Mark 1:14-15 ~ Believe in the Gospel

There are times before a storm rolls in the light becomes rather green - announcing usually a storm of some proportion. Something becoming a visual treat - if indoors and watching. Gathering up all breakables.


Today, we had our friends over with their photography - Chandler Photographers. And as I looked outside about 8 p.m., we had a very unusual golden light. A very smooth cloud mostly golden and then pink formed a complete umbrella of the sky. And all became golden. It was just too beautiful to find a camera. Too good to miss - must see every second of the display. The birds flew and I thought they might be enjoying this.

Looking at google images, I found in photography this is called "The Golden Hour."

Surely a Blessing of a Merciful God as the Texas Sun is relentless and even the plants looked so fatigued and parched. (The cloud's back border had the promise of rain!!! Maybe Monday!)

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying,

“The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel.”

We are the blessed recipients of the New Testament. Children of God in the New Covenant.



John 3:17
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

God says His Creation is
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good

You are God's Creation.

John 6:28
Then they inquired, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"

The nature of mankind - delighted Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in Creation. We would all want an answer to this particular question...

27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.” 28 Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

What we believe is important. And to the heart/mind/body/soul God searches in us. Abraham believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.




John 6:38
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

Jesus is displaying what Father God wants to see in us. And when we think about obedience - we remember most of the Blessings God gives are surrounded by the Pentateuch, the Law. Doing God's will is to live under the umbrella of God's Glory. To Rejoice in the Overwhelming Goodness of God. The Scriptures say, "The Joy of the Lord is my Strength."



John 6:57
Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Jesus doesn't just say live, Jesus says Abundant Life. Something we would all like to see daily with God's renewing Mercy.

Romans 4:5
However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

The Law of Liberty.

And one Scripture we will be puzzled over unless we read this in context:

4 Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works

David has given faith and obedience imperfectly and found God sees David's limits and sees a good man who loves Father God.








1 Thessalonians 1:3
Continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The point of the Scriptures of real people,
with real life,
with real flaws,
with real faith - is this:

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven

James 2:22
You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.

1 John 3:23
And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

Revelation 2:26
And to the one who is victorious and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.

'

Cal's photographic portrait - and Cal is on his hiking trip. Godspeed, protect and love. Amen.



Abba Father,


We need Jesus and we need the Holy Spirit living in us giving us faith, hope and Love.

We need Your Blessings every day, every breath.

Your Word upholds Life. For all we love and for all You have given us.

Please, Father, dwell in us and those we love, we invite You.


For you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

NOW, may the Lord of Peace, Himself,

give you peace
at all times
in every way.

The Lord be with you all.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all.

Romans 3:10
There is no one righteous, not even one

Luke 18:19
Why do you call Me good? Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.

Jesus is God. Amen.

  

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

John 15:1-17 ~ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you

John 15:1-17

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

Really... Let's be frank and honest. How much do we 'really' need the Law of Liberty?

When I did pro-life volunteering - we were speaking to people in utter and complete crisis. If you clucked your tongue and pointed fingers - you risked the life of the mother, the unborn baby, the father perhaps even the grandparents. Immortal eternity.

If the client told you an utter fable - you went with what is likely as blase as possible and dismissed the lie politely. Like a best friend. You didn't jump up and down and scream, "Gotcha you, liar!" If the deception was delivered as a cold-believe-the-lie - you went with polite. Like the Archangel Michael speaking with Satan over Moses' Body.

We don't bring Salvation - only God does. We bring God wants to save The World through Jesus Christ.


Frankly... why bother?

There just is no greater Joy than the GOODNESS OF GOD. To bring God into Crisis and allow His Goodness to Rise UP is to see people bloom a year later. To have the opportunity for goodness to spread - is incomparable.

It's only evil that is dreary and repetitions - evil never was Creation and is very repetitive.

We can't dismiss repetition. The ill are comforted. The dying cared for. Love is in steadfast care. Love is in there.

What if Abraham had been a rabbinic priest? We would have the story of Abraham the defrocked. The not really Father of Nations. And God did not place Abraham as a rabbinic priest. And Abraham delighted Father God. Abraham didn't have a degree in God - Abraham argued with God. For Mercy. Abraham depended on God when people Abraham loved would die. (I personally think Abraham was incorrect and should have argued with God that GOD alone brings death and God would have been pleased to be believed not to murder and to trust God to be merciful. I think - what I think - is this is one Argument Abraham should have had with God. And pleased God.)

What if David and his men had not eaten the Showbread - probably they were worn out and would have been defeated. The Bread of the Presence was Help and Comfort. As the Holy Spirit.

Jesus and His Disciples were merely seen to have eaten a few heads of grain on the Sabbath. Spied upon - they looked bad. C'mon. Spying over a few heads of grain popped in the mouth - Goodness is not a Law. Goodness is a lifestyle choice.



1 John 2

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The Law of Liberty - God kept saying through Jesus over and over as He Healed, "You are Forgiven."

Giving room for people to be who they are and to see God loves them as they are ...

- Is The Way Jesus Walked.

Jesus did not put up with saying to all things, "Good."  Verse Six is Fact. God tells us there are sheep and goats. Wheat and destructive weed. God is God. Jesus chose to talk to people on the day Father God put that day together. Jesus knew when to speak in teachable times. And Jesus was brave and politically savvy to do what God told Him to do.

Jesus didn't do all the impossible all the time - you never read about the great after Forgiveness dinner with Caiaphas and Ananias. Or Judas. Jesus only walked on water as God's Living Water. Made multitudes fed to have us know Jesus is God's Living Bread. Jesus went where Jesus is welcomed. You never read Jesus rushed into a house and said, "Get out of the way, I'm here to save your daughter, Jairus!"

Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. Peter was wanting Jesus to be near. Jesus is not reported to have healed within the all important Sadducean Council. We know absolutely nothing about Caiaphas' mother-in-law. We do know that Philip was from Bethsaida. We know Jesus knew a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. We are not sure Ananias ate fish. We know Peter first met Jesus and asked Jesus to move along because Peter was a sinner. And we know Jesus went with Peter and Andrew to first heal in the city they lived in and then went back to their hometown to heal. We don't know about the Sanhedrin Council and any wedding. But we know Jesus took all His Disciples to Cana for a wedding and stayed a few days more with Mary.

Jesus went where He is welcomed. God loves straightforward paths.

Israel worried about meeting Esau. You'd think if your name was Israel - you'd never worry!!! They did fine and life rolled along. The Law of Liberty. The Beauty of the Scriptures - everyone is allowed to be who they are.


Why would God want us to be who we are? God only works with Sinners. The mystery of godliness.

Romans 3:23
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God


God our Father, the Almighty, Creator of All Things. Alpha and Omega - Makes His Plan. A Hope and a Future.

Jesus - Only Son of God - the Word of God made manifest displaying His Father as God of Love and Encouragement lives this very life as Joy. Seeing Creation as Good. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

The Holy Spirit is like Jesus - the exact nature of our Father -
Helper
Comforter
Teacher

God is... GOOD.

Amen and Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Luke 1:39-45 ~ Leaped for Joy

Luke 1:39-45

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 a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."


The Scriptures proclaim the Scriptures:


1 Timothy 3

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.



We are all certainly assured listening to podcasts and news report - we will never fix things.

And what we face with our core beliefs encouraged by the Light of the World in those around us - is - the mystery of godliness.

There are moments in every day
There are moments in the mystery of life
There are times of being downcast
There are times of facing real trouble life gives
There are times when the Door Opens
and we are given a real hope we are willing to believe and be warm and encouraged ~

Suddenly we are that father and his son in front of Jesus
and We BELIEVE

God and His Promises

And all of Heaven backs up our core beliefs in us.


We all know the Biblical phrase 'entertained angels unaware' as Abraham did.

And we, the Beloved of God, are fully capable of creating this Gate of Heaven opening.

Philippians 2

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

The Light of God continues to shine.

And not in Heavenly eyes alone -

The Words we Encourage each other with when we have the heart.



John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.


What God has Given us. And Jesus has told us in John 14, 15 and 16 - find life Joy.

The Work God gives us is to Believe. We daily provide and find the Joy. Light Bringers.

Father God,

We ask Jesus to dwell in us richly as we voyage in life and prayer.

Cover us with the Love and Name of Jesus to be pure in heart as we seek Jesus. We place our hearts and hopes before You, Father God.

We will take heart and draw very, very close to You and find all the Joy around us.

With true hearts open to You, we lift to You our cares, knowing how deep and how wide Your love for us. We lift up our loved ones to Your Good Care and Diligent, Steadfast Love. Wide, high, enduring true - Jesus Love.

Praying for Cal on his long camping trip. Safety and Love on the long walk.

Knowing our prayers join others and You are pleased. We bless You for Jesus and His Salvation of Mercy for us.

In Jesus. Amen.

Joy in the Journey of Life. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Mark 1:16-20 ~ And immediately He called them +

Mark 1:16-20

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

We always think the most pervasive style is knock on doors and tell about Jesus.

Jesus did, right?

Not exactly. Father God sent the Heavenly Host when Jesus was born to tell the Shepherds. He wanted the world to be convinced His Only Son, Jesus Christ, is born.

When Jesus began His ministry - God did about the same thing. All of Capernaum 2-3 thousand people knew the multitudes had seen a miracle. The blind - were seeing. The deaf - hearing. The lame - walking. Everyone knew this wasn't in the Bible. Except surrounding the Messiah.

When Jesus went to Simon and Andrew, James and John - consider this too -

Peter was married - he probably had a child or two to support. He had his mother-in-law to support. Zebedee is known to have contributed a pillar to the Synagogue - named after his sons.




Like us, Peter, Andrew, James and John - were real people. With real lives. Real families. Jobs. Peter's house in Capernaum, was the largest. Had a wonderful view of the Sea of Galilee and left plaster walls. For the people visiting Peter's home for the next 400 years to write Praise and leave a message of faith - we can see today.

How were these people going to fling down their jobs - to go with Jesus? Like the answering Heavenly Host for the birth announcement and the miracles to announce the Messiah - God had made the Jewish Homes into family communities. We see this as Peter's mother-in-law is healed. God had created a path for the families to have homes and food. And God had arranged for Jesus to be an utter jaw-dropping event. These men were not reluctant to go - instead - they were flinging down nets and going with Jesus.

Eugene Burnard painted Peter and John going to the Tomb - couldn't it be just as easily - their hurry to accept Jesus and see the Messiah of God first hand? Andrew and Philip already knew and had told Peter - Jesus is the Messiah.


1. God made the Path.
2. The Path was/is the Plan.
3. God furnished the desire to be part of the Plan/Path.

And there we have evangelism.

Not asking you to be something you are not gifted and not talented to do.

God saying to you His Child - what do you want to do? Can you do that? God is polite. He rarely enters our lives like Mary, Daughter of Heli, wife of Joseph and Mother to Jesus, James, Jude, Joses, Simon and Jesus' Sisters. And even when Mary had Gabriel appear - God had given her the cliff notes from observing Cousin Zechariah. (Zechariah being a Priest had all the papyrus he needed on the mercy of God and the horns of the altar.)

St. Augustine said - if you are given 5 people in your life and you do all you can to be the Light of Christ to these people given to you by God - feel your mission is accomplished.



Visa asks us what is in your wallet?

There was a gigantic Florida insurance company - founded on the idea of one man who was given the Midas touch - to give to Father God. Which he did all his life. In leaps and bounds -  not something to be dismissed lightly.

Father God would say what is in your heart and has your gifts?

Are you an uber? A friend. A grandparent. One of my most favorite people on this earth, given to me, was saved by his grandmother insisting study Jesus until he would Love Jesus. She sent him to Confirmation. She said she wouldn't go to Heaven without her grandson. I can tell you, because I was there the day this man passed to Heaven, that call to know Jesus held all kinds of water. Living water.

We should have a response in our heart ready - - -  for the teachable moments.

Billy Graham used to hold up one candle in a stadium and show the Light of Christ is easily seen. Lives changed forever. This Light of God continues in our lives today. We who Love Jesus have Jesus in us ready and willing as called.

Using the gifts God has given us, to make Jesus known.



Abba,

Emmanuel God with us. We have seen a Great Light.

Jesus gathered His Disciples who had seen His miracles for the Blind, the Deaf, the Lame and the Leper. Jesus' first Sunday all of Capernaum came to Hear Jesus. Archaeology tells us Capernaum was 2,000 people. Jesus did not just feed the 5,000, Millenniums of Believers have been fed.

Our King of Kings has arrived.

We ask You fill us, the people we Love. Knowing when Your Plan calls us Home - we want to be greeted by our Father. The Prodigal returns to Father God. As Elizabeth greeted the infant Jesus. Our Joy is in Your Love. Your Love saves us all. Your Good Will and Word. Your Promises eternally.


Gratitude and Love in our soul feeding our hearts, body and mind each day.

Great Thanks for the joy of Summer and need for rain conquered and healed.

We are new each day to carry us into all hope and expectation. The Light of Christ within us to bring us His Joy.

Jesus is Lord of All. Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Luke 19:1-10 ~ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

There is a tree in Jericho, preliminary tests say is many, many centuries old. Like the Abraham Oaks of Mamre, the Oak tree was re-seeded and re-planted. Some say this Sycamore tree is that important 2 millennium mark. Others - not so sure.

Luke 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 

8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

[Verse 1.The way Jesus did things - echoes of many, many Scriptures - Jericho is beautiful and just like the Children of Israel - The Exodus - Jesus will pass through Jericho. Jesus is about to give Zacchaeus an Exodus from only hopes.]




Zacchaeus is a Study - Faith in Reality - A Beginning.

Zacchaeus' goal - Zacchaeus wanted to be seen by Jesus. 
He sat up there - in faith.
Zacchaeus was seeing his huge hope - a faith - realized. 
The vast blessings of Jesus were becoming - his!
Zacchaeus was investing his life - to Jesus. 
Zacchaeus then was surrendering himself to the goal of being an Ambassador for Jesus.
Zacchaeus was going to have to be honest about his flaws.

Zacchaeus had detractors and grumblers - what we call problems.




 

Professor Eilat Mazar found David's Palace by reading Scripture and applying knowledge to her archaeology. Photo is of Jerusalem and David's view from 100 years ago in Jerusalem.

David is a Study - Faith in Reality - of Life. 

David spent 22 years waiting to come in to a portion of His anointing. Then it appeared Saul's concubine's son would be king. David was a soldier, a mercenary. David waited and waited. He was driven to distraction with delay. Not denial.

David is a study to us of waiting - and the results of sin.   David had detractors and grumblers - what we call problems.

David faced his Ambassadorship for God as well, at the end of his life. David saw his inconsistencies - with faith in God. Mighty David was going to have to be honest about his flaws.

2 Samuel 23

Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; His Word is on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,

4 He dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth

5 "For does not my House stand so with God?
For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will He not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?

6 But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."



David was in awe of God. Always considering the compassion of God. David understood the exact nature of Jesus.

Hebrews 7:25
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.



Father God, we get to live having faith. According to our faith - we are allowed to pick how many blessings we will lean upon You to fulfill. All things are possible with God.

Jesus our Lord, open hearts. Expand our soul for You to fill. Be the Light in our lives. Be Salvation to our House. Help us today to realize the Joy You have put in today. To be grateful - open our mind to the blessings You provide Today.

The Vast Blessing - to You - we are all transparent - and You choose as Your response - to Love and save us as we call upon You in Faith. Amazing Grace - You bring Forth. 

We are all God Opportunities.

Father God! In Jesus Christ the Lord!  Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †