John 14:1-17 ~ Spirit of Truth

John 14:1-17

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth"

The Scripture passage continues to say the joy Christians have is not always found readily in the world. And this passage is found to be, of course, true. We will pray for one another. My family and I lived in Nice, France for four years.

Jesus has told us to pray and never give up Hope.

Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.


Job 22:26,27
For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God. 27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you





Father God,

The first paragraph in Mark 2, Luke 7, John 9 friends prayed and carried their cares to Jesus. Jesus tells us He and His Father are still working.

The world has seen troubled times. During the Mongols, Queen Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, and during Thomas Jefferson. We know God has heard prayers for peace.

Thank God for we will all continue to pray in Jesus. Amen.




Thank You, God, for Google Translator.
 

Dieu le Père ,
Le premier paragraphe de Mark 2 , Luc 7 , John 9 amis a prié et porté leurs soucis à Jésus . Jésus nous dit Lui et son Père travaillent encore.

Le monde a vu des temps troublés . Pendant les mongels , la reine Isabelle et Ferdinand d' Espagne, et au cours de Thomas Jefferson . Nous savons que Dieu a entendu les prières pour la paix.

Dieu merci, car nous allons tous continuer à prier en Jésus . Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 91 ~ When he calls to me, I will answer him

Painted by Greg Olson

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 refuge—
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.

Painted by Akiane Kramirik

Akiane's painting matches the Shroud of Turin and is a possible explanation of the physical change in Jesus from His living form and His Heavenly form.

Father God and Jesus have answered so many prayers.

They love to see Faith in the people who will have faith
and will seek Jesus
and will pray.

Jesus cured the nobleman's son (John 4:46-47).

Jesus healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45).

Jesus healed the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13).

Jesus cured the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8).

Jesus raised the ruler's daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26).

Jesus cured a woman of an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48).

Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31).

Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 20:30-34).

Jesus fed at least five thousand people (Matthew 14:15-21).

Jesus fed at least four thousand people (Matthew 15:32-39).

Jesus healed a woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28).

Jesus cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37).

Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).

Jesus cured a woman who had been afflicted eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).

Jesus cured a man of dropsy (Luke 14:1-4).

Jesus cleansed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19).

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).


This wasn't just the Centurion, just the woman grasping the Hem of Jesus garment.

These were people who brought others, this happened again and again.

Proving, Prayer works. Proving Jesus, when sought, will answer.

More people saw Jesus so willing and they went to Jesus as well.

Father God,

We ask You, please heal, fix, care for and solve the desires of our Heart. Pray with us Jesus and we will renew our joy in Your Will.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 21:21, 22 ~ in prayer

Jesus and the Little Children by Carl Bloch

When You Speak, God Hears
by Max Lucado

Those who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith. For the most part we don’t even know their names. Such is the case of someone who prayed on a day long ago. His name is not important. He is important not because of who he was, but because of what he did.

He went to Jesus on behalf of a friend. His friend was sick, and Jesus could help, and someone needed to go to Jesus, so someone went. Others cared for the sick man in other ways. Some brought food; others provided treatment; still others comforted the family. Each role was crucial. Each person was helpful, but no one was more vital than the one who went to Jesus.

John writes: “So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick’” (John 11:3, emphasis mine).

Someone carried the request. Someone walked the trail. Someone went to Jesus on behalf of Lazarus. And because someone went, Jesus responded.

In the economy of heaven, the prayers of saints are a valued commodity. John the apostle would agree. He wrote the story of Lazarus and was careful to show the sequence: The healing began when the request was made.

The phrase the friend of Lazarus used is worth noting. When he told Jesus of the illness, he said, “The one you love is sick.” The power of the prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer but on the one who hears the prayer.

We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven so he won’t miss a word. The Master heard the request. Jesus stopped whatever he was doing and took note of the man’s words. This anonymous courier was heard by God.

John’s message is critical. You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God” (Rev. 8:4). Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

One call and heaven’s fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven.
You are the someone of God’s kingdom. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears.

And when Jesus hears, the world is changed.

All because someone prayed.


Matthew 21:21,22
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 9:28-30
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

Luke 18:1-7
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Acts 10:30-32
Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.'


Father God,

You have taught us to pray in the Lord's Prayer, which is perfect. When we need urgent prayer, all that is needed is to Call With Faith, the Name above all others.

Jesus the Lord. And Your Will is present and blesses us in prayer.

Amen for our concerns in Jesus the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

 

Psalm 75 ~ We give thanks, for your name is near

Psalm 75

1 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.

2 “At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”

6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7 but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.

9 But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.


When Psalms are thought of, don't we usually think of David & maybe Solomon? This Psalm, like other Scripture has God as the Author. God not just inspiring, but God breathing Scripture out. 2 Timothy 3:16 The writer is Asaph.

Asaph has lived through an amazing time. God is as near as His Name. Asaph is given the job by David, to be chief in charge of praising God. This is a celebration! God dwells with them as David becomes King of Israel. Asaph has seen a wonderful work of the Lord.

We continue to live in an amazing time. Israel exists again as a Nation. The internet provides many new ways to study Scripture easily.  Our solar system exists in a darkened, airless universe. And we have sunlight, gravity, beautiful skies, green grass and we walk through our lives in frail bodies. The Word of God provides and speaks for Life. The Word of God holds up the Universe. We rely upon God our Father.



1 Chronicles 16:1-12
1 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.

4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD :

8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

11 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced

Father God,  

We look to You, for all the blessings You plan to give us and give You great thanks for the blessings You have already provided. In the name of Jesus. 

Salvation in Jesus. For ourselves, the ones we love, the people we pray for and God has given us, our communities, this Nation, the Nations for Jesus, the people who call upon Him.

May the Lord Bless us and Keep us, Making His face shine upon us.
Being Gracious to us.
May He smile upon us, lifting His face
And cover us in His Name. Jesus Christ.  

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Jesus as our Alpha and Omega

Romans 16:25-27

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.


We all want to end well. With Jesus as our Omega.

Knowing our God, our Righteous Father is waiting for us as Abba. Running to us as we are the prodigals and He is Covering us with Jesus.

We want Jesus. We want to know God is able to strengthen us. His Truth. His Command. And in His Righteousness - He sees us as obedient to His call for Faith. Our Light He has given us shows God to be the Glorious Abba in Jesus Christ forevermore.

How will we draw His strength upon us?

Jesus has told us in His Gospels. We ask for the Holy Spirit and Pray. And like Acts, life is discussed. And we will be asked even just about life, we tell of His Love. Our lives should speak of our Love for Father God.

Jesus said He wants us to Proclaim Him. What Father God, the angels, the prophets, God's Word - this proves reliable. We can look to His Word - ask - seek - find His Path for us.



1 Thessalonians 2:13

God says this about His Word and believers:

what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers


By paying attention to God, He will strengthen us. Jesus told us of the seeds and snares of life. Staying in Jesus, is the path to God. Jesus Christ is the center. We could easily start here and talk about The Seeds Parable. What happens to people in life to make the winds of life push them. Instead:

Consider this Important Fact.

Look at all of the Gospels. Jesus did not turn the Gospels into the incredible conversion stories of Jesus the Savior. He never gave a tally. Really. We never know about the end of those who were healed. Only a few times. Previous Blind Bartimaeus turned and followed Jesus. The ten lepers were healed and one turned back.

Now is this discouraging? Hardly. No, this is encouragement. Jesus was saying don't tally your life up yourself. God is going to do this for you and with you in His Strength.

Bishop Papias of Hierapolis is a very interesting historian. He knew John the Beloved Disciple towards the end of John's very productive and active life in the beginning of the 2nd Century. He went to John and said someone needed to follow up this Beautiful, Wondrous, Amazing Jesus life and find out what happened. And since he knew John, Bishop Papias wanted to know if John fully approved of the three Gospels and their supporting and other-seat-at-the-table-views of Jesus' life. 

John said he completely did agree with the Gospels and said they were well written and correct. Let's remember together, all the writers of the Gospels arranged this Story of Salvation to explain their order of thinking in the levels of journey and process as they look, learn and love the Son of God.



2 Corinthians 10:18
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

1 Corinthians 12:11
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.



And Bishop Papias sets out to meet and interview all the living and children of the living Presbyters who had met Jesus Christ and been healed by Him. Did Bishop Papias take a tally of their changed lives? We would and we might even have polls of their opinions. And data.

God is Wise. He wanted His Story to be His Story. Bishop Papias came home having found that the Presbyters did agree that Jesus healed them. And He was raised Victorious from the Dead to become the First to Overcome Death as God's Son. And that was the accomplished history of Bishop Papias of Hierapolis.

Bishop Papias of Hierapolis came back saying, not the finished lives of the people who met Jesus. No. Bishop Papias came back with the history the Gospels report the people in the next Century declare The Gospels regarding the Life of Jesus the Messiah are correct and true. This is enduring. This is correct,  the way Bishop Papias told His Story impacts us - today. 

This is Jesus' Story for us. Jesus is the Center.









The Holy Spirit tells us to check.

1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God

How will we know Jesus as a Historical fact? Two ways to see the Salvation of Jesus impact the world. One with faith. And then eyes of faith. The dispersion of the Christians. The fear of the Emperor. The change is recorded most in the area of the most human interest. The History of the Empire sweeping the Globe. The Change of the Roman Empire. The continuation of the Roman Empire in Constantinople for 1,000 years. Later called Byzantine by the victors.

This Jesus - does not end. We hear the faithful today tell of the comfort of loved ones passing to Him.

 





Psalm 145:2
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.


We begin each day, with the adventure of His Mercies Renew Each Day.

We say the Lord's Prayer when thoughts assail us of our own frailties and mortality. We see His Sustenance.

And Believe with Trust and Happiness, God is going to help us sweep what is painful in life to forgiveness in His Righteousness. We Faithfully Pursue our Belief Jesus is God. And trust and laugh at the time to come. Presenting our earnest and believing hearts are a Joy a Delight and a Happiness to God who Dearly Loves us as we are. Calling us Righteousness in Jesus to Abba, Our Father.







Father God,

I believe in You as God. And say, God's will is ~ I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in Your Company.

Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Jesus says we are welcome.

Hebrews 2 says “I will put my trust in him.” and in prayer always: “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” And here we place our loved ones and our concerns. Our Churches, communities, the Nation and Christians around the world in the Name of Jesus for His Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness, Peace and Love.

May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Romans 2 ~ a matter of the heart, by the Spirit

Romans 2

2 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

11 For God shows no partiality.


12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Mamertine Prison where both Peter and Paul lived. You can go in and see the prison cells.

The Roman world when I was a child, was so so so far away. Those people ran around having riots and making up political points to scream about. They even made things up. And the morality was alllll over the map.

Romans built wonderful roads, straight, good paths and had ways for water to be delivered to homes. Well a few little quirks there, the water was carried with lead and the poison was killing the nation.

So in the middle of all this organization, there was utter chaos.

Groups of ethical people. Groups of groupies and users. Groups of soldiers. Groups of laborers. Groups of welfare recipients. And groups of foreigners.




And in the middle of alll this organization was Paul and Peter.



How are you going to take a mess and bring Joy and Love and Jesus?


How was a man in prison going to lead the Light of Christ to the Romans? Next time you feel as if you are insignificant. Realize Paul and Peter spend only a few years in ministry and some of that was being avoided and more was from prison.


Romans 2 is soooo DRY. And look what Father GOD is saying. It's not your yesterdays. It's not your flaws, this is the willingness to do what Martin Luther Did. What Jesus does. Today.

And when you get ready to do this with your worries. Jesus is going to Bring You Up To Him.

On a day filled with stresses and situations and the tug and pull of plain o life. You can condense your troubles, the societal ills, your relationships, your future and all of Romans 2 and see what Jesus is saying.

He sees us. All of us. And He says what matters is Love. What matters is to give Love. And the rest all washes away if we Trust Jesus to be God.


Father God,

Like they do in Rwanda. At the end of worship - take all of yourself, put it all out there, lay it all down at the feet of Jesus. Just you and Just Jesus.

All of our difficulties - We lift to the Cross of Jesus.

All of our troubles - we lift to the Cross of Jesus.

All those we love - we lift to the Cross of Jesus.

And our Jesus, our hero, our Beloved in God, He did not stay on that Cross. Jesus Lives. Jesus is alive and Jesus is going to help. Believe Jesus.

Amen. We say with Praise and Thanksgiving for what Jesus does. Jesus is the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †