1 Peter 1 ~ Rejoice

Imagine the Songs we will know in Heaven. Songs from the Exodus. Songs from the Temple. Songs from the Second Exile in Babylon. Songs sung to rebuild the Temple. Songs from the catacombs in Rome from early Christians, like Peter. Songs of the Dispersion after Jesus rose to Life again. Songs unwritten today.

1 Peter 1

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion 
in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Titus and Timothy were part of the Dispersion. They lived to be quite old. Both were in different areas of Greece.

Peter is so alive in the Gospels, we feel love and kinship with Peter. And this is where Peter puts all of his life with Jesus first. His beloved in this Chapter - well, Peter is singing to the Choir.

These are Peter's Beloved. Some of the Dispersion mentioned here are the 72 Disciples sent ahead by Jesus during His Ministry. Some were the Greeks who traveled to Jerusalem to meet Jesus while He was in Ministry.

Paul and Peter decided to split the known world into two categories to begin telling the Good News of Jesus Christ. Peter was given the Jews and these are the Jews who Believed Jesus Christ and left all they knew to tell of the Glory and Love and Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ, Son of God.

This Chapter is for the Choir!

And in this difficulty, the Angels are enamored to see all of this History unfolding to the Angels in Prophetic Glory. In other words, Daniel could feel the interest of the Angels in the Second Exile. Peter knew.

Consider what Peter knew and understood and had seen, witnessed and felt as Peter told of the Holy Spirit:

His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope

imperishable, undefiled, and unfading  - inheritance in Heaven

Rejoice  praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ

Grace to be yours

The witness of Peter the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. John 21

Through Jesus are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.

It does not matter if this is yesterday or 100 years or millenniums.

The word of the Lord remains forever.

Abba,

Jesus is the Word of God made Manifest. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Romans 15
Through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”

And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”

Abba, Thank You for giving us Your Word. We pray for more Heaven on earth. For Your Good Will. Thank You for this Day. Help us to build Your Blessings and hold our Truth. Give us the Blessing of Seeking You First. Let us live in Love, Joy and Peace.

Cover us in the Love and Mercy of Jesus and His Name. We ask this for our Nation and the nations coming to Your Brightness. We ask all Your willing Blessings for ourselves and our Loved ones.

Help the ones we Love to be guided and blessed by You . 

Please bless Elliott and Dee with good health. Bless Jim. And for those caring for the ill. For our families to live in Love and be Your Pleasure.

Jesus is God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Colossians 3:1-17 ~ Christ in all †

Colossians 3:1-17

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 

10 And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.  Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
Christ is all,
and in all.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


Today ~ I decided to take a vacation. This has been the worst year. 3 Terminally ill people in the family, another with a significant health concern, new financial decisions, all conversations lead to these topics in an ever rolling loop.

And I did the work I needed to do for today and had an evening to spend by myself. I turned on the Christmas Lights outside my den and found this photo took inside and outside and made a delightful blend. The throw knitted by Mary. The little antique lamp from ebay for Christmas, now part of our every day.

Alexander cooked cider, Edward looked at his computer and I decided to place worry far away. Being thankful for today.

I've been asked to pray at 3 p.m.
This is for all the people we have prayer requests for who are ill. This is a prayer chain. Lifting up the health care system and people around the world. Our own prayer concerns regarding health. This feels superb, to know prayers are joining people we care about, who are also praying. I've set an alarm on my phone for 3 pm. Praying at the same time is so comforting. It reminds me of Daniel praying for his people - God's People. God's Love resounding through the Heavenly Hosts, becoming part of our every day.  Join us if you'd like!

At noon, our local Christian radio prays the Lord's Prayer and prays for the Nation. Great year to pray for the Nation. The Battle belongs to God. Thanksgiving for God for amazing wonders He has seen our Nation through. For our eyes to be aware of the Glory of our Father God.



Being renewed.
Two weeks ago the stock market was at an all time high. And then the virus was heard of and spread.
As quickly as Ash Wednesday follows Mardi Gras, we saw a change. Seasons change.  The Glory of God is that Life is in Mardi Gras and Life is in Ash Wednesday.

We should look at our fears, understand, pray, roll the waves of life, throw the dice and go forward in Jesus Christ. Why is it people Nationally in the Pew Report complain about Ash Wednesday being creepy to look at death. When Halloween has so much macabre - Home Depot employees complain they have to look away from the decorations. I fully understand cleaning a place where our loved ones rest, but do not understand celebrating the Day of the Dead. How much joy is in Life in Mardi Gras and how much Peace, Valor, Comfort, Promise is in Ash Wednesday.

The Coronavirus (Texanas who drink wonderful Corona Beer Will Never Forget (or misspell) arrives with coincidence as Ash Wednesday is already planned. I vastly prefer the Hope we find in Jesus Christ.


Bearing with one another.
Hasn't the Coronavirus created a dialog. Lots of Conversations. Stocks decide to have upsets, not seen since 2008. And the jitters create conversations of life and death and children and the aged. Yet the stock market is considering the flow and ease of trade, tourism, ease of buying. We then extrapolate this as inner knowledge and fear life and death.

More Life is going to be considered thoughtfully.
Life for the elderly, the young and for what we want the day to be when we have our own Day of the Lord. Be with us, Dear Lord Jesus, now and at the hour of our passing.

The Lord's Prayer considers this. Give us this day. Jesus tells us every purpose of His is Joy. And this becomes:

We are finding: Give us the Day

Life is going to slow down some. Airplanes will be less crowded and trips are planned by automobile. New concerns for family are causing more phone calls. Families will band together generationally to create recovery. The stock market will go down and then there will follow a period of Recovery.

Romans 8:28
God is interweaving all things for good for those who Love the Lord and work according to His Purpose.


Abba,

The Light shines in the darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it.

We will be grateful for this day. We will say with verve: Give us this Day! And find many reasons to be grateful.

We will ask You, Father, to help, allow, guide, lead, encourage and protect us to Seek Your Kingdom first. We would ask You to fill our lives with Love, Peace and Joy. The Comforter to pour out a God sized Blessing upon us as we Pray for one another.
Jesus praying for us, as in John 17. Thank You.

Giving thanks for answered prayer for Elliott and his family, Dee and Wayne and Jim. So grateful to You, for all our prayers heard with Your Loving Compassion.

Jesus is so Merciful. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Zechariah 2:8-13 ~ Behold

Zechariah 2:8-13

For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 
9 “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.

10 Sing and rejoice, 
O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

12 And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Hannah saved up all her prayers and knew to arrive before the Lord.

Samuel who has walked instep with the Lord so many times,  so many years mistakenly thinks Hannah is drunk. Proving God is the One who is Perfect. Because the Lord is the focus, the purpose of the Prayer is still placed upon the Lord.

With the Coronavirus, we all have concerns. And regardless if the news says no, or yes, or quarantine or relax. Regardless.

John 1

Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 

48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” 

Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 

50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

We asked to be Covered and Blessed in

The Name of Jesus Christ.

In all Prayers, we can simply Pray, "Jesus" and the Holy Spirit will understand.

Father God will carry us.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Ephesians 4:22-24 ~ on the new self

Ash Wednesday is Solemn, Holy, Reverent and Life.

Jesus called all things relating to His Purpose as Joy.

If we combine "The Beatles", "Happy Birthday", "Self Improvement" and "Happy New Year" - We would embrace Ash Wednesday. The Pew Report did a study about perceptions of Ash Wednesday Nationwide regarding USA  non-participation in Ash Wednesday.

God has His 12 Gates Open to His Kingdom.  His Policy on the world is to save the world in Jesus Christ. God's Policy one Prayer is 24/7,  we are never left nor forsaken.

Ephesians 4:22-24

To put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Timothy 1:5
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ezekiel 11:19
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.


When Jesus healed His people, He asked them (us) to ask Him for what we need. The Pew Report set out 12 years ago to ask what people think of Ash Wednesday. To look at perceptions is to realize Prayer is Conversation. With 'Yar'. God is God.

• Some of the comments about Ash Wednesday were as follows:

• I really don't want to think about my life, my body, my brain becoming Dust.

The Beatles might answer with Zechariah 8.

3 Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 

6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? 

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. 

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”



It's whimsical, granted. And to add the right balance, no one on earth desires their funeral like this. Heavens, we have to see Heaven encompasses from Genesis One, the fall of Eden to the time the Bible tells us encompasses travel the world has never seen. And the Roman Empire traveled on a whim or a talent-daily-wage. The Roman Empire Age would hardly arrive at the middle of Heaven.

When we are saying dust, we are enfolding the idea that as we leave this earth - this will be solemn. And in Jesus Christ we are saying:

John 12:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, еxcept a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. ... Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

• The Pew Reports people say seeing the dust on people in different stages of decay reminds them of creepy, old movies.

Why deny the Valor?

• The Fact we have Scriptures is evidence of Valor.
• We have safety. God is our refuge. There is more to our lives than today. We are eternal beings. With many miles to go.
• This Dust has Valor. This is Jesus telling us life ends and the Life of Jesus and His Death includes us in the Victory of Jesus in His Home and His Kingdom and His Power and His Glory.

We worship today encompassing all generations. Why would we shun the Faith of our Fathers ? The warmth of centuries of Hymns. The traditions the many we loved participated in long ago and will encounter in Heaven again?

Why wouldn't we consider the coming possibilities of Heaven being far more like some of our latest technology. Zechariah speaks of a familiar neighborhood. This calls Home and we would dearly love to live and encounter. Why wouldn't this have horses and another having flying machines.

We do not pray in Latin. We pray with sincerity.

Today, one of the Largest Selling Aspects of Book Buying is Self Improvement.

• Ash Wednesday, according to the Pew Report, is extensively asking us to find faults in our lives we weren't even aware of until more pressure arrived.
• Jesus tells us He longs to save the world. Jesus tells us He longs to take His Children and put them under His Wings.
• Why wouldn't we instead find what the Season of Lent would bring us to bring us closer to the Heart of God?
• A Physician friend of our's was saying that if your prescription is giving you every side effect the label warns you about, even if it worked on you before, you have been prescribed the wrong medication.
• In other words, if something is wrankling you from the Word of God, is this because you do need to consider this amazing aspect of Living Scripture. Scripture is Alive.
• Or are you looking for something to fuss about?
• And sometimes we surely would like to avoid something and God has earmarked this as, "When we arrive here, later." Lent can mean, oh, we are going to prepare for this. And God will make the path available.
• Father God tells us He loves a Cheerful Giver. We seem to adore New Year's Resolutions. Why isn't Ash Wednesday carefully considered as what I really could do to Please God Who Generously Loves me?
• Father God loves to say, "Include Me in all aspects of your life!" "What would we talk about as you Pray to Your Father?" Wouldn't our Father love to know you are reading your children more stories. Helping homework more like you'd have liked the help? Helping an elderly neighbor because you know you helped your parents and grandparents. 
• Are you thinking over a trip to see family far away? 
• God would Love to know of more Love.
• Did you quit your diet. (New Years Resolution?) Now, you know Father God doesn't want you to have unhappiness, loss of self esteem, Diabetes. Your Body is a Temple of God. 
• Have you been meaning to Volunteer at Church. God Welcomes you!
• Father God would ask you to consider what Cheerful Thanksgiving you'd provide with Great Joy.

Ash Wednesday is a Voyage.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to 

proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

 to proclaim freedom for the captives 

and release from darkness for the prisoners

Surely we will stand Firm to this Truth?

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!


Isaiah 51:1
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn

And on this Adventure, Journey, Path, Way - on this Map of God's Plan, 

the Adventure is Joy and the X on the map has been instead

replaced with The Joy Jesus has Planned by His Love,

His Sacrifices, His Support and Steadfast Love.

Abba,

When You brought us Jesus as an innocent and newborn baby, You chose youth. And yet as the Scriptures of the Gospel of Jesus begins, You speak of dust. The Genealogy of the long departed. And in Jesus, what is dust is stirred to create the most welcoming Promise of Your Almighty Plan and Word - Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 37
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Where we would see dust, You would see Life.

When we would Believe You, You clothe us in Jesus and give us the Joy of the Lord.

When we want Renewal we will come with confidence to Your Throne, tell you of our trespasses and receive renewal from Your Grace upon Grace.

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. You provide us Grace and peace from You, God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Thanks and Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

You comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by our Gracious Father.

You assure us life has trouble and we know Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Our hope in You is unshaken, for we know in suffering of life, we will also share in You Comfort, The Holy Spirit.

Lifting up our Hearts, our hopes, the ones we Love for Jesus Christ to Bless, Enfold and Uplift all we Love and to Save the world in Jesus Christ.

Our cares covered in Jesus.

Our prayers for Elliott and His Miracle, Dee, who is better, and Jim, covered in Jesus. All our worries and anxieties and prayer requests - covered in Jesus.

Bless us to Seek You First to live Lives of Love, Peace and Joy.

Thank You, Jesus, Amen.

Your Glory has Filled the Temple, Live in me, Lord Jesus and all who Love You today and tomorrow. 

On earth let Your Hope and Future, Your Good Will be done as in Heaven.

Amen Jesus, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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