Mark 7:24-30 ~ Tyre

Mark 7:24-30

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

 And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 

25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 

27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 

28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 

30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus was God and His Disciples sat with Him and learned. This is a man who sat and had breakfast after cooking breakfast for the Disciples with impossibly scarred hands and side. A man.

John, the Disciple who Lived, was fighting in the 2nd Century with the Jews and Christians about the divinity of Jesus Christ.

John - grasped what Jesus did. What Jesus lived. The amazing life of Jesus where events crashed and writhed as Life ironed impossibly back to goodness. These men walked in confusion for years watching Jesus. And asked Jesus impossible things for the impossible things they witnessed from Him.

How beautifully John explained Jesus. Chapter One. Merely the Light of the World. The Light of Mankind. Puzzling even to the people who knew Him all their lives. Beyond compare. Grace upon Grace. From His Fullness the received. Impossibly. Impossible.

And John had the circle of unending Love touch John 1 with John 21.

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again
to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias,
and he revealed himself in this way.

Jesus was not simply a man traveling to Tyre. This is the Word of God. True God of True God. Begotten by the Word of God.

The Word of God has traveled, not just outside of Israel - expanding the Borders, we have discussed before. The Word of God has gone where Ezekiel has said Tyre has failed Israel in the great need of Israel and will be cursed for being fair weather trading ally. The Word of God speaks Tyre is cursed and will be joining the mainland and will stay unimproved.

See the parallel? Jesus the man goes to Tyre. Ruined and cursed by the Will and Word of God. Jesus would go where He knows ruin exists. And Jesus encounters ruin. A mother frantic to save a child from unspeakable evil. Only God can save this child.

Tyre? Remains untouched. But the living child is going to have Life.

An analogy of the funerals we have been to and will go to - where we are so glad that death is a friend. Suffering and ruin end. What is in this world is lost and gone, but far, far more importantly - what is SAVED.

This is the Bible, and ,of course, is a true sequence of events. Jesus went to Tyre. The man travels outside of the Borders of Israel like He did for Egypt. A call to be a Light for the Nations.

The Word of God demonstrates what the Power of the Holy Spirit IS. The Eternal. What really is Saved. Jesus goes where the curse is - and Jesus saves.

The Disciples wanted Israel to a be a Free Nation. For almost 2,000 years the Jews would not walk under the Arch of Titus - showing the capture of the Temple Tools. By true and clear carved marble mosaic. May 14, 1948 - Jesus Disciples would be pleased to know the creation of a free Israel. Almost 2 thousand years for the end of Jesus' life - Israel is resurrected and free.

God works in all kinds of people, in all times, in any Way He chooses, at His Own Time Schedule. God fulfills His Word.

The Work of God goes on. His Workmen go Home.


Abba,

We give You thanks for Your Word going forth in all places, all ways, all Goodness. Jesus will move like Living Water filling places we did not even know existed. Nourishing and renewing, sweeping clean.

Thank You for Your Word for ourselves, our children, loved ones, People we are Given by God and know for the awesome Histories of God and the times to come. We will laugh at the future knowing He is God and He does not worry.

Thank You Father God, for Your Goodness covering us. Jesus Lord God for us and the Nation completing all Nations who call upon Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 100 ~ It is He who made us, and not we ourselves.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and not we ourselves.
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

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

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

Bring Your Blessings Home to Your Heart

{utting your favorite photos with a Psalm is not a bad idea to pray or to fb. Remembering we have people yet to meet. We have had golden years to celebrate. We are Blessed of God.

Sometimes we need to collect those memories and put them to the Word of God and reach out with Gratitude.

A Wonder - what God will bloom - what He Wills. His Adventure.

This Azalea garden was removed... Three days of chainsaws about five years ago, sadly, because the gardener had gone Home to Father God.

The yard became a winter home. Summers in Texas can be quite... warm. See the Azaleas have - recovered. Blooming. The Garden has begun to bloom again and in the durable strength of God - this garden just might be stronger and hardier and happier to work hard to survive, to endure,  to bloom - like we do. In Father God's Plan we only glimpse.




Romans 15

Jesus filling in our gaps. Jesus our God -

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”

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

14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 

25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 

28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.



With eyes of faith, see Father God has you in His Plans.


Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, 
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, 
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.b
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,c
your gates of carbuncles,d
and all your wall of precious stones.

13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.


Abba,

We lift up our Lambs of God shining bright and unaware of their solid Goodness and blessings in Jesus. Bless and defend them, strengthen them.

Protect us as we continue to want to walk the Plan and Path You have placed for us. Protect us, encourage us, and in Your Loving Wisdom Guide us.

Thank You for the time to pray, the joy to place the gentle Holy Spirit around those we Love, the people You have Given us. We give You thanks for the blessings we see in our Churches, Church Families, Local government, State Government and the new enthusiasms in Federal Government in all the new people. Thessalonia has a wonderful 4th Century House Church. Where we hope this Good Government will have endurance to bring us all God's Blessings.

We will be like God's Garden. Letting go of what is dead wood and working forward to bloom. We all get the choice to enjoy the journey or complain so much the song sings, "Here Comes a Flock of Waawaa's". Grateful for the chance to close my mouth today.

We pray the balance will be a blessing for us all. Jesus the Lord saving the world for His Glory. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Exodus 13:17-22 ~ God will surely come to your aid

God's God Sized Ministry to Save the World He finds "good" Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

This week we have looked at Abraham's Oaks of Mamre as significant for the setting of many Christians dreaming of a field and huge tree for their life time dream memory of Heaven. Sometimes Jesus is present in these important dreams. Jesus uses the Parable of The Kingdom of Heaven being like the birds of the air being welcomed to the branches of the Great Tree.

And the next day we looked at the Three known Tombs for Lazarus, with the last tomb in Spain saying "Lazarus, friend of Jesus."

Jesus has told us we will never be orphans, He will never leave or forsake us. He stays with us in all circumstances.

My Bible Study has been studying the Exodus and the 40 years in the desert. It was theorized God's 'Cloud by Day' was actually the shape of God on legs. This is an interesting thought and we all love to picture aspects of the Bible. I imagine we will all say "I never thought of that" a lot the first few weeks and years in Heaven. However, the Cloud of Heaven could have looked like anything God felt like that day.

I don't see this as being "The Cloud by Day". I could be wrong. When we saw this cloud on Lake Texhoma - I was asked recently how large this never varying cloud for more than two hours was. I really couldn't say that is a very Huge Lake. And then I went by a skyscraper that has 50 stories and I realized while we are on various portions of the lake, when we were close - this Archangel cloud was 50 stories high and several city blocks wide. Many people have sent Google extraordinary clouds of Heaven. Yet I hold this Archangel cloud dearly in my heart.

And the cloud by day appeared when? Grace appears when the time appeals to God. And the day of the release from slavery - Exodus records God telling Moses in advance what to do - for revenge of the Pharaoh was coming for the death of the first born.

Exodus 13:17-22

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.




How did this touch the Children of Israel?

Moses was still telling of the reaction to this cloud for most of His Books - Torat Moshe, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, The Pentateuch.


Far along the road in time:

Isaiah 4:5
Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy.

Isaiah 5:30
In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.


Later, during the Second Exile of Babylonia

Nehemiah 9:12
By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.




Isaiah, marvelous Isaiah has visited the House of Father God the Almighty. He knows, he knows, he knows the Wonderful Love God has Given us as His Beloved for Millenniums. In Heaven, this is our Exodus and we will see this Exodus as it unfolds. God will bend time and space and we will witness The Exodus.





Just as the Mayo Clinic read all of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and determined Jesus died on the Cross rather early - not of suffocation taking days, not of broken bones - but His broken heart from the suffering - the terrible suffering. God released the Spirit of Jesus as Jesus forgave us all and dismissed the Holy Spirit to spectacular darkness, earthquake - causing the torturer/murderers to stop and proclaim "This Truly was the Son of God."


This is the point of the Cloud by Day in the Desert.

Any way God wants the Cloud by Day to appear:

Because we have established why the Cloud by Day was placed over God's Children.


Nehemiah 9:19
Because of your great compassion,
you did not abandon them in the wilderness.
By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path,
or the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.


Father God was not surprised by grumbling, the Golden Calf, by illness to death plague, by squabbles and complaints of hunger and thirst. God was not surprised when they did not want to fight another battle for the Promised Land and chose to spend 40 years in the desert. Instead, as a Father, God is providing for them to endure, to have hope, to have faith, to re-group and build.

This is the Grace of God. Making the desert - able to be comfort.

The heart beating, heart felt Love God has for You. This is our story. The Bible.

The Fire by Night? The Desert is cold at night. Enemies might attack - but not when God is Present.


The Ipuwer Papyrus of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt is an Egyptian eyewitness to the 10 Plagues and the end of Pharaoh and his first born - all the first born - the terror of the Egyptian slave owner giving the slaves gold - "to please - just leave". The eyewitness says the end of Pharaoh and the Red Sea looked like a Hurricane they had never before witnessed in conjunction with all the upheaval.

A funnel cloud would indeed look like the Legs of God in Psalm 78.

The draw back to this illusion is - - -  who would fight a war with the Children of Israel given this? You'd have to be a crazed Pharaoh with all to loose. I'd have to say the "Cloud by Day" and the "Pillar of Fire" could look any way God wanted these to appear. Comforting, awe-inspiring or incredibly extreme.




I have speculated for years the former slaves passed away as Moses stayed on Mount Nebo to watch the Exodus conclude, but this passage indicates Life was given.




Deuteronomy 8:2-29


2 And you shall remember
 the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.

5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 1

7 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 

18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 

19 And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.



The Lord God of Jacob Israel surely knew Jeremiah would rail for the Children of Israel having revisionist history saying none of them had ever been slaves in Egypt. Their freedom would change.

Father God, Father of Jesus Christ - certainly knew Freedom was never Free.

Our Abba,

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

Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

Then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

ut seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We thank You Father for Your goodness. And in this Love we rest and bring those we Love and the People You have given us. Trusting You with the desires of our heart. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

John 11 ~ had seen what Jesus did, believed in Jesus,

Today, we could look at 3 tombs for Lazarus. His soul will not be resting in any tomb.

John 11

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?"

9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. 10 It is when people walk at night that they stumble, for they have no light."

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for[f] Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

The first tomb of Lazarus, in Bethany, is a place of pilgrimage to this day. The tomb, as it was described in 1896, was entered down a flight of twenty-four rock-cut steps from the then-modern level, to a square chamber serving as a place of prayer, leading by more steps to a lower chamber that was reverenced by Muslim and Christians as the tomb of Lazarus. This is where Lazarus rose from death.

Early Church tradition said Lazarus was the first bishop of Marseille, France. Pilgrims visited their family tombs, with Mary and Martha, at the abbey of Vézelay in Burgundy. This is what I heard of, in my Christian elementary school, from a monk. Early Church history documents clearly show Lazarus and his sisters lived on the French coast after leaving the Christian persecution in Israel. This monk had also visited the tomb of Mary Magdalene, where her body is known to be intact. There is also a cave Lazarus is said to have lived, after landing in a boat from Israel. As I said, one of the essential things affirming this - the constant pilgrimages from the early centuries. This information is vastly different than many saint tombs. Like that of St. Nicholas. Turkey has two tombs reportedly of St. Nick and Ireland boasts one too. Lazarus has only this documentation.

Historically, Lazurus’ relics were taken to Constantinople in 898. In 1972, human remains were discovered under the altar and were identified as Lazurus’. His tomb said “Lazarus, the friend of Christ.”

Whether we believe these are Lazurus’ remains, or not, it is easy to believe Lazarus would be remembered as a friend of Jesus. Lazarus put his faith in Jesus.

Our Abba,

The communion of saints is the written and prayers of the saints, living presently and alive in Him.

To all those who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a call for the saints, keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Let us run the race that is set before us,

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We knwo the Call of Jesus, by the mercies of God, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace we will not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Jesus has said, "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."


Father God, we give You thanks and Glory, for Your Amazing Love.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 8may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever for ourselves, the ones we love, the people God has given us, this nation, our prayer concerns, and the community of saints. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Colossians 3:5-11 ~ renewed in the knowledge of the Creator

Colorized Photo 19th Century Oak of Mamre, near Hebron, Israel, The Oak of Abraham's Tent, his home. Descendant Tree. Not probable 3 Millenniums old.

Israel did all they could for centuries to nurse the ill tree along. Photo 1865 A.D.

Colossians 3:5-11

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all

Matthew 13
31 Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his SEQfield. 32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”


When Christians tell you of visiting Heaven, many, many, many, many, many times you are told with sincere eyes and warm hearts and some intense emotion of their dreams of Heaven. And in these dreams there is a field and flowers and in the distance or near by a magnificent Oak Tree.

When Abraham heard God and began his life of obedience to God - he took up residence in a country he had not seen before, and chose to dwell in Mamre. Not far from Hebron, where he did not own any land an bought some to live under the magnificent Oaks of Mamre. For 3 Millenniums these long living trees have been replanted with acorns from the tree. Carefully tended, lovingly.

We are told in this life, we see glimpses of Heaven. The Oaks of Mamre - where Abraham continued to hear God and entertained Angels. There is no mistake that many people have never heard of the Oaks of Mamre - yet dream of a Heavenly field with a large tree. And sometimes where Jesus sits waiting to tell them they are so loved.


Christian witness... your experience - shared - is not easily disparaged.



Abraham had an unusual witness. And the outcome explained this was of The Almighty God. Abraham won God's heart for protecting the men in the city God wanted to kill. God Loved being known as Merciful. Surely God felt He had found the Father of Nations. Obedient and believing, correctly, in the Mercy of God.

And in our troubled news times, we see murder as people scream about God.

Abraham shared in this event. He surely did. He was told, correctly, God wanted him to kill Isaac. I, personally, disagree with Abraham and think God would have been delighted and applauded being told, "No, You are God of Life and of our end. You act as God alone."

God tells us the adventure is seeing God move all things to Good. And because God had spoken to Abraham - the event is of God and no child was killed.

This is a time where the Word of God was unusual. The outcome displays the splendor of Life. Abraham believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

Abel believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

Enoch believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By faith Sarah believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By faith, Isaac believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By Faith, Jacob believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By Faith, Joseph believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By Faith, Moses believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.

By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea on foot, they believed God and this was credited to them as righteousness.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith believed God and this was credited to them as righteousness.


Hebrews 11 tells us these people died having not seen God's Kingdom as Stephen did and Nathaniel. Or even the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus.

God had provided something better for us all, that apart from Jesus, Abba and the Holy Spirit - we should not be made perfect.





Our Abbe in Jesus,

We became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

For it is by grace we have been saved through faith in Christ Jesus, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

This is not our 'hit and run' ministry - this is our waking each day to see Your mercies renew and doing our best to live showing God's Grace is valued, honored, recognized, appreciated and very needed.

This is covering all things with Jesus and His Love and continuing down the path of life in appreciation for "Life".

We ask this Joy of Christ Jesus, for ourselves, our health and ears, our years, the ones we Love and for the people You have given us. Particularly for P and for D, who have heath issues to lift to You, with all certainty.

You are our Father and we lift High our Prayers and know Your Good Will will be spoken and fulfilled. Jesus is the Lord of us all.Alleluia, Alleluia, Jesus the Son of God. Jesus strengthens and encourages. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Luke 2 ~ all the world †

Luke 2

  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered

The Censor, and therefore the censusm in Rome was a complex Office. The Censor was an Officer in ancient Rome who was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, and overseeing certain aspects of the government's finances.


It is a fact the census office was abolished by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Dictator of the Roman Republic, 81 BC, because there was no census during the two lustra which elapsed from Sulla's dictatorship to Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey's first, and son in law to Julius Caesar - the man who wisely decided not to charge into the Holies of Holies for suddenly realizing - this was beyond fatal) consulship (82–70 BC),


Who took Augustus Census? † In 88 BC, when Augustus caused Lucius Munatius Plancus and Aemilius Lepidus Paullus to fill the office.


Pontius Pilate used to be a myth too - when I was a child. And the Hittite Empire. Both have arrived at the table of Historical Record.



So ... Augustus
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
See dare

Besides he might send you to Sulla... Scary, Scary. Now you get the Voldemort idea.

Bob Dillon has had so much flack for being a Christian, from whom? All sides, that being a Christian is much better to announce like Tom Brady that all water flows to the same source. Then people will let you breathe. Even if you are Tom Brady and you announce you own 400 Bibles. We all eventually will face the time where we will know where we know that we know ... we are indeed registered.


All we have to do is Cry Out Jesus is Lord, right?


God alone decides the matters of the heart. Each heart knows God and God alone decides.


Jeremiah 17:10
"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds."



And to make sure we can clarify the New Testament - telling us all know God. God also gives us His Word.


John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.


Life is a Good and Godly Idea.

The Bible says living lawlessly increases coldness. God says endure in harsh times.

Obey God is part of His idea of Life.


John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.


Hebrews 10:26-27
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins

When we know we obey God, we do this.

When we know we do not obey God - we don't do this.


Hebrews 6:4-6
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Father God wants us to be a blessing to Him as we do the Plan and path He puts forth for our good works.

John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

We are free from the Law; We are unable to fulfill the 3,000 pages of His Word. But as for me and my house, we will always treat the Grace of God as dear, valuable, holy, and a free gift we can never afford from anything we can do. We will never cheapen the Grace of God by dishonoring this Holy and Wondrous Gift of God. This Grace of God is our most precious aspect of Life.

Life? Every Word of God

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"


Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.


Mark 9

The man took his son to see Jesus. He felt unable to have faith to heal his child. He cried out to Jesus to help because he could not. Jesus understood. This is Jesus. He goes where we cannot.

23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

Thank God, our Father in Jesus Christ. That this is God who registers us. There is a Christian song popular singing Jesus goes to prison, to slums, to hospitals, to the lonely, to the unwell because Jesus wants to save us all.



The Grace of God - passes all understanding.

Ephesians 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.



Abba,
Let the Word of God be good in my life, upon God and His care to intimately be there when I pray and the trust He places in me for His Righteousness, be the cover of Jesus over my flawed will, ways and means.

 I trust God to help me where I am unable.

 And because of His Goodness, I will rest in His Promises. Thank You for Jesus, for myself, the ones You've given me and the People I love. 

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †