Matthew 13:44-52 ~ The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 13:44-52

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 "Have you understood all these things?" 

They said to him, "Yes." 

52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

We know Jesus taught from a boat many times. And the acoustics of the hills around the Sea of Galilee are marvelous. So Jesus chose to sit on the waters He sailed, worked, lived beside and chose to enjoy.


And Jesus spoke of the Sea of Galilee as an analogy of Heaven. Referring to the day Peter was given all the fish he could ever have hoped for.

And being given such a gift of Heaven - just about scared Peter to death. Literally.

Luke 5:8
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

We are all a little like Peter and Jesus explains what is happening around us. When people come back from near death experiences, it's said again and again and again, "The walls melted and I was in Heaven."


Something to Wonder -
When Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand - He meant us and now.

When Jesus sat on the Sea of Galilee with all the fish under the boat, He was saying - perhaps - the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand - as if the water holding the fish explained how close we are to God's Kingdom as we believe.

We wonder - the Heavenly Host did not arrive from far away - just the dimension of Heaven at Hand is revealed.

As if we all are born in the image of God and this Heavenly Host would sing for each of God's Precious, Chosen, Special Child.

Jesus is telling us He never leaves or forsakes us

Just as Jesus prays telling us the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

When Jesus Living Water walks upon the water - Jesus is, we wonder, saying the dimension of Heaven is within our souls and is that close.

When God says His Love is so Vast as the Heavens and His delight is found in the salvation of mankind in Jesus - Jesus says we are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven.

Until the end of the age...

Abba,


Praying for safety for us all in these storms.

Father God, we pray for more of Jesus. More of the Holy Spirit. More of Heaven on earth.

Giving thanks for life. Thanks for gratitude for life. Grateful for the diligence we see in those I see in my life.

We lift up the ones we love and all of the people encountering God by faith

Praying for Jesus lift us up and we will rely upon Jesus and the Holy Spirit He gives us.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Psalm 31:20 ~ Your Shelter

Psalm 31:20

You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.


The Scriptures flow in only one direction - to Jesus Christ, true God of true God, Light of Light. Light of the world. Light of mankind. Savior.

1 John 3:11-24


11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,that the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him.

And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

And also


1 John 2:20-27

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. 

But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

The New Covenant, Jesus' very Life sincerely promises us.

John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you

1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Jeremiah 31:34
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sins no more."

Hebrews 8:11
No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.




Abba, Father God,

Asking for Your Blessing in Jesus Christ.

We abide in You to have Your Glory within the thoughts of our heart and the words of our mouth. You are our Rock and Redeemer.

To live Abundant Lives with Grace and Mercy as our destination and our footprints. To be Your first Holy Spirit gifts of Love, Joy and Peace renewing each day.

We ask Your Willingness upon our cares for Your Grace, Word and Mercy. We ask Abundant Blessing on the ones we Love. Letting our cup run over, the Blessing pour forth flowing from our lives - filling those You have given us to bless and soak the Nation Trusting in You.

Revive the Nations trusting in You. Living Water giving pools of refreshing Hope and Joy.

Pouring Love and Hope over Your Children covering Your Creation with prayers for More Heaven upon Your Good Creation.

In Your Willingness Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

  

Revelation 1 ~ and in the midst +

Ephesians 3:14-16

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 
16 that according to the riches of his glory 
he may grant you to be strengthened 
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Revelation 22:1 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, 

as clear as crystal, 

flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Matthew 13:31-32

31 Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. 32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, 
that the birds of the air come and 
nest  among the branches.”

Revelation 1

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. 

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.


4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." 

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, 

"Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 

Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

And one day, God's Holy Spirit will say to us all, "Come."

We will fly to Heaven.

And we will see what John saw 60 years after Jesus Ascended into Heaven.

… Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21

…His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Might God,
…Theeverlasting Father, The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6

… God hath made that same Jesus… both Lord & Christ Acts 2:36

…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! John 1:29

…they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, the song of The Lamb Revelation 15:3


…Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelation 5:5


..and the Bright and Morning Star

Revelation 22:16


..and our hands have handled, of theWord of Life 1 John 1:1


…we have and advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ The Righteous 1 John 2:1


…whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us. Luke 1:78


…Before Abraham, I Am. John 8:58


…And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1: 34

…are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25


…We have found theMessiah which, is being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41


…I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6


…through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 2: 20

..a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16

…I am the Light of the World. John 8:12

…Thetrue light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world… John 1:9

…I am Alpha & Omega the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come

The Almighty Revelation 1:8

Luke 2:10 

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; 
he is Christ the Lord.

Abba, Father God,

Moses left a prayer, and this prayer probably interested David and Solomon. Psalm 90 when Moses prayed to be happy.

So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Let us be pleased to Look for Your mercies renewing each day,

Help us to remember the Lord's Prayer Jesus gave us saying, "Give us this day!"

To be so pleased to know this day is part of eternity. 

Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!

David loved to look for Your tender Heart, Father God. David dwelled in anticipation of Your Mercy. We will follow their example and melt thinking of Your Great Love.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

We love Moses looking for You, Father God, and happiness to rejoice and be glad in. Moses speaks well with You, we can say this prayer is a Rock to stand upon in prayer.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.

Surely not a pleasing thought. Yet, to know the Words of God is to know the Power of God's Word. Your Prayer says, "Lead us not into Temptation." We know You look for heart. Samuel saw the process of David's family working the day Samuel came to anoint David, and, Jesse, his father said move on without David. We know David did find himself anointed of God. God, we pray in all hope for all things work together for good, for those who Love You and work according to Your purpose.

Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

Millenniums have seen the Beloved of God pray for their children. This loving concern is far from tedious to You, Father. God of Love. Jesus our Salvation. And for the people You have given us.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Abba, we Love the work of Jesus' hands. Bless us to remember the Hands of Jesus and be grateful. And Pleased Jesus is in the Paradise He gave His Father - a new Heaven and a new earth.

Let us live to bring more Heaven on this earth. And with Your Love, Guidance, Encouragement, Joy and Hope - we will bring More Heaven to earth.

Thank You Jesus, Amen.

Matthew 1 ~ the Family of Jesus Christ

Post from 2014

Matthew 1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d] and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

What are we to make of this list? For starters, all of these people, whether we know their lives, stories, hearts - all are important to God. Very important.

And all of the people Father God placed in the genetics of Jesus where flawed. Two prostitutes. Thieves, liars. And all of them loved by God. We know most of these stories from the Bible. From Sunday School.

Boaz was so loved for the way he cared for Ruth and adopted Naomi, as Mother-in-law and adopted Grandmother, Solomon named the pillar by the front door of the Temple - Boaz. God loves heart.

And the list of Kings - some did well with what they were given and some made spectacular mistakes with their lives and the lives they were entrusted with. Remember David was a Shepherd and David's descendants were Shepherds as well. All Kings are recorded nicely for the rest of mankind to read. No pressure.

v. 11 Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.


One of the clay tablets revealing the presence of the Judean royal house as prisoners in Babylon. Excavated from an arched building near the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. The cuneiform texts, 595 - 570 B.C., contain lists of rations of barley and oil issued to the captive princes and artisans, including "Yaukin, king of the land of Yahud." This is a direct reference to Jeconiah. The other tablets mention his 5 sons accompanying him to Babylon. Staatliche Museum, Berlin

v. 12 ~ Zerubbabel marched or trudged back with the freed slaves into Israel with high hopes from Governor Nehemiah for Zerubbabel to become governor next. The people hope the curse God gave Zerubbabel will be removed, the sentence on his father, Jeconiah, for his impiety. To Jeconiah He had said Jeremiah 22:24, "though he were the signet upon My right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life."

Haggai 2

¹ 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.'"

What a blessing. Who wouldn't hope for that Word from the Lord.

It was a blessing indeed. Yet Zerubbabel did not rule.The mercy God had for David continued.  Perhaps that is a blessing as well. But God's word cannot be broken.

But Basically. All of these people were called to be Shepherds.

Luke 12:48 
 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Romans 8:27
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Micah 6:8 
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?


Gratitude is a major component to understanding blessing and living it. We are given gifts by God to live the life He gives us to have. Jesus called this abundant life. Jesus was a King who did not live as a King on this earth.

Something to think about.

Abba, Father God,

This week is our daughter Isabelle's Birthday and, today, she saw Jesus and smiled into Eternity. This week and today is our, Merit, 14 year Springer Spaniel's Birthday who survived cancer and then later passed on. Longer than the books said he'd ever live. This week is our Edward's Birthday. Who has a feverish cold and throat with coughing.

We had canceled a trip to see our son in Lansing, Michigan. And the phone rang asking us to a go with an old friend in a trip in Lansing, Michigan - we hope to go and see our oldest son anyway. The two were unrelated except in You. Bless our son to have Your Love and comfort and for his Husky, Jackson. Aging and much beloved.

Blessings upon You, Father God, for the prayers said over the years. What amazing stories we'd all have for the prayers said and amazing coincidences and answers. Even when we thought there were no answers. Answers like Police show up - coincidently. With lifelong Joy in the remembrance. Lives spared and lessons learned. The Police are mightily prayed for and appreciated. Sometimes the Police are Angels of God Himself.

Thanksgiving for all the mighty works of the Scriptures with all the threads God pulls together in answered prayer. All these threads becoming the Hem of His Robe - filling our heart, mind and soul with His Glory - in our wonder.

May The Blessing of OUr Father God, Himself, Alpha and Omega, Ancient of Days, Merciful and Mighty God of All be your blessing and for those you love. For His Mighty Love to warm this Nation each day.

For all the Nations who Trust in Him to have His own Peace. And the Comfort of our Helper to be int he hearts and prayers of those asking in God's favor for more Heaven on earth.

Blessed Be our Jesus Christ - Savior.

Amen!!!.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †