Luke 15:12-24 ~ when he came to himself

Luke 15:12-24

And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

What if we looked at the Scriptures to see if life is a puzzle, reaching towards "Pass Go".

When we have an interlocking puzzle, don't we look diligently?

Luke 15:8-10
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Matthew 13:45
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

And don't we place puzzle pieces as we consider how they fit?

Matthew 13:24
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field

Matthew 13:47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.




And as we start to figure out the puzzle - the puzzle takes shape quickly...

Matthew 13
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”



What is the purpose of a puzzle?

Matthew 13:14
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Can we fail to work our puzzle?

Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

God enables us to work His Plan, yet He gives us free will. Huge is the highway leading to destruction.

What did the prodigal son find when he came to himself, leaving behind his blind servitude to feeding the pigs?

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves

Ephesians 5:15-17
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Jeremiah 9:24
"But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” 





Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.


On the journey to the narrow gate what are we going to find?

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God runs to you. Build your life, your House.


Now is this just made up??

2 Peter 1:2-8
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.


His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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1 Corinthians 1:1-17 ~ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

St. Paul painted by Doménikos Theotokópoulos. Doménikos always signed his whole name, but known by his nickname The Greek or El Greco - characterized by modern scholars as an artist so individual he belongs to no conventional school. Painted in 1604, found today in the City Art Museum, St Louis. Paul holds a letter. Is he carrying a sword or a knife, you decide

1 Corinthians 1:1-7 Bible in Basic English

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Sosthenes the brother,

To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give praise to my God for you at all times, because of the grace of God which has been given to you in Christ Jesus; So that in him you have wealth in all things, in word and in knowledge of every sort; even as the witness of the Christ has been made certain among you: So that having every grace you are living in the hope of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ


My father once said something to me I think of occasionally and, more recently, the Christian book club in our Church read a book about possibilities ~


John 21
21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers [and sisters] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.



What if God wanted the apostle John to live until Jesus returned, what would it be like - to be able, in this life, to meet an actual apostle of Jesus Christ?

What would Paul say to us today? What would it be like to receive a letter in the mail from Paul? This letter begins to tell us what Paul would say to you, a child of God, adopted by Jesus.

Paul would let you know, right away, where he stands ~ Paul works for Jesus Christ’s purpose. He’d write to you, to tell you, God has called you to be a saint. Only because God has personally chosen you. But you aren’t called to be a lonely saint; just as Paul has Sosthenes, his friend, (who is as close to him as a brother) you will have others who join you to give honor to Jesus Christ.

Paul says you have: love, you’ve received forgiveness and peace, then you can give forgiveness. Not from Paul, but given from Father God and Jesus.

Next, Paul says you are a new beginner in Jesus, so take things...carefully.

Nope, this isn’t said at all. No. There is not a level of babyhood to relax in. Paul says you are God’s, Paul is grateful for you. Paul says you live in the hope of Jesus’ gift of eternal life and eternal forgiveness, living faith, hope and love, living God’s purpose for you – you have all the spiritual gifts you need. God gives us what we need to accomplish His purposes.

Paul tells you, you are a workman approved by God, you are God’s own child. When you don’t do something correctly, because you are human and need a Savior, God’s grace is coming to you.

Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.


2 Timothy 2:10-14
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

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Ecclesiastes 12 ~ the almond tree blossoms

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.


Dear Edward,
We have gone round about a conversation, 'Omnipotence, is God's plan irrefutable and is being resigned to the will of God a good thing and prayer changes nothing' since Isabelle died in 2008. Sometimes the Lord gives us a conversation congruent to one in your mind and then the thread picks up again elsewhere and you know He wants you to have the discussion.

We laughed today about you reading Ecclesiastes at our friend Allen's suggestion; when you went back to uncharacteristically low moan, he ignored your uncharacteristic sedate moan, to be DELIGHTED to know you followed his suggestion. It's a great thing to laugh. However you said life was perhaps not as joyous again, after reading Ecclesiastes.

Clark told us to prepare for seasons. And Clark says a lot of the time there is no Coincidence in the Christian Life in HIM.

My flipping open our Sanctuary Bible today was this - on Coincidences - being from HIM


2 Kings 8

Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”

Frankly, this is the first time I read the events of the woman from Shunem.


Coincidence and Christians is a sign from HIM and is joyous. A wonder we should enjoy as knowing how lovingly HE is involved with us praying and talking to HIM in our move, dwell and have our being with HIM.

Hezekiah, you know, changed the Hand of God to be blessed completely. Hezekiah lived carrying the cross of Jesus. At one point, Hezekiah stripped off the gold, a scar that remained, to follow his father king's advice to strip the Temple of Gold to keep the Assyrian army at bay. God fully forgave Hezekiah. And gave him blessing upon blessing upon blessing. For believing and being obedient to God. Hezekiah's reign was almost as prosperous as Solomon, and we have many, many rich archaeological finds to be able to see this blessing of God.

Edward, miracles Only happen because of this:

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

This verse was on the radio, at work, after we were talking about God and His attitudes on prayer. It seems to me, maybe, you are stuck in Ecclesiastes.


Luke 18
And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, 2 saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. 3 And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ 4 And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her coming back!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! 7 And will not God surely see to it that justice is done to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? 8 I tell you that he will see to it that justice is done for them soon! Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”

Are we on the same page? How Can Jesus compare HIS Father, the ONE Jesus tells us is the Only Good ONE, to a corrupt judge? Obviously, our Father God wants us to see HIM in a light that is gentle, favorable, calm, loving, reverent, placing HIM as first in our thoughts, hearts. Knowing He loves us that much.

When we go to Him, constantly in prayer, He wants you to Love HIM as much as you loved, miss, wept, continued to miss, still get misty, Buddy.

Knowing, that you know, and I know you know - your dad actually does fish, completely well and heart-ily in the waters of Heaven, described as beautiful in the Book of Revelation. 

Isaiah 49 tells us there is a place for a tiny, smiling little baby girl we love. An actual living place, where Isabelle is cared for by tender hands. Her left hand restored.  Knowing the hills and highways of Heaven, her grandfathers. Here we will see her longing to see us again. To hear our voices and we shall hear hers.

One of your favorite verses is this:

Luke 23:39-43
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

When I think of our home, I've named our home as Psalm 107
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.





Psalm 107
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.

17 Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

23 Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.

39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.


Okay! Which is absolutely marvelous, yet describes some of the wild ride life has been for us.

People always ask why did Saul (people have nicknamed you this sometimes) become so angry, bitter, horrible in deeds? He refused to go with God's Plan. Counting each day in joy. Giving back to God, what God asked of Saul.

We did the Bible Study at our house for about two months - 100 Stories of the Bible You Should Know. The determination was you get ONE Choice. You can do God's Plan. Or you can be resentful to the point of evil, and
... you get to do God's Plan.

Every day you have the opportunity to greet the One who Loves you most. And you can be resigned, but this isn't encouraging to the Father God who would RUN Run run run run run RUN RUN RUN to meet you. Because you are, like all of us, a prodigal son. The Holy Spirit said to the prophet Samuel, are you going to continue to mourn Saul? Well Edward, the Holy Spirit understood Samuel. God understands Love - better than most of us.

Remember when you called me from Las Vegas. And your voice was thrilled. You got pressed into having your palm read, and in the middle of that phewy, when asked when are you connected, revved up - you had a moment of Profound Joy. Rushing off to call me.  You felt connected to Love. In Church. In music.

Psalm 111
Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.

Ecclesiastes 12 is a season. Trim your lamps, women!! Prepare for the Bridegroom. This season can be planned for as in, see a need, fill the need.

all the daughters of song are brought low—

Let your sons see encouragement - of them - of team work - desire to see them - times to call them - gentle conversation, encouraging - all of us.

Don't let your house run down - House is both physical and Spiritual. Be thankful any time you can. This is the only real gift we can give HIM.

Let the Light within Edward shine. In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

John 1:4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Love,
Anne Laurel

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Matthew 16:24-28 ~ whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

Matthew 16:24-28

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”



Having sat and considered Take up your cross I think I'm beginning to like the phrase.

The disciples surely did not. Except maybe for Simon, the Zealot. Death. Not with hints of glory, instead the Whole Holy Contingency. Death takes a back seat to Jesus coming into His Kingdom. That would be an unusual day for anyone hearing this severe statement.

To the disciples, the cross was indeed an effective way for the Romans to keep the peace. Typically taking three to five days to slowly "have the government upon your shoulders." Which literally means suffocation.

Jesus' opinion,  as God Himself ,understood time is merely a cage for us in this life. Jesus was in the first sentence and the last sentence was declaring this ~

1 Corinthians 15:55
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 

 The Cross to Jesus is the symbol not of death, but HIS Victory over death. 

To us this is saying, we take all the events of our life and we apply the Victory over death. We remind ourselves to carry His blessing and our gratitude as Paul did. Plunging into life. Allowing life to be shaped by HIM. Leaning in His understanding. Claiming in our actions and actually, more difficult, words that HE matters to us that much. 

I love the analogy of life pushing us with tremendous force to being one of riding the Mississippi River. The water pushing is to the Ocean that is God. 

The Cross is us holding on to this in the swift currents of life and directions to be taken in decisions. 

 We still cannot contain that River. We can think we have that under control and actually we exist only in the quiet eddies of our lives. The MS is rolling on down the line.

Anyone with basic understanding of the Bible, knows we are told Jesus spoke of millenniums of knowledge when He said he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Amos could picture this, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amos 6
“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the midst of the stall,
5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
6 who drink wine in bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,
and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

8 The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision

Back of the bus time. I just picture very win-at-all-costs people being told  ~

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Who said that? Jesus.

Bad news for the-elbows-out-me-first-generation.

Hebrews 12:17-19
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

 
What is in store for the people who put away what was comfortable. The people we read about in the true events of the lives in  "Same Different as Me." A Homeless man, Denver, who would put away the opportunity to walk away from a racist and teach a horrible, horrid, abandoned old man - a black homeless man would bring him to see Jesus Christ as Lord and not christian comfortable mealy mouth. That is astonishing. The horrid man was an eighty year old racist hater. A profoundly successful business man his family threw into the homeless shelter because of his vindictive hate. And Jesus renewed that dire soul.

The opportunity of Homelessness is not one I'd like to experience. What is perhaps more important here, and workable, is the bloom where you are planted theology. These are people HE places with in our lives, not going away. The homeless formerly hateful old man had constant contact in the life of Denver.

I understand, far better, the lessons learned in Bill Hybel's "Walk Across the Room." Rick Warren and Tom Holladay, his brother-in-law and co-pastor, wrote and taught "40 Days of Love." On practical values of forgiveness, the need to use our lives as examples of teachable moment to witness to God's love on a permanent basis.

Bill Hybel's explanation that his own Church helped him reach seekers, but where were the others - those not looking for the Lord. Bill struggled to find how to reach the ones sitting outside the Churches and because of this thought, he loved his friend, a non-seeker,  for two or three years until one day - he looked at his beloved friend and said, by the refrigerator, at a party , "I'm not going to Heaven without you. You need to please accept Jesus Christ as your Lord." And a loving heart opened to Jesus Christ.

What do we receive in this life? For taking up our cross?

People less centered on themselves are happier. Paul said I'm going to see how it goes with me, more relaxed that God will carry them through.


2 Corinthians 4:8
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair

Romans 15:1
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Philippians 2:4
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Being in the thick of life, not as worried about the consequences.  Rather like the statue in the photo...Not to bad a place to be in August!

What is in store for the people who seek Jesus with self-denial.

Matthew 8:3
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Moses was shown a leprosy trick. And did not Evah do the leprosy trick again. Moses found that a bit too trying. But Jesus. Our Jesus. He stretched out HIS hand and touched.

Poor Peter. He lived with his mother-in-law. (Mine is just great! Thank God. But we are missing out on generations of family.)

Matthew 8:15
He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

Blessed are the eyes that see with faith.

Matthew 9:29
Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

Matthew 17:6-8
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

I do believe we will all spend personal time with Jesus.

Mark 7:32-34
And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

Here in this in life, but more importantly in eternity.

Matthew 25:23
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

1 Chronicles 12:40
And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

Nehemiah 8:10
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.”


Psalms 47:1
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!


John 16 ~ Jesus still prays for us and with us.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

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