Haggai 2 ~ And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of Hosts

Haggai 2

2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 
3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 

Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 

7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 

9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”


10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 

15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. 

Since the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”


20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”





Consider the Second Exodus - the Babylonian Exile - we see again and again how real the impossible Scriptures are.

It's Impossible Enslaved People Believe God and Begin to Count Their Blessings He has Given.

Jeremiah was imprisoned in the 500-year-old King David's Palace's hole in the ground called imprisonment. And in archaeology, we find Jeremiah's Servant, Baruch's seal, listed exactly as the Bible list's Baruch's genealogy - found where the Scriptures say both men conducted business.

Jeremiah was generally not thought well of by the fallen officials. It would be logical the Biblical Holy Spirit inspired statements of Jeremiah in Judean slavery would really make Jeremiah particularly disliked. However, Nebuchadnezzar II as he entered Jerusalem, the second of three sieges, hears of Jeremiah's captivity and his first orders are the release of Jeremiah. And in captivity, Nebuchadnezzar sorts the priests and gives the slave priests their own houses located looking over the Chebar River. And freedom to worship and gather on the Sabbath. This is Highly Unusual Slavery. In fact - this sounds like a far-fetched tale. Except the Cuneiforms of Babylon are clearly legible and held in the U.K. match the Biblical accounts to the smallest details.






Jeremiah says Zerubbabel is never to be king over Judah Israel - never will the members of the Davidic line sit on the throne again.

What?

They had trusted in their kings and had begun to say as Moses had said - they were never slaves in Egypt. Merely moved from the North to Israel. Josiah had by accident located Scriptures because they had been Lost in the Temple and were unknown. Obedience to God was for the simple minded. And probably many did not mind being a puppet state of the Chaldean/Babylonian Empire - far more likely to have better trade.

God has placed His People where they are going to suddenly believe what Jeremiah said and all their lives are spent looking at the 70 years to escape slavery. Their conversations, convictions and beliefs are going to revolve around the Promises God makes to His people.



This is fact.
Zerubbabel is only offered the governorship. Probably because Darius and Cyrus remember the poor response Nebuchadnezzar received from the puppet kings of the Davidic Line. Remember Daniel - Daniel's name means "God (El) is my judge" - was given a new more fitting to the Chaldean/Babylonian Empire name of Belteshazzar - which means, "Bel protect the king' - one of many deities, Bel. Something of "a new god for you" slap in the face. And this ties Ezra together here. Ezra begins with Cyrus the Great entrusting the Temple vessels to Sheshbazzar (Hebrew: שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר‬, Modern Šešbaṣár, Tiberian Šēšebaṣar, "prince of Judah", probably from Akkadian Chaldean/Babylonian language. Zerubbabel if the name is not Hebrew but Assyrian-Babylonian, Zəru Bābel, meaning, "Seed of Babylon", the one conceived in Babylon. Zerubbabel in Cuneiform Babylonian is said to have this name because of his interaction with the Babylonian court. After his Davidic father was released from Nebuchadnezzar's prisons  - where even the food allotment is recorded by cuneiform.

(Another possibility is death of one of the many sons of Jeconiah, King of Judah of David's Line.)

After Josiah and his son, then King Jeconiah was deposed as king Jeconiah would later be regarded as the first of the exilarchs. In the Book of Ezekiel, the author refers to Jeconiah as king and dates certain events by the number of years he was in exile. According to 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jeconiah was released from prison "in the 37th year of the exile", in the year that Amel-Marduk (Evil-Merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar II) came to the throne, and given a prestigious position at court. Jeconiah's release in Babylon brings to a close the Books of Kings and the Deuteronomistic history. Babylonian records show that Amel-Marduk began his reign in October 562 BC. According to 2 Kings 25:27, Jeconiah was released from prison "on the 27th day of the twelfth month": this indicates the first year of captivity to be 598/597 BC, according to Judah's Tishri-based calendar. The 37th year of captivity was thus, by Judean reckoning, the year that began in Tishri of 562, consistent with the synchronism to the accession year of Amel-Marduk given in Babylonian records.

It's Impossible a Davidic King is given back to Judah. Impossible the Temple Tools of Moses and Solomon return. Impossible a Davidic King begins building the Second Temple. And yet even this Mosaic in Archaeology poinst to Nehemiah. Confirming Nehemiah's trusted statue as "Taster to the King."

Due to the influences of Nebuchadnezzar II believing Isaiah 13 was about his life - the slaves realize God has not abandoned them and, in fact, this is God's Plan and Path to bring the Temple of God to God. It would be utterly and completely unbelievable - except History and the Bible record the same events again and again and again.

The Mercy of God falls upon the House of David. Scripture is fulfilled. The Temple is built. Joseph, earthly father of Jesus Christ, is recorded showing up in Nazareth to collect his betrothed - Mary. The Scriptures record Joseph goes to Nazareth to collect Mary. Joseph has no problem to have the expense of moving and changing nations. Later Scripture tells us Joseph has the luxury to consider taking up residence in Jerusalem and the reconsidering due to Herod's family in power. Joseph has probably lived in Jerusalem as the family of kings prospered. And his betrothed is of Davidic lineage, but not of the kings. This might have been a Davidic consideration for the match.





And like Jesus - Israel was finished as a Nation - dead. 1 Just as Jacob's Sons depart for 500 years. 2. When the Temple and Jerusalem are destroyed in the Second Exodus, 70 years.  3. In 70 A.D. when Jerusalem and Israel perish until 1945. God assures us All Things are Possible.




Abba, Holy Father,

And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of Hosts.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Giving thanks for Jackson's good days and more to come we pray. Asking for Beaux Springer Spaniel's left ear to dry and recover completely. Jesus, we ask for Your healing.

In Peace, we lie down sleep to see His mercies renew. We pray this for ourselves, the drought on the west coast and British Columbia and for the Carolinas. God's Grace and Mercy.

In Jesus. Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Psalm 67 ~ our God shall bless us

Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

Your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!



When we understand the depths of God's Blessings - the list of the things we do each day are suddenly
filled with joy.

Counting God's Blessings fills the Holy Spirit in us.
Love, Joy and Peace. Blessing us all.



1 Corinthians 13

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.



1 Corinthians 13 is quite honest. As is Hebrews 11 - Life is in portions. We push away what is partial - the day to day work to see the Blessings. And we are filled with patience - making more opportunities to find more paths of Joy.

We rejoice with the truth of our blessings. What we bear is of smaller consequence. What we are
Given by God is the Truth. We are Blessed with Today. God's Provision.

Love never ends.

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

His Grace is our Promise.

Abba,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, You have blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

You chose us in Jesus before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before You, covered by Jesus.

In Your love, You predestined us for adoption in Jesus as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of Your will.

We thank You for Your glorious grace, with which You have blessed us in the Beloved.

Because of Jesus, we have redemption through Jesus' blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of Your grace, which You lavished upon us.

In all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of Your will, according to Your purpose, which You set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in You, things in heaven and things on earth.

We give Thanks for the Glory of God - Your Love. Covering us, the people we Love, our Nation, the Children believing in You, the Nations trusting in You. In Your Word You tell us to ask for more Heaven on earth.

In Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Isaiah 11 ~ faithful to the Holy One

Proverbs 8:27

When He established the heavens, Jesus was there; when God drew a circle on the face of the deep,

At 12:45 the beautiful photos reoccur. We see the Miracle of God's Hand. His Word.

Hosea 11

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.

The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.



Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love,

and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,

and I bent down to them and fed them.

5 They shall not return to the land of Egypt,
but Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
6 The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them because of their own counsels.
7 My people are bent on turning away from me,
and though they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.




8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;

my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;

For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.



They shall go after the Lord;

he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,

his children shall come trembling from the west;

they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,

Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.



The Lord's Love for Israel.

We do find the discussions of rings of air and atmosphere versus the dark of space. Why does it make sense the top of the Mountain closer to the sun is not warmer?

Eventually, we find - facts are interesting - but give me LIFE!!! The absolute Miracle of our planet green and blue in the midst of dark and empty space. Once we have established the absolutely astonishing miracle of the existence of Life's Possibility - we want meaningful life for those we Love.

God established His Heart with us. He looked into mankind and found He wanted to live and dwell with us. We know many say God is Deist - Absent Landlord - His Very Word assures us as we love our children and family - God our Father sees this in our eternal being - holding our memories and opinions forming our core being - our soul.

We have seen the circles of the deep. Our lives and our families and our friends are in this circle. We weave in and out of Life itself. We want others to move and have their being with God. Pleasing God - Words of our mouths and thoughts of our heart are always pleasing and acceptable to God our Redeemer. Redemption. The Best of Words. Not without warmth. Not to be put down and left. To glow with Life and Vitality. To have LOVE and Hope and Joy.


God's Word is Living in a place of Encouragement.
We turn to our Father as the wild winds of Life howl. The shocking days we glimpse the River of Living Water pushing and pulling us and placing our Loved ones. And we find in utter astonishment - these circles are all within God's Plan. God uses even particles we cannot see  - turning cloud to storm and rain for an area in drought. We find prayer and the storms can't be predicted as God is moving with us. Exactly as Abraham found God's Heart to be Willing.

The People of God are in motion. Their thoughts bring them forth, their ways push them back.

 And God sweeps all of the circles to be - HIS.

Hosea 11 is about our God's Love for the Nation.

Hosea 11 is our God's Love for Jacob.

Hosea 11 is our Father God's tenderness today for Israel.

Hosea 11 is our Mighty Father God's Love for His Only Son Jesus.

Hosea 11 is Alpha and Omega God's Shepherd Plan having Jesus know another Country for Life - in His time of walking as Grace and Truth on the earth where God chose to live among us and heal us all.

Hosea 11 is all the Circles of Life.

And in His encouragement we find - portions of His Word will dwell with us and move us, comfort us and assures us prayers for others are firmly answered. Hope is held for the invalid. Joy for the hopeless. And healing of the needs in us all.

All of God's Word holds a Promise - He heals us all.

Hear Oh Israel - the Lord our God is One.

Abba, Father, God - Beloved Father God,

Living in the New Covenant of the Mercy of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 8
12 For I will forgive their iniquities, and remember their sins no more.”

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.

1 John 3:11
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Abba, we delight in remembering Your delight in creation. And offer You joy and delight in being grateful for today. Thank You for those we Love. Thank You for the beauties of Spring, Texas. The Life You Bring us. Thank You for laughter. You are Good. Blessed be Jesus Christ and all of His Glory. Your blessings upon us and our Loved ones. Your protection and Grace over all who call with Love to You.

The Lord our God, is our Helper. This is a Gift of Jesus. We will consider our life and have faith. In Jesus Christ we are built, established and filled.

The Blessing of Jesus Christ - upon us bringing Life to others. The Blessing of His Comfort and we comfort others. The Light of mankind in us all. The Blessing of Father God in Jesus Christ lives in us.

To be in His Blessing is Blessing others.

We Joyfully Ask - Your Blessing Father God - all our living days in Eternity.

Amen in Jesus Lord God.

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Luke 6:19 ~ healed them all

Luke 6: 19

 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

The best place for our cares is in the hands of Jesus, our hero.

Proverbs 3:26-28

26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Jesus is the Word of God fulfilled. Proverbs of Solomon is from 9 B.C. and, a millennium later, Jesus fulfills what Solomon explains.


Father God, You have already done an engraving on Your hand of our name. You have remembered us with compassion. Your lives, our words, our heart is always in Your thoughts. Psalm 139 assures us. Your hand, Father God, is for good on all who seek You. Your right hand assures us not to fear You because You listen earnestly.

No one is able to take us from Your hand, Father. We always want to know, Father, Your hand is upon us.

Father, Your hand laid the foundation of the earth, and Your right hand spread out the heavens; when You call to them, they stand forth together.

We pray for Your comfort, beauty from ashes,the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that we may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that our Father God may be glorified. We shall call upon You to build up the ancient ruins; and they shall raise up from former devastations; In You we shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of generations.

We Will set You, Father God, always before us! Because You Are at my right hand, we shall not be shaken. Our hearts will be glad, and our whole being rejoices! We will dwell secure.

Father God will not abandon us, we will not see corruption. We will live. Father God in you are the paths of life. Because of You, Jesus, there is fullness of joy! Because being at Your right hand is always a pleasure. Thank You God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Philippians 2 ~ God has highly exalted Jesus

Philippians 2

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Psalm 19

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice  goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect,c
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
8the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules  of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

We live each day having thoughts of life.

Gratitude. Lean to  Hope. Believing God is taking care of our Loved ones.

 And then days where we have concern to anxiety.

When my eldest son was going off to college, I went up to the High School Counselor to find out about the impossible College Costs. And found today most of The Woodlands students carry up to 150,000 in debts to Graduate ten years ago. We are so many times placed in life where we are going to do our best and watch what life will unfold.

Much of life unfolds around us. Opportunities, careers, housing and where we will spend our lives. Even when we sweep life the way we would have life - the people around us are caught up and moved in circumstance and opinion in the Great River of Living Water Life.

We've all experienced sleep lost for a sudden worry. And found out the worry was just a vapor.

We will all live a time of grave concerns.

And when we are honest and frank - we find that life one day is the same life filled with Hope and Joy and Love.

The next day even our hair is not the hair we wanted. Nothing feels settled and secure. Hope is an illusion.




The Book of James 1 tells us do not doubt. Ask with faith and be settled on the answer of God. We will all have emotion. Hope, sadness, loss, and dreams of the future.

Way. Truth. Life. Have peace for ourselves and for each other. To trust all our situations to God. To simply place trouble in the Hands of God. When we do what we can to be in mercy and peace and find Justice, we can put our assurance in the Battle is Won and the Battle is God's. And refuse to have any concern.

Concerns tend to leap up and say this is the new situation. Life is overcome. And we find in reality one day looks like another. God is building. This is part of the Plan of God. Faith in each day.

To encourage one another is to have comfort. To care for another to be healed is to find the Love of God surrounding us. And in comforting we are comforted and equipped to love one another. Assuring us of a meaningful and promising Life Forevermore.

Simply let God be God Forevermore. Thy Will be done. We are promised God is with us to seek and provide more Heaven on earth.



Abba, Father,

Favored Words of Yours.

May the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Lord Jesus Christ,
be pleasing and acceptable in Your Sight.

Oh Lord God my Father,
My Rock and my Redeemer.

Give us the day! The wonders of Your eternal Word in Jesus.


Let us pray the end of Psalm 64. Remembering what our God has brought about.
Pondering the Wonders of our Father God, what He has done.

Let us be covered with the Name of Jesus, Believing His Word, Promises and Righteousness. And let us be in His Righteousness, rejoicing in the Lord.

This is where we take refuge.

Let all the upright in Heart see in awe our God's Wonders.



Christ Jesus has seen this world through tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword. The Kingdom of Heaven knows about difficulties and violence.

The Church and the People of God are more than conquerors through the Love of Jesus Christ. Nothing from death, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God, Himself, has given us our loved ones. His Work saves us all. Covering our concerns and sometimes anxieties with the Name of Jesus. We ask His Righteousness over our communities, Churches, States, Nation and rejoice in the Lord with all who call upon the Name of Jesus in Prayer.


In His Majestic gift of Salvation, we will never earn His favor. And this is only the Grace of Jesus saving us.

We ask Him to bless us because He is our Father. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 42 ~ my soul for you, O God

Major John Biddle, Painted by Thomas Sully. Framer of the Michigan Constitution and Mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan Territory's At-large district.  His father was Vice-President (yes) of Pennsylvania.

Psalm 42

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation
6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.



When Edward and I got married, one of the groomsmen said, "Did you know that painting in Edward's childhood bedroom is famous?" I didn't, but his mother had loved the painting and bought it. The groomsman went on to say it was a reproduction.  We went to look at it and sure enough it was a print. A good one.

Edward didn't like the oil painting it had scared him as a very, very young child. His mother and I were astonished. John Biddle is very, very friendly looking. Edward said no one should want to live on a wall. OK. We could understand - something of the expression is very real. I really liked the man's face. Because of our discussions about the portrait - when his parents moved - we got the portrait in 1987. I was very, very, very pleased. Score for empty wall newlyweds!!! And I just always liked the man. I was fond of him from first glimpse.

Our oldest son came along and we all lived happily.



This is Cal in his favorite shorts. He wanted to wear them about half the time. When Alexander inherited the shorts - Alexander said do not tell Cal, but they are clown shorts and you will NEVER see me in these ever. Alexander never said things like this and I had to roll around on the ground and laugh for about 10 minutes. Alexander then got tickled I was in hysterics and he rolled around on the ground next to me. We didn't tell Cal until he was in High School. Who really didn't find this as funny as we did.

And we all decided John Biddle had a friendly face. We all liked him and told Edward he was friendly. Edward had long since made peace with the portrait.

About the time we broke the news to Cal about his favorite childhood shorts - we realized WHY we all like the portrait of John - he looks very familiar to us. The portrait is this to us - a man dearly, dearly loved by his family is spoken to and encouraged and well tended. He has a brightness to him. The son is valued and looks to the future with joy and expectation. With this put into his character - the storms of life will arrive but the Wind and the Waves - will be Spoken to and Overcome.

Some items in life - grow and grow and grow to your heart.

And in the wind blowing where God Will - we find harbor. The Foundation we need.

And in this surety - we would have the people we meet know this comfort.

We will be asking Father God's dearest blessings upon them.



Father God,


We ask for Jesus' help in this prayer and for each day You give us:

You have set before us today life and prosperity, and death and adversity.

To do righteousness and justice Is desired by You, the LORD, more than sacrifice.

You have told us, mankind, what is good!
and what You, the Lord, require of us

We will do justice,
We will love kindness,
We will walk humbly with you, our God.

We will declare with our mouths, "Jesus is Lord."
We Will believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead,
We will be saved.


Isaiah 56 are the Words of our Father God

Thus says our Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil

I will give in My House and within My Walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—

These I will bring to my Holy Mountain, the New Jerusalem,
The Mountain of the House of the LORD
and make them joyful in my house of prayer!

My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to Father God
besides those already gathered.”

We thank You Father God, "Jesus is Lord."
We gratefully believe in our hearts You, Father God, raised Jesus from the dead,
We will be saved.

We ask this Name of Jesus the Lord to cover us.
We ask this Name of Jesus the Lord to cover our prayers, concerns, flaws.
We ask this Name of Jesus the Lord to cover our loved ones.
We ask this Name of Jesus the Lord to cover our communities, neighborhoods, jobs, cities, Nation.
We ask this Name of Jesus the Lord to cover all the people of the world who do and will call on Jesus the Lord.
We ask and receive Jesus,
We believe in Jesus,
Jesus gives us the right to become children of Father God,
Amen in the will of the Lord Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Matthew 19:26 ~ with God all things are possible

1800s Vintage photo of Capernaum

Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”


The Work God gives mankind is to believe upon the One He sent. Abraham sometimes asked the Lord, "Did You say that?" Samson's parents prayed the Angel of the Lord would come back and explain again. Gideon asked for a sign.

Father God gives us Hebrews 7 telling us the whole Chapter - God is going to do what God Plans. And He doesn't have to use the Tribe of Levi to give us Jesus - High Priest - Mediator. The tribe of Judah.

And in the same way - God would comfort His Children - His People - God Prepares them for what God is doing. Mostly.



Look at the Preparation of God's Children for Jesus to lead the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. Bodily Resurrection.


Luke 7:1-10 ~ Jesus went with them


After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

6 And Jesus went with them.

When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9

When Jesus heard these things,
he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.


Doubt.
God doesn't enjoy it.
Do I Doubt? Really not much at all. I spent 16 of the first years of my life doubting that I believed fervently in the unseen. It was a popular thought to toss around, is this knowable. I joined a Youth Group in High School, I saw the peace and serenity of belief in Jesus as Lord. Later we were asked to make a decision. I did and felt the Holy Spirit come into my being - my soul. Light filled me. I have never been without the Holy Spirit again.

Others around me doubt. People I love. The point being - we who are strong, don't want to say to those around us - You Doubt?!!! We are bearing with God's Children in encouragement.

Life is in progress.

The Goal is to Finish in Faith.
Our destination is Jesus Christ.
The One who loves you most. Our Hero. The Savior we need. Jesus.
Naked we were born into the world, naked we will leave.

Doubt is an incredibly uncomfortable circumstance for the believer.



God goes further.

Luke 7 :11- 17 ~And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Luke 7:11-17


Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 

And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 

 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Oh. yawn. Nain. One of those miracles. Something about a kid. And why get so excited about Lazarus - when this Nain thing was, yeah - that.

Suppose you are on a tour of Israel. Nain. Tuesday so - Nain. (Inane?) 

Let's reason together. Who is there with Jesus in the great crowd?  Jesus is the Lamb of God in the wilderness. The people have left their flock to go and seek and find Jesus. These are the diligent.

Instead of a teaching, they are led on a walk. Now that can't have been much fun. They couldn't all walk beside Jesus. So the big old crowd is just ambling along.

Suddenly, they all can understand the horror of a widow losing a child. Especially if that child was going to be her old age support and joy. End of just a summer day walk.

And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 

And they have sensory overload perception going on. Some of the crowd was from Nain and knew this was not a joke or a play.

These are the people who didn't know how to save Jesus at the time of His death. A Very Important Thing. When the reports come to them of the dead being seen walking in Jerusalem and THEIR JESUS was shamefully killed.They have an idea about resurrection.

They are going to rise up. Because. An important because. If you heard that your local area had the dead walking around - you would brush that off. And if more people told you - you might think zombies. Avoid THAT area.

Instead, the faithful have seen with their own eyes, the widow of Nain was blessed.

And there was no way Lazarus was a fake.  He had - an aroma.

Jesus is in the business of telling people how to contribute to their healing. Jesus Healed Death - with His Word. Jesus is constantly telling people - go show the Rabbi.  Keep this quiet - this was just you and Me. Avoid the village. Let me take you away from the crowd and explain in a way a deaf man can understand what happens.

Jesus gave this very public miracle to provide - Glam? No Jesus provided this miracle - that - when the time came - they would have a foothold on the path to "Believe Jesus."  And they were going to make so much NOISE, Roman Emperors were going to shake and tremble for the next 300 years.

Acts 2:6 
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 

Acts 5:12 -15 
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. [The Temple past the guards all of that.] 

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

Acts 13:45
But when the Jews saw the multitudes 

Acts 8:6
And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.


Joel 3:14 
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

 





When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Father God,
We surely and without doubt know the mystery to Faith is Yours. The people who read Isaiah knocked upon Herod's door to see the King of Kings.

Yet in the Love of Jesus Christ, You provide us with some insight to the Glories of Jesus in Father God.

For all of us The Book of Revelation will be different. Because You have told us we all have a different place and gift, talent, ability of faith, hope and Love. 

We all are part of the Body of Jesus and see aspects to You. The Father who Fills All of the Heavens and is the Light in all of Mankind.

Your Word is living and active. We can look past to the millenniums and know when Abraham went forth to please You, You were pleased. Abraham believed You and You credited Abraham with the Righteousness of Jesus. In You we are Covered Mightily. 

Abraham pressed You for Goodness and You made Abraham the Father of Nations because You love to be expected to Do Good as David knew so well.

Father God, this life tests us and perplexes us, be our Light, our Path and our Strong Deliverer. We lift up the ones we Love knowing that You Love more. We lift up the People You have given us in our lives and ask Your help and comfort and joy for them. We lift up leaders who call forth Your Mercy and Profound Love. 

We say In God We Trust and we shall not be ashamed. We ask the Light of Jesus Christ to shine in all of mankind and the Glorious Love of Jesus - The Holy One of God - is to bring forth more Heaven to this earth in the Love You told us is the New Commandment.

In Expectation, we look to the Future, knowing You hear all our prayers and Your Love is always present. Heaven's 12 Open Gates. Father God, we give You thanks for Love enduring in perseverance, joy, for Love opens minds, hearts and lives. JESUS, YOU ARE THE LORD MOST HIGH. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †