Romans 16 ~ To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Romans 16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 

5 Greet also the church in their house.

 Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.

6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 

8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 

9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 

10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 

11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 

12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 

13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. (Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross?)

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Have you stopped lately to think about Christianity from the 1970s and today?

A gentle time. People made a lot of handcrafts. Housing was pretty affordable - Congress had not yet passed legislation that two incomes could apply for a house - then housing sky-rocketed. Our Dallas home increased in value by doubling. This is forty years after the idea of mortgages came to being in the world - before this people paid cash for affordable homes they owned for generations. 1930s - Started out innocently enough - oh no - sheer horrors a 2% note...

Ok, back to the 1970s, it was a gentle time. The Vietnam War was ending - people held love ins and sat holding hands. Mostly the USA was married. TV was gentle. Laugh tracks were loud.

Christianity? That's nice. We all should love the Lord. Not get too pushy with that - all you need to do to understand where that person stood was the perfectly acceptable, "What denomination are you?" Then mostly all your questions were answered because people were generally going to throw out how many times they went.

There were definite perks to this - if you watch the movies from the 1950 Academy Award Winners - you are seeing some of the finest movies - and send someone to view those movies - Like "Marty" and "Mrs. Miniver" "Roman Holiday" - they return seriously impressed with good cinema.

Yes, I'm staying in this era - by saying - the entertainment had "topics" but usually we were warned of the consequences of being not so nice. TV was not so entertaining us that the agenda needed babysitting.

And now we have none of the peace and quiet PTA meetings of post era - gum chewing, talking, homework loss of the past eras. We face far more significant situations now.



HOWEVER, we are not going to do the waaa waaas. Just as Roman influenced housing has swept in and in - we see we have a parallel to the Roman Empire again.

And how are we handling this new world? The Acts of the Apostles really had people seeing love given. Two cloaks? No, we are not talking about donating to someone through The Salvation Army. We are talking about a cloak is given to someone in need that we know their name and their father drinks. Or the heat isn't afforded. The World changed for believing Christians offering Love and Prayer and not judgments. People who put themselves out to help others.

All of Life is a Balance God tells Joshua - Weep with those who Weep, Rejoice with those who Rejoice.
But in as much as is it up to you get along with others. I.E. Don't lead the band wagon on why the world is sooo awful.

What do we do with this at  Church ?

For one thing - we have people - Who have made themselves Encouragers = Barnabas. They go forth to smile, to hug and to ENCOURAGE. Just like this very passage. Kirk, Cindy, Disala, Sharon, Justina, Hillary, Jack, and the multitude of people we all have named Lewis - like Dee. Our hallways and Atrium are as friendly as Romans 16.

 This is the Exact Look Cindy Beaumont is going to wear when she Goes Home, Years from Now, To her HOME with Jesus! If you see Cindy weep during the Service - that's the Holy Spirit - Touching her Heart.

So how is Church reacting to the World at Large? 

We have events like the Apartment Outreach.

Our rather - on the smaller side Congregation - is one of the largest Volunteer bases at PACN - where parents are helped to parent their kids in really effective outreach.

We have people involved in Redeemed Ministries - because Houston is the 4th Largest City in the USA and one of the USA's largest provider of the sex trades, about 20 minutes from our Church. Slavery still exists.

We have people who go to the schools to find children who need tutoring and Speech Therapy. Donating their time to the Public School System we feel is really a good System due to wonderful Dr. Don Stockton and Principals who stay up all night to look for missing students - Dr. Mark Murrell. Unsung, but highly appreciated for what doesn't show up in the day to day knowledge. We have Hometown Heroes.

We have people who go to shopping malls to pray for people. We have huge groups of people who show up to move single moms with hurt children. We helped feed the Katrina Refugees for 2 months.

This is not the typical busy - this is useful.



Keys to a Useful Life
By Ward Williams


· Illustration: Thomas Huxley said, “A feeling of uselessness is the severest shock that a human system can endure.”

· The secret to a happy life is not in keeping busy, but in being useful.

· The Good Samaritan is a good representation of what it means to be a useful, caring person.

· Big Idea: The ultimate standard of a useful life is not what you think and expect of yourself as much as what you are willing to do for those around you.

Transition: Applying this story to our lives requires concentration on three keys to a useful life.

Avoid the danger of generalities.

· Christianity is not a philosophy; its approach to life is concrete.

· The gospel calls us to test our belief by acting upon it.

- Illustration: A cemetery headstone in England reads, “Here lies Thomas Cobb, who mended shoes in this village for 40 years to the glory of God.”

· Neighborliness is not a generality; it is serving the needs of individuals.

Be aware of what is important.

· Jesus implied that all the religious rituals in the world were not as important as the fellow who lay bleeding beside the road.

· Jesus’ choices were always made in terms of people and their needs.

· The Samaritan did not act out of an expectation for reward or thanks. The Good Samaritan was motivated by a good conscience, a sense of satisfaction, and a desire to be able to say he had led a useful life.

Help others help themselves.

· The Samaritan’s intentions were to get the wounded man on his feet, not to make him dependent upon charity.

· Illustration: Williams works with a nonprofit organization that finances cottage industries in Venezuela to teach skills leading to financial independence.

Conclusion

· Jesus lived the model of usefulness.

- Philippians 2:7;
but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

- Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

· A useful life is not defined by knowing who our neighbors are, but in demonstrating neighborliness. An Example of this is Sharon. No program at Church asked her to have an Open House  for her very quiet street, but she did and the neighbors were a little stunned. And Grateful.

And Lorraine and Henry who brought "Alpha"  to their neighborhood and 6 peoples showed up. They were very disappointed. Three people only remained. And two learned Jesus is their Savior.  In the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" - Henry and Lorraine get to ring the bell - they earned their wings.

  

He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:37

Help, us Father God to prepare the way to Your Plan of a Hope and Future You have given us. Where our talents and gifts making us the unique people we are further the High Path for Jesus Christ the Lord. 

We will weep with those in the valley and encourage them toward better seasons.  We put aside the ideas bringing God's Path of Wonderous Love to a baser knowledge.  We put aside barriers to the real Joy of Jesus proclaiming Jesus is Love, Joy, Truth, Comfort, Peace.  To know Jesus is to know Peace. Where reality is acknowledged and not glossed over - the good fight is fought to real Truth. Where Joy and Love call for Fruitfulness and Kindness blesses those we love, to open all eyes to see the Salvation,

 Such A Great Salvation, We Shall Not Overlook! Jesus Has Won Us the Greatest Victory and We Blaze the Light of Jesus Christ Forth! 

Lord Jesus Only In Your High Name. AMEN!




 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

 

Luke 3 ~ In the fifteenth year

Luke 3

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”


21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."


23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,
38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Abilene, Abilene - prettiest town I've ever seen.  Abilene, Texas was named for John the Baptist. John spoke of the earnest desire to set a path straight for God. And the town looked at the pancake straight, flat geography and decided this was pleasing to God. This is a simple, straight to the point, good pneumatic device for memory.

Why remember straight is the path to the Lord God Almighty? 
Good reason. All people in all nations, in all cultures from all times will see the Gates of Heaven and meet Jesus the Lord. All knees will bow to Jesus the Lord.

All of God's creation has something in Common - we are all headed in the same direction. David called this, in great calm, saying, "I am going the way of all the earth." This passage agrees Creation waits together - as the people were in expectation

All flesh shall see the salvation of God

This does not suggest that all people will remain in salvation.

 Luke did not want to isolate the People of God - the Jews - Luke is bringing people to peace by including the genealogy of Jesus.

People will line up to tell you, sometimes without a lot of thought, that they only follow the Gospel. Or they only follow the New Testament. And the largest part of this dialog will tell you the Old Testament must be a different God.

Now if we, and we do, believe Ephesians 4 is correct and the actual size of the Lord God Almighty's Holy Spirit is actually the size of the Universe - then in actuality and probability - after God wrote so many Letters and Books of the Bible why should HE explain again? God, is after all - God.

I've never confused myself as being God, so let's, for good measure, - let's throw this into the conversation again. The Canaanites and the Assyrians and some in the Babylonian Empire worshiped Baal. Recall with me, Elijah mocked Baal saying Baal was rather pointless because Baal falls way down on the realm of gods, powers and principalities and probably was using the bathroom or napping instead of answering prayers. Is Baal real? Probably as an entity. Baal will bail you out of financial distress - for a cost. Baal asks infant infanticide - the sprinkling of blood on the fields and amazingly, the fact is, blood is a good fertilizer.

The God, our Father God Almighty, said do not be part of these people. Do not allow yourselves to go into a town take their cattle, goats, sheep and get comfortable. God had no desire for His people to look like pirates. God of our Bible has always ABHORRED Human life as a sacrifice to God the Creator. The Tribes of Israel ran into the same difficulty as Solomon - they started marrying into - Jacob marrying Leah - and these little entities hung on. In the Christian world, we say, all this is a jumble and we call this a fallen world that truly needs Jesus and the Father to hold us and say He will absolve of us of the weariness of sorting this out. God is going to cover us with the name of Jesus and say - My Child - This is Forgiven. Taking the summation of all of this and all of that and the human motivations working, working, working and say JESUS IS LORD.




 

God of the Universe - pretty complicated. And then you get to His Bottom Line
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Father. When my God, and your God, is saying - Mercy Triumphs over sacrifice and this - is what He truly desires. We have indeed found a Father we can always lean upon. John, Jesus' best friend - said - God is Love. God would hold us and say, "Do not be weary of doing Good." God has held this all up for millenniums - with - His Word.

When you think of Jesus telling us in John 17, this is His Joy, we have to also remember that this amazing, incredible, don't - go - oh - no, Jesus took upon His Shoulders for us - we have to remember in profound gratitude -

Matthew 11
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

And we see what Our Father God would do for me, and for you, with Great Love.

Begin each day with a fresh day and new wind reveals - His mercies renew each day. Not Joe Walsh's very precise -  "Here comes a flock of waa waa's. " When we wait upon the Lord - He does renew our strength. With grim determination? Nope. The fruit of God is much more joyous!

Father God, We want to be your pasture - where You are pleased to dwell.

How shall we answer the tired and unjoyful same old questions? We endeavor not to be conformed to this world of repetitions, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

We want to live and prove the will of God is for bringing Your Love forth. That which is good and acceptable and perfect. In our part, we must remember How High You are and How Steadfast Your Love has been for Millenniums. For through the grace given to me, I say I will not to think more highly of myself. I will rely upon Your sound judgment as God who knows all hearts. We ask You, Father God to allot me more measure of faith.

Each day, I will rejoice feeling Your mercies renew each day. Knowing You said we walk by faith. And we will increase our Hope, Faith and Love. Knowing the Greatest is Love and You are Love. Open the eyes of all to see You, Lord Jesus and we lift up those we Love to You. In expectation of You. Jesus the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

 

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 †

 

<><

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 †

 

<><