Psalm 63 ~ My soul thirsts for You

Galilee in Spring

Psalm 63

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.

4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.


What is the purpose of everyday life?

We meet that purpose every day. For some they are leaving their parents' house and heading out into the world. And that is an odd feeling to know you do not know what is ahead. Like knowing you are driving off a cliff. And you know you will land alright, but not what is ahead.

And others of us have settled lives and have a good idea of what the year will look like. Some are glad, some are bored. Some have trouble.

The purpose of life is to find seasons of seed parables. To find how we deal with all seasons and recover. To believe in season of unseen. To find God is helping.

This is Pentecost. And in the Belief God IS Helping. What was unseen and believed becomes Seen. Like the Resurrection. Like Jesus behind locked doors. Jesus teaching 500 for 40 days. Jesus seen in the Ascension to explain His Destination. Jesus not leaving His Disciples abandoned.

Has this been seen other than the early Church? We all can agree this is like the Burning Bush. And as Genesis says the Holy Spirit was above the waters of creation, now we find in the New Covenant, The Holy Spirit dwells with mankind saved by the Salvation of Jesus.

Does this still exist? When Peter Marshall, Presbyterian Minister and Chaplain to the United States Congress, died - the people in his hospital room - witnessed the scene of Acts 1 Again. God meeting mankind.  The Light of the Holy Spirit made the whole room ablaze with Light. Guideposts records the passing of a Christian woman married 50 years and running a farm with her family - as she died - the room filled with unbelievable Light.

God's Purpose is always fulfilled.

Moses told the people who lived by the Nile of Egypt they would find their homeland to be a place of milk and honey. And by faith the people of the Exodus by passed Jericho which is very tropical and beautiful. And they had the land divided up to them.

This is Bethlehem of Judah. Jerusalem was not fulfilled in the Promise of the Exodus, although promised to the Tribe of Judah, until David became King.

 Bethlehem of the ages. The 1500s looks like the 1880s. And, then, today with Irrigation.

Exodus 33:3

Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.

The Pools of Solomon in Bethlehem. 1880 to today.

The act of God is amazing. And our Generation is blessed to be just one generation away from 'Israel would never exist again and had not for 2,000 years'. And in one generation, one lifetime, Israel is the land of milk and honey.







Numbers 16:14
"Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"

Deuteronomy 6:3
"O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey."


Jerusalem 1880 and 1860 and today

Pool of Bethsaida

Mount of Olives




Today, let's look at Jerusalem
and Israel

 Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

Jezreel Valley the trip from Nazareth 79 miles from Bethlehem

We still see dry areas of Israel in summer - but the millenniums of people from Israel would be astonished.





How will we interpret this for ourselves? When God speaks, this will be the Plan of God.

We can hold on to God's Plans for us.
Believe when we hold on to God is Loving, Righteous and Good.
Believe when we hold on to Jesus, He is for us eternally.

A God of the Universe is Capable and Worthy of our esteem and prayer life.
His Promises are real and we can put our trust there.

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

2 Peter 1:4
By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 14:21
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.




Abba, Thank You for Your Promises.

We lift ourselves.
We lift our souls and cares.
We lift those we Love.
We lift their cares.
We lift the people You have given us to pray and care for.
We lift our work places, our schools, our Churches.
We lift our Nation.
We lift the praying World, believers of Jesus Christ
We know that as we trust in You, we will see Your Wonders, Acts, Love and Mercy.
Alleluia we are covered in the Name of Jesus. Always our Amen in Jesus.

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ~ rise first

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

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. 

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. 


http://www.today.com/health/i-crossed-over-survivors-near-death-experiences-share-afterlife-stories-t12841


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2032591/Woman-comes-back-to-life-after-being-dead-for-17-hours.html

http://www.storypick.com/death-experience/

http://www.today.com/news/pronounced-dead-man-takes-miraculous-turn-2D80555113

http://www1.cbn.com/content/dr-chauncey-crandall-raising-dead

https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Be-Me-Journey-Healing/dp/1401937535

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/us/to-heaven-and-back/


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 †

James 1 ~ God, who gives generously to all without reproach

Jewish houses built on wings to add the grown children who were married. The houses continued to grow. The Bible reports Simon Peter and Andrew, brothers, lived with Peter's mother-in-law.

Joshua 24:15

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve,

whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

James 1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James, the Book of the Bible, where the very Brother of Jesus, son of Mary and of Joseph, tells us about what he learned spending 33 years with Jesus Christ, Only Son of God.

Parallels.

Both James 1 and Mark 7 say, "watch what you say." Mark 7 says be heart with your words. Do not be lip service. Then both say do not say harmful things. Your life is your test if God sees worthy to save. Exactly as we claim the privilege to determine where we will spend time.

James 1 is absolutely astonishing advice from Jesus' brother.

This chapter is basically - astonishing, life-changing, in a word - wow. And if we adapt the first paragraph to conversation - it's not to poke at your faith with annoyance or questions. To grab hold of the handlebar and hang on. Because if we start pulling at the threads of a handlebar, we dismantle a perfectly sound handlebar. Better to get glue and put the loose thread to use. Use the 'yes, I believe' and not pick, pick, pick at this.

Rich or poor. Gone in the MIDST of pursuits. Whoooohooo I want that! Long life, exceedingly good health and Zap off to Heaven. GOOD NEWS. ALLELUIA.




We begin the chapter by addressing the dispersion - addressing us today - saying the view is to looking at as you have traveled further down the road, and life has variation and changing events. Importantly, Jesus says don't let life let you become bitter. See what new adventures life brings. Look at difficulties as a way of doing a test. All have worked on various tests. On -target- people like to see some 'action' for the possibilities of new life entering.

Being steadfast makes us able to go far. With Jesus and incredible reality - how far.  Recently, I read an article on the details of the Chronicles of Babylon which agree with the Second Exodus - the exile and slavery in Babylon. Even gives dates. March 7,  597 B.C. The second of three roundups of the people of Judah. The Babylonian Chronicles agree with Genesis. People before the atmosphere changed of the great waters covering the earth - where we all find fossils of sea creatures in odd places - and before the flood changing the atmosphere - people did live to be 800 years old.  The Chronicles of Babylon agree.

Noah says we can live now to be 120 years old. And in being steadfast, we bring more to ourselves, our spouse, our children, grandchildren and to the people unborn.

In this steadfastness of holding on to God, we become reliable. Doing what Father God asks us to do, makes us more at peace, more reliable as life - of course, changes. We hold on to our truth of what God tells us. God says we realize in doing what God wants us to do, we have begun to reach the place of Life. Creation waits for the unveiling of the Sons of Man. Jesus tells us He is Son of Man. This is an amazing place. God is Savior of mankind, we who will believe in Him. He invites us to be in the His Path of His Life. God tells us, really, if we lean upon God, the burden is Light. Love lifts the burdens of Life.

Happier people are trusting God. They say change will come. But God finds joy in the people who say, Today is God's Gift. Let us not change. God surely loves us as we have this gratitude. And if we spend our time saying God is always here for us, we will miss the old age downfall of Ecclesiastes House Solomon tells us will come. I have witnessed the removal of Ecclesiastes House - in generous hospitality.

Peace. More and more people are turning television off. This is a first since 1950. Clamor. Being taught alien values. Repetitively. What is good comes as a gift of God. If we focus on what is wrong and entertaining, we will find less peace. God tells us He is God of Encouragement. God wants to help us solve problems, see what is good, encouraging others. See the good. Believe God will help.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of Jesus' own Will he brought us forth, by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James is able to see Jesus was a perfect gift. Light of the world. Jesus did not change. Did not vary. His words are truth.

And James has the unique position knowing - the family of Mary and Joseph James, Joses, Simon, and Jude, as well as the sisters, are the firstfruits of God's Creation. James had a unique Life to look forward to in Heaven.

The Law of Liberty. Has a few requirements.

So if any is religious, bridle the tongue. We start the Chapter by saying God give generously without reproach. Can we point to another Scripture for this?

James 4:12
There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Jesus said not to judge. In understanding others, we are revealed. Citing mercy is needed.

Romans 2:1-3
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. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 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?


Visiting widows and orphans. Surely not on the fun, jazzy things to do list. Instead it is asking facing head on - there are problems out in the world - we hope not to share in. Discomfort. The lack of the ability to truly help one another. Time spent, care given. Strong enough to carry on with our lives. Trusting God, that as He gives life, He also gives us the ability to do the life He has given us. We have to believe this for ourselves and others to nourish others and nourish ourselves.



Abba,

We give Thanks for the delight You have had in Your creation. The delight Jesus found in mankind. For what Jesus has done, moving the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Telling us about You.

Thank You for helping us carry our burdens. For giving us Joy. For giving us people to Love. For the earnest desire for them. For finding You miracles and protections never cease. Being incredulous and grateful. For Your Plans, a Hope and a Future. More than we can imagine.

The Blessings of Jesus on those who pray. And for seeing the power in Prayer. Those prayers encompass our World asking the Mercy and Love on this Nation and the creation of God's without borders. We expect without doubting, the Greatness of God to be displayed in our prayers. Bringing more Heaven to earth.

 In the Name of Jesus Christ, we have seen You. Amen.

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †