Psalm 131 ~ my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.


We all suffer from sleeplessness sometimes. Did Abraham? It's not recorded in the Bible. Abraham believed God and this was credited to him as righteousness.


What if we could apply Psalm 131, placing ourselves on the chest of Jesus Christ and resting in His arms.

Allowing Psalm 30 to be part of our rest in Jesus.



Psalm 30:11-12

Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!


Now if we look at the whole picture:


Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!



God doesn't just give us the whipped cream and smile from the top of the Mountain. Father God shows us the conflict and the effort to find the peace and to know the Peace of God will arrive. We work to find the daily work God has given us: To Believe in the One God has sent to us to Believe.


Jesus showed us Life. An indestructible Life.

Father God,

One day we will see Jesus. We will see Your Promises. We will see all the saints living. We will according to Ephesians live with Family of Generations.

We will know all Your Truth.

Thank You Jesus, You know me. And offer salvation to me and the world. In Your Great Love.

Thank You Jesus for Your Love.

Amen.

Our God has made Breakfast on the Beach for fishermen.

Our God calms the winds and the waves.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! † 

Acts 1 ~ through the Holy Spirit!!! + † +

Acts 1

1 In the first book,  Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went.

Behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled"

1800s  Jerusalem, very like Jerusalem at the time Jesus walked the roads.



We begin the New Testament, leaving the Gospels, and with Jesus Living and Victorious.

We find the New Testament assembles the ups and downs of family. The process, the change of seasons and even years of the Prodigal Son and His Father - their telling of Forgiveness.

Jesus is telling us about the real and true, reliable Scripture of time allowing Works of God.

And of family. The ins and the outs. Pre-teen individualism and parents honored.

The joys of Family and friends dancing, singing, having wine, making wine and vacationing around the Wedding in Cana. An amazing time for Jesus, Mary and the servants.

The goading and separation of Brothers in acclaim, envy, sibling rivalry and fame. The communications cease due to hostilities- - whole thoughts are not communicated.


Mary determines to save God Himself. She rushes in, mistakenly, with His Brothers to be sent empty away. Jesus is God. God's Family does not decrease and instead includes more, doing the Will of His Father. Like the Parables of Jesus and the Wedding Feast.

God has an open heart, open ear, open Gates of Heaven policy for all who Seek Him.

In the Beginning, God said let there be Light. And into this light came Jesus, God of God, True Light of True Light. Making mankind, male and female in His own Image. And the Father delighted in His Son. The Son delighted in the Father and found His master workmanship to be wonderful. The Holy Spirit, Father and Son delighted seeing into mankind. The Holy Spirit abided over the waters.

And God found His Creation to be good 10 times yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Jesus our Living Water.



We find God's Family does not decrease and instead includes more, delighting in the Will of our Father. Exactly explaining the Parables of Jesus and the Wedding Feast.

The Family of Mary and Joseph is flung far and in disaster, all of Israel knows, does not draw together in horrible Good Friday crisis -  only Mary and Mary wife of Clopas. John is included and the family expands again. Mary Magdalene rushes to help Jesus, even in death, the family expands again and Mary Magdalene is included as the first adopted daughter of God.

Jesus, as God, is drawing His Mother and Brothers never united before. More brothers. and, again, expanding the family to include more brothers.

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled"

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Abba,

We ask Your Willing Blessings.

And ask You to be alive in the Hopes and Thoughts of those of Loving Hearts, being Loved Ones.

We lift our cares to You.

You tell us to arise with You.

We lift up our loved ones to You.

You tell us all to arise with You.

We lift our Hopes, Faith and Love.

We will do as You say and Arise with You.

We lift all our concerns of culture with You.

You tell us all to arise with You.

A Blessing - when we know our soul to Jesus - when we establish our Identity in Jesus Christ we are assured. We are Established.

Father,  we stand upon the Rock of Christ.

Let's, Abba, Look at the Soul of our Culture.  Let's Establish the Identity of our Soul. 

We think of Blessings -  and have so little Good News - Good News takes us by surprise and we are skeptical

We think of Blessings Abba, we like our blessings to be honest and believable.


We think of Blessings 

I feels so blessed and have such a blessing to have our family together this weekend from near and far.

We see new Blessings - Psychology Today reports 59% of Americans find politics very upsettingly derisively divided and find the lack of moderation gravely upsetting. We see the news is watched at night by 9 million Americans instead of 320 million Americans. The Comedy Shows of Late Night and Early Morning are waning.

We see the Pew Report Proclaim in 2015 it is the end of Casual Christianity and the Dawn of Well Considered Christianity.

We read in the Pew Report Marriage, especially among minorities is up. Legitimate birth is up. The Pew Report shows 2/3rds of College Graduate marriage is unto death us do part.

We, the Beloved of God, We the People, Rejoice to see Your Wonders and Love.

Father God, Alaska had an oil spill. The Gulf of Mexico had ever conceivable worker out there to clean it up - and suddenly The Gulf of Mexico was Clean. Supernaturally. Amazingly. Immediately with Jesus Christ.

Thank You, Jesus Christ for Today. For Tomorrow. For Your Good Will. Your Hope and Future. For our friend who has cancer and we pray healing.

Jesus the Highest Name. Alleluia. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! † 

John 1 ~ The Word

John 1

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

2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.


 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 testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”


22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.


29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 

30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).


43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 

51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Isaiah 45

I am the Lord, and there is no other;

apart from me there is no God.

I will strengthen you,

though you have not acknowledged me,

6 so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting

people may know there is none besides me.

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

7 I form the light and create darkness,

I bring prosperity and create disaster;

I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;

let the clouds shower it down.

Let the earth open wide,

let salvation spring up,

let righteousness flourish with it;

I, the Lord, have created it.

Mark 1:10
Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him


“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”




Isaiah 60
“Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you.

Nations will come to your light. And kings will see the shining-greatness of the Lord on you.

“Lift up your eyes and look around you, and see. They all gather together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in the arms.

Then you will see and shine with joy. Your heart will be glad and full of joy, because the riches of the sea will be turned to you. And the riches of the nations will come to you.

Father God,

Help us each day to see the Goodness of God. Seeing what You are providing. Building the events we will shape our soul to bring to You.

Help us each day, we know to ask boldly with confidence.

And in Jesus we place all our cares and the ones we love. Casting our cares upon You, for You care so deeply and compassionately for us.

To our Father, who wants to save the World in Jesus Christ. In this His Heart, and His goal - we are assured of His Kingdom, Power and Glory. Wonderful Jesus reflecting the Father. Our Father. Our Jesus. Amen.

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Luke 1:1-25 ~ The Lord has done this for me

Luke 1:1-25

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 

 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

If we looked at Elizabeth's seat at The Lord's Table, she said, "The Lord has done this for me."


Hannah, mother of Samuel, might agree.

Moses knew of Jesus the Messiah, would Moses agree?

Isaiah knew of Jesus the Messiah and would Isaiah agree?

Jeremiah knew of Jesus the Messiah, would Jeremiah agree?

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."

We all know this. But what about a personal salvation? Where is it written Jesus knew me and saved me as Elizabeth believed she was given Luke 1 as a personal gift?

Certainly Jesus loves me and the Bible tells me so:

The Scriptures tell us most dearly of a personal salvation. A personal plan of Father God's.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The mercy of God is as vast as the Heavens. Suddenly God is vast about human failings instead of pointing a finger.

Romans 5:8
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,




Elizabeth's words have made Millenniums aware of Elizabeth's Great Joy. A Personal Prayer. A Father God who has comforted her. Almighty God's Willingness to help. The Alpha and Omega enfolds and provides Salvation. And Elizabeth's heart has truly known and understood her Father God's Love for her.



Abba,

Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the Light of the world. Thank You for the Light of mankind.


Thank You, Father God, You love me. Thank You for loving the people I love. Thank You for loving the people You have given me.
Thank You for listening to our prayers for people we love to be saved from illness and cancer.

Thank You for Your Plans giving me a Hope and a Future.


Thank You for watching over our Nation to Trust in You. Thank You for giving us Your Son and His Great Love telling us to ask You for more Heaven on earth. Thank You for the Nations coming to Your Brightness. Thank You for the communion of saints praying all over the world for Your Care and Love to cover us in the Name of Jesus.

Thank You. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †