Luke 2 ~ Looking for Jesus

The Joy of Jesus' Reunion with His Brothers and Sisters.

Jude 1:21
21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Luke 2

And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

And he said to them, 

"Why were you looking for me? 

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

Jesus tells us He is easily found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12 Open Gates. Heaven. Approach Father God with Confidence in Jesus Lord God. Amen.

Abba,

You Hear our Prayers......


Amen in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 100 ~ His faithfulness

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.



The Post is picked out before knowing what the Scripture will be. When the Scripture appears again, apparently, we are not finished discussing this Scripture!



When John the Baptist began his ministry - he wanted the paths to be clear, straight and going in the right direction. Preparing a Path God would love to travel.

Jesus, of course did eclipse John the Baptist and Jesus did this life and in John 14, 15, 16 told us Jesus had found Joy living this life. Jesus was not one to whitewash to make the people feel better.

Any time we have experienced trauma in the news, we tend to be pulled down. Earthquakes. Fires. Solar Flares.  People discussing huge Hail storms from the last year.


And I read an article from Father Mike Endicott today.

Marvelous. Perfect for the weather and the worry.


When Father Mike came to visit us, I had prayed for my oldest son to move because his insurance job had decided all workers could work from home and he was far from us and not really happy in a city far away. I went to Father Mike and he said he thought my arm would be ok. I said no, I was fasting and praying for my son. And Father Mike - who has a very, very well known healing career - said I had an arm problem. But because I was diligently praying for someone else - God would be merciful to my arm. I was pretty disappointed and his wife asked about arm health questions in our family and said this was prophetic. And my son returned to live with us for a few months before moving in with old friends of his. As he moved out, I was having arm surgery in 2016 for a tumor that turned out to be a benign cyst. And as he moved, again, to Michigan for Law School, I had to have surgery just in time for moving him to Law School and Hurricane Harvey.  Four Benign tumors same arm - praying with belief - yes, we are done here. Thank God.

But Father Mike's article was on my heart and I decided to share this with you. I follow him on Facebook - Fr. Mike does post very interesting articles, but does not reply - Fr. Mike is blind. And has the most amazing healing ministry. He leans to remembering God is the "Good Father" and you never have to beg God like He is a poor parent or 'bad dad'.


God is Perfectly Willing. God one day tapped Father Mike Endicott, in his astonishment, in conversation (his 20th year as a Priest in the Church of England). Telling Fr. Mike he had accepted being blind was truly God's Will. God told Father Mike had done a great job with God's will for himself and blindness. And instead of getting depressed - praying for people - to praise God for His Good Will and see where God was willing. Voila. Bam. Heavenly Host. Choirs. The Willingness of God has made Father Mike Endicott's Healing Career - Move Mountains.

POWER IN THE PEWS I have spent a great deal of time over the past fifteen years roaming the western church worldwide, (and of course UK) teaching kingdom theology as best I can and generally having a whale of a time. Throughout that experience I have observed a number of general issues: 1. That white Victorian Christianity is in steep decline. 2. That as our congregations grow older, the folks on the pews have greater needs; larger families so a greater range of need, looser standards in society generally  and the consequential problems and pain of every kind. 3. Whilst every church seems to lead us formally in prayer for many very serious and troubling circumstances around the world, the sharp heart focus of the average pew Christian lies not there but in their own families, in their own pain. Very often all we can do is encourage them to speak out a troubled name (as long as it’s not their own as that may be deemed selfish). 4. We have not taught our people to pray. We have taught them the various kinds of prayer at Sunday School but generally not since. 5. This means that, by  and large, we have been taught to wait until our leader has finished praying and to then speak out an Amen. That’s often all there is to it. 6. There seems little evidence on the pews of an option to include God in life’s difficulties. There is little practical working knowledge of the kingdom. This may be because the church has for centuries taught us that church and kingdom are the same thing. The church can’t mend a broken life so that option usually closes down. 7. The church, many centuries ago, lost its trust in Our Lord and turned to the Saints and their relics for healing. Much of that has since dwindled and is even now largely lost. No trust no healing and therefore little point in going for that church option. 8. The pain remains on the pews. Many modern pulpiteers and church Gatekeepers actively steer their people away from the possibility of a healing God and a healing kingdom, possibly out of their own ignorance and fear of such things? 9. Of course the bodies involved in various healing ministries need to attract and train new workers and we assumed that they might be filling that need with their courses. 10. These courses, I arrogantly assume, are pointing at the original publishing ministry or even at their ministry methodology itself. However, the need of the church is far greater. 11. My own spirit tires of yet more after more training courses while the church sits in pain on its pews and the pulpiteers and Gatekeepers remain impotent to help. 12. We so badly need to educate the pews, not in healing ministry at all as most have no interest in doing that. To do this we need to rekindle their trust in the kingdom and its workings, the Cross and its workings today and equate them more thoroughly in the nature of Christ so that they begin once more to trust. Just a little trust will be enough for God. If we face  up to the truth about kingdom things, we find that the church’s faith has gone negative.  13. The church pews do not need any more ministry information or training schemes. The church needs to raise her trust in    the kingdom and its King. That way the pews will be moved more to confident healing prayer. 14. I constantly remind myself how the kingdom moves. As trust rises up and meets  Grace coming down so God is given elbow room to move. 15. Wether or not we could ever agree on a simple and practical healing theology which will lift trust on the pews is another initial hurdle, another one being the question of jumping over the pulpits to get this good news to the pews. My own spirit wants no more courses to train specialists in specialist methods but to help the pained people on the pews to trust more in their God. I’m sure the healing ministry is a calling on every Christian in every pew and, if only some body could encourage it, what a powerful kingdom witness church we would belong to! Still dreaming, Mike Endicott Please share this!

The Bible tells us of times in all generations that have included joy to come.

Moses believed this of his life and this certainly proved to be true:


Numbers 10:29
Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel."

When people find something magnificently good, they do want to share the Goodness of God.


Hezekiah trusted God and the people worked hard to make sure that all would be in order for God. In fact at one time, Hezekiah had to turn away the tributes to God, there was no place for them. They had loaded all of the Temple.

2 Chronicles 29:30
Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped."



We are prone to dismiss "All things work together for Good for those who love the Lord and work according to His Purpose"

- - - sometimes we need to see blessings with eyes of faith. Hope of Promise God would Fill.





Sometimes when I pray, I picture the huge, gigantic rock the Children of Israel carried in the Exodus because the rock unfailingly gave Water. Living Water.

And I place myself up high, upon Jesus as my foundation.

Mount Nebo over looks Israel in all of Israel's Glory.

Abba, Our Abba, 

Renew and Fill us again and again, with Your Holy Spirit. Live and dwell richly in us. Fill us with Expectation of Your Goodness and Glory.


We thank You for our Recent health issues had good, good, good solutions. We are praying for - Paul, Ken, Bruce M, Marc, Julie. We are praying for the Goodness You have Provided. We are grateful for how many good turns we have seen as we have prayed. I am amazingly grateful to have fine use of my arm.

Giving You thanks for my Loved ones. Keep them tenderly, near You.

Bless us to walk in Your Will knowing Your Hope and Your Future.

We all need a Gratitude Journal and I will start one.

We will put down our burdens when we pray and come away with renewal in the Joy of Love.

Bless those we love and pray for. Bless these Churches tomorrow to always be a blessing to Jesus. And Bless our Nation and Christians around the world.

Blessings upon Jesus, we Know He Fulfills His Word and Promises to me and to you.

In Jesus. In Jesus Christ. In Jesus, our wonderful Savior, we give You Thanks. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 100 ~ for the LORD knows the way of the righteous

As Fragile as a Butterfly, these First P52 Ryland Papyrus and Second Century Papyrus P46 (300 clear chapters, University of Michigan) show careful, careful Love for the Word of the Lord.

Luke 1

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,

I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.


The Word of God is never limited.

God has been orderly for centuries.  God teaches certainty in an uncertain world.


Certainty - Worry, Circumstance, Endurance and the Nature of God.

When the Gospels were written and the Book of Acts began - the Roman world and the governing body - with the religious body of the Jews - were in great fear. Ian Wilson records a letter found from Lystra, Judea recording the fear Jews were finished with the miracles and miracles and miracles the Body of Christ was experiencing.




Victory?

David lived 22 years and years and years of never, almost never, almost a victory, almost victory, victory for serving the Lord God. Our Father.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 is in the First Book of Psalms 1 - 40; considered to written by David and about his conflict with Saul.

We all struggle in a walk with Jesus Christ to put our loved ones in the category of "All Good with God" and we struggle with the culture leaning on the younger people and all the generations and upon us. And here is Psalm 1 assuring us we don't pass God's bar. God's Passing Grade would be unobtainable without Jesus Christ. Daily. Mark 7 explains all the many, many ways we can fail God every 5 minutes.

Honoring God with talk only - false talk.
Having a heart far away from worship.
Judas was said to take the holiness and warp it to his interests. He turned to his interests.
Putting a show in to a production of ministry and failing to care for aged parents.

Jesus carefully and with the Grace upon Grace of our Loving, Caring Father - relieves the tensions by saying what people say to you from their heart - their unkind words meant to pull others down - that the only thing that can truly defile us and trip us up - is feeling bad within ourselves and pushing that on to another - this defiles us. What people say - the movies - the TV- the music - that wanders in - is not what defiles us. It is the intentions of our mind, heart and soul that would harm us. We are safe from what is said. When we listen to God and worship Him. The Humility of knowing God saves us.



"evil thoughts come
sexual immorality,
theft,
murder,
adultery,
greed,
malice,
deceit,
lewdness,
envy,
slander,
arrogance
and folly.
All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”




Now consider Psalm 1 as a Psalm of David

Psalm 1 

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,


David was housed with the malcontents as he sought to do God's will. Ziklag - even his own men wanted to kill David. David had to Live with Faith God was going to bring his surroundings nearer, clearer and dearer to Father God. David was living what was in his soul to God.

nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Ya betcha, David was doing his best as the people who had really disliked Saul and Israel rode with David during the mercenary years. With certainty, assurance, internal conviction we know David was trusting God to make the path straight and good.


He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

David was like Mary, he believed the promises of God when faith was very certainly unseen around him. When Saul's concubine's sons were crowned King of Israel - did David feel all was right with the world? This would not be what David would all smiles and grins for that crown placed there. At least 3 people were crowned King of Israel while David was crowned over a little portion. And David believed that he was a tree and God would help him.


In all that he does, he prospers.

If we see this as absolute. The Ditch David lived in with the malcontents affirms, strengthens, emboldens us to believe David meant an internal attitude instead.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

With as many failures as David had in 22 years - not 'livin' the dream' - we know David was "walking the walk, talking the talk, keeping his eyes on His God." David always and never failingly believed God to be completely compassionate to the cry of His child - David. David was assuredly, completely faithful to the belief God had His Heart and His Plan upon David. David was not driven from this belief: God is for me. David stood with God as his firm foundation.


5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

David believed in all times and circumstances - God alone had the ability and the pay grade to judge David. And David was in love for God for His wondrous ability to listen to David's prayers and David loved God for His Compassion.






6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.


1 Chronicles 21:13
Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”


Psalm 69:13 Psalm of David
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.


And who led David when he did fall into sin? Not Gad who blasted David with all of the righteousness of Gad. Gad!

Nathan came to David and expected David to have compassion. And Nathan had to come to David in times we'd rather run from a king. Nathan believed in the goodness of David. David named a child after Nathan and Luke 3 shows Mary to be a descendent of David through Nathan. Recorded in the Sadducean Council Records, housed in Scotland, saying this genealogy of Mary through her father, Heli.


David's compassion was so great to Nathan - Nathan was with David as he went to be with God. David loved the truth and he loved compassion. David believed God's Word to him. God's Personal Word and assurance.

We are a fortunate generation. We can touch objects David, King of Israel, God's anointed, placed in his city. Find History recording David.

  The tour of the western wall tunnels is one of the most popular tourist sites in Jerusalem. These underground tunnels connect the western wall prayer area to the north-west side of the temple mount, passing along the side of the temple mount and under the present day houses in the Old City. Along its path are remains from the second temple period, as well as structures from later periods.

To please God, we must believe what He says within us in Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us all will have Crowns of Righteousness, for those who Love God and Believe Him.

David placed his palace, for the view. Outside of the protection of City Walls. David believed his protection was from God.


the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous




Abba our Father, our Daddy.

Paul wrote he was a sinner, but at the time he did not know what sin he was in. There are a plethora of ways to make a vast God unhappy or angry. We all fall here - God gives His Word to affirm us as sinners.

Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ who covers us in His Name. His Grace upon Grace. Nothing we could ever do would purchase this astonishing gift allowing us access to You in Jesus Christ. At all times. In confidence.

Because You have placed the Holy Spirit inside of us - we are eternally safe. Invited to be Eternal in the way, truth and Life of Jesus Christ. To Live. Forever.

we are Eternal today because of Jesus.

Bless our cares lifted to you. Bless hold and cherish the ones we Love. Uphold and hold dear to You, the people You have given us.

We will see our prayers join the communion of saints. God having prayer circle the earth He calls yesterday, today and tomorrow "good". We ask for our city to recover and rejoice and be thrilled with the outpouring of Love to those in care of one another during Hurricane Harvey. An awesome, astonishing thing to see for a week the coverage of Hurricane Harvey on ABC 13. See this. Amazing.

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous

We pray this outpouring of Love over Florida. 6.3 million people moved out of the city is hard to repeat Houston's Love - but they will be returning home. Tired and worried - Jesus Christ uphold them. His own Children.

Bless our times - political bicker put down, Love lifted up.

And the Joy of the Lord is our Strength and Song.

Amen in Jesus Christ our God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 61 ~ listen to my prayer

Psalm 61

1 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;

2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.


The Ministry of Jesus was different than all of the men of the Old Testament.

John 7:31
Many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

And when we examine what Jesus was known for - He wanted to heal. To tell people to realize, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." And in this Love - Jesus knew the response would be not always spectacular. The man healed at the Pool of Bethsaida didn't follow Jesus and instead held conferences with the Temple - run by Herod. Jesus did speak with him twice, We will hope someone healed after 38 years, and meeting Jesus,  personally twice, would later come to realize what was done for the man.

Bartimaeus is the name we know - a man healed from being blind and following Jesus with all he had. The same with the man in the cemetery. One leper turned back to give thanks.










Jesus preached the Kingdom of God unfettered from show and power for self righteousness. Jesus told people the truth about their sins. Jesus said some are chaff and will be chaff. Jesus did not people please. Jesus Loved people.

It's a Testimony of God as God.

Peter fell into the water and immediately God lifted Peter up. Jesus did not joke, laugh or point.
Jesus told people about their sins and did not turn away in disgust.
Jesus never bogged down.
Jesus tells us, The Father, Son and Holy Ghost saw more of mankind than we will know, Jesus found delight seeing into our souls.
Jesus is always willing to offer Love.





Revelations discusses the dire end of some lives after Judgment. God does not paint this as something joyful to Him. The message of Revelation has the distress of a Father losing a child. It's frightening to know the images. These are the images of a Father in distress to lose the children He named, followed, longed for like the Prodigal Son's Father.






Because Jesus did not always have perfect success witnessing to God and continued - we can go forth with our Faith. We can walk a path that isn't perfectly the 1000 percent hit of ball park homerun. Jesus told us this life would have troubles. He counted on life being messy. Not all situations will be a win for us. God Knows.

Jesus preached the Promises of God.

Jesus preached welcome and love.

Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus made us long for more of His Father. God of Love.

In fact, the Disciples demanded Jesus teach them to pray, I'm not sure all of life has the Master greeting the desires of the servant. And Jesus said He is always ready to talk about Prayer. To say to these men afraid, dogmatic, opinionated, wrong, right, disloyal, loyal - welcome to speak with Father God draw near to our God and our Father with confidence.



Prayer. The Kingdom of Heaven has 12 Gates. Each has one Gigantic Pearl - All 12 Gates are always open. Prayer.

Abba,


Well when the saints go marching in,
When the saints go marching in
Me, I want to be, I'm gonna be in that number,
Ooo when the saints go marching in.


Oh when the sun yeah begins to shine.
I want to show the Brilliant Light
That Light of Jesus Christ.

When that old sun begins to shine,
I tell you something I'm gonna be I'm gonna be in that number,
When the sun begins to shine.

Yeah when my Jesus Lord calls me home again,
Ah when my Lord God calls me home again,
I'll tell you I'm gonna be in that number!

When the saints go marching in
I tell you something
I'm gonna be
I'm gonna grab
I'm gonna grab my loved ones to that number,
When the saints go marching in.

Well when the sun yeah begins to shine.
When that sun begins to shine,
I'll tell this is Jesus - get you Jesus now fast.

I tell you something I'm gonna be I'm gonna be in that number,
When that Lord Jesus shines on me.




Oh when the saints go marching in,
When the saints go marching in
I tell you something you gotta be in that number,
When the saints go marching in.

No place like Jesus.
No Home Like His.
No one but Jesus knows you so well.
Be in that number as the saints go marching Home.

Alleluia Jesus Amen and Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 141:1-2 ~ Let my prayer be counted as incense before You

A column capital and a huge stone that was part of the original Temple in Jerusalem. Unlike our grandparents and great-grandparents - we can visually see part of - in this case - part of Solomon's Portico 1st Temple and the Second Temple.

Psalm 141:1-2

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

The Building Plan of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Solomon's Temple. It's an Unusual Shape!

 

1 Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?





It's wonderful the door pillars were called Jachin and Boaz (Great-grandfather's name).

1 Chronicles 9:9-11
and their kinsmen according to their generations, 956. All these were heads of fathers' houses according to their fathers' houses. Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, 11 and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God

Boaz? David's Grandfather, Solomon's Great-Grandfather.

Boaz knew himself. And told us of his heart.

Ruth 3:12-13
"And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”


Even the Temple of THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY had touches of family, hearthstone and heart. 

 Incense offered on the altar - horns could be grabbed for sanctuary. 
In front of the Holy of Holies.

Outside of the Temple were the Sacrifices

Our prayers before God:

Revelation 8
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel

What was offered to God as pleasant aroma? Flatbread. Toast!

From the Court of the Priests in the Temple
where the Bread Offering was. 

David remembers distress and fear. He recalls salvation belongs to the Lord. And remembers prayer will help him. God regards our prayers as something pleasant.

Numbers 15:3
and you present to the LORD food offerings from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD--whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings--

2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing

2 Corinthians 2:14
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.















1 Timothy 2:8
Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


Abba,

When we are tired, we cannot be elaborate in prayer.

We can call upon Jesus and lean upon His Wisdom and Love.

Remembering with Jesus those we Love.

The People God has given us to be sheltered in His Great Love. Those who are ill - for Your Great Power and Healing.

Our Communities, Churches and Nation to be led by God's Love and Wisdom.

Knowing You hold us completely and forever in the Power of Your Love and Your Word. Life is sustained. Eternally.

The Great Salvation and Your Great Invitation are Blessings beyond compare.

Let our Prayers be a fragrant and sincere offering to Your Heart towards us. Thanks be unto Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Luke 18:1-18 ~ God give

Prayer changes over the years. When I was 16 and first believed - I was on fire. God was going to answer. Then He did not automatically and I assumed He was Big and I was little, so when I went to prayer groups I prayed like I meant all the prayers and went home and promised to pray and did not. It didn't have any affect. So, I was called on this, and I said, yeah, I pray as much as you all do. The response was a shunned - oh yeah. We were all teenagers. One person swore she prayed. We all looked at her.



And in my 20's 30's I did pray. Not much happened. But we all prayed. We were all busy and the prayer group drifted apart. We were very different people. We had little children and had jobs and no jobs with some with ill health. And financial troubles all of us. And the middle age older people - how could you relate - it seemed mostly health issues.

And in my 40's, a ladies group met for a number of years, but really they had sharp words for one another and this ended.

And in my 50's, we still meet with our original 17 year Couple's Class. We enjoy our Fellowship and discuss God in our lives. We have fun.


I did attend a Bible Study that met and we prayed with the healing videos of Judith and Reverend Francis MacNutt. He is a Harvard Catholic Priest who was forgiven by the Catholic Church for leaving to have a healing ministry and getting married to Judith. A many decades friend, Psychiatrist, friend of my mother, who was going blind from genetic failure of blood vessels - was healed from going to many, many, many, many healing classes. And all of their seminars.

Our Prayers, of our class: We did the video classes and saw a 90 year old priest healed from heart failure - by Jesus Christ - this priest is about 70 years old again and very, very happy. We saw an atheist/agnostic friend of the daughter of one of the group, from New Mexico, healed from repeat and scheduled terrible surgery as he arrived at MD Anderson. No other group was praying for him. He emailed us not to show up for his intense nerves, but said he was so glad someone was praying for him. When he arrived all was healed. This was his second bout with oral cancer and was very severe until healed by Jesus.

A man with gangrene in his second toe was prayed for on Tuesday. I told him I was sorry I had known to bring him my Tens Unit, please forgive me. He did. He was healed before his next day Doctor appointment on Wednesday. Jesus can heal just fine without the Tens Unit.


That intentional healing of people intent to heal and praying - had 3 miracles. Of Jesus Christ hearing our prayers for others.

What was the difference?

This was not a social gathering. The people in the group knew each other. It was not make a friend make conversation. This group was intent the purpose was to pray wellness into lives. The people in the group were mature Christians. They knew the Mercy and the Willingness of God. The discussions were serious about healing and about people we had heard had Jesus miracles. Conversations were about the Mercy and Grace of God Himself.

So, when we pray by ourselves - what can we hope for?

This really depends.

I've had some amazing conversations this week. Talk to a minister or blogger. You won't be identified but the Body of Christ will have an idea of where we are. Really.


I've talked with someone who voluntarily leads The Church with laity ideas. And this person is putting up a front as wealth and fierce believer, traveler, and is rather, playing at being a Christian. And in private, this laity person is - weeping - about Salvation. Truly worried. Why the noise for the uncertainty? Because this person is not sure we are all not kidding and full of gas. To grow in Jesus Christ - pretense to others about Jesus has to be gone. This person has iffy faith and in loud noises is making more iffy for this person - inside themselves.

If you are uncertain of faith - find someone to be real with. Be Real. Growth of a new branch or a new vine is real. It is not going to pretend to be an established full branch and really be a half afraid twig. You can memorize all the Scripture you want, but if you really doubt you are saved... Tell someone you trust. A real believer is not going to tell your husband, parent, sibling, friend that you are fake. But will with prayer, address the situation.

I have lived doubting faith. I had a time where I had to decide and I decided. Early on. From being Real about what I thought about God. To people I trust. This is not playground material - this is the basis of Life. Tears about Salvation are important and worth being quiet about to trustworthy people.



*****(Private discussions are not going to be revealed. Names are not said, identities will not be released. Be at peace.)





I have talked to someone mature in their faith, who feels discouraged about the faith of people around the faithful. This was not fake discouragement, but real. We do not pray to a God who gives us alllllll these prayers with few answers.

This relates to the Willingness and Goodness of God to whom we Trust. Father Mike Endicott, of the U.K., said that he used to really not enjoy being a priest after about 20 years. Getting down on his knees to beg God for health for cancer patients. Jobs for those going bankrupt. For a faithful mother with children on drugs she worked so hard to raise in the Church. People divorcing. Begging God to just - Care. And one day this blind priest said God spoke to him. "Mike - do you think I am a Bad Father?"

God continued, "You must think I am a Bad Father, but you are blind. And you see well that being blind was my Good Will and Plan for you. Why can't you see that M
y Good Will is not for you to judge. Why do you pray to Me, if you must beg ME for goodness? Why don't you lean into the Willingness of God? Looking for what is Good where the I Am would go?



If we pray to Abba with a second who said, "I will never leave or forsake you." Jesus. Jesus is with us.

What has God done for me? I've seen a spleen and kidney healed by the faithful signing a baby blanket to cover them with prayer. I've seen a brain injury from a terrible, terrible car accident healed from the same baby blanket idea. No chance of recovery. I've seen Jesus heal a thyroid tumor to no tumor. I've had one benign breast tumor named, "Vanished" and that happened. I've prayed for Leukemia to be healed and felt Jesus answer and seen the Leukemia vanish that week. I have seen someone about to be fired have a good conversation and get a raise. So many prayed for events, circumstances, - - - just seem to be held by God and healed in His Time. My mother was going to die according to 3 doctors and 3 Hospice members. Except the Word of God told me she would Live. Her hearing - was lost during the injury - and would heal over the next year. Doctors said a month would tell or 6 weeks. She is back to being able to hear. We will keep praying for her memory.


What is the Body of Christ - when we pull together for the Glory of God. And this happens time and time again.

This is the fuel of Life. To Love God. To be pleased with God. To accept what He brings. To enjoy life - to see prayers answered. To have Faith.

To do just a little good and know we have done what is in our hand to please our Father, Abba.

Luke 18:1-18

And he told them a parable to the effect that
they ought always to pray
and not lose heart.


2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.

7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This is being at peace with Salvation. This is believing God is God. This is the assurance we can pray to Jesus Christ and He will answer.



This is what the Word of God tells us to do. To believe God is willing. And when God is not willing - we trust He has a Plan.





Houston has seen unbelievable miracles in the willingness of many to help one another. To pray. To work. To donate. To connect. I can tell you with all joy, with all peace, with all happiness - we have seen Jesus seeing faith on this earth. And we have Joy and hope for the future.

Thank God.


Abba, our Abba,

Thank You Jesus goes with us.

Thank You for the many, many times You have blessed us. With Parents. Grandparents. Family. Health. Prayers answered. Treasure in Heaven. Healing. Jobs. Ideas. Solutions. Work. Joy. Effort rewarded. Ideas about the Future. Dreams answered. Dreams to be in awe over.

Hope for others. Joy in years to come. Nourishment of Body and Soul. Blessings of Care. Blessings to Love and Care for others.

The Privilege of seeing the Faithful rejoice. A sight of Heaven.

Knowing Your Promises are Steadfast. Knowing the Glory of being Invited to Heaven Forever. Knowing Jesus is Alive. Knowing Jesus is Alive. Knowing Jesus is Alive.

Thanks be to You, for ourselves and the ones we love. As we pray, we cover our communities, the state, the Nation, those in dire need of prayer for rain and fire. We pray over those who need health restored. We know we cover those people unto the Nation and the world. Jesus is Alive.

We ask You for good rest and good peace. Jesus is alive.

Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †