Hebrews 11:1-34 ~ For He was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Walter Cronkite, America's favorite man, coming into our homes telling us the news

Hebrews 11:1-34

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ¹⁹ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰ By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. ²² By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

²⁹ By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

³² And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

We have all loved George Burns showing us the humor we all instinctively know God has. We loved Morgan Freeman showing us God is a black man, using the components of life we have seen raised in the civil rights movement - to become the Strength of God in an extremely Loving way. This is why these characterizations have Worked for us. These men have given us aspects of God. And we LOVE this. God loves us loving HIM. That inner joy is the love God has for us in just a small, teensy, tiny measure.

Now. For a minute. Let's contemplate God with the empathy He gives us. We love God when we feel that warm and fuzzy connection. There are days in our lives when we have the world shining as all it should be and days where we just endure. Yet, why can't we see God with empathy when HE is God. When God tells us - This Is The Way It Is, we need to remember God isn't just our cuddly Father, but He knows what He is about.

Faith. This is the way it is.

Lifting up the cup of thanksgiving, is work for people. We need to remember to give God the faith and empathy He deserves. He is GOD. Oh. Praise Him.

Psalm 82

Rescue the Weak and Needy

A Psalm of Asaph.

God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
² “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
³ Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

⁵ They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶ I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”

⁸ Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!

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2 Samuel 6 ~ So David went and brought up the Ark of God

2 Samuel 6

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. ³ And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, ⁴ with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵ And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. ⁶ And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. ⁸ And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

¹² And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. ¹³ And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. ¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts ¹⁹ and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

²⁰ And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

We studied this yesterday in our Ladies Bible Study. I love David. Matter of fact, and God knows, I'd like to Be almost, pretty much, just like David. Of course, this is a combination of religious and holy longing to be all that in being a Child of God and a bit of jealousy. This particular passage of Scripture has always been fascinating to me. One fine day, and this is overwhelming to me, I am going to meet David. I hope he likes me and Jesus has gone ahead to pave that particular path. I hope we will be good friends.

(I rather like to picture David as a child, sitting in the hot sun of Israel, remembering all his families evening conversations, by the fire, of the acts of God and David sitting and picturing them in the fields of Jerusalem, as he watches over the Flock.)

Why is this passage Amazing to me. It is. David, we all remember, got into more trouble than I ever hope to with Bathsheba. (Have you ever thought about Solomon and his friend Sheba, there is an analogy only in myth there.) David was just about to and did leave the Ark behind. Why? It was easier for him. I don't know about you, but if I'd been the Ark (God's wristwatch, wallet, hand bag or disc golf bag) I'd have Hurt Feelings. Which acknowledges, the Ark is not God, but it is His Mercy Seat. And David. Amazing David, was parking it and going on without it. Now, how could David be David in all of God's plans without the Ark?

Put this in perspective of your life. If you were on Mount Nebo and you found the physical Ark hidden, would you leave it behind? As a Child of God, as a scientist, you would want to let it be a Light to the World.

So Uzzah dies. He tried to .... help God. And God is Angry. What do we know about the anger of God???

Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

My friends. Uzzah is a friend to God. God does not see leaving this life as a punishment. If there are, and we know Jesus spoke of Banquets in Heaven, you know Uzzah is having a Banquet in Heaven. Who knows? Maybe there are Heavenly banners with Uzzah's name on it. They all Knew exactly what the Ark was and it's Power. Uzzah wanted and wants to lift God Up.

David. Our hero David saw things from a uniquely human viewpoint. Which makes David human. And God still Loves him.

Which brings us to our title for today "So David went and brought up the Ark of God" it is a noble title, but it has a very human nature component to it and it is - "I want the blessing too! And I waited to see if there was a blessing before I put action into it = lack of faith." Man, how human is that. David had 22 years of believing an anointing was already there and the promise was coming to him. And he just about fumbled the ball. And the Forgiveness. David gets to dance after he goes back to have God's promises.

So really. The whole story is a parable of Jesus, because the whole Bible is about Jesus as Lord and we as His Sheep. Every word.

The parable of David, Uzzah, the Ark and Faith. It is our story every day when we say, forgive us our sins, the things we have done, the things we have left undone. Forgive us for not Loving You with our whole heart. Forgive us for not loving our neighbor as ourselves.

And who in the world loves our neighbor as ourselves. Only John. Only Jonathan. Notice it doesn't say if David was standing really close to the Ark. And only us very rarely. Because there is only one who is Good. And He calls us daily to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Which brings me to an analogy I have been working on and actually growing to love.

Picture a cruise ship. And I don't mean like the photo. A cruise ship that is incredibly White. Huge. Gigantic. You are standing on the pier. Look UP. The day is blue. So blue. The people getting on the ship are so happy. It's like winning the lottery. Now you are on the deck of the ship. The water is so blue. The sky another shade of blue. The clouds going by are as white as the ship.

On the deck of this enormous ship. Surrounded by people excited and please to look and see as well. People are talking in excited tones to their families about what they see and the voyage ahead. This is much better than the Love Boat or going to Cancun by way of Galveston! Better than being on the Statendam going to New York City from France in winter. This day is perfectly warm. It is going some where beautiful. It is important where the ship is headed.

And, this is important, you can see into the Captain's viewpoint. The windows are clean and there are so many of them. How immaculate the Captain's deck is. People are free to see what He is doing. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

And on this voyage. There is a Cruise Director. He is a good friend to the captain. A bit like David. A handsome man. In college, this is the man who brought the beer. People have always liked him. And everyone likes this man, and soon it becomes apparent to the passengers, the cruise director Likes one of the passengers. And people get to know each other by telling each of their lives, their opinions from the things that have shaped them. This is where the word fellow ship comes from. People on a ship make friends. Fellowship.

Soon people on the ship know each other, sometimes well and sometimes not so well, just supposition. But the people on the ship notice the Cruise Director's friendship with this woman. Is she a gossip. Is she a hep cat. An adulteress. Is the Cruise Director married. Is this a healthy friendship. Where is this headed. People form ideas and opinions - will the people's opinions advance this ship and the friendship.

By now reading this - you have an opinion. Yet really. This is a Biblical analogy. The Cruise Director's friend - is - you.

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."

Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Romans 13:8
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Matthew 22:39
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:10
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.





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Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 ~ Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father

Gibon Springs, redirected by Hezekiah, these are his tunnels for water.

It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 2 Chronicles 32:30

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

Isaiah 38:1-6
1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:21-22
21 Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” 22 Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?”

Isaiah 38:7-8
7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

Faith is not a wish to believe or a will to believe something contrary to reason. Faith is not living as if something were true. Faith is the acceptance of a truth based on the authority of God's revelation, as in Scripture.

- Fulton J. Sheen


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Psalm 128 ~ a fruitful vine within your house

Psalm 128

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

⁵ The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
⁶ May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!

My brother was telling me about his childhood birthdays recently. He looked back and said his happiest birthdays were in Emporium, Pennsylvania about four decades ago. I was surprised, because I felt so too (until recently). Maybe we all do. For my family, it was because we were still a family unit and those were the days we could count on ourselves and we felt we were good people and good to the people around us. Days of works and not grace. Easier!

Then you have another birthday and if you are fortunate to have the time - you think about all the people you've known over the years. For a person who's lived in 2 bedroom/2 bath home for 14 years raising two precious boys, a showcase home, a French house with solid glass windows on a French mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. That is a whole lot of change. We've known Princess Grace and her family through an employee at "the Castle." (Really, we have the photos to look at.) My mom worked with a Texas famous millionaire for 30 years. And surprisingly enough had an unknown teacher, who they tell me, went on to be famous.

So. If you put all these people together that I've met. From the wonderful little town where we loved and were loved, to the huge University I went to and the hometown where we are now with a gracious and loving Church family. If we took all these people - whom God knows them from their flaws to their virtues. And back again. And to the numbers of hairs on their head. What would they have in common?

We all want someone to genuinely care for us.

Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

This is what really calls us the the LORD. Abba. Father God.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Nehemiah 8:10
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.”


2 Samuel 6:14a
And David danced before the LORD with all his might.



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On Prayer and Trust - good times and times looking for improvement -
Luke 11:1-28 ~ answer from within (The Lord's Prayer)


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Luke 1:26 ~ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren

Carl Heirich Bloch painted Mary and Elizabeth


Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ^{[Blessed are you among women] 29} But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The Talmud records of the Sanhedrin Council for the time of Jesus living - as the certainty concerning the things you have been taught- and are still available today. 2,000 years ago, this was big news in Israel and the religious government records still exist. (Jesus, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, 1 Peter 2:25.) Very few of Mary's family have been recorded. Her father was recorded in the Talmud records. If you will recall, Elizabeth and her mute priest husband Zechariah, decided not to reveal Elizabeth's pregnancy. Mary may have just found out about it from the angel.

When we pray and ask Father God for blessings, the way isn't strewn with roses and red carpeting. The hand of God is at work, and we have a vision, 2 angel visits, a mute priest who was formerly a barren priest, and more than likely - some stress all around. Mary's home with her mother and father are not recorded in Scriptures, but Mary comes to stay with Elizabeth for 3 months.

When life makes the path just wear down and feel out - God provides a way forward. A desired haven of His Love and Comfort. It is up to us today - to be grateful - for what He does provide. It is always our choice. We can be bitter or we can be blessed. There is a, of course, the saying fools rush in where angels fear to tread. In the joy of Mary and Elizabeth - surely Gabriel was pleased to be God's messenger. Gabriel brought the Good News, and today, it is very much still our Good News of Jesus Christ. Our Lord. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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Mark 9:14-29 ~ Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him

Mark 9:14-29

¹⁴ And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

¹⁹ And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out ^{[with tears]} and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

²⁵ And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”^{[and fasting]}


Sunday, April 8, 2010

Jesus told us to be Salt and to act as the Light of God's Holy Spirit.

When we think of someone being salty, we think of someone being larger than life. Loud, exuberant. Auntie Mame, Popeye.

Then again when we think of Biblical salt, there is Lot's wife looking back and becoming a pillar of salt.... not a desirable state.

Salt and pop culture go hand and hand. Salt looses it's flavor when exposed to the air. It becomes stale, tasteless and isn't even good fertilizer or pesticide. What we become when we soak in pop culture without a discerning heart.

Salt wasn't unavailable at any time in Israel. Without salt, one could die in the desert of Judea without some travel planning and having some salt. Without salt, food is flavorless. No one would want to eat salt by itself. No one enjoys having religious talk, religious ideas crammed down their throat.

Let's look at Jesus asking the father of the boy ill with a demon, “How long has this been happening to him?” Recently, in another reading for Scripture for Today Blogspot, we talked about Jesus not being recorded as being a huge conversationalist. Yet Jesus is Love. Jesus is not looking for data. Jesus is not looking for a long debate with the boy's father. Jesus is making contact with this man. Jesus is not browbeating him, He is opening up the conversation. Jesus is hip deep in an emotional experience Himself, returning to the grind of all too human disciples - Jesus has just come from the Transfiguration. Jesus is taking time with someone looking to Him. Jesus is opening up the man's choices in his thoughts of God. Jesus is being Himself, there aren't any basketball moves where the hips have to be watched to understand where He is going. Jesus is getting to the point. Jesus teaches us to live at peace with one another in this whole passage.

One of the most touching verses is “I believe; help my unbelief!” In this cry, Jesus is there. It is not a perfect situation. Not the tidy, steam cleaned virtue we hope to see surrounding Jesus. Nothing is quite right, they are not saints, but Jesus is there.

Read the passage once more, Jesus is teaching us salt and light - to live at peace with one another. Jesus did not live in a peaceful world and His words were not always soothing. It is like Psalm 23, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Jesus forgave everyone from the cross; goodness and mercy was not always given to Jesus, but goodness and mercy were the Grace upon Grace He gave us.

Blessed be the children of God, Jesus. Help us to be Your creation of salt and Light. Protect us from the root of bitterness within us when goodness and mercy do not come our way in life. Let our words be seasoned with the salt of Your Healing and Your wisdom. We always ask for Your help. In the name of Jesus. The highest name of Jesus, Abba. Amen.



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Luke 1:57-80 ~ all who heard them laid up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the LORD was with him.

Luke 1:57-80

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, ⁶⁰ but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³ And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. ⁶⁴ And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, ⁶⁶ and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
⁷⁰ as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
⁷¹ that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
⁷² to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³ the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
⁷⁴ that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us^{[since the sunrise has visited us]} from on high
⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

The largest employer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana used to be Jerry Lee Lewis' cousin. Jimmy Swaggart. In 1988, Mr. Swaggart became the butt of the non-christian world for his "I have Sinned" speech. The Dallas Morning News did an article that stayed in my heart for all of these years and said the people who had given to Mr. Swaggart's Church had given to God. They should not feel remorse - God was their intention and God was pleased. End of story.

How in the world did John the Baptist end up a prophet when God announced it to his parents and his parents believed it and John Did do what God said. Perhaps it was because he never played video games, went to public High School or watched television. Naaaahhhhh. It is because John had a genuine calling from the LORD. We all know what happens to preachers kids - either it is the High Way or the By Way. I guess today we'd better say Frontage Road. Oh, these times.

John was a preacher's kid. And his dad was fairly arrogant. Or maybe stunned and stupid. I am constantly amazed Zechariah Knew it was an Angel, stood in the Temple, and instead of grabbing on to the horns of the altar for Mercy - he decided to debate the Angel Gabriel about the feasibility of God's plan. It says a lot for God that Zechariah lived to Rejoice! In John's birth. I have to say all that forgiveness makes my heart do a funny flop.

Let's talk more about the freedom in God Almighty. There is a message in it Today. For Us..... on Parenting. And Salvation.

People ask me what do I say to my college age sons about today's freedom in sexuality. I say rather quickly and with some embarrassment, "Well, I tell them to wait for marriage." What always comes after that is to the effect of.... "right, right, right, but what do you really tell them." And the truth is I tell them to never make love with someone they wouldn't want to have a child with. The marriage needs to last longer than the child. The conversation continues to the Youth Ministry work we did for years and I tell them - there are 28 venereal diseases and 3 will kill you. Chlamydia is virtually undetectable and a young man can give it to his wife and they will probably not know until it is time to have a family - when infertility is permanent. It is a crisis among some of the 30 somethings in the state of Texas. Raider Rash at one college is reported to be 2/3's of the female population. New York City has so much venereal disease Texans joke you probably shouldn't shake hands while visiting. Just wave and say it is a Southern thing. So, of course, that is part of my speech. And we talk about porn - the allure of fantasy that takes away the cisterns of beauty from middle aged and old age intimacy. (There is a Bible verse for that, but you get the idea!)

But my heart wants to tell my sons. No, honey, please wait. I know the story of our Worship Leader. He married the young woman who loved that teenage boy youth leader, when she was 13 years old. He moved to Texas and that smart young thing decided to do Youth Ministry, across the country, in Texas, at age 21 to see that hunka hunka do worship leading. And voila! A match was made. Her 8 years culminated to this romance - there was not a going-away-dress for that young bride. Why? Her husband told her he longed. Longed to remove her wedding dress as a symbol of their honeymoon and his love for her. They had waited. They would learn the gift of love together.

Oh, my. True Love.

Back to John the Baptist and more parenting for today. How did John the Baptist not walk down the Jimmy Swaggart path? Mr. Swaggart was raised in such a nourishing environment choice wasn't an option. I'm sure you know this from memory. Every golden Christian path was set before him. So, what about John the Baptist? John was allowed his own time. John understood receiving from His fullness, we have all received, Grace upon Grace.

January 03, 2011

John 1:29-34 ~ I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God

John 1:30-31
This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."

How and why didn't John the Baptist know Jesus - his cousin? Why can't we be more surprised by the rest of the 1st Chapter of John. Men meeting Jesus for the first time declared to each other "this is the Son of God" in both verse 41 and verse 49 of John 1. This is far more astonishing - Jesus has men leaving their way of life behind to become His disciples in a mere afternoon of listening to Jesus.

So why, why doesn't John recognize his cousin Jesus? It's pretty obvious when we add up what we know. It seems we must look at this question. John's parents were old when he was born. As people become very aged, they do not travel greatly. Traveling was difficult even for the young. John's parents lived 90 miles from Jesus. John surely heard, in his youth, about Jesus and the "funny circumstances" surrounding the quick wedding of pregnant, un-wed cousin Mary. When we see the Gospels record only cousin Elizabeth's 5 months of support for Mary, we must also remember John the Baptist probably heard more of the rumors from more of the family - who are not remembered in the Scriptures.

So .... why didn't John recognize Jesus??? For the same reasons we didn't recognize Jesus until we invited Him to be part of us. Before we really knew Him: we heard about Jesus from other sources. Not all the sources were credible. Family (Church) is sometimes boring and the time it takes to get there and back is too long. Why put the effort into going when people aren't always nice? We missed the family get-togethers (Church) for so long, people hassle us about That too. If you don't remember the family stories correctly there is mocking. It's all a big tangle to sort out and we have other things to do.

Then, more importantly, it comes to the decision time. As John grew spiritually into God's plan for him, Jesus became important to him. John took the time to dwell and think about who Jesus is. God revealed not just family, a good man, but a Savior. John, bravely, and with certainty says, "And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

And for all of us who long for Salvation to be apparent in their families, their children, themselves (Daily Lord!) what is our comfort?

Ephesians 6:18
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Isaiah 28:12a
“This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”

Psalm 3:8
Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah!!!!!

John 5:17
Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Father God, blessed be your name. We pray for the ones we love to be chosen, called, loved, rest in the blessing of Your visitation and redemption. Raise up the trumpet of salvation! Save us from our enemies, especially the darkness in each of us as being part of mankind. In the name of Jesus Christ, please grant us this mercy. We rest in this hope without fear. Trusting in your Name, Jesus, for holiness and righteousness. Prepare the path of Salvation in Your Way. We ask for our loved ones to long for the knowledge of salvation. For the sweet after the storm forgiveness, the complete washing away of sin. Only because of Your Tender Mercy. Your Light shall shine in our hearts - where the darkness will not overcome it. Guide us, Father God, into the way of peace. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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Isaiah 49:8-15 ~ I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up

Chapter 49 of the Isaiah Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls (a copy from the Isaiah Scroll); in the Shrine of the Book, D. Samuel and Jeane H. Gottesman Centre for Biblical Manuscripts, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

If you would like to see the Great Isaiah Scroll from the Dead Sea, you can scroll to see the 2,000 year old copy of this 49th Chapter.

Isaiah 49:8-15

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

⁸ Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
⁹ saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
¹⁰ they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
¹¹ And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
¹² Behold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, these from the north and from the west,^{[from the sea]}
and these from the land of Syene.” ^{[Dead Sea Scroll, Masoretic Text Sinim]}

¹³ Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.

The blessings of being in the Wednesday Lenten Service tonight. Prayer is always a great thing. And very appreciated, regardless of the circumstance. We prayed tonight for a local Pastor's grandchild. It was one of the Pastors we prayed for during our 30 Churches uniting from different denominations to gather as the Body of Jesus Christ. The baby boy in acute distress is named Thachery. He has atrophied brain problems, yet weighs 6 pounds and is able to move his mouth - astonishing the doctors. Please lift your soul to the Lord to pray for Baby Thachery's recovery.

Should we put our desires of our heart before God or should we allow God's will to be done. We should always do both.

Father God, we pray for a time of favor, for You to answer us. We ask salvation, healing for Baby Thachery. Please establish Baby Thachery, apportion to him good health. Away from the prison an ill body can be. We ask Baby Thachery will be able to feed, not to hunger or thirst physically or spiritually. Have pity upon this family, Lord Jesus Christ, and guide them. Let their lives be the road You would have for them - raised up for Your Glory. Forgive us our sins, Father God, let them be as far from us as the East from the West. For Yours is the Power, the Glory, Forever. We ask You, Father God, to give us the opportunity to sing for joy to You. For Your comfort and Your compassion on the afflicted. Let Your gracious will be done. Always. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers also for Judy, a friend from our Couples Group. Her husband Bob was killed by a young man, in his 20s with 2 small children, driving while intoxicated. They were a favorite part of our group during the two years we led that small group. Recently retired to Bob's home town, they were so very happy in their retirement the short 8 months they were there.

Lord, comforted Your people and have compassion on the afflicted.

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Luke 12 ~ know how to interpet the present time

Luke 12

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸ “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, ⁹ but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ¹¹ And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

²² And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

³² “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵ “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” ⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. ⁴⁷ And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. ⁴⁸ But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

⁴⁹ “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

⁵⁷ “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

When you look at the Pew Report for 2012, you look at the way Americans view faith.

"How Religious is Your State?"

"How Married and Divorced is Your State?"

" U.S. Religious Landscape"

"Belief in God & (sadly) Universal Spirit"

Each article has tabs where the questioned had further comments.

So, to say the truth, the articles are reassuring people believe so much in Father God. Yet ask yourself - if we are so much in our belief with God - why is the news of today - so dissimilar to the news of 1950 or 1910 or 1870. This last century is our most bloody century. We see Presidential Debates where war all over the globe is debated. An Economic Crisis. Our pendulum of moral values could stand a huge revival.

Can it happen? Certainly. The Holy Spirit has awakening and revival. England had a huge revival defeating the gin crisis with John Wesley and the Salvation Army. There are revivals and renewals every 500 years. I know the Anglican Church revival is huge in the United States. Yet it is uphill work with structure changes and new directions in leadership. I had a conversation with a friend from High School and College - who is in the Ministry - we agreed that if a Christian Church is a single tree growing towards the Light of Jesus Christ or if the structure forms into a Giant Tree like the parable Jesus gave us:

Matthew 13:32
Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.

Our renewal depends on something important. Our actions and our determination to "seek peace and justice by showing love and compassion and not be those who are intent on destruction and damage. A community that moves together, united, to move beyond the destruction and rebuild."

Using our free will to move towards attitudes and actions of compassion. Genuine Prayer. Waiting upon the LORD. None of us are Jesus Christ, but using our unique qualities, we strive to be obedient to Jesus Christ and His actions and attitudes of Love. Not hunting down those who wish to be apart, but leaving hearts open for genuine attitudes of compassion.

This passage speaks of the divisions caused by Christianity. Yet there is the hope today of those who love and embrace God, Jesus and His Holy Spirit. There is an excellent article of the fires set by people in the U.K. deeply unhappy with their lives. Right after the wave of destruction, we see people coming forward to rebuild.

Here is the article, October 31, 2011:

Luke 12:49-59 ~ Division

Bible notes author: Susan Johnson, The Methodist Church in Britain

These verses are part of the teachings of Jesus to the disciples and to the crowds who have followed him. In Luke 10:1-12, 70 were sent out into the towns and villages to let people know that the kingdom of God had come near in the person of Jesus who would show them the way to live. Some of the 70 experienced peace and were welcomed, while others were rejected and had to leave. This leads Jesus to reflect on how his mission, his life and death will bring judgement and division as people are faced with a choice and a challenge about Jesus.

Today, 2,000 years later the question is still before us when we come face to face with Jesus and the influence of his teachings. Am I willing to try and follow his ways or will I follow someone or something else? And then there's the second question; what sort of kingdom, or community, will my actions bring out?

When we look around at communities in England, as we have done so much this summer, we can clearly see the division between those who seek peace and justice by showing love and compassion and those who are intent on destruction and damage. Although it did not receive much media coverage after the recent riots in London and other cities, communities came together, united, to move beyond the destruction and rebuild. Perhaps those people had had a glimpse of the kingdom of God being present in a small way. Many would not call themselves Christian or people of any faith but some would.

The simple fact is that when knowledge of Jesus is there, decisions have to be made every minute of the day as to how we will live. We always have a choice: to do good or to do harm.

To Ponder

When you need to make a decision about the way to behave, what guides you?

Is division always something to be avoided? God gives us free will. Peter and Paul did not chase after the cities, religious communities who wished to be without them. As the Church built, some cities relapsed, but eventually, even today, kindness and compassion draw people to the Love God has for them. His own.

Prayer is always appreciated. By Father God. By the pray-er and the prayed for. Let us go forth shining in the Light of Jesus Christ the LORD.

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