Psalm 91:9 ~ Refuge

Psalm 91:9

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-- the Most High, who is my refuge

The vintage photos of 1800s Israel paint a vivid picture of what life would have looked like in the time of Jesus. The population was about the same. The industry was about the same.

The Judea Jesus walked...knew... loved... healed... and Saved.

Capernaum was a new town. Agriculture and fishing to feed the Roman Empire in Jerusalem and Caesarea.

Bethany where Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived.

The Mount of Olives so close to Jerusalem

The Roman Guard was everywhere, even in Capernaum.

Bethlehem was a farming community.

Jerusalem has 7 hills surrounding the city.

The Crowds following Jesus were in the thousands from the first day of Jesus' ministry.

A more modern spring in the Gilead Valley - so often traveled by Jesus. Only God understood what He meant by land of milk and honey.

Nazareth - these 4 photos. Reenactment with Vintage.  Nazareth is uniquely a city on a hill to watch out and have safety from being on the hill.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a Stable, and when the Samaritan was beaten and taken by his neighbor to the inn to recover - we find few inns - but more because of the Roman Empire. Inns to house the gentiles.

Jesus wrote of vineyards 21 times in the Gospels. And He wrote of inns - twice. As we see the harsh terrain - we don't see easy places to stay. Travel was anticipated for the Holy Days in Jerusalem.

Walk the way Jesus walked.

Proverbs 8:30-32

30 Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.

32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.


Jesus Healed them all. John recognized Jesus as the Son of God. By His Love. His encouragement.

Jesus sailed in the ship of the Sea of Galilee and, yet, Jesus reports He has no home to lay Jesus' Head in. Telling us
Jesus walked, literally, by faith.

When we read about Jesus healing them all - we are reading about the Way. The Truth. The Life. Jesus was dwelling in mankind. His welcome to Zacchaeus in the tree - all that is needed to House Jesus is an invitation.

Abba, Our Father,

You - Give knowledge of salvation to Your people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
Giving light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

We thank You, Father, for the blessings You load upon us Daily.

Thank You for Your Mighty Love and Steadfast Encouragement.
Please always dwell in me.

Father, dwell in my Loved Ones. And cover this Nation trusting in You in the Name of Jesus.

Bless us for the many beloved of God around the earth praying more Heaven upon earth.

Your Good Will be done.

In Jesus Christ, we want to stay, in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Luke 12:35-48 ~ keep your lamps burning

Based upon 11/3/17 

Luke 12:35-48

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 

39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 

45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 

48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.


Consider:

2 Timothy 1:7
God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.


The balance is why Joshua kept on for 40 years.
God named His Son - Yeshua. 

God is for perseverance.  
In dire circumstance ... and in routine.

We say too much. Pushed aside.

We are thrust out of the inner group. We are suckered in. Made much of. Rejoiced in and relied upon.

We are used. Respected.  Why not stay home - with all comfort and ease - safety?
Traveling - when home is loved.

We are in circumstance wildly beyond expectation. In a slow lane of regular old, rut.

We are in endurance. We are thriving. We are in joyful expectation.

Told to be bold. Told to hush.


Why not quit when no one is pleased?
Because. Usually, Someone is pleased! 

When you want to please God.
The goal is not applause. God is pleased and pleased more completely. 
Pleasing God is putting the steam in your soul to go forth.

Just like the beginning of Jesus Christ's Church. For four centuries - evil days happened. Using the mix of good and evil to see the real dispute for 400 years is seeing Jesus is God. And in knowing - our godly desire - not to fall away and fall back away from doing the Call of God.

Finding the Place for setbacks and criticism  -
Usually, when someone will speak up to put you down - you did something.
Something worthwhile. Even Winston Churchill said so. Scripture can be difficult. Life can be difficult.

Few people comment on the outrageous aspects of their lives.

Some days are difficult. Really difficult.

 Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home.

We are Loved Cherished Believed Strong

Children of God. 

1 John 3

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

Consider, we know the Historical timing of Patmos Island for John.
Beloved, long living John. John defies the old age of Ecclesiastes. In fact, John is recorded in History going forth boldly with the Gospel. Sorting out Gnostic knowledge versus the Love God has for us all. Arguing the humanity - real humanness of Jesus Christ. Putting aside factions. And all of this is in the 2nd Century. John is praying and joyous when he sees Jesus. John is content.







And then we have the days, we know we are blessed. But everything on earth irritates us. And we know we are petty, but so annoyed. Determined to stay level. Struggling apparently succeeding to - - - maintain. All is well, but we feel like imploding. The marvelous ability to tell someone and feel back to the Compass of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Consider the unity of Jesus Himself in Revelation 1.

Names - God names us our name is important, we blend, accepted, embraces, held, loved into being the Body of Christ in Heaven. In God's Heaven, in God's Home, in God's House, in God's Heart - we become - His - Jesus' Beloved. Filled with God's Love - living past all the trials - leaning to the Love and Joy. For Eternity.

We have all had those mornings everything required triple time, triple find, triple broken, triple effort, triple bad attitude, triple 'gr' at all things, triple pick up the attitude go far EFFORT. 

 "Gird up your loins with Truth and put on the Breastplate of Righteousness."

That is what is important. 

Be unique, important and special to God. Gifted of the Lord. And in life, the just and the unjust get rained on and sunny days. We get to decide we are living a life worthwhile.  

We can focus on the stain on our shirt or on the immeasurable grace Jesus gives us daily. God will listen. Love. And Care. Always.

 

Father God, 

Thank You for giving us the ability to Blessings. 

And the drive in the Holy Spirit to endure with hope - tough times. The gratitude of good circumstance. In Jesus, we find the joy of each day, the sufficiency and the ability to complain in moderation and rejoice in optimism. We lift up our lives to you and the ones we love - to be the people You are pleased to dwell and live with. 

 And Jesus' Words remind us - this present sufferings will not compare to the Glory Jesus has gone ahead to prepare for us.

To be gracious to us and allow real emotions - is a path of God. Father God - help us to be sensitive to the needs of others.  Thank You Father God for the bravery of people who have counted the cost - and go forth in Jesus for millenniums. 

We are praying with Jesus for more Heaven upon earth. For our cares. Including our dog, and the better day he had today. To sleep at night and heal. For our loved ones in Jesus and His Love and Promises.  Covering the Nation and Nations trusting in God and His Word. 

Blessings in Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Psalm 95 ~ the Rock of our salvation

Uluru, Australia. God is our Rock and our Foundation.

Psalm 95

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, 
and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." 11 Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest."

We - Know this.

The Joy of The Lord begins this Psalm. And the Joy of the Lord ends this Psalm.

The Lord God does not live with Someday. He lives with Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
God, Himself, gives us Today.

Today - we know what is required of us to enter into the Joy of the Lord.


Micah 6
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?

Today is the day we are given. Today - we will please Jesus.



In all seasons, Father God has given us Jesus as His exact nature.  We want to please Father God.

Father God,

You are Living Stone. The Rock of our foundation. We ask Your Blessings. You are our destination, Your Home in John 14.

We ask Your Blessings, Today.

We ask to please You, Today.

We ask You wrap and enfold us in Your Love, Mercy, Grace, Protection and Joy.

We give You thanks for all of the Blessings we have - touching our heart.

We lift up the ones we Love, asking Your Blessings.

We ask Your Blessing on all the Children of God for more Heaven on earth. Covering our Nation. And all the Nations trusting in You.

We place our Trust in Your Love and Goodness. And rest in Jesus. Comforter.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Psalm 40:1-11 ~ for the Lord

Gregory Peck as King David

Psalm 40:1-11

A Psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, 
I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 

10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; 
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
 I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

11 As for you, O LORD,
you will not restrain your mercy from me;
your steadfast love
and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!

David was similar to Peter. Some issue was always about to roll, pop, cause embarrassment or heal. These were not smooth lives. Eventually, David learned to trust God and his later life wasn't as eventful. Peter began to trust as well.

It may not be maturity, and instead is the voyage of faith steadfastly traveled. The Disciple John wasn't old. And John knew to stand with Jesus.

John told us when we love people - we stand with God.

1 John 12

12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.

14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

Age did not necessarily enter into faith walks.

Matthew 18:3
And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 18:17
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”




Consider the Perfect Walk of Faith:

Wind sheer storms on the Sea of Galilee could bring Jet Airliners down. Luke 8 Jesus met such a storm and was asleep - letting God be in charge.  Jesus spoke to the storm and the wind and waves were peaceful.

Jesus, being the exact nature of God knew about His Father.

Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.



Father God,

We would pray with Jesus and sit with Him. Asking You for Your Blessings. Peace, Love and Prosperity in Your Will.

We would be the seeds of Yours. Protect us when we are tender. Help us to have depth in You. And walk with faith, pleasing to You.


Help us to be Blessing finders, to see the wonders You provide. Help us a hundredfold. 

Bless us daily to talk with You and have hearts to love, Your wisdom and ears to hear.

Please bless Jackson Husky dog to heal from falling down the stairs. Cal's wounds from the nose bite have miraculously been so much better - Thank You. We give You our needs Father God.  Help Jackson make it outdoors as needed. We pray for his hips and knees to mend beautifully - sweet-hearted old dog.

We pray Jesus for the People we Love. Jesus for our Churches, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and all-encompassing our Nation.  Our Nation and the Nations trusting in You.

Knowing the communion of saints - covering the Good Creation of Father God's - pleasing Him asking for more Heaven on earth. 

Blessed be Father God, giving us Jesus.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

Psalm 19:1-2, 14 ~ The Heavens declare the Glory of God

Psalm 19:1-2 

A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

Jeremiah 32

26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 

27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?"

Christmas - the actual Birthday of Jesus Christ.
Couldn't be because men moved the calendars all the time?
A point to ponder.

Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said, 

"With man this is impossible, 

but with God all things are possible."

The Magi arrived two years later. Which would conflict with the Holy Family's flight to Egypt. And Isaiah 60 about the Dawn of Light corresponding with Luke 1 and Genesis 1. Isaiah knew of Jesus Christ 700 years early. It's possible the Magi arrived exactly on time.

Isaiah 60
2 For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples;
but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.

3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4 Lift up your eyes and look around: They all gather and come to you; your sons will come from afar

Genesis 18:14

Is anything too difficult for the LORD?
At the appointed time

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven
 and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, 
and 
there is nothing too hard for thee:


Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, 
"With man this is impossible, 
but not with God. 
For all things are possible with God."


Luke 1:37
For nothing will be impossible with God."

Luke 18:27
But Jesus said, 
"What is impossible with man 
is possible with God."

Abba, Father God,

We come to ask Your Willing Blessings upon us all.

We ask more Heaven upon earth. For the Nations trusting in You. For our Nation. Upon all Your Children praying for more Heaven on earth. For our loved ones - Jesus. For our carea and ourselves.

We cover this in the Name of Jesus Christ. In all times and in all seasons, every day.

Your Good Will be done. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Matthew 20 ~ first and last

Matthew 20

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. His most blessings oriented Words are found surrounding His Laws.

The Law isn't for grins. This is God putting forth "Love Thy Neighbor" as a courtesy. Keeping Peace. Encouraging Love and harmony in orderly conduct.


















Isaiah 45

Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. 

9"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands '? 10"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?'

Every January, I get the "Januaryies."; It's the yin and yang. "Januaryies" are - Biblically - Luke 3. Christmas - the joy of giving joy. God brings us an Archangel. Twice. Miracles and jaw-dropping miracles. Shepherds see the Heavenly Host. This isn't even numbered. Then they behold the Christ Child. And so does Simeon.

Life intervenes. Luke 3. 

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas


The Christ Child arrives and the world continues in good and bad. In newness and in the established paths. Exactly the way Sam Walton was told Walmart was impossible. And so many little things that occur and life continues in the way life seems to continue. It's really... an act of faith to not allow every day to overcome the Wonders and Acts of God.

Luke 3 isn't really an Archangel situation.

Luke 3 is like Psalm 90. Moses has seen amazing, incredible Acts of God. And deals with starvation, thirst, mutiny, let down by Aaron, being government and gold calves.

To me, Luke 3, in these verses, is to see what is beautiful and gracious in life - slip away to the dreariness of 'this is the way the world works." And to see individuals lose their own personal shine from seeing Jesus. As Moses - he covered his face. I've heard this described as humanity holding on to pride, but perhaps Moses was weeping.

The point is to continue -

Into Luke 3 and to rejoice at the end of Psalm 90. And to get there - to get anywhere in the Scriptures - we have to have honesty. Sometimes a good cry. Sometimes a cry of verbal frustration and anger. Jesus told us be angry and do not act on sin. Ephesians 4:26.

David knew.

Psalm 4:4
Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah

Romans 12:9
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

Luke 3
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.


To find the Joy in The Joy of the Lord is my strength - we have to be able to put down bitterness over slander and malice. We have to cry out to find kindness and tenderness and forgiveness. Even when Lucy will continue to move the football, Charlie Brown. When the dog is abused. When neglect has an excuse and a reason. When death is arriving pretty slowly. And everyone is coping - everywhere. Alzheimer has some very unusual stories. Dementia too.

Faith, hope and Love.  To realize these are the joys of life. To know all seasons and all days have good with Joy and Love and all days have some sadness. We learn to live in the moments of Joy and Love and to decrease the strength, the time and the occurrence of sadness. But only with truth.

I had the most marvelous dream Jesus was coming to live with us in brand new, shiny rooms. Making all of us new. We decorated in His favorite colors - red and green. A quilt was found for the wall. And then spent the day in frustration. Joy arrived. Joy was worked for. Joy apparently left.

In fact, I have been grumpy, irritated, sniping and upset.

And when I told Edward - Edward said in comparisons to life God has provided - the hardships are small.  Sometimes to see this - you have to see Eternity. And other days to see this - all you simply have is gratitude in your heart.

To be able to speak to the frustrations - is a Blessing.

We have all heard believe in the Lord when the Sun doesn't shine. Psalm 90 proves the gravity and brevity of life. Rejoice in the Lord isn't the beaming of every golden day. Rejoice in the Lord is the belief that even if you are in your 90's, 9th decade of life, and have incredible back pain - God will hear you. He did for our uncle and the uncle healed in the belief that even at 90 years of age - water therapy and faith exist. Rejoice in the Lord is the belief God is still working. And we can have relief Father God named His Son Yeshua over Joshua holding the faith for 40 years.

It's impossible to believe. And yet we are told - our lives are mapped out as written in Psalm 139.
The Purpose of God is where we live - today. The Blessing we are today - is from God. The difficulties and heartbreaks are Psalm 139 too. Embrace the goodness, have patience with what is heart curdling. And find tomorrow we have endured and overcome again. God, our Father, is still working and Jesus as well.

Abba,

Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.

And in this Truth, we ask for Your Blessings.

Praying more Heaven on earth
for ourselves and our cares.
For the ones we love in their eternal love and soul.
For this Nation.
For the Nations trusting in God.
For Your Beloved praying for more Heaven on earth.

More Peace, more Joy, more Love, more hope, more prosperity, more health. More Jesus Christ - Heal them all.

In the Powerful and Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †