Hebrews 5 ~ He was Heard

 

Hebrews 5

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 

4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a High Priest. But God said to Him,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”

6 And He says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. 8 Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered 9 and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.


11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.




Papyrus 46 is dated between the first Century and 175 A.D. This is Hebrews 5 and is very, very intact and legible. House and owned by the University of Michigan. Obviously, a true representation of The Acts of the Apostles we read of in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts.

When Jesus prayed, we rarely know the words He used to speak to His Father. And we know Jesus prayed out loudly and felt a conversation was in progress with emotions of emphatic petition, "I see this, please do this", "We need this, this is a good idea an ideal situation!" and with tears. Jesus felt very, very connected to His Prayer Conversations.

Jesus prayed in public and, yet, He usually wanted to be somewhere on a hill or in a lonely place to feel the Holy Spirit connect Him to our Father.

Jesus also trusted, "Thy Will be Done." His Plan is the hope and future. Jesus was obedient to the Will of God and believed God's Word and this tells us "All things work together for Good, for those who work love the Lord and work according to His purpose."






Jesus was also not a stranger to His Brother or Family and He told James -

James 1:5

If you need wisdom, ask God, 

who gives generously

 to 

all

 without finding fault, 

and 

it will be given 

to you.

Abba, Our Father,

We think of the warm days in Nazareth of the Brothers of Jesus - James, Jude, Joses and Simon and His sisters. The Days of prayers with Jesus and His warmth in the petitions to You.

We read James and Jude and remember the warm days they had with Jesus.

The comfort of being exactly who they were before God and Jesus. 

Nazareth saw their family as a blended Chiton. 

A seamless family - helping one another. 

Jesus helped them all get to Acts 1 - Praying together daily again.

God of Love and God of Encouragement 

- we lift our prayers to You. 

Knowing the Blessing of being heard.

 The Blessing of Your answers. 

Thy Will be Done. 

You are our Helper and Comforter. 

We rest in Your Wings. 

Prince of Peace.

In Jesus, we rest securely and sleep fully. 

Trusting You for the ones we Love, 

the people You give us. 

You are the Light of the World.

In Jesus, we ask

Dwell in us, Father

Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper

Dwell in those we love

and 

Help us to seek You first

And in Jesus,

we will finish well.

Making our hearts, mind and soul where Jesus is proud of us.

 Today and tomorrow!

Our prayers. Our works. Our words. Our Hope. Our Future.

 Jesus be in these hopes for a plan.

Send Your Word, Please. 

You uphold the Universe With Your Word.

We lift up to Your Mercy, for Maui to have relief rain

from the wildfires.

We pray with Texas for the weather to have gentle rain. 

God bless.

1 Timothy 2:8

In every place of worship, 

I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, 

free from anger 

and controversy.

Luke 24:50

And He led them out as far as to Bethany, 

and He lifted up His hands, 

and blessed them.

Our God is working. His Son, 

Jesus is working.

And we say Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Thank You Father

Psalm 130 ~ my soul waits and in His Word I hope

 

 

Psalm 130

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

2 O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in His word I hope;

6 my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with Him is plentiful redemption.

8 And He will redeem Israel

from all his iniquities!

August 9, 2023 

Airline Study

The next question would be speculation as to why people are less violent?

We are not seeing less violence in the cities.  Why less violent on the airplanes? 

The violence, in the cities, has to do with crime.  Historically, Galveston, Texas sees an increase in crime when there are hurricanes and necessary supplies are threatened.  And in the 1949 flooding, a Mayor of Galveston invited all the people of Galveston to walk in any front yard to get out of the water in the street. At the end of the 1970s, a new Mayor invited Galveston to have fenced in front and backyards, Crime dropped exponentially. 

Why are people more patient with each other? 

It's not masks. Because masks have been gone for 14 months.

People understand the common denominator for this era is suffering. Mortgages are askingescrow, on potential taxes - that doesn't exist. Mortgages should be a standard cost and, instead, it's up.  Utilities in August in Texas would make most people gasp. 100% increase is known in our area for water and is a tradition the newspapers discuss. Weather is a suffering subject. 

Ralph Lauren, the man, has always had a talent for making ordinary objects brighter and more beautiful. He discovered when the gangs decided to all begin wearing his clothing, plenty of people found his happy life advertising a bummer.  And a documentary was done on his life to find out, this was a national opinion. 

No one feels their suffering is something people cannot understand. And gently does it, is increasing.

Pandemics usually mark an improvement in human life. A Building Up Experience. After the crazy and violent impulses have happened.  We have yet to find what will Build Up Life. But we might be on to something ... Again.

2022

2021

Abba, Father,

We see so many sights in this life

that generations before us have not seen.

You gave Jesus Ascent into Heaven

letting us know

where Jesus is.

We have lived in turbulent times

and see parents with small children

having concern written on their faces.

And in this mercy we hope

for one another

we will build

up the Body of Christ

Stronger,

Mercifully

and filled with Love.

In Jesus, we ask

Dwell in us, Father

Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper

Dwell in those we love

and 

Help us to seek You first

And in Jesus,

we will finish well.

Making our hearts, mind and soul where Jesus is proud of us.

 Today and tomorrow!

Our prayers. Our works. Our words. Our Hope. Our Future.

 Jesus be in these hopes for a plan.

Send Your Word, Please. 

You uphold the Universe With Your Word.

We lift up to Your Mercy, for Maui to have relief rain

from the wildfires.

We pray with Texas for the weather to have gentle rain. 

God bless.

Our God is working. His Son, 

Jesus is working.

And we say Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Thank You Father

Matthew 16:13-20 ~ The Christ

 

Matthew 16:13-20

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock^{[Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar]} I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ²⁰ Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.

There are so many pictures of Jesus.

 And it's interesting the old, old Christian art (before the 5th century) the Vatican holds of Jesus is a man who looks very much like the Shroud of Turin. Rather a long face, long nose. An elegant face. And remembering Scripture, Psalm 13 and Mark 6:23, Jesus' eyes were filled with light, a beautiful soul light. Reports of Jesus' burial cloth and a facial shroud appear all over history, but not in any concrete fashion until about 1200 A.D.

3 D image of the Shroud. The Shroud had the unique ability to have such differences in depth, it allows 3D images to be mapped.

This cloth, the Manipello Image, is made of byssus, from sea shells and no alive today understands how it was made. Byssus cannot be dyed or painted upon.

And this is from the catacombs of Rome and predates the 4th century.


Regardless of what you think today about the art - my favorite image of Jesus is the one at the top of the page. Jesus choosing to be part of this life. Loving the people around him. Choosing beautiful Capernaum, on the shores of Galilee, to live. To Love.

How will we make this passage live for us today -

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active,

 sharper than any two-edged sword,

 piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, 

of joints and of marrow, 

and discerning the thoughts 

and intentions of the heart.

Who do you say Jesus is - today? Do you really believe. I spent my first two decades of life going to Church with the family, being in the Choir. Being in Youth Group. With one foot on the shore and one foot on the boat. Because I understood that God has very little to do with the details of every day life. And the more I spent time with people in the boat - fellows on the ship - fellowship. I realized something. The people of faith had something. Something I only glimpsed.

One very dark, cold Saturday October night, I was with my youth group at Camp Crusis in Granbury, Texas. And the Episcopal Priest did, something I found out later is frowned upon in Seminary Circles. He took us into the Church and he extinguished all the lights but the Candle of the Presence. Meaning, the Communion wafers in the building have been blessed and made holy. There we were in candlelight and it was the only light within a mile. We were in the type of country where if you looked up, you would see an amazing number of stars.

In the candlelight, the Priest asked - "Who do you believe Jesus is? The great I Am? Take a moment and decide. Really decide."

It was the right time for me. I really wanted to know. I searched earnestly within for the answer. Light flooded my being. I knew. And the Holy Spirit began to live in me. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, 

and the darkness has not overcome it.

Abba, Father

With the Holy Spirit alive and well. We fight the Good Fight.

2023,

Gallup shows

74% believe in God.

You and I wait with expectation

for the next decade

to see

Our Living God's

Works!

In Jesus, we ask

Dwell in us, Father

Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper

Dwell in those we love

and 

Help us to seek You first

And in Jesus,

we will finish well.

Making our hearts, mind and soul where Jesus is proud of us.

 Today and tomorrow!

Our prayers. Our works. Our words. Our Hope. Our Future.

 Jesus be in these hopes for a plan.

Send Your Word, Please. 

You uphold the Universe With Your Word.

We pray with the weather for gentle rain. 

God bless.

Our God is working. His Son, 

Jesus is working.

And we say Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Thank You Father