Ezra 1 ~ the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled

Cyrus's Cylinder

1995 Dr. Bryant Wood found Cyrus's Cylinder, declaring freedom for captives in Babylon to return to Israel and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezra 1:2-4

Ezra 1


1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. 7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.


How amazing the archaeology is supporting what we, as Christians know to be, the Word of God. Understanding Israel was demolished. Three separate kings of Persia offered the slaves freedom. Not only freedom, but help rebuilding their Temple to God and the nation. Returning the Temple Tools built under the instruction of Moses. Nebuchadnezzar had heard of the Lord because Jonah, unwillingly, had gone into the Assyrian Empire to declare the LORD is God Almighty. The Assyrian Empire never attacked Israel and fell becoming the Persian Empire.

The Holy Spirit in Acts 1 displays the power of the Holy Spirit as fire. And with the capacity for one light brightening the world and starting another light, Nebuchadnezzar preserved a ruined nation's heritage, their Tools of the Temple, instead of melting them down. And allows the Light of God to flourish; bringing a dead nation back into His Grace.

Yesterday we spoke of the LORD eagerly waiting as our Father for us to live our journey and return to HIM. Like the prodigal son's father running to Him. Israel was not returning to life as a nation. The Assyrian Empire was Gone. So many Empires were gone, how could one tiny nation ever reform with the scattered children of Israel. Only because of HIS Word. His faithfulness to a people undeserving. And each amazing time in Scripture - He comes through.

Romans 8:19
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

God created all of what is visible to our eyes and beyond with His Word. Jesus is the fulfilling of Gos's Word. God waits with eager longing to see us revealed as the children of God. His Word fulfilled and the promise of us and who we are to HIM being part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Remembering something very, very, very uniquely important in this.

Matthew 10:7
And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

This is why Acts 1 exists, the Holy Spirit has been set free. All we have to do is invite HIM to live, move and have HIS dwelling within us.


Matthew 10:7
And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

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2 Corinthians 11:1-21 ~ For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ

2 Corinthians 11:1-21

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.


16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.



A well-know celebrity once famously remarked she used to be a Christian, until she was taught God - is a jealous God.

Jesus spent His life bringing us His and, because of Jesus, our Father. Let's look at Jealousy.

Matthew 22

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Jesus was telling us a story. All good stories start with a Father. And this Father was throwing a huge event, so big it was called wedding. Now, in this parable, this was the Father starting His child (you) out into the wide world. And He fretted. And fussed. There was emotion. And trepidation.

Because even as the Father set his child (you), into the world (life), He was really hoping that eventually you'd join Him. Actually because this is GOD, He's hoping life won't carry us too far, along the path, take away joy, have us fall away, get sown into thorns, be deceived by riches, desires for other things, become unfruitful. But to return to being fruitful and accepting. So, that as He sees you coming back, from far away, He runs to you.

Is God a jealous God? You betcha. The best parents are.

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2 Chronicles 30 ~ pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God

on the fourteenth day of the second month

2 Chronicles 30

Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

6 At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.


 
They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16 Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs[a] to the Lord. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.

22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.


A celebration -

Stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

The following is not Linus explaining to Charlie Brown, but this is simple, clean and concise - pleasing to the LORD, God, The Almighty - our Father God.

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Luke 2:41-51 ~ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.

Luke 2:41-51

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.


If Mary and Joseph did not understand what Jesus was about, having seen Gabriel - who stands in the presence of God - and lived hearing the shepherds arrive to tell of the multitude of angels singing about the Peace of God - how could we expect the disciples to understand the ministry of Jesus.

We do not fully understand our own ministries. We all have these questions. Jonah ran from his ministry. Life is the road we walk with Jesus. The disciples could not tell you what their ministry was. Jesus said tell people the Good News about Him.

This is spiritual growth - being urged to speak of His Love.

Mark 16:15
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Jesus opened His arms willingly to all of Father God's Children. With open arms.
What brought the world to know Jesus? In sixteen years, the abundance of His Love for you. Personal Love. 

Mary may not have understood Jesus' ministry, but she treasured to the marrow of her being - Jesus sought to honor the Love of Father God.

Spiritual Growth?


Ephesians 4:15-16
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Colossians 1:9-10
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Notice with me a component in the walk... the journey....prayer.

Bearing fruit is a sign of growth.

Increasing in the knowledge of God - learning His ways in His Word.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

Acts 1:14
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

It's not surprising to find Jesus' Church pulled in His mother, brother and sisters. What pulled them together - the love of the Lord and the united effort of gathering, each would pray.

Love pulled the Church together and each voice was heard praying to the Father.

The basis of the Church is Jesus Christ - His Love. Worship is each voice being heard before Him.

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Psalm 6 ~ For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

Psalm 6


O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?

4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?

6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment


Two millenniums ago, people expected the blessings of God meant blessings of God. Illness and accident, in the Gospels and in Job, were considered to be signs of His disfavor. Today do we even stop to pause to ask what is the relationship to attitude, sin, behavior, and His Plan?

Jesus was personally asked this-favor-disfavor-question by people who were perpetually dismayed, confused and in fear. The people? The people who walked right beside the Son of God.


Luke 13 Easy enough to remember luck with thirteen.
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And Jesus answering said to them, Suppose you that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelled in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.

Lamentations 2:20
Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom you have done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long?

1 Peter 4:17,18
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us...

And the blind man, who was healed -

John 9:3
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

And in these lives and times - I passed an ad for exercise and vitamins with nutrition - it was declaring  99% of illness is stress related. I guess we don't have dna issues, ever. And we were meant to stay forever on this planet. Madeline L'Engle said we all have an invitation to leave the planet.

Let's add this in with :

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing


I have to disagree with the top photo of white knuckled prayer. I had a premature infant who was failing to breathe for the first year of his life. His prematurity revealed apnea occurred frequently. The sheer, raw horror of seeing that perfect infant struggle for life was combined with CPR instructions on keeping him alive. Then, about a month later, he had pnemonia so badly he had Bradycardia - slow heart beat. Not forgetting the emergency hernia operation where the hospital sleep monitor failed to function, after several false positives. Hernia operation? After bathing the most beautiful of infant sons to discover something horribly wrong with his testicles. Let's discuss the emergency CPR used upon a blue infant at home. Or the distress of failing to breathe multiple times in the night. Alarms ring and the infant fails, still, to breathe. The year was... perilous.

One of the first steps of discovering illness and the hope of a healing is this:

1 Peter 4:12
Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you

Jesus told us there would be days like these:

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.



Why disagree with white knuckled prayer?

Luke 18:
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Faith on earth is the key to prayer. Father God wants us to expect Him. To expect HIM with hope and love. To touch His heart the way the know-how-authority-really-works-in-Him Centurion who believed if Father God merely spoke HIS Word - then prayers are answered. This faith changes lives. 

Sometimes we will not be able to attain peace. God makes us transparent to Him for good reason. Express to HIM your heart, He surely never despises a broken or a contrite heart. Nonetheless:

1 Thessalonians 5:13-25
Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us.

Prayer from the community of believers, is corporate community prayer, which is, of course, the prayer of the communion of the saints. Always ask for prayer and attend prayer services.



Philemon 1:20
Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-16 ~ thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.

2 Corinthians 8:1-16

We want you to know, brothers,^{[ brothers and sisters]} about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor ^{[ charis is grace,  favor or thanks]} of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you,^{[ in your love for us]} —see that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.


Paul was a man who had plans. Famous plans. Saul sat at the feet of Gamaliel -

Acts 22:3
Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today."

One day, on the road to killing people for God's honor, He met the Light of the World. The Son of God. Chalice of Him, bringing us the Words of Life.

Jesus dealt with the people of Israel, teaching, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:8
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Gamaliel taught Paul something, Words carried for millenniums.

Acts 5:34
When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

And in the spirit of round-about, getting to the point - theology-
Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea in 314 A.D. is regarded as an extremely well learned Christian of his time. Eusebius was a Roman historian, well known Christian polemicist, declaring Josephus to be the one saying Jesus' followers did not scatter.

Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 of the Antiquities - Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. The Testimonium is likely the most discussed passage in Josephus and perhaps in all ancient literature.

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

Eusebius, Saul and those who met Jesus, said 'with their lives', what the centurion said of Jesus:

Matthew 27:54
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

I'm not Jesus. I'm not going to be the Savior of the world. I do not possess His Wisdom and the vastness of His Love. The world has shown me two things about mankind.

John 2:25
He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in man.

Jesus came to us knowing about us. And He is the Hero. God's Son. Created by Words of GOD.  God looked at mankind and He saw good.

Most of us have plans for our lives. And mostly those plans are different than Paul - who was going to devote his life to the Temple, under Herod's authority. (Paul considered the Temple to be the home of God, not reasoning out the Temple catered to the authorities, who were not following Him). Before meeting Jesus, he was very much an unmovable man. We want to marry, have children, have a life. YET we are like Paul, like the disciples, I want to be on His Road. Considering this life - the journey to get Home to HIM. The word road is used 41 times ( in the 80 Books, chosen by the people willing to risk their lives for God's Son in the first Ecumenical conference in 325 A.D.); Half of the times 'road' is used, are the Gospels of His disciples proclaiming His Word and the Book of Acts.  

Let these BE the words, work and desire of my life, Father God:

Mark 10:32
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed

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