Luke 9: Bring your son here

Akiane Kramarik. At age 4, Akiane painted her vision of Jesus Christ, which Colton of "Heaven is For Real" said they finally got one picture of the risen Jesus right. See the Shroud portraits of Jesus are similar and bring forth the idea of our new bodies given to us after our lives begin after victory over death.

Luke 9

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.



7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.




10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.


12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.

17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.




18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”


23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”





28 About eight days after Jesus said this
, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.




37 The next day,
 when they came down from the mountain,
a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”


41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.



While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.


46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”


49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”


51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,
Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”

55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”


59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

 


Einstein wrote of reading the Gospels, as Jew, and seeing the pervasive personality of Jesus - alive and welcoming.
 
Christians will sometimes say the Bible is clique a series of phrases people say to bring comfort. They were raised up with Scripture and do things like turn to Buddhism when they have cancer. Why? We have neglected to really let the Word of God seep into us. This Great Salvation - we should not neglect.

In the middle of the passage is incredible loss.
Profound.
Jesus has 8 days of His life and this ministry had become - heal the sick and bring forth the Holy Spirit of God in the fullness of God. 8 days we will not see. The Gospel of John tells us John witnessed Jesus do so many things the world could not contain all the books.  Buddhism? Gotama had some very important flaws. A similar story, my grandmother Anita was a lay minister in the Methodist Church for 42 years teaching a Bible Study;  Anita said of course Buddhism and Confucius. Because the people of Confucius had no idea  Jerusalem existed. Unaware - God wanted to live among His people.

Shroud image of Jesus as a boy, forensic study

What would the difference be in these people seeking God? They continually seek God, running after Him. Unknowing, never having been told of the Salvation and The Great Victory over death - Jesus Christ and the prophet Isaiah tell us God will be...Found.

Portraits of Christ from the sixth Century, compared with the face on the Shroud, have close similarities. And early Christian art before the 4th Century.

Grandmother Anita also said when she read Confucius - she usually found turned to the Bible to find  corresponding Scripture.  Grandmother had great love for Confucius - saying this was the journey of a man seeking His Lord.

Jesus speaks
after spending the night on the mountain. His Father has come to comfort Jesus to prepare Jesus for a massive, horrible ordeal. He looks at the generation unable to reach fully to God Almighty, saying


“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?"

Can we fault Jesus for having this genuine emotion?
Jesus displays one of the important fruits of Galatians 5 - telling us the difference between being spiritually filled and in terrible, profound need of a Father's Love.

Jesus displays - His Love and in Truth, regaining Self-control - healing of a father and his only child.
"Bring your son here.”

What is Jesus bringing us today - as we return to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.
 
Jesus is bringing forth this -

Giving His believers authority - immediately - Jesus has expectations - Jesus expects His disciples to feed the people. (Jesus did not find out if they were Roman or Jewish first.)

Proclaiming the good news and healing people - everywhere

Jesus welcomed the people

Jesus fed the people until they were satisfied - never wanting them to be hungry.

Jesus was interested in the thoughts of the people and then centered on the person He was in conversation with.

Jesus was fully God - He was praying to Father God - with His Disciples - here in this Passage.

Jesus sees in this passage - twice people think reincarnation is possible. George Carlin was right - to do this someone is printing up souls - we have more people alive today than in the history of the world. Jesus does not agree with reincarnation.

Jesus does not come into life thinking life is here to reward Jesus. Jesus expects His disciples to want to give more than to receive. Jesus boldly says give back more than you hope God is going to give to you. Jesus did not have a real place to put His head. Remember with me, Jesus rebuked the people who just wanted the bread, the power, the acclaim.

The Fire of Judgment - Verse 54 - Jesus is not welcomed and still - Jesus rebukes us when we want to be or have the Judgment of God to Judge powerfully.

Bring your son here

 Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Jesus tells us we over-think God. The situation is simple. God gathers us to Him. When you believe upon Jesus, the Son of God, God draws you tenderly to Him. You are the Child He runs to. Just as Jesus has given and given and given in this passage. Jesus says God is for you - He is not against you.


Father God, You said the Law is summed up with Love others as ourselves.

Abide. We want to abide in the awareness of Your Love. Please keep us and the ones we love in joy by thinking upon whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise - let us abide in this in You.

We thank You for Your forgiveness and Love for us past our transgressions. Thank You.

Prayer IS with You, Father, to simply be in Jesus. Father, You Give Generously Your Beautiful Love. Thank You. Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

 

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Luke 2: Suddenly

Luke 2

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”


Pretty familiar words. Words to remember and rejoice.

And this is familiar:


Isaiah 6

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Lord Jesus always cover us with Your Righteousness.
So many things today are understood more clearly. So many archaeological discoveries in the last years. The man healed of blindness is healed by Jesus in the way we know today of brain injury recovery. The boat immediately at the other side - quantum physics. The Hubble Telescope explains smoke in the Temple and Heaven.

Surely we must see the Throne of God in new understanding. With glee - God is about the beauty of the earth we know and the magnificence of the Universe. Glory that man mimics in things like fireworks and rock operas and Heavenly Choirs. God fully understands why we would turn the radio up as loud as we could to be shaken by sound.

Heaven might be baffling to the chariot and covered wagon people - yet we have an understanding of the Roar of Magnificence.

One of the Twelve Open Gates of Heaven

Ezekiel 43
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. 3 And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when hea came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, 7and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.

Matthew 17
2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

These are passages of Scripture that begin to reflect the Glory of God. From Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and
Paul - these men of Scripture have been this close to Our Father God Almighty in His Kingdom. John reports in Revelation the Father shone with His face not seen to John.

We read Father God has dotted Heaven with objects we readily understand like trees and bright, shining water running right by His Throne.

Revelation 22
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Not just the resplendency of the Seraphim above our Lord Father God. And the awe of the Universe bring forth stars - we learn of the importance of all our senses.

Revelation 8
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

We know today our magnetosphere connects all the earth's lightning and the sun's flairs are intact to our lightning.

Revelation 4 has an amazing, brilliant splendor - spectacular, exaltedness of our God.

John sees a door standing and open to Heaven. The people our Father God has returned from Heaven tell us not just a door - indeed a door - a dimension falls away.

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!

And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

This is a familiar voice - the voice of Jesus saying breakfast is fixed on the beach after Jesus has Triumphed over Crucifixion. A Voice of Love. Come up here!

Like the journey of Paul, who was "caught up to the third heaven" and "heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell" 2 Corinthians 12:2

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold!

A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder,
and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire,
which are the seven spirits of God,
and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

These God asked of Solomon to place on the Temple Curtain.


And around the throne, on each side of the throne,
are four living creatures,
full of eyes in front and behind:
the first living creature like a lion,
the second living creature like an ox,
the third living creature with the face of a man,
and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.


And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

Creation - chosen, created, special, with a purpose of God. All of creation waits. Birds, flowers, fish, trees, animals - great and small. For the revealing of the Sons of God.

Romans 8
This present time - not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing all of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

God answers us - if life is a test to reveal our hearts - God has subjected us to hope.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope.

Life is sufficient each day when we look to the blessings. And still, each day has mundane aspects to maintain a regular life - this is when faith and hope call to us, unseen. We build a life in the small moments.



Father God, I want to be in that number!
And with each day, draw our hearts to 
be
a pleasing, inviting, favorable place
for Your Holy Spirit to dwell. Faith, hope, Love, Joy. In Jesus, Amen.

Thank You, Jesus!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

 

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John 6:1-69 ~ “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Maciek Kozierski walks on water, Sea of Galilee

John 6:1-69

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.

11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”

13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.


16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat,
and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.


22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 

26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 

30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 

32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 

34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 

40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 

43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 

47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 

48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 

61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 

67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 

Jesus is the Holy One of God

Inspiring People today. Living Bread. Living Scripture.

To ‘walk on water‘ is a well-known saying, said Poland’s kite surfing pioneer Maciek Kozierski. As one of the world's best kite surfers, he long had a vision of himself walking on water. For Kozierski it was a matter of honor that he accomplish the feat without tricks or any technical assistance.

Together with a team that included six-time Israeli wakeboard champion Lior Eliyahu and photographers Predrag Vuckovic from Serbia and Joerg Mitter from Austria he spent four days on the Sea of Galilee on their project codenamed simply "Miracle".

We spent four full days on the water directly in front of the world-famous church at Capernaum. The plan: Kozierski would use his kite to acclerate to maximum speed, then step off the board and release the kite - and then walk on water. The difficulty: when the wind was strong the waves were too high and when the surface was calm there was not enough wind. The 26-year-old athlete from Warsaw crashed hard into the water at high speed more than 50 times and had to repeat the whole attempt time and time again.

The released kite was once damaged after flying halfway across the sea. On another attempt he missed the photographers in the water and on boats. On the last day he finally accomplished the feat and got the perfect “miracle“ shot: Maciek Kozierski walking on water and in the background is the historic church.

"And we did it without any tricks or smoke and mirrors," he said proudly.

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.

Millenniums people have aspired to bring the Love Jesus has for us alive.
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

This generation has found more Biblical archaeology. 

More unique ways to Worship.

This generation is running a race to win.  Striving in new ways.

Father God, we pray this is to have more hearts to You. In Jesus the Lord God. Amen.

Thank You, Jesus!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

 

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