Psalm 67 ~ His Face to shine upon us

Psalm 67

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

 

We always want God's face to shine upon us. This sounds marvelous. Moses had his face shine to meet and know God. The radiance of Jesus in Revelation. Jesus is the Light of the world. And also John knew God as Love. To see this Love is to reflect Love and radiate love. Jesus has a shining face because He loves. Jesus is the exact nature of Father God. Jesus heals them all is in the Bible 3 times. Father God heals us all.

Selah! In the original Greek this is "Opa!!!" Or in plain English, "Oh, Pa!" And frequently bursts from us as, "Thank God!!!"
 

 
2 For your way may be known on earth!
your saving power among all nations!

The Savior of the world. Light from God, Light of the world. Painted by Dore.

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

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 

Jesus Smiles by Bob Barron

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

The Yield of the Earth, Vespers, by Millet

The earth has yielded its increase

  

God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us

 Let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Abba, Holy Father, our Father God,

Psalm 115
The LORD is mindful of us; He will bless us.

Father, this Thanksgiving, remind us to be mindful of our Blessings. You have blessed us
in Your Deeds and Psalm 139 tells us Your thoughts of us are more than grains of sand on the beach.

Let us hold fast to Your Love. And in doing so bring more Heaven to earth. We say gently, "Jesus please" and Your thoughts before us and behind us, know of our heart.

The fullness of You, our Father God, fill those we love. Carrying this Blessing across our lives and lift to the Nation. To all the Nations trusting in You. Our own Light of Christ joins with the Beloved of God and this small light glows bringing Your Love and Warmth to Your Creation.

In the Highest Name of Jesus, our God and Savior, we pray - Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Isaiah 51:1-12 ~ Your Father

Isaiah 51:1-12

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,

you who seek the Lord:

look to the rock from which you were hewn,

and to the quarry from which you were dug.

2 Look to Abraham your father

and to Sarah who bore you;

for he was but one when I called him,

that I might bless him and multiply him.

3 For the Lord comforts Zion

he comforts all her waste places

and makes her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the garden of the Lord;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song.

 “Give attention to me, 

my people,

and give ear to me,

 my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice 

for a light to the peoples.

5 My righteousness draws near,

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will judge the peoples;

the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm 

they wait.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath

For the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment,

and they who dwell in it will die in like manner

My salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,

the people in whose heart is my law;

fear not the reproach of man,

nor be dismayed at their revilings.

8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,

and the worm will eat them like wool,

My righteousness will be forever,

and my salvation to all generations.”

9 Awake, awake, put on strength,

O arm of the Lord

Awake, as in days of old,

the generations of long ago.

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,

who pierced the dragon?

10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,

the waters of the great deep,

who made the depths of the sea a way

for the redeemed to pass over?

11 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

12 “I, I am he who comforts you"

Listen, pursue righteousness

Bless and Multiply

Joy and Gladness

Thanksgiving and Song

My Justice

My Nation

a Light to the Peoples

Righteousness

Salvation

Coastlands

Hope

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath

dwell

die

My salvation will be forever

and my righteousness will never be dismayed

Listen

Righteousness

Heart 

My righteousness will be forever,

and my salvation to all generations

Awake 

Strength

Awake

Generations

Made the depths of the sea a way

for the redeemed to pass over

Return
Singing
Everlasting Joy
Gladness and Joy

Jesus, God's Son, Comforts you

Abba, our Abba,

We want each day to start with Jesus. We ask Your Willing Blessings. Saying Jesus God, please go with me. By the Power of the Holy Spirit - Guide, Lead, Encourage, Teach, Help, Prevail, Equip me with my life today. Enable. Protect. Give Wisdom. We want to be with Jesus. Because on His Path is going to find our Hope, Joy, Faith, Peace, Love.

Jesus is able to do so much more than we even imagine. Jesus is God who fed thousands with less than a meal. We want to live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' To all who did receive Jesus, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

We want the Word made flesh to dwell within us, and we have seen Jesus Glory. Glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. From Jesus' fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace. Not from works, for man to boast. Purely from the Love God has for us. And He became our salvation and righteousness.

We pray for the oceans to provide the needed rain for the West Coast. We ask for a miracle.

We cover all of our cares and people we love - with the Highest Name - Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

John 1 ~ The Living Word is with God

Mosaic, probably of Alexander the Great. In a fifth century Synagogue in
Huqoq, Israel. 

In 20014, Alexander, my youngest son, was in Yaquq known to archeologists as Huqoq, Israel. And Alexander found a 4th century coin with Baylor, and a team from the University of North Carolina.

Tyre was an Island - Before Alexander the Great decided to make more mainland.

In 332 B.C., Alexander besieged, defeated and created Tyre into the mainland from formerly being an island and Gaza in his march toward Egypt. 

During this campaign, he turned toward Jerusalem. This had been recorded in Scriptures by Ezekiel 400 years early prophetically. Alexander the Great had already demanded men and supplies from the Jews, who were under the rule of Alexander's mortal enemy, the Persian king Darius. The high priest hesitated, saying that while Darius lived they would honor their pledge. Alexander was angry and began a move on the city.

Well aware of the danger, Jaddua asked the people for prayer to God for His mercy and protection. 

Then, says Josephus, Jaddua had a dream as to how to entreat the Macedonian king. He and the other priests dressed in their priestly robes and, accompanied by others dressed in white garments, formed a procession going out of the city to a carefully chosen place to meet the Alexander the Great.

Alexander then did the unexpected. 

Alone, he approached the high priest and members of the procession and greeted them. 

He bowed down.

Alexander said: "I did not adore him, but that God who hath honoured him with his high priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit [garment], when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind" (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11, chap. 8, sec. 5, William Whiston translation, 1981).

Josephus records Alexander accompanied the priest into Jerusalem and Temple, where he "offered sacrifice to God, according to the high priest's direction, and magnificently treated both the high priest and the priests."

Alexander's visit was capped by a briefing from the book of Daniel, written several centuries earlier, which foretold the rise and conquests of Alexander. "And when the book of Daniel was shewed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended; and as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude."

What Alexander the Great encountered was, of course, the Living God. This is what we hope for our children and our loved ones to realize about Jesus.

  


The Apocrypha is debunked frequently.

Josephus would have said this is a mistake to debunk the Apocrypha. Without the history lessons from the Apocrypha, we would not have miraculous Hanukkah recorded. We would not have Biblical explanations for more miracles of God that led to Zeus not being sacrificed to in the Temple. We would not know of the heroism of Judas Maccabees. We would lose the understanding Jeremiah fully Knew to hide the Ark of the Covenant sealed until God unseals the Ark from Mount Nebo (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος, apókruphos, meaning "hidden"), where Moses stopped and did not enter the promised land. Without the Apocrypha, history wouldn't explain the Herods easily, we wouldn't know the coins of Israel / Judah depicted and image the first time of a non-Davidic king declaring majesty over the Children of God. The time had come for the Messiah.

Until 1534, the Apocrypha was  recorded as part of Scripture. St. Nicolas risked life and limb to meet with Bishops to agree what the Holy Spirit would call Scripture for a Church Jesus was prophetic to say existed.

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls were a number of manuscripts of the Apocrypha.

And yes,  parts of the Apocrypha are unlikely seeming, or as if they appeal to Asian worshipers.  Scripture is factual - and - God's Word appeals to - the intended people of God.

Yes, the language was merely of the written, spoken words of the people of God. Greek. How unlike God? God did not say He sent His only begotten son to the Hebrew speaking world. God sent His people into the second exile (why they were returning well treated from Emperor Darius) and to the people like Alexander the Great.

Why? GOD was on a mission. A God sized Mission - to save - the - World.

Alexander the Great made sure as he was dying to enter Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II (400 year deceased) - Alexander was trying to find a way to die near someone near God who had experienced a Prophetic life. Nebuchadnezzar II was seen by Isaiah 200 years before he lived in Isaiah 13. Reaching for God and His love. Seeking the Living God.

John 1 says something very profound about this Discovery TODAY.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.


Alexander was told about what Daniel had to say about Alexander the Great. Because they wanted Alexander to believe. They probably forgot to tell Alexander the Great what was said about making Tyre into a rubble.

Ezekiel told about that prophecy.

Ezekiel 26 announces the destruction of Tyre (Ezekiel was the prophet who announced a head of time what Nebuchadnezzar would do) , Ezekiel 27 asks for a prayer for the beautiful Tyre. Combine the two chapters, you have a wonderful example of God's mercy.

Ezekiel 27:1-4

1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. 4 Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty.

Tyre, Lebanon today - the coast and southern half are devoid of population and are in ruins.

Ezekiel 26:1-14 ~ (Revised Standard Version)

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:
"Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, `Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken, it has swung open to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,' therefore thus says the Lord GOD:

Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. They shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers; and I will scrape her soil from her, and make her a bare rock.

She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets; for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD; and she shall become a spoil to the nations;
and her daughters on the mainland shall be slain by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers.

He will slay with the sword your daughters on the mainland; he will set up a siege wall against you, and throw up a mound against you, and raise a roof of shields against you. He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. His horses will be so many that their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as one enters a city which has been breached. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people with the sword; and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

They will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters.

And I will stop the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more.

I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets; you shall never be rebuilt; for I the LORD have spoken, says the Lord GOD.

God laments Tyre. 

Where?
The Huqoq Excavation Project is excavating a fifth-century A.D. synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient village in Israel’s Lower Eastern Galilee located three miles west of Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene) and Capernaum Jesus' hometown.

Because?
In reality, God is reaching to all of His Creation. To discover, just as Alexander the Great, God is is found when He is sought.

Because... Because?

And Today. Today. Today. God still has Tyre as a desolation explaining the Word of God goes on forever.

Why say John 1 contributes to the Passage?
The Word of God points to the same message from the Father. The tributaries run to the streams, the streams to the river, the River becomes the Ocean.

Jesus did not stay on as a Warrior King. Jesus Christ, Messiah, instead Jesus fought for all of us.

God defended Hezekiah - and his God seeking, earnest nation against the Assyrian Empire.
God defended returning Judah freed slaves as the wall surrounding Jerusalem was made safe.

God defended Judah from Alexander the Great after fulfilling the Word of God as told by Daniel and Ezekiel in the Holy Spirit.

Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."


Father God, 

We will with Your Help me be one of Your numbers, when the saints go marching in.

And my family. For the Churches of Jesus Christ. My loved ones and even the people we wait upon in prayer for His favor to create harmony. 

Bless us to rejoice on all of His Saints asking God's favor for more Peace on earth. For this nation and all nations trusting in Him. His mercy is over all.

When a man loves the Lord, even his enemies are at peace with him. 
We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

1 Corinthians 16:13 ~ Be Strong

We are told the Bible is Harsh. Old Fashioned. And the Bible conflicts Biblical Advice.  Jesus said to know the Scriptures is to know the Power of God. We have to know the Scriptures to apply the Scriptures. The Bible deals with all types of situations and attitudes.

Suppose every day you dealt with the sadism of criminal behavior.

What would the Bible say about being provoked continually to prove you are human?



When John Adams was called to the English Court and the French Court, he saw ingratiating sycophantic, toadying, fawning, unctuous, obsequious playing for power with people determined to keep their court mired in little good works. To their own purpose. And in anger, John Adams dealt with people who dissimilated information with plain talk of needs met and goals achieved. Adams achieved more without the corruption other politicians took on for their lives.

If you deal with liars, telling them sweet encouragement is Not advisable.

If you deal with the mafia with Respect and Fear, the situation will get worse.

What if you are a criminal investigator?

The Bible says:

Matthew 18:15-17

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."


1 Timothy 5:20
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.


Titus 2:15
Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.




1 Corinthians 16:13

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.




What if your job called you to speak to the mafia?

What if your job was to defend criminals and try for their redemption?

You won't be given a lot of respect.




Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.


Psalm 103:13

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him



In the book of Ephesians, we see how the gospel story affects believers' everyday lives.





1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

Only God can give Job steadfastness of purpose in the face of very difficult times.


John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The Brother of Jesus Christ said this:

Jude 1:23
save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.



1 Corinthians 16:13
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.



James 5:11
As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

We don't bring our children up to put hands in campfires. We deal strongly with words, works and actions leading to death and the doom of Hope and Joy.





Father God, Abba,

You are our Good Father. You protect us from some pretty terrible things in Leviticus with swift God decisions. All of the institutions teaching the Law we use to protect our citizens - upholds and supports the Laws taught from Abram to Moses. We Bless you to find Your Blessings we have to look to Leviticus and Numbers. The Blessing of Jabez is found as God is talking about What Your Living Word is: Information for differing situations. Guidance. The Word of God is Living and Active.

We give Thanks learning God supports common sense.

Does the Bible Conflict - no, in learning God's Word we learn to find our answers by doing as Jesus said to know the Scriptures is to know the Power of God.

In saying no to the absolute "no's" of the world, we find God will bring us to His Path where steadfastness of goal and purpose is pleasing to God and fully explained in James 5.

God blessing us, we ask, with ALL of His Willingness to make a Hope and a Future for our families. For the Blessing of all of our Loved ones. And sweeping our lives up into the Nation and to all the Nations trusting God. For the empowerment of all the faithful asking You, our Willing Father, for more Heaven on earth.

In Jesus Christ we pray,
Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Deuteronomy 6:4 ~ One

Pew Research Center

Who is Jesus according to the U.S.A.

American adults (55%) say they pray daily

Americans are more like people in poorer, developing nations – including South Africa (52%), Bangladesh (57%) and Bolivia (56%)

Other countries surveyed with gross domestic products greater than $30,000 per person, 40% of adults say they pray every day.

The U.S. tendency to run counter to international trends on religiosity fascinated social scientists. Notably, Alexis de Tocqueville, 19th-century French political thinker, discussed the large role religion played in American society in his famous book, “Democracy in America.”

 Gallup 2017

Thirty-seven percent of Americans can be classified as highly religious based on their self-reports of church attendance and the importance of religion in their lives.

Protestants continue to make up the largest religious group in America, totaling 49% of U.S. adults

Americans are also about as religious this year as last year, based on their self-reported church attendance and the importance of religion in their lives. Two-thirds of Americans are either highly or moderately religious.

LifeWay Research’s 2018 survey found:

Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God the Father (78%)

Most people are basically good (52%)

God accepts the worship of all religions (51%)

The number of Americans ages 18 to 34 with evangelical beliefs (as defined by LifeWay Research) “rose significantly” from 14 percent in 2016 to 18 percent in 2018. Ligonier also noted a “large increase” in millennials affirming that salvation is found in Christ alone (62%, up from 53% in 2016) and that Jesus Christ will return to judge the world (64%, up from 55% in 2016).

Ligonier’s survey found millennials have grown more conservative on abortion as a sin (57% agreed in 2018 vs. 50% in 2016) and on sex outside of marriage as a sin (54% agreed in 2018 vs. 47% in 2016).

I lived in Cameron County, Pennsylvania for 4 years in the late 1970s. The Catholic Priest in Cameron County was very devoted and made everyone mad discussing the reality of Protestant and Catholic hell and sins. (We had a fight in our lunch room group at school over his Sermons. When the math teacher in our small town heard us fighting we told her why. The priest had said who was going to hell. She told us to carry on with the fight.) He made the secular newspaper and talk went around the county to have him replaced - the Catholic Church said no. He was not part of the Diocese found to have 1,000 child related victims of sexual molestation. At Birthday parties for adults and at weddings, people discussed leaving Catholic Churches due to child molestation. At one event, 40 Churches and priests were named. Being in a Protestant Choir at the time,I discussed this with my Church authorities. Who told me this had long been in the rumor mill, but until someone was prosecuted this remained in the realm of gossip. With gossip being ugly. I was told even as a teenager to call people to account and make results. (I didn't as this was second-hand talk.)

We all know secular people love to hear how badly Christians fall. But there is a definite responsibility of the hear/sayers and the witnesses to speak to police. It isn't just a crime against children, it's a crime in the community. Community exists to support righteousness.

In the last ten years, a friend of ours called an anonymous tip line and their son reported a drug dealer of large important narcotics. He had heard the dealer discussing cocaine and heroin. The dealer was arrested the next day by a SWAT Helicopter lowering troops on ropes in the woods surrounded by ground troops. This is community supporting the righteous.

What I am seeing in the news and in the actions and voting of the people - I believe we are in the beginning of Rennaissance. Revival. Spiritual Awakening.

For so many years the television and news were completely neutral. And bias crept in. Opinion. With the internet not relying on the traditional framework, we are seeing people think for themselves. It's genuinely helping within families and communities and to the very Nation. If we can reduce the repeated rhetoric - we might even improve the traditional framework.

Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.

When we look at plain old Ancient Rome history we certainly have the ability to follow the footsteps of the Bible. Even newly found Hittite Empire completely agrees with the Bible. Babylonian Cuniform in the British Museum - thousands of them - minutely follow the Bible to be Accurate. Dependable.

If we can see Jesus died as the Bible said and rose and was called God for His Miracles - history shows us - then how will we see the Love God asks for benefits us? What practical keys are there for being Loving as God asks.


1 Being kind from your heart is renewable energy and joy.
2 Being kind from your parents raising you - appreciation.
3 Being kind to blend with obligations of society for all.
4 Being kind to be shown to be sane.
5 Being kind to have people want to know you personally.
6 Being kind to our children trusting us, when times are difficult for you and you need people.
7 Being kind for Jesus' Love returned as your appreciation of Him.
8 Being kind to stay out of jail.
9 Being kind to not poison your own well of soul and mind and body.
10 Being kind to stay sane and not think you are SM M.C. funny when this only reveals a very unkind heart. The payback is always present in the years to come.
11 Being kind and your descendants don't wish to change their name from shame.
12 Being kind for positive metality instead of  'I'm Bad' and have generally a face that looks hard and terrible.
13 Being kind so you aren't labeled as shallow and changeable at best.
14 Anger creates more anger and creates death.
15 Anger creates unhappiness and creates illness and unfortunate life changes even in the people we love best.
16 What you put on other people generally is what you receive. The Bible says cast your bread upon the waters it will return to you. Saying walk on water or get nothing from what you give to others.

Health - without a healthy mind and soul - you really have no shelter.

New Testament the words and deeds of mankind bring them before Jesus 
Yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Rock and the Foundation of Life Abundant.

Father God,

We Believe in the Lord Jesus, and we know we are saved-- Continue Your Mercy to our loved ones.

We believe fully, Jesus is Lord. We believe in our hearts that You, Father God, raised up Your Son Jesus from the dead.
We believe Your Promise of Salvation has arrived.

As we believe, so this will be done for us, according to Your Word. Yes Lord, we believe You are able.

We fully want Your Plan and Path, forgive us when we stray, please in the Name of Jesus. We will not fear, only believe. All things are possible in Jesus.

In the Name of Jesus the Lord, blessed are we who believe there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken from the Lord.

We, knowing Jesus, ask the blessings for our Loved Ones, our neighbors, coworkers, Church Family and our Nation.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †