1 Peter 2:1-10 ~ into His Marvelous Light +†+

1 Peter 2:1-10

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

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-- 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. "They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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, not we ourselves,

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.

Nourishing our souls - the process of looking for the good God provides.

Believing God loves us first. Growing into our salvation. Believing within us  -we really are chosen and special. Obeying God is worship.

And in shining the Light of Christ, we make ourselves a people. Putting down darkness. Living in His marvelous Light.




These are good words. And unless we reach to receive them - they are as comforting as poetry we can toss the words around behind us or beside us - just trot those words out.

Life will always have stages and then these stages abruptly end.

We have an early childhood - we believe we are chosen and precious and able. And then our childhood meets expectations to grow up and take on responsibilities to become a people. To become invested in talents. In the rub of life, we find as an heir to being God's Beloved, weeds choke out the sunlight.

We progress to early adulthood where we find we like the freedom and wish to have our inheritance to do as we please. We ask our Father to step back; give us the promises of the inheritance to do as we wish.

We enter the cubical world of employment where God's place on His refrigerator for our talents seems a faded memory. Our 5 talents of childhood seem to be half a talent - with no end in sight of increasing demands of cost, time and ability to being thought young.

We have our young and we struggle to establish our house upon a rock. Soccer practice, sewing lessons, boy scouts, room mother, PTO, find  matching socks and locate homework...shoe? the shoe, shoe, shoe..... Shoe! The permission slip, report card, doctor  and the appointment. Major crisis to minor, "fire of the day", gummy/ gum hair. Care locator, lost backpack at daycare, Conflict with caregiver, teacher, den leader. The outing/lunch/vacation led to the need for more relaxation in life.


The wonder of life's every day.
 The emotional discussions of life. The chores. And then - scattering Life - scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.

Help?
Eventually, the needs of the children encourage us to remember Christ is our Rock. Come to Him, His burden is Light. Rest for the weary. Renewal. Prayers with Jesus are Hope.

Christian Radio. Christian Music in the car.  Church. Youth Group - try going 6 times - and then complain. We need the people of God to teach our children about being a people. We return from feeding the wild pigs to be embraced by our Father running to us.

We find we need again to remember we are chosen and special in the sight of God as our children long in their teen years to have the inheritance to be free. And if we have wandered far from Hearing the Love our Father pours into our lives, we can be diminished in so many ways. At this point, our peers complain about the world, the culture aches and pains. We are reaching Ecclesiastes House.

And if we make our security on money, we have received jealousy. We have received a place where we would have lip service and not heart. If we believe God, we fit into His Kingdom,. We find hope to see the good in our lives in all circumstances. In abundance - in need - in full houses and full money - then - we fit into being given to in the mercy of God and being able to give mercy to others.

If we find we are in a struggling stage of life, we find we have the ability to take on our tasks of life given to us by God. We have the strength to dig deep and find God loves us. We find we don't need affirmation as much from others as from God, Who has made promises us to us. We can give God our hearts and desires and see victories and His Mercies each day. Jesus told us always to pray and not give up Hope.

Finding we are His People and He has made us.

Finding in our situation to give help and hope to others.

Making Life Meaningful.

Trusting - if today was meaningful, tomorrow will be as well. And if today was rest or irritation, tomorrow is a new chance. Deliberately finding and seeking the Light of God.

Realizing we are all at varies stages with hurdles. And in His Holy Spirit, having the goodness to make the hurdles smaller or well paced.

Our words are real, sincere, trust-worthy, honoring God and pleasing to Him - our words seek to do what the Holy Spirit does - to Give Life.




Father God,

You are more capable of Blessing than we would ever be, Bless us with Your Ways, Wisdom and Heart.

Strengthen our homes, our marriages, our families, our bodies. Give us Your Strength of soul - to make Life filled with Your Marvelous Life.

Fill us - our Loved ones, the people You have given us - our peoples - our Nation - Your Beloved with the Light that fills mankind - Jesus Christ.

Let Your Words of Life be the Light guiding us to be the Children of God.

In Jesus, we know You long to hold us and we to be held to You. Amen and Amen.

Isaiah 41:13 ~ I am the One

Isaiah 41:13 

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Michelangelo painted about Father God. He carved around the people, places and Words of God. And in all of this thinking about Father God, Michelangelo created the Beginning of mankind as from the Hand of God.

There will be a day when we all have bowed to Jesus. When Jesus lives and moves and has His Being with us.

This week I've been considering Jesus' hands since seeing the movie "Heaven Is For Real" again. We have so many ideas about Jesus in Heaven. At Home in Father God's Kingdom. We don't know beyond the Word of God when Jesus shows Thomas His Hands. I'd believe God has Jesus in His Hands and Jesus is in comfort and Love.

Acts 11:21 

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number

who believed turned to the Lord.

Leviticus 26:12

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people

And Jesus walked among us with Grace upon Grace and Truth. He nourished us for millenniums. Our God. Lamb of God. Son of God.

 

Mark 10:16

And he took them in his arms

 and blessed them, 

laying his hands on them.

Luke 7:14 

Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

Luke 24:50 

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

Ezekiel 12:23
The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.

Ezekiel 39:8
Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.

Luke 23:42
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”…




Abba, Father God,

You have called us by name, we are Your's. You have placed Your Spirit into the Father's Hands. You will reach out Your Hand and gather us.

Let us give our cares to You. Let us give our Loved ones and their cares. Let us lift up to You, the people You have given us to pray. Your Spirit gives Life. And You do more than we can ask or imagine.

Your Word is spoken, Your Plan, our hope and future, for all Your Beloved, is secure in Jesus Christ.

Amen in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acts 1 ~ you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you

Acts 1

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."


6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem
 and in all Judea
 and Samaria, 
and to the end of the earth."

 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."



12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it';and "'Let another take his office.' 

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.



The Forgiveness of God is great. His Plan will be done. His Mercy is enduring.


Jesus is about to depart leaving His Disciples. And He continues His Steadfast Love by saying again, "Father forgive them they do not know what they do."

Jesus is forgiving His Disciples and gives them the Holy Spirit.

He is not leaving in annoyance. Jesus is leaving forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. He doesn't want Israel to feel left behind. Mentioned are Jerusalem - where Jesus longed to gather the children together like a Mother hen and comfort them. Forgiving them their unwillingness.

Jesus mentions Judea - not Israel - Judea for the disobedience of Israel for generations.

Jesus mentions Samaria where Jesus first proclaimed Himself the Christ of God, the Messiah.

Jesus is making Himself clear. He is presenting them with the Holy Spirit. The Comforter of God allowing us all to do what God would ask of us. We can do all things with Jesus Christ. Jesus is blessing the men who have trusted the Lord God with heart, mind and body.


Abba, Father,

Guide and lead us in healing from muscle weaknesses for Edward and my bad back sounding like Potato Chips being crunched. Lead us all ability to do Your Good Plan and Path.

Strengthen the People of God. The Ones we Love. The Blessing of God on the people You have given us. The Holy Spirit guiding and leading us to have the vital conversations. The Blessing of this Nation with Your Love and Protection. To have the mind of Christ. To please You. To love Your mercy to bring us closer to the Joy Jesus has.

We ask always for Your Help in Prayer. With the Holy Spirit, You do more than we can ask or imagine. Your Blessing we would always ask and hope with joy.  In Jesus. Amen.

Zechariah 7:1,4-10 ~ true judgments, show kindness and mercy

Jesus is Alive!!!

Zechariah 7:1,4-10

7 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.

4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 

9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”


When we fling open the Word of God, we are surrounded by worship. Our Father the Lord God Almighty. Zechariah 7 and all of God's Word is Living and active. These were the Words of God.



Isaiah 12:2-4

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation."

3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.

4 And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted."





Father God,

We pray the Large prayers of Jesus bless us prayers. The seeds of the young generation bloom and have the Holy Spirit rise up in them. the youth will have Your Power to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

We pray into our Lives healing, the Life of Jesus and His goodness.

We want to see Your Great Deeds and Awesome Works in the land of the living. In these days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace flourish. Secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places. The LORD is our king; He will save us. And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

Come Lord Jesus in the willingness of God to us each day to see Your Willingness and dwell there. Bringing more Heaven to our lives in our words and deeds. Bless our lives, our children, our children's children unto the generations carried to dwell in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Bless the fruit of our hands with Your goodness and mercy. Bless the farms and farmers in this unseasonable cold.  Our produce feeds the earth world wide. We ask Your help, Father God.

And all the people praying will Alleluia their Amen together in Jesus Christ!!!

Mark 12:13-27 ~ God of the Living

Mark 12:13-27 

13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" 

15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 

They said to him, "Caesar's." 

17 Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him.




18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." 

24 Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying,

'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living."

1 Timothy 3:16

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: 

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

One of the great wonders is the God drawing circles around the deep and the Biblical author would never know what was being written. The Biblical Author would never ride in an airplane to see the intricate Godly detail.

The Mystery to my thinking is how high and wide is God's Love. How far Father God takes the elevator down to hear us pray. To care about our concerns.

Mark 12 is astonishingly Practical. It's like asking if I turn on the TV and find something I shouldn't watch and then I realize what I'm doing - then God says just move on. God is such an Astonishing Father to us that as our thoughts wander during prayer or other times, He'd probably give us His robe, His embrace and His ring and His welcome back. Just come Home.


Mark 12 says you have a need - God will hear and provide. We are living His Plan. This is the Biblical equivalent of pray for parking spaces. And red lights.


You have a question about God's policies? He wrote you a Letter. Called the Bible. The Word of God.






God is so astonishingly available.


Abba, Father God,

We would pray with Jesus Christ to let the Spirit give Life to this prayer.

Thank You for 12 Open Gates of Heaven. Thank You for Jesus our mediator. Thank You, You ask as God for us to pray and talk with You.
You are a God of open arms, open heart, open ear policies. Our Father.

We rise up in Hope giving You are cares - the real ones.

Giving You the People we Love - knowing prayer stirs up Life.

Giving You all of the People around the world thinking of the millenniums and Jesus.

Thank You for Your Life Jesus. We will live on with You in the Hope and Future of Your Plan for us all..

Amen.