Psalm 67 ~ God, our God, shall bless us.

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!



Father God tells us in Revelation His Face Shines. Showing us sometimes we have to have trouble, like dark, to see the Blessings. If we are surrounded by Blessings, we can have trouble seeing all our blessings.


When God speaks and important message to us, sometimes He uses repetition. Jesus sometimes spoke a parable twice. Today I talked to a man having some difficulties. And expecting a blessing soon - the type of blessing God does all the time - and yet this is a miracle of God.

His attorney called him and she said in a calm fashion that she is one of the best attorneys she knows, because she believes Jesus Christ and he will receive a good outcome. She prayed with her client. He went to his next business meeting, and the new business person told him - the thing in life is this - God has to be depended upon, more than ourselves. Our real strength comes from God. And as he rode home from the business meeting - the man found out that his friend traveling along also believes trusting Jesus Christ is our foundation.


The man at the crossroads of his life realized even if he seen difficult times - he has family and he has a wife who loves him - regardless of the difficult times.. Business people who support and appreciate him. In fact, he and his wife realized the Church sermons really seem to have their life in mind. They have laughed and wondered if the Church had someone follow them. Like... The Holy Spirit!

This is God reaching out in super natural ways.
God who wants us to know, He is part of our lives. Our destination. Our Father.
The dark is not dark to God, His Light reaches out and has not been overcome.



Father God,

We live near the 4th largest city in the U.S.A. A place where the Justice of the Peace quotes Scripture. Each day I see more of the godly, hear more concern that we all need to rely on God more. I'm encouraged in the midst of so much news, we'd like to improve.

When we affirm each other in speaking of You, Father God, we have community. And usually great joy in sharing the faith of 80% of Americans who mostly could all tell of something joyful and amazing You, Our Father God, has brought to their lives.

Father, in Jesus, bless those who speak up. Help us to encourage each other to do that.

We are praying for our city, we have jobs being sought. We are in a time of outrageous political thoughts. And the national conventions sound like Churches. Why wouldn't You, Father God, hear the prayers of those seeking to bring godly leadership for us. I believe You will.

We are praying for my mother's hearing to return, for my ear infections and ear buzzing. For the continued thank You's my arm was benign. Thanking You for Your miracles. For those waiting for Your help. For our loved ones to thrive in Your Love, Salvation and Joy. For our Communities. For our Nation. For the World God is saving through Jesus Christ, the people calling upon Jesus in faith. Let us bring more Heaven to earth.  Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

James 1:20 ~ the righteousness of God

God has more wisdom, insight, older, more creative and He is Larger

James 1:20

For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

This is James, the brother of Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph - interesting to read the brother of Jesus speak of growing up across the dinner table from the Son of God.

9 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.


Evidently, Jesus traveled going to see people - for the benefit of God. Jesus was doer.

Looking into the perfect law? The Law of Liberty?

Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

James has witnessed Jesus for decades.

Jesus is quick to hear, slow to speak. Slow to become angry. Not meek and mild.  Jesus told us to be salt. Jesus was not perceiving Himself as Religious, but as pure and deliberate in the use of His Speech. Jesus is the Word with God. Never forgetting Who HE is. Blessing others in His Actions and pure Words.

Jesus is not boastful, using the Word of God as "It is Written" - not as "Religious Law" - using the Word of God to save the ones Jesus came to save - you and me.

Jesus saw Himself as a doer of God's plan - love in action. Loving Father God with all His Spirit.

Jesus' family did tease Jesus to go to the Festival and be boastful, but when Trouble came - they sought to bring Him home to them. Jesus is recorded as going home with His friends - disciples - to attend a wedding and see His Mother.

 





When we have anger at injustices in life - we remember: 

The Exodus is the reminder - God cares very much about the lives of His Children on earth. Our Father God made a huge and sweeping statement - God longs for His Children to have Liberty. And Advantages.

We all can picture Israel as God's viewpoint, and yet God chose His Son to see this of the world. God's viewpoint is different than ours. 

God Loves us. God seeks for each of us to know - He created us to be individuals. God loves us that much to write this Letter to you - His Child - to have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

 


Father God, 

Help us to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ to us personally. To fully know this love that surpasses knowledge.



Fill us the to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Today God calls us, the fullness of the earth and Heaven is His. He calls to us from Paradise - Today God's Begotten Son tells us He longs for our lives to be abundant. Today God would be a Father to us. Today we open our hearts to hear His Voice.

Today we come to share our confidence in Jesus Christ. Today, Father God, You are the same as yesterday and tomorrow in Your Love and Steadfast Promises to those who call upon You.

Today, as the Lord wills, we ask He guide us in the right thing to do.

Knowing Tomorrow, we still rely upon You Father God. And in expectation of Your Word - look for Your promises to us in Faith. God, You are Love. Let us lay down our hurts and have our hearts love. Love is of God. 

Thank You, Father God, for James recording his love for His Brother - Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Deuteronomy 30 ~ Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live

Deuteronomy 30

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, 
which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.


4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 


5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 

7 And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today.

9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. 


For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, 
as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.



11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 

13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 

14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 

If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 

17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. 

You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.

Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 
loving the Lord your God, 
obeying his voice and holding fast to him, 
for he is your life and length of days,
that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, 
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,
 to give them.”

The Power of God.
He is enlightening us in order to know hope. 
God has placed all things under His feet. 
His incomparably great power for us who believe. +

How to obtain His blessing -  mercy sown. Keep praying for all you know to be kept in this blessing. The Lord's Face shines on mercy bestowed and graciousness. The Lord turns His face to those who give earnest peace.

 


Sinners. Jesus chose Brothers who made mistakes and bothered Him. Jesus sometimes told His Brothers to wait and sit outside. Jesus knew something about His Brothers and He expected their best to shine forth in time.


And Jesus left no doubt as to where He was going.  Thank God.

Father God blessed all of those Jesus forgave with forgiveness. 
Peace arrived. The Brothers of Jesus wrote of Love. The disciples of God wrote of Love. Blessings arrived and arrived. Love earnestly. Love genuinely. Be patient. Love again.







Jesus worked through Blessing and Curses to die for us on a tree - cursed.

James 3:11
Can both fresh water and bitter water flow from the same spring?


Blessing and curses...


Isaiah 45:9
“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?"


Jeremiah 18
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.


Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.











Psalm 145

The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.




I read the post article from Norman Vincent Poole several days ago on giving up on begging God for the solution to prayers hammered and yammered on to God about. So one of my long time prayers refused to yield good news. Instead of being false or cheery, I took off my shoes, stood before Father God and did the praise. I said maybe you have a good reason for saying No to what I can't bring forth. Maybe this is good news. Maybe you have a good reason for saying 'No' Father God. And as I prayed praise to the Lord Father God from Psalm 145, my heart felt better. I had lived in difficult circumstances before.

And as I said thank you, Good News came in. God wants to be thought of first and trusted.




Proverbs 16:32
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.


1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

Cora Ten Boom and the fleas.

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

And this is also saying that God's Purpose triumphs all works. This is in His Good Hands.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.



What is give to us as new creations of Christ Jesus - is today. His Mercies renew. We can make new attitudes. This is what we are building on tomorrow. Jesus told the son of the widow of Nain, "Rise up."

Rise up.


John 14:31
"I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here!"

Father God,

We will not give up on Life. We will continue to pray for those who are ill. We will not give up on Words of Life.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. We have done grace and patience before, and we can believe that character is formed and strength. Help will arrive.

Calling to Jesus Christ, asking Him to pray with us - with Him - let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Lately when words fail me, I sing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus over the people I pray for completely silently when I wake up. This is cheering me up a lot. Like David, I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

God is going to find me, I will be the sheep He finds and holds to Him.

I believe this for myself, the ones I love, my communities, my Church, my nation. I believe this for all the people holding on to Jesus Christ with Faith.

Jesus is Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 100 ~ The Lord is good ! +

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;[and not we ourselves]
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Psalm 100

An exhortation to praise God, and rejoice in him. - This song of praise should be considered as a prophecy, and even used as a prayer,  for the coming of that time when all people shall know that the Lord he is God, and shall become his worshipers, and the sheep of his pasture.

Great encouragement is given us, in worshiping God, to do it cheerfully. If, when we strayed like wandering sheep, he has brought us again to his fold, we have indeed abundant cause to bless his name.

The covenant of grace set down in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, with so many rich promises, to strengthen the faith of every weak believer, makes the matter of God's praise and of his people's joys so sure, that how sad soever our spirits may be when we look to ourselves, yet we shall have reason to praise the Lord when we look to his goodness and mercy, and to what he has said in his word for our comfort.





Some days you have to see the humor to go on with Grace. In the 1930's, Frank Adams wrote a long children's story about 'pig not going to market' i.e. "Stick won't beat pig, fire won't burn rope and pig won't go to market." In the early 60's, perhaps Marilyn wrote 'The Munsters'. But in 1995 Elizabeth Bennett rode again in "Cold Comfort Farm" made a great movie, the long version of the book is very good.



Flora, who is an aspiring writer, decides her way forward is to live, while writing, with relatives. Her city-based relatives show no interest, so she sends letters to her country, country relatives.

Seed parables of rural life, the family includes, among others, an insane matriarch locked in her room, a love-mad and graceless granddaughter, a grandson who plays quite a lot, an antique manservant who fails to notice when a cow's leg falls off. And a suitor Fiora is having to fob off as she weaves life.

Flora soon realizes she can resolve the situations once she has assessed and solved each person's problems. In the process of her endeavors, the multitude and complexities of the farm expose the family and Flora.


Highly-educated Flora Poste, intelligent, wittish, fashion-addled, aimless, and seemingly shallow ascends upon her rural family. As life progresses, more of the family sees Fiora has a nack. Flora contrives to marry off the granddaughter to a local grandee, seals the deal for the grandson to go off to Hollywood, and generally manages life with precision and cheerfully. All not only lives Happily Ever After, with improved Good Manners and better haircuts.

All seem faintly ridiculous, as time progresses affections for ALL these characters grow. By the end, we are actually happy to see all happily settled. And.. Flora no longer seems like a conniver but a clever and sympathetic heroine-more Elizabeth Bennett.

All the while. unlikely becomes the impossible, then all things are fairly possible, but with a growing Love, they are resolved in the end.


+ So really, the story is not about Fiora. In fact, Fiora just might be the path, the rocky places, the sun and the root,  thorns and good soil. + +

The Hand of His providing Blessings and Woa

The Lord Himself promoted David, and Solomon. They knew that not all of life was smooth and easy. Solomon made his own life difficult and spent a vast number of his years trying to get the Lord God Almighty to talk to him. Going to the less than holy places of other gods' to just get God to speak to Solomon again.

The point being this - is  - life Cold Comfort Farm? All people could say that. And as David and Solomon grew in maturity, they both recognized the Lord of Lords and King of Kings brings us both sorrows and great joys. The point of life is the Prodigal Son - this is my soul to God the Father - interweaving all things for good for those who love the Lord God. 

I once heard a CEO say that trouble was fun. It gave you a seat of drama, paraphrasing here, and the squabbles and the fuss - the solution was going to be interesting to watch. Maybe a sense of adventure is needed, with life being so transitory.

If God is going to interweave, and Jesus says what we do to the least of our brothers - is what God sees in us. It seems that interweaving and bring seeds of encouragement, joy, hope, faith and Love would be what God would want - with complete sincerity - working towards Love. Rebuke, be steadfast, stand firm - for the Joy of the Lord. 










Now what idea is this. When we hold firmly to Jesus. We are not going to let Him pass by without reaching out to touch Jesus :

Billy Graham had the idea. "I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.”

Because this long road is this: The Prodigal Son grows up and sees His Father running to him, a long way off.

Father God,

You are Good, Your Hope and Future is in Your Plan for our lives. Your willingness to walk upon the waters, brought us into Your strength and goodness. Being carried over the water, the shock of cold, the warmth of rescue. The solidness of Jesus' Love as the foundation, stronger than any rocking ship.

In Jesus, we will be this:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kind.

Believe in Jesus and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory

A joyful heart is good medicine

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

This is the day the Lord has made. My mother has reoccurring Pneumonia, this is how we woke up today. And many phone calls found this to be an antibiotic tablet and continued Physical Therapy with a good appetite. The Specialist said rest. In Jesus we will put our trust. Believing Jesus will work this for my mother's good. Not lightly, not without days of tears. The cost for all of us is great worry. Weeks out of town.

We will not stop believing in Life. We know from where our lives come. Jesus the LORD.
Asking He will cover my mother fully with His Loving Name, Jesus. Asking for health for Edward - he came in third in his recent Tournament. And finished second last night, we have not seen this in some time, when it was very regular before. An eagle on a 1,000 foot hole. Finding goodness from each day. Believing the Lord God has good plans for us all.

Doing like the Catholics do, be with us this day and in the hour of our death. Asking suffering to flee, for ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, Churches believing in Jesus the Lord and His Word, for this Nation. All of us, believers, calling on Jesus around the world.

The night my Aunt Clarice passed on, I greeted the phone call announcing her passing, saying she had visited me. I got a glimpse, a tiny glimpse of God's Temple and the Gates of Heaven. I would say Thank You, To Father God Almighty. And say in Heaven, the  the Hill is the Temple, The Temple is raised High and Towers - the Magnitude - Vast -  Announcing the Majesty of God. What we see in this life - is just a glimmer, a glimpse of what God in His Strong Love has prepared for us to walk in. 

Let us have hope, faith and Love.


Jesus is God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †