered prayer. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †


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Psalm 91 ~ “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2
I will sayt o the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”




If you look up castles and fortresses, you will find many are antiques, relics, abandoned, in decay.

Whatever the burden, the difficulty, the necessity, the enemy, the war, the conquest, the treasure -

The need for fortification faded.


The remaining fortress for 2,000 years will be faded, or rebuilt.


What does not change - each day we have concerns, pressing needs, needs for solutions, we always have a prayer we want Father God to answer right that minute. And our fortress in Father God, does not decay or fade.

We have choices each day - we can fall into worry and decline or let ignoble cares change us in base ways.

Or we can believe we have Promises - Faith, Hope, Love - and have the Joy and Love and Peace of seeing the mercies of God renew each day.


Father God, 
Open my heart to go in the direction that pleases You. 

Help me, this day, my words and actions. Let me be pleasing to You. I ask for Your help for myself and Your Blessings upon this prayer, the ones I love, The People You have given me, this state, Nation and all People who call Your Banner ~ Love.

In the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †


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Philippians 2:5-11 ~ the Name of Jesus

Jesus Christ, painted by Mary Seward

Philippians 2:5-11

(New Revised Standard Version)

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death--
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I asked my, newly, 21 year old son, some years back, if he wanted to live in a rural area, suburbia or a really urban life. I thought if he clearly saw a path, he might be able to move his major in college into the right career path. He said he wanted different things on different days, and he'd see what came his way. One of my favorite analogies of life, it's like a leaky rowboat, put all your effort in going one direction and another area will spring a leak. But my son is right, plan to see what comes your way, prayerfully, is sometimes appropriate.

Matthew records what Jesus said to do:


1 Worship the Lord and serve him only. Matthew 4:10
2 Repent. Matthew 4:17
3 Follow me. Matthew 4:19
4 Shine your light before me and do good deeds. Matthew 5:16
5 Your righteousness must surpass the Pharisees Matthew 5:20
6 Settle matters quickly. Matthew 5:25
7 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42.
8 Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
9 Give to the needy. Matthew 6:2
10 Pray. Matthew 6:5
11 Forgive people who sin against you. Matthew. 6:14 Matthew 18:35
12 Fast from food once in awhile. Matthew 6:16
13 Treat people the way you’d like to be treated. Matthew 7:12
14 Enter through the narrow gate. Matthew 7:13
15 Do God’s will. Matthew 7:21
16 Acknowledge Jesus before men. Matthew 10:32
17 Honor your father and mother. Matthew 15:4 Matthew 19:19
18 Be humble. Matthew 18:4
19 Confront the person you have a conflict with. Matthew 18:15
20 Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 19:19 Matthew 22:39
21 Serve everyone. Matthew 20:26-28 Matthew 23:11
22 Love God with all your heart, soul and mind. Matthew 22:37
23 Feed, clothes, visit and invite in the poor and needy. Matthew 25:35
24 Make disciples of Jesus and baptize them. Matthew 28:19

And we make our choices.
We bring back our soul to Father God, to show Father God, how we developed.


God chose the particular time Jesus was born, Jesus had choices. God brought His Son to Israel, prayerful people, but not everyone recognized him as God.

Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 14:13
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Like Paul. Like Hank Erwin in the movie, Woodlawn, just one man with faith immediately caused others to realize, this is not just any name! It is God! Jesus the Lord!

Let's ask Father God for 2016 to be remembered as a time the light of Christ shone brightly.
Amen in Jesus the Son of God, Shepherd of our Souls, Almighty Lord!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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John 5:17 ~ Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 5:17

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Lamentations 3:22
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

Isaiah 6. Isaiah  filled with His Holy Spirit wrote:

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the traina of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

1 Timothy 6:15-16

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed
and only Sovereign,
the King of kings and Lord of Lords,
16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.

To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.


1 Timothy 2:6  Jesus
who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

Psalm 136:3
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

1 Timothy 1:11
that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Father God, we ask Your Good Blessings for those we Love.  Grow Love to Please You.

Your Blessings For the People You have given us. For the places we work, for our Jesus and His Word believing Churches, for our cities, our states, this Nation.

For the People Jesus is Saving. For our expectations of His Great Love and Mercy. For forgiveness of our sins and the Hope of this life knowing eternity and the Kingdom of Heaven are at hand. In the Highest Name of Jesus, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Malachi 3 ~ They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts

Photo by Jannelle Loewen, Fireworks Oaks Park

Malachi 3

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.^{[and they will belong to the Lord in bringing their offers of righteousness]} 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.


6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer^{[Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest]} for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”


16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.


Behold, to be a land of delight, to be called blessed by the Lord of Hosts, to what shall we aspire?

We rely upon the Lord's gracious favor. His willingness to be forgiveness. His Steadfast Love and Mercy. As we stand on New Year's Eve, we willingly ask for the windows of heaven to open and pour down a blessing until there is no more need.

What kind of offering shall we give HIM? May the words of my lips and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing and acceptable to You, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.


Luke 18:13
The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

2 Kings 22:19
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, 
I have heard you, declares the LORD.

1 Peter 3:4
Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.


How shall we approach the LORD. Isaiah wondered.

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."


Micah 6:7-8
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
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?

1 Corinthians 7:35
I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Acts 16:1-40
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily ...

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him."


May Father God turn HIS face to us with compassion this last day of 2015. And we rejoice knowing Father God hears and answers. Always we say, Thank You, Father God. Amen in Jesus Christ.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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2 Samuel 23:13-17 ~ O Lord, that I should do this

Bethlehem in 1638 A.D.

Bethlehem today

Bethlehem in 1868

This is Bethlehem showing Bethlehem has not changed. To David - this looks like home.

2 Samuel 23:13-17

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

15 And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.



Oh there is no place like home for the Holidays!
Except when you are King David and home is a war zone.

The Cave of Adullam is where Psalm 142 was written and David started out with 200 men after Saul decided to kill him.

Harvest is the time for Shavuot and this is not a Festival when the Philistines are gathering to mutter and say rude things with instruments of war and death.

The first time I read this I was in High School and I thought, "This is so John Wayne and, wow, David is rude."

Instead we see how intrinsically kind David is to want to protect all his people all the time. How off David was to Uriah the Hittite.


This unusual story is one of Christmas. Jesus willing to do the hardships in life with Joy. Dealing with all sorts of people and all sorts of motivations, and finding the path that Father God would say, "Yes, John the Disciple found the path pleasing to God."

David is fully aware who is being the Disciple of John - staying to the last minute, and
who needs to stay. The discernment of the wise.


Father God, the beauty of Disciple John is how marvelous to be John to Jesus.
How marvelous to be Silvanus, Timothy and Luke to Paul. What a blessing to be Mark and Luke to Peter. Help us to be wise in what we do and request of the People You give us. Help us to be the Path You want for us. We ask Your blessings upon this day and eternity - which is today. Your protection, Your daily help.

Thank You Father God, Your mercies renew each day.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 ~ Live

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, 
to establish and exhort you in your faith,
that no one be moved by these afflictions. 

For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself,
and our Lord Jesus, 
direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,  as we do for you,so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

James, the Brother of Jesus. The man who ate dinner with Jesus. Bothered Jesus sibling style. Goaded Jesus in life recorded in His Word. Lived to Love Jesus. James said this Word of God - We ask Father God to give wisdom. The result is - He will.

We want to say to Jesus when we arrived at our Heavenly Home ~ "I stood for Your Great Love, Jesus."

Our standard is Jesus.
He is the one to look for. 
Would Jesus do this?
This is the frame of all reference.

And Easy to Remember.   

1 .Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Our standard agrees with God's Word. God's Word stands very firm. God does not need our belief for God to be God.

2. We want to be in daily relationship with God and read His Word. Expecting His Word to make a difference in your heart. Spiritual roots. Prayer. Small group Bible Study recorded in Book of Acts - encouragement.

3. Open mind to God and His Will. Not our established pride. 

Believing God would want to have a good plan for you. We ask God to be Open to Him. Give HIM time each day to let His truth soak in us and have truth established in our soul. More than emotion. To be like Jesus moving to Capernaum to be near the faithful.

3. Speak the Truth. God's way says follow Him.

4. Doing God's Will. He gets you out of trouble. He puts you on your path of His.

5. Do what is just and right in integrity. We put forth God's way and let Him decide the fate of the seed. God is sovereign.

6. This would please Jesus as His Child. Jesus called us His Beloved. When we trust God, His plan for for us is good.

7. Bring thoughts to Jesus. Pray constantly to be centered in Jesus, to please Jesus and in firm expectation that He is going to help.

8. Bitter, hurt, grudge envy and selfish ambition is not from God; creating a cold heart. Let it go. Avoid what isn't good for you. Like bad TV or fuzzy noise. Peace, loving, considerate, impartial and sincerity is from Jesus.

9. Record the truth. Write this down. Not to be choked out by the concerns, glories and riches of life. Be still to know God.

10. Trust God when we don't understand.

Father God, we just ask would this please God. 

Asking Your blessings. Your forgiveness. Grace to others. God guide our nation, state, city. Our Church leaders. Our family. Our friends and loved ones. Help us best do Your will for our day and lives. Your mercies renew and repeat. Help our open minds see You at work, Father God.

Let us let go of distractions and trust in You, Father God.

Open our eyes each day to see Your blessings and remember the blessings. Let us live each day saying Give us this day. Knowing as we rest this evening - we did please You. In Jesus let Your Will be done. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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