John 11 ~ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.

Bethany.

" The Tomb of Lazarus - Friend of Jesus."

John 11

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 

8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 

12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 

20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” 

They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 

35 Jesus wept. 3

6 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 

41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 

44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.

 Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 

46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 

47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 

51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 

57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Ok, say you are watching "Game of Thrones" and you missed half the series because for some reason, you were given the novels and you read 3 of them, but every single, living, person keeept onnnn dying and you just got tired and gave up. And you gave your books to Dr. Kurt Kirkpatrick - he loved them so much, that then you picked up the series and you were surprised to find out, there is a heck of a lot of nudity.

And you are THRILLED to find out Finally the Starks are going to live. Finally good news. And the Dragon Queen is good. It's looking like - hey - might not be such a waste of time.

I am hoping the way "Game of Thrones" plays out, we will not see so much cynicism about God.

I fully understand about the Crusades. Yada Yada. The people who drone on and on about the crusades - like current Christians are to blame. (Listen to Historian Dan Carlin talk about the Mongols and how the historical Mongols ended the last Christian Muslim struggle in the 13th Century -, very, very fascinating.) The High Sparrow with the Gods and 7 Blessings - not the real deal - too much hair shirt - too little Joy in being part of Father God's Plan = revamp Crusades. And watch out for the people who take a widow's house the BIBLE warns. When 'it' is all about power - jump back.

Ok, surely if you watch the show you know that, but Consider. Perhaps the High Septon going on and on about sins is really the damn flap trap about something that occurred 500 years ago and those people are DEAD. The Chinese would not consider it appropriate to be blamed for Mongol 70 million dead.



Now the God of Light - this one has some Idea of Biblical History. The red whatever, Melisandre, has a clue that the God of Light deserted her when a child was sacrificed. The Old Testament is the Same. God deserted all the baby for blood - for the crops to the god of prosperity - people.

And they arrive at the Stark's house to war and discover the horrid man who shot down the Stark child with an arrow - he is not going to have help with survival. In fact, the God of Light helps the people with the lost child - with the newly, alive John Snow Stark to win.

And we see John Snow Stark is really going to live - so far. And he came back from being dead - dead. Like Lazarus.





Ok, now the deal is Lazarus - let's be real, let's be honest, let's be accurate.

If you really know your Scriptures - Peter WAS NOT the first to announce Jesus is the Christ. Nathaniel and Andrew, Peter's brother got this - the first day.

Lazarus. Lazarus is not the first person Jesus raises from - the DEAD. Lazarus is the fourth the Disciples bothered to write down. In FACT, Jesus, a couple of times, took multitudes and the Word of God says "HE Healed Them ALL." And this is without doubt - a time with the dying - on stretchers were brought, to Him. So, let's be real and factual and say, 'Lazarus is the fourth we know of. In Fact, John says John cannot even begin to describe how Magnificent Jesus IS.'



Jesus said, with astonishing Jesus like Humility, that after He dies and Shows us Literally the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand - by Ascending - So (Thanks Dee and Sharon) we know Where Jesus IS. With Witnesses.


And Jesus does not say things off the cuff (like I do and have flaws and weaknesses). And if you look up people who have life after death experiences - you see none of us are surprised. However, if you keep looking you will find really, very dead people - who have even their skin has rigor mortis and are being cut open for organ donation with 15 medical witnesses to their death. They return to say, they have met Jesus. We have a recent movie about this too from a 4 year old child. Oklahoma, a small town, prayed for a boy killed in a car accident not to die. And he did and all was lost. Until he had been dead for a day and they went in to take organs from his completely rigor mortis, skin rigor and black although he was Caucasian.

Another woman was from the Midwest and she died after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was dead. Rigor mortis of the flesh to turn black. And she woke up in the morgue. To find she had no more cancer, which had been through her whole body.

Jesus was not just a great man. Jesus is ALIVE.






Jesus please pray with us.



Our Father,

Who is in Heaven. Holy is Your Name.

Your Kingdom come, Your Will be Done. On earth, as it is in Heaven.

Give us this Day. Our Daily Bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not in to temptation.

Deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.

Forever and ever. Amen.

In the Name of Jesus, we pray as Jesus told us in John 14, 15 and 16.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

What we see in Father God.

Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refugeb—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

When we set out each day. It's good to wake up and say Thank You. To pray thanksgiving for Your Blessings.

And what do we hope to find in God?


Hebrews 6

17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

1. We want God to be Honest.

2. We want this Hope in God to greatly encourage us in our daily walk.

3. We want this Faith in our soul to make us firm and secure.

We want this because ... God has Called us to Believe Jesus. We Pray with Jesus in these cornerstones of our faith. God agrees with our desire here in our Worship of God.

Our moods wobble, what was ok yesterday - isn't today. And this is the exact same life. Or we have a day of urgent Trouble.

We hold on to Father God - saying the Lord's Prayer and allowing the real answer - to be upset - to have peace - to guide us as we really are.




In our days of where we need Father God, more than other days:


Keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.


1. He is our refuge. Our fortress.

In this promise - we are given renewal to be faithful in worship and in being a spouse, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness. not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

2. He will deliver you and cover you with His Wings.

And we will be like a hen gathers her young. Not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.


3. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear

Manage your own family - be a shield. In a manner worthy of full respect. Let Love be genuine. Sincere. Not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.

The culture around you is not to be condemned. And yet, use the wisdom God gives you to not be someone who breaks a bruised reed. We won't circle the drain without having a Father to cry out to - Father God will hear our prayers.

God is not a wafty wind. His Holy Spirit commands the Host of Heaven. His Will will be done.
His Angels will go forth to make sure His Will is done.

I have seen times where I have prayed for an activity around me to cease. And felt badly when it would not cease after I prayed. I decided I was so unhappy with the dishonorable words - I prayed continuously for the eyes of people to be open to how repetitive and crude the language was - drawing up from words I didn't even know. And the reason I had the tenacity to pray - this really was ugly and it really was disgusting and you'd have had to have read the Urban Dictionary to understand all the definitions. And soon, probably about 15 or 20 minute - the activity stopped. There were elderly people, there were young, young people. The words stopped.

I learned this from the video class from Rev. Francis MacNutt and his wife Psychologist Judith MacNutt. Praying works with more prayer. This was easy it was a disturbance and the disturbance ceased.

4. Hold Fast to God in Love.

Some prayers are short. Once I was very young and not even going to Church much. I was traveling for a living, on airplanes, to go to various country clubs for work. I was sliding on ice and I prayed, "OH MY GOD, Help!" The car seemed miraculously stop from sliding on the iced over bridge. The person behind me thought so too. God is good.

Daniel 9 ~ Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer

 

Father God, 



When Paul was putting in to words - about seeking You continually - he said something very wise, in the Holy Spirit, about seeing You, Father God in all our lives.


Acts 17
27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being"

We seek and find and live in this: For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. How majestic is Your name in all the earth.

God saw that the light was good. Jesus is the Light of the world, shining in all of mankind.

Bless God in the congregations. We are so fortunate to have Christian radio daily. So different from David when music was rather scarce. Praise you the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth

Bless You Father God in Churches and Cathedrals and in all places of His dominion.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

For the heart of those focused on Jesus will make noble plans, beleive noble things, and on noble things he stands.

For this we pray for our souls, the souls of those we love, praying for those seeking still, and for our Bible Believing Churches and our Nation to the Believing World.

Expectation with Joy in the Highest Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

What Your Father Wants for You:

And this is Father's Day. Most people have two Fathers. Just like Jesus.

An earthly Father and a Heavenly Father. Ephesians 3 tells us in the 15th verse: that Families live in Heaven and on earth. And from Father God, we get our name. There is going to be a Great Reunion. Jesus even describes that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob eat together in Heaven.

I believe Jesus. Amen.

So a child is born. You. What does God really, really want from you on Father's Day and every day? There is a Purpose. And the Plan will unfold and God's Desire is Fulfilled. For you.

We are all building. Building a life. With our own purposes.

83% of Americans say the highest and best use of life - is to be as happy as possible.

Would Jesus disagree? No. Jesus tells us the Fruit of the Holy Spirit is - Love, Joy, Peace and Patience. Jesus tells us in John 16 and 17 - Jesus has Joy. And Jesus is the Lord of Lords - He has a Plan.

Patience? You can't build a house without Patience.

We Hope To Give Father God? What?

And then, if we are willing to see, then Jesus shows us perfectly Father God, then in His Goodness, we have seen God. Our Father.

So Father God sets us out on this Journey called Life. Is our good Father going to tell you, "Gosh, I think you really need to look like your brother Paul. Or Peter."

This is called the Foundation.

And what is our Foundation? God wants you. He wants you so badly to come Home from this long journey - that He has sent His best part - Jesus to make sure you are called holy and blameless before Him. Jesus has run ahead of your journey - to make sure you are called Worthy as - a Child of God.

There is a song out there called "The Cross has made you Flawless." Jesus has done a good job.

And we set off in life with siblings and grades and kids and adults who tell us what we need to do to improve. Some of this extremely like a Father God would want. And others tells us that our skills, talents and burdens are making us unworthy of the Grace of God.

Billy Graham says, “I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.”

Jesus tells this event too: Luke 15

20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.




And Now we have a clear foundation on our house we are building. We start out here, but we are really just beginning to live here.

Now Doors will be considered.

This is a deep question. What is happiness? Having something in 15 or 20 years that we have grown? Allowing freedom to all things, drugs, adventures, people, pets? You know a door depends on the environment.

In a tough neighborhood, you are not going to put out a glass sliding door as your front door.

And really if you are buying a house, you need to feel free to approach the police - to get a police report. The neighborhood does not put up a sign to say - "Wow, do we have crime."

I know a few people who were surprised at the crime that is planned and at "opportunity theft." And people will tell you years and years and decades later about what they lost and how that felt.

Drugs are like that. I have volunteered for almost 4 years and found out some dealers think rape is a bonus for their profession. You won't see a sign on a dealer saying, "I rape my clients." I've known two people to tell me when they bought pot, their dealer told them, "You are getting the good stuff." One was in High School. We did years and years of High School Student Ministry. And the good stuff? Was Cocaine. And another time Meth. The Cars say "Let the Good Times Roll." So do the French. "Laissez les bons temps rouler !!!"

I agree. And say there is a lot of bad out there and beware.

Our first little neighborhood was cottages around White Rock Lake in Dallas. Matter of fact 4 of our neighbors were recent graduates of Highland Park High School. My neighbors went to Mardi Gras and got so drunk, in their 20s, that they huddled passed out in a rough neighborhood on a porch. Terrified. They call that the night, "The Night we Ended Alcoholism." I asked them if the home owner knew. They laughed and said the door didn't open, but I bet they prayed!!!

Those Doors serve a purpose. The child who found out she now had a preference for Cocaine. Still has trouble to overcome. We all have sat and said, "Who says today I am going to try Meth or Heroin?" I'd bet you, big bowling for dollars - that - few people say that and are helped by helpful illegal drug salesmen.

That door? It is not ever going to have the doorbell ringer say "Here to destroy you!"

One of my volunteer hours was helping a woman "there to have a good time" who was so out of it - her dad's two year girlfriend decided that stoned women make perfect prostitutes. We could call that adventure - the shotgun blast - where the purchaser of human flesh - decided that his purchase also bought him the unique experience of - hunting a human being with a shotgun.

The Colleges loose students every year to alcoholism for something easily avoided.

And again, balance is good. We wouldn't want to be so safe, that we don't have anything interesting to say. No adventures of helping people along the path.

Windows. See the Light.


And the news. If you are unscrupulous - you might have come from the 15 year old I met who was happily expecting a baby with her very joyous mother to have a grandchild. Unfortunately, this is the new way to have a family run pimp business to collect more women to make more money to support the pimp family. "You can see the child, when you provide the money for today."

The other news from a highway with the one of the highest sex trafficking business in the USA is called FM 1960 in Houston. Is adapted Muslim life-style. If you have a lady and she is so sexy - but why be tied down with a paper of marriage??? "It's only an institution, honey." Well, if you give her 3 kids, she is going to need support to raise them. And if you get tired of the old ball and chain. You move on. Or you move back and forth between the sexy ladies. With 6 kids, the women will do what you want. Until you find someone who will help these women into a shelter for battered women or they wake up.

I have heard of women in the prosperous Suburbs in the same situation. And the departing High School College "Fiancee" said of his family of four - "I don't even need a divorce!"

Welcome to the agenda of Don't Need Marriage.

Ephesians 1

17 and asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. He displayed this power in the working of His mighty strength,

Choose to see the Light.

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble

This is called looking for the good we can present to Father God each day.





Perhaps the most puzzling thing about building your House:

Your comfort. If you idolize your comfort, eventually the comforts are cold. Who will you step on to be more comfortable. Is getting the best of the best your only goal. Passions surround comfort. Greed. Lust. Gluttony. Gluttony for happiness at all costs. Gluttony for oblivion.

And this is very much like putting beads on a rope where were are told if we tie the knot we have denied our natural inclinations leading us to our internal happiness. Only an uptight, moral bigot would tie a knot. And the beads will slide off. And be lost.




Some people will tie the knot so hard that the knot will break. That knot can be our undoing. We start to fight things that are no danger. We become brittle and cold to what is no threat. Jesus balances people - to Trust God and not be such negative bringers. To have Joy.

Peter 2:1
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

The necessaries - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Blooming where we are planted. This life had to take Trust to get through. People are certain to not be your anchor. There is a reason why the Bible stories are real and honest about human behavior. We need something to fall upon that is our anchor. If we trust God that we are able to do the hard things life requires - we are going to get through difficult times and days with Joy. To look to the future with real hope. My grandmother Anita was placed in a nursing home after a stroke at age 90. I think she was the only one in her family to be in nursing home care - Anita turned this around. Even the nurses would gather to hear her stories. Her conversation. Her hope. Her endurance. Her ability to overcome.

When no one will applaud you. When your deeds are unseen and not encouraged and you are fighting the good fight - You Know what you know what you know.

Character Compassionate and Care
Champion a cause to make the framework of life better.
And in doing the Good Will of God - You are STRONGER.

Like my grandmother Anita.


The Bible - is - REAL.
The characters - reality.
The Troubles - we can relate to.
The Victory - Belief - and is Assured in Jesus Christ.

What we do with every happy, lame, good, boring, routine day, month, year - is our life. The "lag" times
are when we are building - a life.

Live in every room of your house. Let each day have meaning. The most scary idea in the world - is an idea. And Then - If we change that to Prayer - To the Creator of the Universe - Our Father in Jesus Christ. We are going places.

All those years will have favor, valleys, peaks and plummets. Learning to have the courage, strength, compassion, character - to bring your life to others. To help them up. To learn to be strong - and to help others be strong - Makes Life Worth Living.

Jesus was asked famously, "Who is the neighbor?"

"The one who showed Mercy."



Father God,

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.

Jesus said we have a need to pray at all times and not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

We want to come to You saying, "I did the very best with the gifts and talents You gave me."

Knowing we pray for those surrounding our lives and hearing Father God saying to us and to the people we love, "Beloved Child. Enter into Joy of Father God (Matthew 25). Today, you will be with me in Paradise."

Thank You, Father for Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †