Psalm 130 ~ Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Psalm 130
A song of ascents!

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Father God, in You there is Light. Let us forgive for what needs to be forgiven and to the work Joshua did - not to the right not to the left. This is called forgiveness for a reason. Wrong happens. Let us not slide into denial but to do the earnest work of real Christ. Being God we do not hide from you wrong intentions and desires, all is know to You. Let us Love because this is what Jesus did. Remembering in this season, Jesus is Jesus not Santa. In reality Jesus had people who never drew close to Him. Buying the world a coke is Santa. Being merciful to the ones we are given is Jesus saying the one who shows compassion is our neighbor. We can be as loving as You equip us to be and ask for more hearts of love. But YOU are GOD and you are Salvation and Reconciliation.

It would be impossible to be Jesus. But Thank God HE IS. Happy are the people who realize they have a Savior and HE is fulfillment. In this peace, we find the day sufficient and we draw Strength to be Love.

Bless the Christians like Stacey who see the work they did to be love and polite to their son-in-law becomes fruit for thank you. And for her heart saying Hallelu-Yah. (Not everyone would, some people like the excuse to hate.) Thank you and courtesy lead forward to Love. And the work of relationship - the hassle that Scripture says Church is - leads to the fruit of Love. And work towards this leads to the Real Thing. Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

The Paintings are by Wolf Kahn. The ideas are the beauty I see in Emporium,PA and around Houston, Texas

Give us the Day - what we are looking for is - Help us Father God in the power of Your Holy Spirit to Bring Your Heaven to Earth. To do that we need more Holy Spirit. Amen.

No matter what we do, until Jesus sets the time - we are Sojourners. We, as people of the Holy Spirit, we want to solve problems, be merciful, help others, love ourselves, and find the balance to be effective for Him.

The Goal of God is to Save the World. Fortunately for us, that is HIS Salvation and His Workmen go home, but the Work of God continues. Today.

We have some realizations and steps to look at to help Him. Biblical steps.

1. PRAY

This isn't anything but Alpha and Omega. The first step is prayer. Why. This is reconciliation. If we aren't in the realization that all - and I mean all - of our thoughts are His, we have missed a crucial step. He is part of our inner workings - creating our brains.

We begin in the same place as Joshua. Most of us have lives that need constant prayer and some fixing. Joshua was fixing a plan of God called the Exodus that seemingly went awry. Yet I bet if you asked Father God, He might say He had this covered with His Plan. A very real demonstration that we have to pray and pay the electric bill.

Joshua - not to the right nor the left. Balance.

We are pressed by facts, circumstance, boundaries He gives us and opinions. God would probably call this weapons of war. And let's prove that with Scripture.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

Prayer sees us wander off. He tells us let Him bear our burdens. Come back, our Father gently says to us. This is love. This conversation is only labelled prayer, what we really are saying is dwell in Him.

Jeshua. This is what Jesus was called in His day to day life. Jeshua gave His work to Joshua. I think Jeshua probably really liked Joshua quite a bit.

Reward. Joshua wanted to fix things. God Gave him that desire. Prayer has a reward. God is good with His blessings like that. God is seeking the core - the heart of us called Soul.

1 Peter 2:25
For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

2. LEAVE THE JUDGMENTS TO GOD

You simply will not find a verse in 3,000 pages of Scripture saying help Him Judge others.

Repent. We need to. We heedlessly, needlessly judge others and in fact we have to reveal ourselves and our discernment to label others. Point at someone and three fingers point back at you and one finger hides.

What we are doing when we label someone - is  - doing something we have to do. Discern. We are told to acquire Wisdom. Knowledge uses discernment to deal with others doing what...

Zechariah 7
8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

This one is even better than Micah 6:
8 He has shown you, O mortal, 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.

Zechariah says look out for fatherless people, widows, poor - work for them go out of your way to cross your yard, the hallway, the room to take care of them. God says Reagan Economics works from the top down, but Christians work from the no-reward bottom up.

Scripture has gotten old. Actually Scripture is alive, but the adversaries of good - even Christians - will laugh at the sheer goodness of that. Service can be used as a power game. Leaving the victim too proud to serve when service is completely in His Plan. Alcoholics Anonymous uses a book called the Blue Book. People love that Blue Book. It is the Scripture run through a blender so we cannot recognize the subtitles.

Case in point:

Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

If we say my dear friend is helping her elderly mother, who is very ill, every day and we sent her a hallmark card and tuck in that Scripture, she might be very busy and say to herself that she is not enjoying her sufferings.

Well the evil one likes us to think HE enjoys our sufferings. And perverts our thinking that hair shirts and failing to communicate to suffer for His Glory is His. Um Nope. God communicates.

If I send her a card and say - Your daily perseverance for your difficult, difficult time shows How Much you Love Him. In this suffering, you will always have the treasure knowing you did so Right by your mom. You will OVERCOME this suffering. Your perseverance shows your character in Him, your great heart that loves. We know in Jesus that our Hope is that He has many rooms for us in His Home and you will not ever hurt forever because God's love assures us that He has given us His promises. The Holy Spirit gives you, dear one, your heart. And this is filled with Him. His Great Love.

Then we have applied God's Word in Love, not thrown up a phrase that needs to be applied. We would hardly go out into our yards and pick up leaves to wear (sounds familiar) but we need to apply the work to the cotton and loom it and fashion it and APPLY THIS.

4. BALANCE ***

Proverbs 4:27 ‎
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Isaiah 30:21
Then thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, that ye not turn to the right hand and that ye not turn to the left hand.

Deuteronomy 28:12-14
The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. (Joshua)(And when there was prayer in schools, our nation was the lender. And we did not see these violent acts.)

All is Lost. Pray. And look for the ways HE will lead you to a Higher Path.

All is well. People who have been helped, actively seek to help others. We do not rest in one angle. Cast your bread upon the waters, in many days it will return to you. Got that handy little verse from my mom, who learned it from Jeshua.

Anger - why. Use big words and keep trying. We are a nation of this. God uses weakness and we need to fight the good fight. Jesus was known to be angry. Just keep Him in the front of your words, prayers and actions. Speak up even if your voice squeaks.

Forgiveness - lack thereof can cause anger. Check it and see.

Cold - are we sure that the Lake of Fire is hot?

Lukewarm - I don't know you well and your troubles are not mine. Locate that in Scripture. God says this He spits out of His mouth. This is what we see when we look up and down our streets and see no visitors. America today has two friends, if they are fortunate. We do FB instead of lunch with co-workers. And gleefully proclaim - didn't see them for two years and still friends - friends reach out. My mom discovered after her divorce, no on wanted a crying woman. And it took her about ten years to recover from the shock of being left - for a friend. And one day she decided - she had a mission. To call people every other day she enjoys - in just a couple of years she has lots of things to do and people who are thrilled to be cared for. She says the secret is - not to expect much back - to give. Good for my mom!!!

Impressions, Nonverbal, and Life. One day tells its tale to another. Life is made up of moments. ***Tim Keller says we rarely have a day that is Major Life Decisions. Life is made up of moments telling the next moment. Tiny nano moments - how we respond to one another. *** One more ounce of patience. One more rebuke with justice fully in our corner -still believing that person Is Worthy and Can do this . Teaching is one more way to encourage and Not be lofty. Love - pray to God who replenishes our heart. Gratitude is the attitude with dig and journaling three things He bring you each day.

Joy - ¨*:•.SUPER.•:*¨¨*:•.AWESOME.•:*¨¨*:•.PERFECT.•:*¨¨*:•.THANKS!!!:*¨¨*:•.
1 Timothy 3:16
the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.

Got Joy? Proclaim it! Jesus was known to eat and drink. Share the love. It's the real thing. Jesus.

Perfect Peace - Wow this is elusive. Or it should be. 

Really. This is a Gift of God. A miracle.

Life rests in angles. Clark tells the events of his children being in car crashes and his wild ride to the next city at night to find them safe miraculously. And he had peace even in the concern. But Clark is not known for walking around serenely all the time. If Clark were serene all the time, then he is not fighting the Good Fight. The Word of God is about distress and overcoming a lot.

Peace is when life surrounds you with alligators and events known to your heart and still you have hope. And it ebbs and flows. God motivates us in the storms of life and assures us this too will pass. I would bet if you took Paul's BP when the shipwreck was wildly occurring, it was elevated - however Paul Believed that God would see them through.

Evangelism. The TV evangelists who smile all the time - like a mask when we have every right to be affronted are not convincing. This is probably what happened to the Moral Majority. Let Love be Genuine.  You have to weep with the weepers, be strong with the strong ones, be aware of the currents around you. Paul said be all things to the people around you.

We Christians have faked being too nice. Be genuine instead. Smiling is Not being nice when the smiling is not appropriate.

We can't believe the subtitles. All of Scripture is usually quite messy. Samson's parents went way overboard from seeing an angel go up in fire. Unwed mothers, deafness unexplained, eating the body and blood of Christ. People have begun to be affronted again with the idea God would have His Son die. We should be impassioned about that. George Carlin did a horrific stand up routine on why our Bible is ridiculous. It was pure evil. Scripture has to be lived, we have to SEEK THIS TO OBTAIN THIS.

5. PERFECTION

 NoW WhAt iS ThIs I wOnDerrr.... Oh cmon this is funny.

God calls the righteous.
Jesus actually said God Calls sinners. Look at your minister next time more closely.

~ Noah was a drunk
~ Abraham was too old
~ Isaac was a daydreamer
~ Jacob was a liar
~ Leah was ugly
~ Joseph was abused
~ Moses had a stuttering problem
~ Gideon was afraid
~ Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
~ Rahab was a prostitute
~ Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
~ David was an adulterer and a murderer
~ Elijah was suicidal
~ Isaiah preached naked
~ Jonah ran from God
~ Naomi was a bitter widow
~ Job went bankrupt
~ John the Baptist ate bugs
~ Peter denied Christ
~ The disciples fell asleep while praying
~ Martha worried about everything
~ The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once)
~ Zaccheus was too small
~ Timothy had an ulcer
~ Lazarus was dead!

Now this list does not include Daniel and John. And you have to say this about them. They were perfect. And then. They saw things. Now that is scary. I think it might be this... The Tower of Babel occurred when mankind was just a little tooo. Paul isn't on the list. Now we know what his problem, privately, unnamed was. Actually, many prophetic people believe Paul had arthritis of the knees and continued to go down the path. Not wanting to complain too much to overcome his mission but realizing the mission was bigger than his results.

Perfection is the fulfillment of God. God is Not jazzing around about all these phrases  - -  our well worn and too large and too streamlined educational system would not give us the creativity to create.

I've seen, in a dream, the fulfillment of my beloved(!) Grandmother Bit (her nickname). Perfection in Him is Astonishing! In Texas, we have these streams that make gullies and ruts, due to seasonal changes, but in Wyoming that living water is lush and abundant and fills with Glory to the brim.

Which brings us back to ray, A drop of Golden Light. Peace - a name...
If our peace is 'all about us' - are we fulfilled? Happy is NOT Peace. Kabbalah is taking Scripture and Torah and creating a system of numbers and fables and creates an outcome - all about me. This is not fulfilling. Peace is not religious pride. Besides if you sit and think about yourself all the time - this is not going to be interesting and not be fun. It just isn't. 

Looking UP to Him is so refreshing. Goodness and Love wanting to save the world. That is how abundant God's Love it.

If we look like we are in HIM and go around smiling and looking fulfilled because we are happy - are we missing this - definitely-------

Romans 5
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

My family says we are one part pride and two parts fear - so in the Perfection Category I'd say this is His Teaching. hhhhmmm hmmmm hmmm hmmm

6. HASSLE

On Hassle avoidance. Man, we need to think on this. God says that this is part of life.
The work of God is that Men believe. He says so. 

We can absolutely  -   sterilize our lives   -   avoiding hassle.   Sooo squeaky. Soooo ....

John 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

All of God's Scripture provides for the fact people hassle each other. God hassled Himself for us, continually. And God promises us HE equips us to do His work. How? We have to believe in the signs and Words He would bring our lives. If you ask Him for a sign and you gittit - do you gittit?

Are you a Christian if you do what is always comfortable to you? Lord, Lord and all who call to Him will be called His.

It's not the comfy chair, this is Fight the Good Fight. Not salmon up.

Ask Him. Earnestly. Christians are supposed to go the extra mile. Because they have been forgiven.

Father God takes all of our doubts about faith and becomes the Father who we can relate Jesus' life to. What we believe God would be. He steps down from His Righteousness and Holiness and says - remembers Jesus lived among us having compassion and love. He takes our doubts and covers them in One Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and makes us reconciled as One Body of Christ. Jesus bore our sins on the cross. In boldness and confidence, we can run to Him as the Prodigal saw His Father return to him. 

If it's uncomfortable - are you uncalled? If you meet the basic requirements are you on the approval list? 

We go the extra mile, because we know God has work for us to do. This is a good thing. Solomon said work is what makes life meaningful and worth while.  Is work comfortable?

7  VICTORY

To obtain Victory in our bringing Heaven to Earth. We need to effectively speak the language of the person we are talking to. There are love languages and we must understand the person we bring His Love to. 

Have we done what Peter does if we say get behind me? 

Listening is what Jesus did when HE asks people questions we know HE knew. We have to understand the person we talk with.  Not expect them to just follow us.  Leading someone to Christ is not leading. And looking like old TV programs of goodness. 


We are not Salvation. HE is and HE equips us when this is the work He would bring us. Sometimes we are a seed. Sometimes we are like Lincoln and learning from each non-success. Nervous? God works within us when we do His will. Sometimes nervousness is the genuineness that is needed. HE equips us for our task. Believe this.

Speak up even when you voice squeaks, Fight the Good Fight. Not the comfy chair of relax, relax. All about you and your comfort is boring. Life has to fought over to be meaningful. Surely we can un-tv some. Provide a meal. Learn a new skill. Broaden the adventure when Jesus says Give Us the Day. Living Bread is to be held with Joy.

8. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ~ AT HAND 

Walls
Gates
Languages ~
Redemption
Reconciled.

Did you know the Kingdom of Heaven is written to have twelve Gates?
And Gates in the Scriptures close at night. However.
In Heaven, God is our Light. The Gates of Heaven will never close. Because the Gate is one pearl and the Light of God never ceases.

Walls fall. Barriers like languages - are removed. Because what is spoken is Fulfillment in God.

LOVE is the objective.

This takes us back to prayer, because we began with prayer as the Alpha and the Omega is Him. Reconciliation. HE is the objective. He is Love.

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1 Kings 19: 4 - 8



4
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers."
5
And he lay down and slept under a broom tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat."
6
And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank, and lay down again.
7
And the angel of the LORD came again a second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you."
8
And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 

9/8/9


Elijah received real care from Father God in a time of need. Today, my oldest son was traveling home from Houston on I-45. It hasn't rained in a long, long time, we are in a stage 4 drought. At about 10 a.m. he slid, on new tires, across 4 lanes of traffic with cars all around him. During the slide his car rotated 540'. He narrowly missed a concrete barrier. When he came to a halt, he was facing oncoming traffic. All the cars and all the objects had been missed and he was not harmed. Thank God for His mercy. Thank You, Father God.

We always give Thanks for remembering great mercies He has truthfully called, bestowed, upon us. It seems trivial to add our Thanksgiving leaves are some of the most beautiful ever, but we need a reminder that season of our lives change and we take the time to continue to be grateful. In the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Daniel 1 ~ knowledge and understanding

Daniel 1

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.




And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.


Have you noticed something about Daniel? People who teach Sunday School love Daniel. And people who are new Christians worry about Daniel. Yep, the Lions await you. You are going to be sent with lots of approval to Somalia and the pirates are your charge. Tally - ho. Bon voyage!!! Roar of approval - like we all used to do as kids - hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaa Wave Now.

Daniel isn't like Joseph. Noooooooo. Daniel is what the indians call a poor hunter - a veg- et-ar-ian. Now, let's be kind. I'm sure God loves Daniel too.

No, I'm kidding, God equips us to do His work. Frankly, Daniel was needed to be a Perfect to get the attention of three Emperors and get the Exiles back to Israel. God put Daniel just were he was needed and caused good things to happen for him. However, this is a most unusual story in Scripture. It's like Hezekiah seeing the sun move backwards. Usually there isn't much acclaim in doing His work. And usually there is a lot of struggle like Joseph. And even when Joseph was chosen - you don't hear of Joseph's perfections - but of his willingness to be humble and forgiving.

Now if you were Pope and you sang that to the tune of "If I were King of the Forest". It's a catchy tune. I bet you did that.

NOW IF YOU WERE POPE FOR THE DAAAAY. What would you do with that? Me - I'd have prime rib.

Actually, I have an agenda. Quelle Surprise. I would say this - we are not in the days were families typically look like this:

and what we are watching on TV does not look like this:

And Pope Francis is saying even atheists have a shot at His Kingdom with good works.

I'd have to say to the new Pope - I drove past the convent in Houston - and I realized - I don't want to live there. But if you gave me the opportunity to live on a farming Monastery with the opportunity to read the Word of God and feed people each day - you betcha. But there is a caveat - we have to agree that Jesus healed a specific person - Peter's Mother-in-Law.

And Jesus didn't look over at Peter and say, "Well, one of your imperfections is that you are married." Jesus was known to be a communicator for - for - for - GOD. Yep. Jesus knows God pretty well.

Pope Francis, sir, Jesus had a team of people go out for HIM to give up lives and hearth for Jesus. They are recorded as Authors of Scripture. Yes, Jesus' brothers. The Scriptures know the word for cousin - that is used for Elizabeth. And Jude, Jesus' brother records that Evangelism is for all people, but we need to stay in His Word to see HIM work well. Jude is bashed, but Jude ends very well with love.

Theologians come and go - but St. Thomas Aquinas had some very Anita Bryant ideas about women. Ever wonder where the idea that blondes are dumb came from... thank you, St. Thomas Aquinas. Seems redheads are harlots and brunettes are greedy. But only if you are sans penis. St. Thomas Aquinas did NOT want to get married. So badly he locked himself away in a tower. Unfortunately for us, he rather stayed in a tower the rest of his life. No huggie, no kissie until you are a Bride of Christ. But if you are a Priest - you sure better not get married.

Well, Daniel needed to be perfect. And God used him to make an amazing miracle. But the Second Temple, without the Ark returning to it, was stuck on perfections and didn't fire up the Essenes except out. This is a Work of God, but most of God's work is Him overcoming Weaknesses and not perfections to be miracles.

Pope Francis, evangelism is good. Or we go far over and fail to feed the ones already in the flock while appealing to atheists and those people who never will care to be part of Church. Not even our Lord could bring in some of the people. 

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

Who is our Neighbor? The one Jesus said who shows mercy. A parable about who deserves our mercy, giving mercy to people in need. However, some people never did show Jesus mercy. Negative attention getters can't be revered. The sheep of the flock show mercy. Feed the people showing the mercy.  (Pope Francis, the Church has maligned the married - why not use this resource? And if we are going with the idea that God calls the righteous and those forsake marriage - no, Matthew 6:12 says God calls sinners.) 


So let's letter rip - that's a joke. We need all the Word of God the Nicene Council brought us at great peril and risk of life.

Our culture is changing. I bet a lot of us recognize this -

Yes "The 300". King Leonidas and Emperor Xerxes discuss surrender. We are SO Stuck on the subtitles we should be called salmon and not people.

We do this to Scripture too. Immediately after seizing the kingship, Darius I of Persia (son of Hystaspes) married Atossa (daughter of Cyrus the Great). Then Xerxes claimed he was sprung from Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, and that it was Cyrus who had won the Persians their freedom.

Xerxes married a gal named Esther. You could see their tombs in Iran today. And here is the shape of Xerxes tomb, to the left.


Xerxes is monotheistic. And part of your Bible today. This is the king portrayed in modern movies, like "300", and video war games as ruthless and wholly corrupt. The Scriptures show a lot of suggestions are made to the king all the time, but the Book of Esther begins with Xerxes re-thinking his actions. This is a man favored with God's help, a plot against him is averted by his choice of new queen and the queen's family.

We accept willingly this Emperor was corrupt. And fail to see we don't delve into images. We allow the subtitles to dictate to us.

Scripture isn't about Jesus meek and mild. Jesus was born to an unwed mother. God did not have to do that. God did not have to make John the Baptist's father mute. Seems rather impolite. It's the fight and the struggle that God uses to refine us. Fight the Good Fight but don't salmon up.

Jesus was recognized as Joseph's own grown son twice in the Gospels. Look that up. It's important. This is about blending people back into the world to urge the world to look to Him. It's about not looking like the 1950s to the world. It's having a place to go if your child lives with a significant other. Only in Church is this considered to be a bad thing. ME? I'm for Marriage. I'm for doing the hard work. But let's be real. In the world you are supposed to apologize, if you are not for living together.

We are facing this divide. Put on your 'we all get along' with the subtitles and just love one another. And have struggles for who presents themselves in a 'we can use them' fashion. We have to be real where we are to learn to deal with our culture. Not just do like they did in World War II reading the readings and ignoring the bombs. We have to be in the world. We cannot ostrich up in Church and be equipped. 

We need to embrace God using weakness to make the path straight. Not forgetting when up to our rear in alligators the goal was to make the Higher Path Encouraging and Welcoming. Not put on your best and most fake, get the job, appearance. 

Or we can say Daniel is unique, gifted, talented and we won't make fun of him. Employ the Gospel of Love. Even the perfect ones need love too.

Then we are so acclimated to Church that we look rather foreign in the work place. In our neighborhood. The Church as a whole unit needs to be both Daniel and John the Baptist. The Word of God is about blending our Higher Path into a place of Encouragement.

We hold maxims because we remember them. We readily remember 'don't let the sun go down on your anger'. 'Turn the other cheek'. And we hold them to be the immediate Biblical answer. Yet sometimes turning the other cheek is exactly what the evil one would want. Sometimes we have to employ "Rebuke the devil and he will flee from you." Exactly like, if people are not going to reason with you, why provoke another fight but sometimes the fight is what they did in Scripture ... to learn. WE have to apply the right Scripture for the right solution. In Prayer. In checking the true reality of our goals.

What would we do if Jesus could see us thinking... HE is there.

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Luke 2:8-14 ~ Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:8-14

 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the song of the angels is stilled.
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the kinds and princes are home.
When the shepherds are back with their flock.
The work of Christ(mas) begins:

The find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Alleluia! Unto us a child is born.                                                                   ~Author Unknown

Where were those Angels after Gabriel had said he stands in the Presence of God...

Psalms 103:21
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.

Nehemiah 9:6
"You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You."

1 Kings 22:19-22
Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left."

Where is Jesus in this?

Hebrews 1:6
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship Him.”

So... where were the Angels???

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name.

He knows all the Host of Heaven by name. Where where the Angels?

2 Kings 6:5-
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

And Jesus Himself tells us where the Angels were for Him.

Matthew 26:53
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

and on earth Peace among those with whom He is pleased!”




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Psalm 5 ~ O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice

Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.


4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.


7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.

9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.


11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.

 What about prayer?

James 4:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person availeth much.

Without the Power in the Name of Jesus, not much is accomplished. Especially when we Know Jesus came to save sinners. However when we ask for HIS will earnestly, explaining to Him from willing hearts, anticipating His goodness in wanting to save the entire world, giving HIM the humility of knowing His will is wonderful, then in the still of a quiet heart - His Word goes forth - on this we can completely trust - lives change and the weary world rejoices.

Hospitals and huge doctors offices give me the shudders. My son was in the Neonatal Ward for Christmas about two decades ago; the feeling is of the world out there in bustling joy while you are in deep sinking fear. Hospitals help so many people, but I'd just rather not see a sign that says nuclear medicine and have life flights coming in. The fear is palatable and I long for my home and velor blanket like Linus.

What can we do when buying the world a Coke isn't really an option -

Philemon

4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ

Which is going to please our Father God more...

A) Thinking, "And that poor soul with that affliction - oh man - I totally forgot to pray. Wow, I'm so wrong. I'm so bad at this prayer thing. I'd hate that to happen to me. Oh...now there's a prayer. Dang. I'm bad at prayer. Okay here goes" - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Lorddddddddd waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over there. Up there. Um. Heavenly Father (dang I'm bad at this) could you please (man, this never works) and (does He really care...what are the chances...) OH. Um and please move YOURRRR HAND and um Heal. Amen. Oh. In Jesus. um that. (Well, that prayer hit the ceiling onnnnne moooooore time.)

B) Love fills our heart. And worry and selfish concern. A little guilt maybe. Or perhaps a BING on your only eternal part - your soul. Maybe even a sigh. God might chuckle. He can address this in a letter to you. The Holy Spirit helps you, even your weakness. You don't know what to pray, your Father God Himself intercedes for you with groanings you have difficulty bringing forth reasonably. He searches hearts knowing what is on your mind, and of the Spirit, because Jesus intercedes for us according to the will of God. Romans 8:26.

Now flowchart with me - if prayer A shows up... swat it down with prayer B. And repeat. Endlessly!!! God is the Spirit who had His first sign - making wine for His Mom - at a party. Now tell me that He did not consume wine at parties.

Luke 7:34
The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Matthew 11:19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."

Who said "The Joy of the Lord is my Strength"? Jesus.

Who said "the prayer of a righteous person availeth much"? Same Spirit. Those who seek Jesus earnestly - find Him. How do we know? His Word.

Proverbs 8:17 - Bronze Age Solomon
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29 - Moses age Long Ago.
If you will seek the LORD your God, then you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and soul.

Isaiah 55:6-7 - 700 years before Jesus
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

The Dead Sea scrolls remind us the Scriptures  (also draw information from the Septuagint - amazing)  match these Dead Sea scrolls showing these papyrus were so intent to be accurate  - they fit together almost perfectly. Saying God wants to save the entire world.

Continuing to James, the Brother of Jesus - commented upon in a rebuke fashion a few, sibling, times in Scripture for James being "of the world."

James 4:8
Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

God loves you. Mark 6:34
Jesus has compassion on you, because you were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching

There are extensive needs around us all the time - God loves when we give HIM our thoughts that dart in and out and turn that into prayer for those we know of needing prayer. My Church and my neighborhood have seen prayers answered and this only gives HIM more gladness to pour out a blessing. Prayer is effective. We have to believe our conversations to HIM are like the Syrian woman who gave Jesus humility in our earnestness and Love.

 

we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture

Father God, we open our hearts to You. So many extensive needs. So many unspoken needs. We ask You to be earnestly present and bring forth Heaven to earth in Your Will and Your Way, Truth, and Life. In Jesus. Amen!

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