Luke 7:1-10 ~ Jesus went with them

 

Luke 7:1-10

Vintage photographs from the 1800s are interesting.

Rarely did the population in little Israel towns change from the

Birth of Christ, to the 1900s.

After He had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to Him elders of the Jews, asking Him to come and heal his servant. 

4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 

6 And Jesus went with them. 

When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 

When Jesus heard these things, 
He marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, 

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.


Doubt.
God doesn't enjoy it. And no one began faith journeys, without doubts.
Life is in progress.

We all have our doubts, daily. And overcome in Jesus Christ.

John 6:29

The work of mankind

is to believe the One He has sent.

The Goal is to Finish in Faith.
Our destination is Jesus Christ.
The One who loves you most. Our Hero. The Savior we need. Jesus.
Naked we were born into the world, naked we will leave.

Doubt is an incredibly uncomfortable circumstance for the believer. 






Setting the scene for the Disciples.

The reality of Scripture is about situations of real life. These Disciples of Jesus were in awe of Him as they saw impossible things occur. Then they were completely afraid and ran out on these experiences because they were human and overwhelmed. Their lives were at stake and the work of Jesus looked as if it had failed. And suddenly, they were shown Jesus was alive.

The Scriptures are painting a very real picture of real events. Not platitudes and fable.

Mark 8:23-25

23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

The event of the life of Jesus you just read is recorded by similar stories in the Talmud recordings of the Sanhedrin Council. The actual Sanhedrin Council records the baffling and upsetting miracles surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. Housed in a museum in Scotland. 

What you just read, in Mark 8, is a 2,000-year-old account of recovery from brain surgery. A brain injury recovery.  A Miracle! With logic! Uncovered in this generation. Millenniums after the event, we can see Jesus left us this mystery --- for it to be revealed. Blessed are the eyes that didn't see this miracle and yet believe. My brother, John, found this out from working as an attorney and dealing with cases involving severe and traumatic injury.  He called me from an airport and said, it was incredible and the most real portion of the miracles of Jesus to him.

Jesus is alive and working today.
Fact. And Good News. 

Really think about Mark 8. 
I discussed this in the nineteen seventies with my great-aunt Eloise. I asked here why the trees looked like walking trees. She said because that is the way Jesus decided to work the miracle. It's His Decision and Power.  THIS IS A MIRACLE, EXPLAINED TO OUR GENERATION. 

The disciples had time to process, time to adapt, saw the Holy Spirit of God didn't abandon them. Went forth to do such miraculous things in the name of Jesus that the world has never, ever, ever changed this way before. 

We have a spiral of fear with doubt. 

Will God love me? Is this pointless? God doesn't work on a magic formula. God's Plan is Good and He equips us, He promises, with every good thing to do His Will. The narrow path... this is where life gets meaningful.  God helps sinners, saints, faithful and loves the whole world. If you are talking to God and being very honest, He honestly calls that seeking and He is going to answer. You need to focus on the "Hey, was that answered prayer or was that just om."  That unseen assurance - is God.  Our destination is Jesus. 


If you break down the Victory into steps - it's Life.

The Victory is usually ... Unseen.

Noah had doubts and got drunk.

Abraham had doubts and became a very unhappy fixer.

Well, say this just couldn't happen if the Holy Spirit lives in you - is wrong. John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus is God. Prophets have the Holy Spirit. So John the Baptist was telling us about life in God.

A relationship. Up and down. Journey forward, real topics. Real life.


This is about having doubts being strengthened and being allowed by God to have the process.
We can have the Tree of Knowledge. We can know all the Bible. We can be the good seed. The struggling seed.

And Knowing that what covers all this knowledge is - LOVE.

Problems known to God - He chose to speak about:
Being pressed to drink.
Being pressed like Noah to be sexually inappropriate.
Being Perez and having your grandson be your son...
Being the Elijah of the New Testament. Just a bit of fire from Heaven. 

WE are Not God.

This is the story of process and journey.
Abide in Jesus. He will abide in you. WE NEED THIS.

This is about having
Forgiveness - John the Baptist preached this. So did Paul and Peter. Labeling SIN as SIN. Seeking Restitution with God.

Knowing the Peace of God on the afternoons John the Baptist saw the crowds come to learn about God. Inside themselves.

This is Jesus telling the Woman on the Hill in Samaria that God will Dwell within us.

This is about John, Peter, Paul and John Mark wanting to be in Relationship with God.

And in Turmoil - finding a way to healing recovery and joy again.
Fear in Divorce
Fear in Economic Trouble
Loss of Child in Death
Changes of Season in Life
A Fruitful Life Looking for Meaning
Always Being Able to Say I'm Learning from God
Seeing God Unfold His Plan, coming to terms with Joy

Saying JESUS - is where we will Trust.
In doubt, in emotion, in joy, in prayer
THE LORD'S PRAYER

We do not have to solve anything totally today. Because God will be for us. We just have to try a little bit. And Try again. And communicate. God had to sweep up after all these amazing people He loves - He is not going to drop us on our head and leave us there.

Don't take your whole life, 

make it into a pineapple,

and then devour that in one bite.

Lean a little bit on God.

Matthew 11:28

Then Jesus said, 

"Come to me, all of you who are weary 

and carry heavy burdens, 

and I will give you rest."

Day in, Day out, Seasons Come.
The Church is still Going Forth.
Solutions are God's Specialty.
HE says that He is the destination.
Father God loves you.

Abba, Father, 

Where is our Joy? The adventure of what You have brought us through.

 You have been steadfast. 

How many things have we overcome? Many. 

You are Strong, Lord. 

Make us strong again in Your Might. 

Let us hold up our Problems to You. 

You are our armor, strength and shield. 

The Armor of God cannot be removed. You are our fortress.

In the fortress of God, we will see the mercies of God renew. 

If we don't count the blessings - they fly by unappreciated. 

Jesus is compassionate and merciful.

 Our advocate. 

You will call us to defend our hopes with gentleness and respect 

but our defense in You is sure. 

God will call me to do what He strengthens me to do. 

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for
in our heart and soul.

The safety of Your people.

The Healing

of the Nation.

Wholeness

Holy.

Goodness.

Dwell in us, Father,

Dwell fully in those we love,

Help us to seek You first

and we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

 I trust in Jesus,

our Strong Deliverer.

Amen.

 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

YES, Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Lord Jesus

Mark 12:18-37 ~ God of the living

Mark 12:18-37

 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”



28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.



35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

We know our Hero Jesus.
Jesus goes where others don't go.
We know Jesus got His hands in the dirt to deliver His Child from Adultery.




Peter started out - with a hint -

John 1:40-41
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

And with the hint - Peter did well. Peter did discover and answered a Good answer. Enabled Peter to see - the Works of the Father - in the Love Jesus - Is.

Peter knew the Power of God and the Scriptures.

John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of Eternal Life."


When Father God gives His Words of Eternal Life - we begin to see our lives and events in Him. The Scriptures are Alive. Just as Jesus is Alive.


Look at the passage above - Peter finds Life with Jesus in this Passage of Today's Reading - there are a lot of parallels if you look closely with faith - reminders, faint echoes of conversations Peter had with Jesus.

We know our Hero Jesus.
Jesus goes where others don't go.
We know Jesus put out His hands immediately to deliver His Child from falling.

Peter - loved  and delighted seeing the large crowds listen to Jesus.  Peter was going to be badly mistaken.
No longer at Jesus' right side - Living his own way.

Why should we love The Lord our God? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength?

Lamentations 3

The LORD'S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, 

For His compassions never fail.  

They are new every morning; 

Great is Your faithfulness. 

 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."

Peter was again found by Jesus and fed. In Love and in Mercy.

Deuteronomy 31:6, Through the Millenniums !!!
Joshua 1:5,  
Psalm 27:14, 
Isaiah 41:10,
Jeremiah 1:8, 
1 Corinthians 16:13, 
2 Timothy 2:1, 
and most importantly -  

Matthew 28:2 

Be strong and courageous 

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

for 

The LORD your God goes with you 

He will never leave you nor forsake you. 

And Jesus says,

"Surely I am with you 

always 

to the very end of the age."

Abba, Father, 

Where is our Joy? The adventure of what You have brought us through.

 You have been steadfast. 

How many things have we overcome? Many. 

You are Strong, Lord. 

Make us strong again in Your Might. 

Let us hold up our Problems to You. 

You are our armor, strength and shield. 

The Armor of God cannot be removed. You are our fortress.

In the fortress of God, we will see the mercies of God renew. 

If we don't count the blessings - they fly by unappreciated. 

Jesus is compassionate and merciful.

 Our advocate. 

You will call us to defend our hopes with gentleness and respect 

but our defense in You is sure. 

God will call me to do what He strengthens me to do. 

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for
in our heart and soul.

The safety of Your people.

The Healing

of the Nation.

Wholeness

Holy.

Goodness.

Dwell in us, Father,

Dwell fully in those we love,

Help us to seek You first

and we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

 I trust in Jesus,

our Strong Deliverer.

Amen.

 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

YES, Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Lord Jesus

Through us Hebrews 3 (Links)

 

Matthew 6:25-34 ~ Sufficient for the day. Achieving gratitude

Link August 28, 2024

Matthew 6:

Through us

Hebrews 3:14

Link Sept 21, 2024

Abba, Father,

Blessed Be the Name of Jesus

Thank You for hearing our prayers

and answering us

as our Father.

Matthew 13:16-17  

Blessed 

are your eyes, for they see, 

and your ears, for they hear. 

For truly, I say to you, 

many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, 

and did not see it, 

and to hear what you hear, 

and did not hear it.

Father, 

You are working

and so is Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Turn again

to the Lord.

With Your Help

We will act justly

 and to love mercy

 and to walk humbly with You, our God.

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, in Jesus Christ. 

Lord Jesus Christ,

Bless those working for

Post Pandemic Healing

and Care.

The healing and safety of Your people.

The safety of those

helping the earth 

to heal.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart and be ended

far from us

and our children.

Worldwide Peace

Prosperity and

Peace.

Worldwide

Peace!

HEAL OUR NATION

We have 42 days

or sooner for Early Voting

until 

our National Election.

Please Vote 

and Vote Responsibly.

For Children in their Schools, all safety.

For those who protect and defend the USA,

protect us from arsonists.

Keep our food supply safe.

Support the Police.

The Preservation

and Honoring

ALL of our Constitutional Rights.

Veterans fought for us.

For Worldwide Peace.

And the Peace of Israel.

 

Those protecting

and defending

All The Word of God.

Freedom in our Churches.

Wholeness, Holiness.

In the Highest Name of

Jesus, Alleluia,

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay, Lord Jesus