Revelation 20:4-6 ~ They came to Life

Matthew 24:30-31 

30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Jesus opens His arms in Victory

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:15
5 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Just as the Time Jesus was being raised victoriously into Life.

Matthew 27
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

The Great Sleep

Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Acts 7:60
"Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep"

John 11:11
Jesus "said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.'

John 6:40
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Many times in the Old Testament we read - someone slept with his fathers.

 Even The Book of Revelation deals with sleep as Heaven is discussed for the whole book:

Revelation 6:11
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer

What are we doing right this moment reading the Scriptures for Today, http://scripture-for-today.blogspot.com  ?

Acts 17:11
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.


1 Corinthians 15:50-52
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 

Isabelle was born and she was asleep in the Lord - with total and complete Joy!

 

For many years, we've all heard about marvelous life after death stories.

Jesus was asked about people returning from the dead, when Jesus was asked in:

Luke 16:30
"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'


One of the most famous recorded returns is Pam Reynolds Lowery (1956 – May 22, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter. In 1991, at age 35, Pam died on the table for many minutes and was clinically recorded as brain dead with no life during a seven hour operation. She was operated on with ear plugs. When she woke up she was able to tell about floating, knowing the operating conversation, the tools used and being in Heaven with her grandmother. She was disappointed to find her uncle escorting her back to her body.


10 Astonishing Near-Death Experiences- Wow - (Link)

Revelation 20:4-6

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


Now could John have meant only the people who have endured the actual tribulation, end times? The Book of Revelation is not just Scripture explaining the end of all times, The Book of Revelation is about us - meeting Jesus - the end of our lives.

Life is a test and if we do not worship other gods - if we do not worship the traditions of man - which are have variations in generation to generation, if we work to be in the world and not of the world. If we do not bear the mark of overly safe and comfortable - not spreading God's Love - We are called like the Disciple John - who was not actually beheaded - and did overcome the beast of fear during the time of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Revelation 1

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw -

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore."

What was John doing?
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet!


Some of John - who called Jesus The God of Love - said this of his experiences with our Hero Jesus, repeating what Peter said about Jesus being Life:


1 John 1
That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes,
which we looked upon and have touched with our hands,

concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest,
and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete!



Father God, In Jesus we will not let our hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Jesus. In Your Word we learn the truth, and the truth sets us free.

We are to Love one another. As Jesus has loved us, we must love one another.

Father, We ask You and You will give the advocate of Your Holy Spirit to help us and be with us and our loved ones forever. Thank You, Jesus! Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Hebrews 1:3 ~ He is the radiance of the glory of God!

Eventually we will all have a day, where the Light that lights everyone in mankind will call us Home.

What would we hope to hear on our going Home day?

Hebrews 1:3
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen

Hebrews 12:2
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 14:17-18
He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

1 Corinthians 2:9
It is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

Revelation 21:23-25
Its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Ephesians 1:17,18
The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

Father God, I pray to have the encouraging Word of God arrive just as I need this. I pray this for the ones I love. Praying Jesus, for Your Wisdom as Your Will would have me called upon to offer comfort and assurance. 

We ask that this generation be strengthened for the task to know God calls upon His Children to help them encourage the saving Love of Jesus go forth. In Jesus, we pray for the ones we love, and the People You have given and surround us with. We ask in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

James 4:13-17 ~ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go"

When you need to make a decision about the way to behave, what guides you?

If you look good after the decision is made to - your audience, your friends, your family, your co-workers, your bank account, your enemy, your destination ... your - you.

Do we really believe that we are invisible?

Do we really believe we are accountable to God?

Do we really believe we live to Jesus? Or are we tired out and it's boring?

Do we try sensationalism - just to remove mediocrity?

Do we believe we will do something new for ourselves or for God?


The Absolutely Wonderful thing about life is that we take this so for granted and there is a purpose.

God tells us His purpose for Life. He lumps us all into one category and says He wants to save the World.

Lumped together - we are all going in the same direction. God says so. We are going to the 12 Open Gates of Heaven. We will all see Heaven and we will bow to Jesus and tell Him about what uses we made of our days and our talents. And Jesus is going to listen. We know because Jesus listened to people when He already knew their problems and their names.

The Absolutely Wonderful thing about life is we need to take the Bible less for granted and tune into His Word. Not little cliches, that we forget the Bible is the Word of God. And because this is God explaining God to us and life - that real decisions, real complaining, real hate and real communication is ALL OVER THE SCRIPTURES.

People in the Scriptures made Amazing Choices we are not sure we would have the courage to make.
And when we think about that courage - we want to say, "Not me, buddy, I'm smart."

And if we want to learn more about where we are going - we are going to keep learning. About God and why He possibly thinks the way God thinks.

The Scripture being living and active will set us on fire when we meet God just where HE meets us.

Is God always going to rattle our cage?
Do we want to know God if He is going to rattle our cage?

Yep. Hilariously - we will all leave this little, fleshy cage.
The Roman Catholics have this exactly right - "Pray for us  sinners, now, and at the hour of our death."
Perfect. We are all going to meet Jesus and we want to End Well!

I love the "Pirate's" movies.
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Dead Man's Chest
At World's End
On Stranger Tides

Why? These start out as good girl seeks good man to have good life. And LIFE jumps allll over her.

Now this - this - this - oddly is Good Bible Study. We can plan, we can make lists and The Lord God tells us in Scripture - Father God is going to laugh. Life is GOING to Happen. We just have to adjust to the speeds. Life is more like a Pirate's Movie than Pollyanna. Mostly because we are the TV generation and what we see and laugh and mourn and worry and are entertained by. Images.

James 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

So going back to Scripture is God Almighty always going to make us uncomfortable.
Buhawaaaa. Nope. We can just lull ourselves into falling into doldrums that make us veer waaaay off into pride, unwillingness to go in directions best taken for growth in fear of personal comfort. Making all of our lives merely a show. Tiring us out.

Why "Pirates"? 

One Side says this:
We are all emerging and changing in our journeys. Life is an enormous force like the Mississippi River.
We need to see what Godly voice we are listening to.
Is it trite like these sayings we used for our images today? Images...


The Other Side says this:
Is Father God only going to grow us when we are uncomfortable?
No. Father God is going to Equip us to do what He wants us to do. Our DNA and our gifts and talents give us ideas and solutions for our lives.



And when we are dry out of solutions?
The Lord God who has made Heaven and earth - has not forgotten our address.
WE HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING IN THE MIDST OF TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS!
We are giving God a dab. And not our heart. We have given "our" God an image.
We have to Know How to Endure to Patiently Learn how to thrive in Creator God's Framework He is
WILLINGLY going
to Provide.

Egad and Little Fishes. So much humanism.

Make our children special, heard, honored, comfortable.
GOD LOVES THIS ABOUT US!!! We DO THIS. THIS GENERATION has a Virtue! WE PLEASE FATHER GOD WHEN WE WORK HARD TO WELCOME A CHILD. Father God has entrusted us with the long-term care of our children to make valuable contributions to life and not allll about me. We are not to forget to raise our children to the place they were intended to be and say, "We made them." It is not we who made them - this is God Himself. Sometimes children are happy being where we would not be happy. Sometimes we grow when our children hurt. Really, really grow. Sometimes we have to stretch to love more. Sometimes we have to tell them your ego has gone over the top come back to the "Body of Christ."

God has uniquely called Noah, David and all of His Beloved Children.

Why did God give Noah that task of that Ship that would not BE BUILT AGAIN UNTIL THE 1900s? The SHIP that is "NAUTICALLY CORRECT." (Ha!) That's right. God had to have built that ship. GOD! THE CREATOR OF THE INFINITE UNIVERSE!
Once again, the Scriptures repeat. "God's Plan is Perfect." For? "What God Intends."

Humanism. In a lot of our entertainment. An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

Jesus said, Paul said, find the way to say "GOD IS LOVE!"

So Humans are looking for solutions! God. God is actually a rational solution.

Noah - tell me about - having a difficult job. Exacting specifications. Nasty atmosphere in which to work. Why did God pick Noah - Father God had built Noah to be DNA, God Planned, Equipped to do the God Job. Noah was obedient to God.
Sounds bad? Noah said, "Yes!" TO... Father God!

David needed solutions because he believed God. David needed to leave sheep herding because a price was on his head and sheep sloooooow you down. God had told David, David would be a king - David went into the military. Sounds good. Except he was a mercenary and dealt with kidnappers and thieves and the nay sayers. For-ged abod this Guy. He's... Bad.

He has a wife he left behind at her father's. He next took off with the man who was feeding him - his wife. He acted like he was insane. He did questionable things for money. He was Gone. He seemed to be violent. He marauded where he wanted across this border and that. We can surely see - this is not the man.

God has a Word for that - God never said sit down and tell me about this person - I need to know. God said:

Romans 11:34
"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

Isaiah liked what Paul said, so he said this first in the same Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 40:13
Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?

God is like E.F. Hutton, the late stock brokerage firm. "When He speaks, Listen to HIM." Because. God just doesn't lie.

We don't see Noah had a lot of conversations with God. God is like that. Father says, "Do what I Say for you to do."

God didn't always talk to David and David had unique ways that God spoke to him. Father God is talkative when He wants to be.

Why did God pick David? God tells us in His Word - David would be obedient to God.
Making that image above - David was comfortable with what God told David to do.
Making that image above - Noah was determined to be comfortable with what God told Noah to do.

They had a skill - they learned to endure - believing in God's framework - they would be blessed and thrive.

God wants us to be mature. Not tossed back and forth by opinion.
God brought Jesus in by notification of a star. People looked Up to God to go in the right direction.

We keep our eyes on Jesus - not the cultural norm.

Not the traditions of men - worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

When we fall. When we are wrong. When we are human. When we sin.

We can never, ever come close to earning what Jesus has done!

Jesus has clothed us in HIS Righteousness. For our belief, our Love of Jesus.

The Spirit of Truth says live with Jesus as our Fulfillment. Do not lean towards sin.
Let Jesus, by prayer and calling on His Name and His Will and His Help. Be our Rest and Shelter.

Because Jesus said we are to be in the world, just not of the world.

Jesus didn't say hide away. Jesus said be Salt. Be flavorful personality. Be zest.

Jesus said be Light. The Light that shines in all of mankind. Jesus.
God loves the World. God sees His Creation as Good.

David did all these things to do survival and God's will. And God said, "I want My Son to be Yours, too!" Wow. David didn't always do great fatherhood. David worried about his kids and sometimes chose non-involvement as the answer. Except David was involved - David loved and prayed.

David wrote us of many emotions not publicly correct. Not a cultural norm for today. Except David was working out his emotions before God.

God appears to listen to hearts more than grade performance. Or else. Father God sees further.

David found peace in God. Usually by being emotional and determined at the time.
We can do this too.
Father God runs to us when we seek the Lord.

The Scriptures tell us all the Time God will arrive where He is asked.

We can rely on His Plan.
Draw up God as a Comfort around you. Give God your cares. Believe He will Help. David always believed God would go Further than God even said. Jesus Knew That! Go Two Miles when you are asked for one!

Jesus did this and Jesus then walked a little on water. (Do you think that Jesus, as God, was surprised the Disciples could see Him do this?! David had an idea God has humor.) God does abundantly more than we plan.

When you need to make a decision about the way to behave, what guides you?
The best idea is to Please God - who is pleased when we want to please Father God.

When you know that you know that you know you are on God's Plan - some people will not be pleased. Some will say you are going down hill. But if you are trying to Please God - You are Going Forth to ALMIGHTY FATHER GOD just by calling upon His name. God has given us no choice in His plan. We work God's Plan willingly or unwillingly. I vote Willingly for Jesus! He helps us because we are not God!

We can never, ever come close to earning what Jesus has done!


Thank You Father God! Thank You for Belief in Your Word. Your Love.
You sent us to this Life almost the exact way we send our children to College.
To Learn, to Grow, To be Stretched. To Experience, To be in Dire Circumstance,
To be in Comfort, To be Challenged, To Decide for Ourselves.
And when we look to You - for help - You Run to us.
We will be Blessed in You. Always. 
We pray this for our loved ones, 
For the elderly and the disabled.
For good decisions and life to be in Wisdom of Jesus' Love. 
For the soon to be born,
For the Church Family,
For our health and eyes,
And give thanks and thanks and Thanks for answered prayer and yes.
And Faith, Hope and Love for what was answered as wait, as no, as different direction
Knowing that Father God plans for us to have Hope and a Future in Jesus.
God has designed us to want to live together and to work for Jesus.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!! Thank You Father God. In Jesus.
GOD bless us All. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Titus 2 ~ All good faith!

Titus 2

¹ But as for you, teach what accords with sound ^[healthy] doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Slaves ^{[bondservants]} are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The George Washington Family Bible at Mount Vernon

Anglican Rev. Bird Wilson knew George Washington and after President Washington died, there was a campaign to glorify Washington. Rev. Bird Wilson, went down in history (son of Declaration Signer James Wilson) in a way he probably wouldn't find flattering to himself. Rev. Bird Wilson refused to have George Washington glorified and deified as a devout believer. He went so far as to castigate the late George Washington for his beliefs. However several quotes about Washington's faith are really quite over-inflated and were corrected by Rev. Wilson.

If you look to the people who knew George Washington so well as to be there when he died - like Washington's nephew, you find they say this about George Washington: He was raised by a devote Anglican mother who told him about Jesus Christ. He was a devoted attender of his Anglican Church. Washington's nephew witnessed him doing personal devotions with an open Bible while kneeling, in both the morning and evening.

This sounds like George Washington:

Sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Reverent in behavior, not slanderers. Show integrity, dignity, and sound speech. Teach what is good. That the word of God may not be reviled.

Be zealous for good works. Jesus told us other words to add to what Jesus, our Hero, asks of us - to be filled with Light and Salt.

Mount Vernon says this after careful consideration and study of George Washington's faith: His religious life is complex and should be approached as such, without trite labels and descriptions.

Which rather sounds like something Jesus Christ would say about a Child of His.

The bottom line is this - We are waiting for Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us and to purify us for Himself - we cannot save ourselves.We lean upon Jesus and ask Him to be our comfort, deliverer, and joy - love - faith - peace - hope arrive.

When we have doubts or fears - we can cast them (like a fishing net all of those concerns) upon Jesus. Knowing He is caring and will hear - telling us Prayer changes the Heart of God. And changing our heart to be open to God is Love.

God loves us first.

John 4:19 

We love because he first loved us.

Ephesians 2:8-9

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Micah 6:8 

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

Father God, we lift up Edward with his all day headache and symptoms of his illness yesterday. We ask for Your Mercy and Goodness to Edward. Thank You for his bravery and diligence in finding each day as good. We lift up the upcoming weddings in our family. Communications to be honest in Jesus. We lift up our Nation to You. Rejoicing in the Good News of the Overwhelming Love Jesus has. Amen. 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

John 1 ~ Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

John 1


1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.


9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.


14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.




19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”


22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”


23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”


24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.



29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 

30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”


32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”


35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”


37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”


They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”


So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).



43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”


44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”


46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.


47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”


48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.


Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”


49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”


50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Before Abraham Jesus Is

Proverbs 8

I was there when he set the heavens in place,

when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds above

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

29 when he gave the sea its boundary

so the waters would not overstep his command,

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

30 Then I was constantly at his side.

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in mankind.

Deuteronomy 28

"The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12"The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13"The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,

Isaiah 45

I am the Lord, and there is no other;

apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you,

though you have not acknowledged me,

6 so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting

people may know there is none besides me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

7 I form the light and create darkness,

I bring prosperity and create disaster;

I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;

let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

let salvation spring up,

let righteousness flourish with it;

I, the Lord, have created it.

Mark 1:10
Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him


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




Isaiah 60
“Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you.

Nations will come to your light. And kings will see the shining-greatness of the Lord on you.

“Lift up your eyes and look around you, and see. They all gather together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in the arms.

Then you will see and shine with joy. Your heart will be glad and full of joy, because the riches of the sea will be turned to you. And the riches of the nations will come to you.

Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †