Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for there shall no more come into you
the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself from the dust and arise;
be seated, O Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know My Name.
Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted His people;
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared His holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go out from there;
touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,
you who bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
He shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and His form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
After Peter and Paul had died, we might consider
John's residence, one of the first Vatican's.
John's Patmos Island
The Book of Revelation
Isaiah 41:1-6
1 “Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength!
Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to His service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before Him. He turns them to dust with His sword, to windblown chaff with His bow. 3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am He.”
5 The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble.
They approach and come forward; 6 they help each other and say to their companions,
“Be strong!”
The First Altar of the Roman Vatican in 325 AD
Found 80 feet below the Vatican Altar Today.
How the Chapel appeared when archaeology uncovered the original altar of the Vatican
in 1947
The First Vatican was improved from 325 AD
a copy
of the Royal Stoa in Herod's Jerusalem Temple
Where the Money Changers worked
This was always Roman architecture of the Stoa
and meant to appeal to Caesar.
Seeing the details of the gold in accounting history,
Herod was throwing Temple gold
into Roman Empire, Caesar coffers.
And led to the overwhelming temptation
for Jerusalem to be destroyed in 70 A.D.
The First Vatican was improved from 325 AD until abandoned in 1309 and burned in 1377.
The first building
was in the same architectural pattern of the Royal Stoa of Jerusalem's Temple.
The Pope moved the Vatican to Avignon, France in 1309. Many reasons: the structure needed
expensive repairs and was ancient. Just like the Antipopes, there were political reasons and the Emperor of France wanted the Papacy and gave many promises.
Even the Vatican has seen Cultural Pressures for
2 Thousand Years. Change happens.
The Enduring Strength is the Joy of the Lord.
Jesus lived and Lives Joy.
John's Gospel tells us so much of Jesus
is found in so many places
all the books of the entire world could not contain
Him.
Resurrection
again and again in Jesus Christ.
His Mercies Renew Daily.
Why outside services for Easter were not widely proclaimed
RENEWAL
A Nation begins of a people.
A people is a community extended of a family. A family is just the hope and hearth of a frail human being called to life - by God our Father.
When we pray a blessing over a Nation - God is very able.
We pray for a Nation and we are praying for one Child of God and that Child of God's Family.
That Child of God's Community. That Child of God, of God's People. We reach the Nation and God our Father knows every hair upon each head - every heart and every desire.
Our God upholds the Universe with His Word. Our Father God's Will for His Pleasure - is our Hope and Future. And in Jesus Christ, this is our Good News.
His Light is in all mankind.
Our God wants to save the world in Jesus Christ.
Our lives and the Meaning Jesus has given us
Answered Prayers
our words
Fish for Men
Father, Abba,
On the days we do not appreciate all of our blessings, help infuse our blessings into our heart, minds and soul. Let every blood cell carry gratitude in us to our Joy
And the Joy of Jesus Christ.
Help us to gather wisdom without shrewdness. Let us have the joy of gladness in our fellowship without the endless gathering of resources and funds.
Lord, in Your mercy, send help, in these days of gloom and unhappiness. Let those of us having a good season shine the Light of Jesus Christ so gently and brightly the world is eager for Jesus Christ. Let those of us having a season of stress and sorrow, believe gently and bring the Light of Jesus Christ for all of us.
In the Great Love of Jesus,
we all be saved as we put our trust in Him.
Bless You, Father, for Jesus Christ. Amen.