Luke 4:14-22 ~ Gracious words

Jesus painted by James Tissot

Luke 4:14-22

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 

21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.

And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?”




We have all wanted to be part of the crowd to hear Jesus speak.

We know the First Century of Rome was converted with great success by Peter and Mark, Paul and Timothy and after these Saints, Rome was continuing to convert to Jesus as people prayed with the Holy Spirit and Acts of God followed. Jesus was entirely serious when he said prayer is like getting a friend out of bed to pray. The prayers of the First Century were powerful in Jesus. And today we all know someone who has had Jesus give them a miracle.

The crowd was told by Jesus not just to arrive for the miracles. And we hear Peter defend Jesus by saying Peter will never leave Jesus because He has the Words of Life.

This Scripture Passage tells us Jesus has Gracious Words.

God's Promises are Gracious. Resonating deep in our eternal property - our soul.

Exodus 14:14

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 

1 Samuel 12:16

“Now then, stand still and see the great things the Lord is about to do before your eyes.” 

Isaiah 45:2

“I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and rescue you.” 

Deuteronomy 7:9

“He is a faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations.”  

Proverbs 16:3

“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” 

Psalm 27:13

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” 

All of these Promises of God come from the Old Testament. Jesus is Proclaiming His Father yesterday, today and tomorrow.

2 Corinthians 4:4

See the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Jesus is Gracious.

The women who held on to the fringe of Jesus' robe was greeted as Faithful.


Matthew 11:25-27

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father,
for such was your gracious will.

27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.



Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Micah 6 answers deep calls to deep:

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”


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?



Abba,

On Good Friday, Jesus - Scriptures tell us - did not pray eloquently and sometimes repeated Himself. We do not have to worry about strict protocol in Prayer. You are our Gracious Father.

We Thank You for Your Mercy and Blessings. Daily. Thank You.

Bless us with Your Peace in our cares. Bless those we Love with the same blessings. Cover us in the Name of Jesus as high as
our Nation. Help us every moment to Trust in You.

Bless the Nations of the world to trust in You and we will see more Heaven on earth.

Covering all of Your Children pleasing You and asking in the Same Name of Jesus. Amen.

2 Peter 1:11
God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 John 1 ~ The Word of Life

1 John 1

1 That which was from the beginning,

which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes,

which we looked upon and have touched with our hands,

concerning the word of life—

2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it,

and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,

which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you,

so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

What do we really know about this?

We have some very tangible 'walk with faith' items.
 When we walk with faith - we are on a real path. Concrete, our floor at home, our workplace floor. Our street. The area of the earth God has placed us on.

God had done the Grace of putting our feet firmly on Terra Firma.

Sure there was some Scrap of Gospel from St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt Sinai. About one inch of Gospel from the First Century A.D. Sadly, the New Testament only shows up from the 4th Century. Sad.... this is so false. So false.

However, God gives us Terra Firma.

TRUTH. WE HAVE 300 CHAPTERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT FROM THE LIFETIME OF JOHN THE DISCIPLE. AND PERFECTLY MAINTAINED. "Intact Pages."

Contents of Papyrus 46

http://www.bible-researcher.com/links19.html

University of Michigan

Terra Firma.

As I grew up, Pontius Pilate was a myth in the Nice Story of the Gospel.

Judea, Suburb of Syria = Israel. Here he is:

2017 a new Roman road was discovered pointing towards Jerusalem. And in the road bricks, a coin with Pontius Pilate's face. Minted because coins were the baseball cards of today. No newspaper, no television - just a coin to know who this was 'back in the day.'

Terra Firma

The 1970s were arguing so much about, "Was Mary Actually a Virgin."

The Talmud exists today. The Talmud contains records of the Sanhedrin Council during the Life of Jesus Christ. The actual complaining documents about that trouble maker named Jesus. One of the problems with this Jesus is His uncertain genealogy. Mary is the daughter of Heli (Luke 3). Jesus refers to this Himself.

Mark 12:37
David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Jesus was telling about what the Sanhedrin was writing down. The question they were addressing was who is Jesus' Father? In this, Mary's ancestry is firmly applied as a fact.







Terra Firma.

The 1980s. Colleges were teaching the Bible was historical fiction. The Hittite Nation was undiscovered in archaeology. Not a shred of evidence.

Who were the Hittites?

The Hittites are a prominent role - key places in the Old Testament Bible:
Ephron the Hittite sells Abraham the family burial ground (Genesis 23); Esau married Hittite women, and Rebecca despised them (Genesis 26:34); frequently listed as inhabitants of Canaan (Exodus 13:5; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3); King David had Uriah the Hittite killed in order to acquire Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11); King Solomon had Hittites among his many wives (1 Kings 10:29–11:2; 2 Chronicles 1:17); and the prophet Ezekiel degrades Israel with the metaphor of a Hittite mother (Ezekiel 16:3, 45).

Not a fable.

The Hittite Library was found. At first, all of the Bible was confirmed. And then the squabbles... Archaeology and faith.


And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.

James Tissot Les morts apparaissent dans le Temple

Abba,

Let us be found in their numbers, as the Saints go marching in!!!

Father, Help us we know our God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.

Let us be the people of the Gospels - the woman who reached out to hold Jesus. She believed God would help her.

Jesus has told us to pray with faith. We please the Creator of All when we Believe You, Father God.

Let us see more Heaven on earth. Let Your Good Will be found and Rejoice.

We raise our cares and hearts, mind and soul to Jesus Christ for His Glory.

We raise our Loved ones to be held fast in His Love. Securely in Jesus Son of God.

We raise our Nation Trusting in God.

We raise the nations to rise in His Brightness.

We praise You for the Children of God surrounding Your Good Creation with ongoing expectation of Your Love, Mercy and Goodness.

Knowing we Please You, Father God, to ask in the Name of Jesus with faith. Amen.

  

1 John 3:11-18 ~ God's Love abides in

1 John 3:11-18

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.

The Bible is not ultra sweet. Love has steadfast and determined Character. Anger is addressed an incredible number of times.When we get to the Gospel - we find Loving Brothers - Andrew and Peter wanted to know Jesus. When James and John the sons of Zebedee wanted to know Jesus. 

The Scriptures find an incredible amount of conflict. Conflict is not necessarily a terrible occurrence. Love has conflict. Exactly because people live and love as themselves.

Jesus describes Conflict as the Seed Parable. Reality - with problems define us. Solomon told us the Hand of God is also the Hand of Woe. The New Testament tells us:



1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

This sounds ultra sweet. Until you consider before your children become good friends with another child - you want to know your child is not endangered to befriend another. We want to know who it is we are inviting to dinner. And if we pick and choose our safety and happiness - why would we begrudge God. God is not asking for a meal or jumping on a trampoline - God is finding out about Eternity and His Home. We have Incredible and Real Promises in God.



And this would cause me to say:

Psalm 19:14
14 Let (May) the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight,

O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

And I am so grateful to God for His Mercy. His explanation of anger. Allowing us to be broken. Allowing us to Know the Creator of the Universe believes we are dust, we are flowers of the field until He Saves us. God has always worked with the Broken. The Broken Fellowship of Good Friday. Astonishing God would rest His Son's Message with people who hide and balk, and like Thoms change their mind to be bold for Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew these men would grow into the Mind of Jesus Christ.

What is the Mind of Jesus Christ?

Ephesians 4

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way 

into him who is the head, into Christ, 

from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, 

makes the body grow 

so that it builds itself up in love.

What is the Mind of Christ, The Head of Jesus Christ.

Love. Assurance of the Peace of God Himself and His Good Plans. Jesus faced the faithful, the hopeful, the doubters, the needy, the proud, the powerful as He did even on Maundy Thursday and His Good Friday - with courage. With belief. Jesus typically did not worry, even sleeping in the boat during a terminal type storm.

The Mind of Christ Jesus does not worry. We can all want to have this. The Mind of Jesus Christ is filled with Belief. Is concentrating on not the fleeting - but the very amazing aspect of Eternity. God is not worried. God lives with Love and Mercy and in Total Assurance. Peace. Joy. Joy Joy Joy Joy in the message to His Disciples of His time on earth. Love.

Love. Restoring Peter. Restoring the Guard's ear. Restoring the Roman Empire to marriage and family with trust in one another.




God promises us in the middle of the trauma of life - we are developing into something very special.

And people pray so often like this:

"I'm ok, I know Jesus. Please pray for my brother to know how much Jesus loves him and find out this Love."

Abba, Holy Father,

We ask Your Willing Blessings. And share the renewal of His Blessings Daily. Even at 5:30 in the evening.

We lift up all who need extra Blessings of God during a time of need.


We Bless those willing to share their lives and hearts being so encouraging. A gift of Heaven.


To Daily Find God tucking Blessings - we never even expected to receive. Glimpses of long ago and times to arrive Eternally.
Thank You, Father God, Thank You, Jesus.

Finding More Heaven on earth, seeking what is good and noble. Knowing the Expectations of More Heaven on earth for Your Good Will.

Thanking God for the Seasons of our lives - giving us the tools at hand to do what we need to do.

Asking You to Bless our Loved ones.
Bless all our cares so very far and wide - to the Nation itself trusting in You.
Children all over the world, asking Prayer and Blessings from Jesus Christ.

Covering us all in the Name of Jesus, our Savior, God's given Son. God is Amazing. Amen.


Jesus got in the Waters for Baptism. Jesus is all in. Jesus finds Joy in our lives and love.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

John 1:1-10 ~ the world was made through Him

Jesus painted by James Tissot

John 1:1-10

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

Yesterday we studied Luke 2 to see the parallels of the birth and resurrection to Life as God's First Born Son Conquering Death.

We can look at John 1 and skate past. We know this. We know the New Covenant, God seeing His Creation yesterday, today and tomorrow as good.

And we can agree God, being God, loved us without beginning and end. A Circle.

Circle of the Deep. The Biblical Writers did not go here, nor was aerial available.

Very nice. This seems too remote and perfect to intersect with us giving us a Hope and a Future. Nice - Heaven some day. Very nice.


Deliberate Plan.
When we see how specific men 0 who hid from Jesus at a critical time - would show His birth compares to the Death and Life of Jesus. We see God is deliberate. And we might think - shouldn't God be specific about Jesus the Christ? Of course, He is.

How does this relate to our lives today?

And we can tie this together by looking at the Plan of God. Jesus didn't go to the New World where scientists believe 12,000 years ago a massive asteroid striking Washington State created the Ice Age or Noah's Flood. African Mammals survive, but North America loses all large mammals and humans.

Jesus never overtly tells about the New World. Jesus hints.

10 He was in the world,

 and the world was made through him, 

yet the world did not know him.

Jesus did not arrive again in the Beginning of Life, Genesis. We know to be Africa where Eve's mitochondrial DNA shows we all have one common ancestor pair. The beginning of life isn't where Jesus would live and move and have His Being.

Why? I can't say for certain, but if you are looking for bones - the wilderness of Africa is filled with bones of all large and mid-size animal types. This would be an odd place for Jesus. In this extreme circle of life.

China with vast knowledge, wisdom and history. The Advanced Society in China. By 2,000 BC the Chinese knew to make bronze. They probably started by making copper in pottery kilns. China is filled with Dynasties. History sweeps from power to power. God's Plan is God's Plan.

One strip of cloth encircles the body for clothing. India is an ancient land with a continuous civilization of 5000 years.

We believe Bartholomew, who worked with Paul before Timothy, was the first to carry the Gospels out of Israel to India. Why didn't Jesus arrive in India? The Apocrypha would appeal to this amazing culture.

Why not the U.K. or Europe?

The first modern humans (homo sapiens) arrived during the Ice Age. So many tribes.

The Great Isaiah Scroll - See the Interactive Archeological Scroll

Why did God fall in Love with Israel? Why not Rome? Greece? Persia?

God called Abraham from what is now Turkey. An established man with a wife. A fairly well to do Shepherd family in a beautiful location. And Abraham traveled with Sarah to find what God would establish 'in them'.

There are a lot of comfortable people in life. Why give up a very beautiful farm, a family farm in Turkey to risk all to live - basically in a dry desert? Abraham wanted to find out about himself. Life. How to handle isolation. Droughts. Wars. Kings. To believe God had placed something within Abraham to do what God had placed in him to do.

Acts 2:2
Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting

Abraham was doing what we do - we act on the calling of God within us to find what we are. To answer the wild adventure of life. To grow. To have the might to withstand dry days. And this one man with his determination to believe God - was considered the father of nations and the friend of God. We learn failure and renewal in Abraham. Abraham is much to flawed to be a "man of God." And Abraham is.


Jesus has placed Himself - where He is sought. Jesus is Life called to the Living.

Father God is the Prodigal's Father running to his beloved Child to enfold, envelope and encircle. Cherish.

The Circle of Home. Eternally.

John 1

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But

 to all who did receive him, 

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.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we have seen his glory, 

glory as of the only Son

 from the Father, full of grace and truth

And God Gave the Glory of God and His Plan of Eternity to 11 men and one of them was brave. Can you believe it?

God would trust these men with God's Plan to tell the world?

God believed Abraham would do fine. God believed Gideon would do well and prosper. God believed Peter might stop making impulsive decisions, blurting out disagreements and jump into the water to do the Will of God. God would let Thomas have his doubts filled. God entrusted His Precious Jesus and His Plan to the men who hid during Good Friday. And Holy Saturday.

God believes.

God looked into mankind in Genesis and Proverbs 8 tells us and was delighted. God believes the Light of Jesus Christ shines in His Beloved.





16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 


God has made Jesus Christ Known.

Abba,

We lift our cares to You. and in Jesus, we have Risen.

Even Jesus has stayed on a circular Lake called the Sea of Galilee. Doing God's Plan each day. Sometimes even 3 times crossing the same Sea of Galilee.

Let there be more Heaven on earth. For those we Love. To have known and seen and believed and live answered prayer.

To have each day pour out a Blessing. And being the Child of God to find the Blessing. Each Day knowing Your Willing Blessings.

And realistically, to see this Plan of God's is a Puzzle. God is busy interweaving to Good. God plans to save the world. This is me and you and our fathers and sons. The Generations God loves to tell us about many times.

The Plan of God is His. His Ways are not our ways. And All things are brought to Good. When we Love God and work according to His Good Plan and Future.

Let this Light shine as we have Lived and Loved in Jesus. Let this Light Shine from our hearts to the Nation. To all Nations looking to Jesus for His enduring Help and Mercy. His Astonishing Love and Love for me and for you. We Believe our Father God.  All the Children of the world are His.

Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †