Luke 20:34-40 ~ He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him

 

The magnitude of this cloud over Lake Texhoma was amazing. Even more amazing, the cloud stood there for about two hours. We decided this was an Archangel. Suddenly, the cloud was gone. A few clouds remained, none in the shape of an angel.

This week I was thinking about Heaven. Jesus said to pray for more Heaven on earth.

What an astonishing Father God we have. 

Luke 20:34-40

And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 

37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

 Jesus said bring Heaven to earth. And be a tree where the birds of the forest can dwell among the branches and in this striving - we all have one Angel  - 

Matthew 18:10 

Angels are part of God's Heavenly Host. When you have Jesus, He covers all of the Heavenly Host.

The New Testament and the Gospels have many references to Angels. There are 60% more references to Angels in the New Testament.






Because Jesus says this:

Matthew 18:10
See that you do not despise one of these little ones.
 For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Father God boldly tells of balance. God - Himself - is our worship.

Colossians 2:18
Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial 
or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud

Angels have been in eternal life a long time - they fully understand who God is.
Seeing His Kingdom and some sing to Father God day and night.

 

Revelation 19
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory

Jesus says the position of Heaven to earth is quite different.

Matthew 11:11
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet

Hebrews 2:9
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

1 Corinthians 6:3
Do you not know that we will judge angels?

And who would do this and where?

Daniel 7:22
Until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.








For millenniums prophets of God have told of so great a Salvation - searching, inquiring carefully, predictions about the sufferings of our Jesus and the subsequent glories Jesus would give us -

What did the angels do?

1 Peter 1
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

How shall we, the children of God respond?

1 Peter 1
13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. 
Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 

14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 1 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 

18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. 
And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.



Matthew 16:27

For the Son of Man is going to come 
with his angels 
in the glory of his Father, 
and then he will repay each person 
according to what he has done.

Abba, Father God,

Dwell in us and 

help us to seek You first.

When we trust You, Abba, You help us overcome. Jesus told us to Overcome.

As Your children fled from Romans - the children hearing of the Good News of Jesus Christ for the first time were in awe to learn that God would just "give." You have given to us by choosing Your Plan for us long before time began. You have given us a Hope and a Future for those who have called upon Your Son Jesus earnestly.

Angels have seen for millenniums the amazing wonders and signs of God. We will live to see 75 references to Angels in Your Book of Revelation. We have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Our new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God.

Night will be no more. We will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be our light, and Jesus will reign forever and ever. These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the Spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants - Jesus will be coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the Words of God. We thank You, God, you are the fulfillment of the Law.

We pray after seeing so much Dementia, that health will flourish. Illness will be no more.

and Peace and Truth are the Blessings of Steadfast Agape. In Jesus Amen.

Father God, even the darkness is not dark to You; You formed my inward parts and You knitted me together in my mother's womb. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance.

Your love had You write my name, in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Your Love is higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. This is the Fullness of You, Father God. Open the eyes of all people. Joy of the healing of Jesus Christ the Lord, with earnestness.

I am still with you. Upon Your mercy and grace, in Jesus, we hold fast and ask Your favor for us and for the ones we Love. You have blessed us. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Psalm 126 ~ Shouts of Joy

 

What I love about the art below, unknown artist, before these movies about Jesus were produced, Google had Jesus Smiles Art about 2008. Lovely.

 

Psalm 126

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

We have been cleaning out, fixing, renewing and restoring my mother's house, out of town from our home, for 17 weeks. Today we reached the phase of rest and list her home. We have knocked ourselves out, travelling 400 miles 17 times. However, Edward and I have fussed at each other like never before. We have lived as if we were hoarders to clean out the home my mom has lived in since 1981. We have fussed over mess and dust and tired and want to go home. And today we cleaned it up, had the projects just about end and took the photos. A victory lap is a happy place. 

But even so, it's not a joyous thing to sell my mother's home.

And in the Plan of God, this is what was Planned by God and by my mother telling me her wishes.

Now is the time to find God's Joy. And be renewed.

Where are the verses about God laughing?

To read about joy even when not feeling all that jazzed,

is a good thing to remind us of the Joy of God.

John the Beloved Disciple explained about Jesus, using the narrative of
Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist.

John 1:29

9 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

Proverbs 8:23-31

 
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.

Luke 15:4-6

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Job 8:20-21

“Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
nor take the hand of evildoers.
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
and your lips with shouting.

Psalm 19:8

the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes

2 Samuel 6:14

David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might!

1 Kings 1:39-41
There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?”

Matthew 12:18

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

88 Times Joy is used in the New Testament.

Matthew 13:20

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

Matthew 13:44

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Luke 2:10

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

Luke 10:17

The seventy-two returned with joy

Luke 10:21

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."

Luke 19:37

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.

Luke 24:41

And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

Luke 24:52

Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

John 16:20

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

 

Colossians 2:5

For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Revelation 19:1

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out:

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!

John 16:24

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

 Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Abba, Father God,

Dwell in us each day.

Guide us and Lead us,

Bring our Loved ones to You.

We praise You for Your goodness and delight. 

We ask for the blessing of more of the fruit of Your Holy Spirit and the increase of Joy and Love and Peace. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! † 

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Romans 10:13 ~ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The narrow path

Wadi Moses outside of Petra. This is the road to get to amazing Petra, Jordan. The River of Moses, a path taken during 40 years of The Exodus. Normally beautiful and amazing to pass through. A long walk, my son rode here on hired Camels. But if there is a sudden rain, the mountains will fill the canyon up swiftly and the water becomes treacherous and even deadly in the last few years. Cell phones do not cover the remote desert.

Romans 10:13

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

If we read the Scriptures, know the famous verses and rely only upon the subtitles...
we have watched the Superbowl commercials and might not know the score.


The Call of God to Salvation is Amazingly God sized.
Father God wants to save - the planet - through Jesus Christ the Lord.


And where we are given a Great Gift in the Salvation of Jesus Christ through His broken Body and sin free Soul. Much is given, much is required.

Matthew 7

12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.





How do we correlate the two passages?

God puts His Words in Order.

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.

1 Corinthians 14:40

But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.

God and the Gospels are not plunking down edicts. Thought is not randomly put forth. This is growth, this is development, this is relationship. Covered by Father God, who loves us more.

1 John 4:19

We love because He first loved us.

Father God puts forth His Words as the Creator of the Universe. Maker of all things.

The narrow gate is explained right after this:

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus tells us we worship in Spirit and in Truth.

And He continues this thought:

Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Years ago, I felt Father God tug at my heart to give a gift that, I felt, would be healing.

And I was embarrassed. I felt this looked 'slurpy'. Someone I like very well was limping. It was waved off. But I still felt off kilter to give this Tens Unit for healing, I felt preachy to someone who is wise. And I knew this for a week, brushed it off and went on.

I heard he was ill, afterwards.

Upon being told of serious illness, I told my small group about my feeling and left that with them, and God, and knew I was graciously forgiven.

I did not know. But I had a feeling to give.

Next I'm sitting with them in the Church atrium and we are praying for the next ailment. I said I felt I should have given you the tens unit for a week, but forgot. They were interested and we prayed in our healing class, the next day, the doctor declared for no apparent reason, the serious illness was gone. Life was restored to the illness.

I had confessed, we prayed, we all knew I had not known of the grave illness, but knew I was supposed to give, I was very forgiven, we all wanted him to be healed. Jesus acted. A healing occurred, surprising the doctor.

Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Father God is not a bringer of fear, He is a God of Love.


Matthew 7:21-23

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
and cast out demons in your name,
and do many mighty works in your name?’

23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’


This looks like someone doing the Will of God. What was the trouble?

This is Loud work. 

A Pharisee loves to do Loud work. Not just "works" - "Mighty Works." Showy.



 

Here we have part A and part B.

Not caring for the other person - who is in their life - I have known people who didn't even want to tell someone ill, "I knew you had cancer." Instead, they want away from the trouble and the discomfort and can't even lift a card to the mail. "What cancer?"

If we see grief and can't take a cake. Take the gift.

Jesus said He came for the lowly, the ill. Jesus did. We can't save people. We can do what Jesus said in small abilities. He asks more for mercy than sacrifice. One of St. Augustine's quotes says the same thing.



What is a worker of lawlessness? 

I've sat so often in my volunteer work with the broken-hearted. A date. The way love works is you sleep with the one you want to love you. Right? No. This causes so much harm. The person who loved is harmed. This can go on and on. Lives actually change.

What is a worker of lawlessness?

I saw one man feel cold that women want him to sleep with them like he is a rollercoaster. He looks hopeless as he says, what is a man to do. Bless his soul. No one, no one, no one has told him, he can say no and be free.

The movies look easy. Life doesn't have a 90 minute plot.

The Laws given have all the blessings put around them. And Jesus tells us we can't do the law. We are not good enough.

When we are sure we can call upon the name of Jesus the Lord, the Messiah, the Savior to be our waiter. We...  are.... in a 'world of hurt'.

Luke 18:9-14 

9 Jesus also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else. 

10 He said, “Two men went into the temple courtyard to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my entire income.’

13 “But the tax collector was standing at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead, he became very upset, and he said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

14 “I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”

Remember the well-known prayers of the Pharisee and Tax Collector.

 The Tax Collector today might be - Someone in the medical profession refusing services to the dying when this is just a pill or something within reach. Someone who is paid four times what a job costs and doesn't ever offer anything that gives back. A Viking - a pillager. Jesus says once this is a lawyer who doesn't care one ounce for justice or mercy.

Ok, sure we know the story - The Pharisee says "I'm so good, thank God, I'm not the unsaved and the people with horrid people. I was smarter than That. Jesus loves the clean nose."

The first sentence says
"9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt."

And of course

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.






No one in life is going to get out of this life without some hurt. Trouble. Just like the Prodigal Son story, we have to go to our Father knowing we have had some of this: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, arrogance and folly.


When we truly believe, we call upon the real Jesus. The Son of God. Innocent and placed as God in an animal feeder, wrapped up tightly. Healing the blind. The deaf hear. When we know God is there for us. When we want to please Jesus.

This happens in the howl of wild winds of life;


24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”


Just like the Pastor said last Sunday. Just like Paul said in the Holy Spirit. We are going to find Jesus to help us.

Then we know. His Banner over me is Love. We can call on Jesus, for He cares this much for us. And we are profoundly grateful. Understanding the cost.

Abba, Father God,

When You Dwell in us, You help us find You first. Dwell in us. 

Help us all to speak up. and give tens units and pray. Forgiven is strength to carry on.

We want our First Amendment to be there. Help us to use this and use this and use this. 

Give us wisdom to discern Your will daily.  Be with us in Grace and Kindness as we approach Your throne with Jesus confidence.

We cannot earn. We cannot work. We cannot repay. For what You have given.

We call ourselves wise. We arrogantly hold up opinions on right and wrong. We do not create life. We do not last more than tree. Our opinions will not matter in a hundred years.

And what Jesus has done for me, a sinner. In the Highest Name of Jesus, I am eternal - today. I am redeemed for His Righteousness. I am Blessed.

Jesus, help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.

Covered in God's Love,

This Nation

President Donald Trump.

All of Our Families.

The Office of the President

Our Constitution and Rights, Earned and Fought

for by our Veterans.

Thank You, God, for our

ability to gather and worship You.

Our freedom of speech and ideas.

Governor Abbott and all Legislatures.

Senator Tim Scott

The end of Trouble.

Help this end quickly, safely

We rest in the Hands of Our Good Father.

Lord Jesus please heal, love, forgive, and heal us all

 in Your Love and Mercy. Amen.

We lift up Jesus to all His Glory

and ask for Elliott to be completely healed.

In Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thank You, Jesus. My God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! † 

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