Luke 15:3-7 ~ Suppose

 

Luke 15:3-7

Then Jesus told them this parable: 

 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. 

Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 

'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be 

more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner 

who repents 

than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Suppose, we want to know more about the Shepherds

 - all we have to do is look to the facts. 

1. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres.

2. If we want to know more about the Shepherds - all we have to do is look to the facts. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres. And some of this land is available and set aside, today, as the Shepherd's Field.

3. Then we find the number of sheep is going to be entirely up to the amount of rainfall. Isaiah 7 tells us times are good for crops. So, in a normal year the number of sheep per acre is 1.5 sheep. So 20,000 sheep.

Do we know in the Bible this is an acceptable,relevant number of sheep?

Job 42:12
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.

1 Kings 8:63
63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.

4. The 1596 A.D. Ottoman Tax Record and Census indicates Bethlehem's population of 1,435 - the 13th largest village. Populations didn't change much until this last century in most of Israel. Vintage Photography of Israel is very interesting.

So all we need now is to figure out how many shepherds there were.



Jacob was described as an exceedingly rich man because he:

Genesis 30:43
Jacob possessed large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses” 


In the case of the rich man Nabal we find statistics:

1 Samuel 25:2
He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats

Animals were cared for and were: milk, meat, and fabrics (Isaiah 7:21-22; Proverbs 27:27; Deuteronomy 14:4; Leviticus 13:47; Exodus 25:4). The sheep provided wool for garments to keep out chilly nights and windy days. The goat skins provided bottles in which to store liquids. The uncut hide of either animal might have been the wineskin of Jesus’ parable (Mark 2:22 = Matthew 9:17 = Luke 5:37-38).

5. So how many shepherds were there for 20,000 Sheep? We know how many acres there are and how many sheep based on rainfall... what about Shepherds?

6. Now, we find out about the Shepherds. We don't know the number of the Shepherds. This explains the social status of the Shepherds.

Shepherding - It depends on this: how profitable has ranching been? Rain again. The New Testament records about 100 to 1. But we can see Bethlehem might fall in the category of 1 to 1000 sheep because Bethlehem doesn't have many sheep hiding places. Both David and Samson provide lonely, animal wildlife threatens lone shepherds in the day. Lions.

We know some families have small flocks and the children shepherd. While other Biblical families only Shepherd.  

7. 1400 people. Women do Shepherd like Rachael and Leah. Moses's Wife.

1400 people. Aged people. Children. Farmers. An easy terrain.
About 4 to 9 human births a month. Herod would find 40 innocents.

8. Labor force would be about 500. Sufficient small farming. And Household chores for gathering, cooking and cleaning.

And then you'd have farmers, lots of Farming in Israel on the terraces of hills.

9. So suppose... 250 shepherd. Then you'd have day Shepherds and more Night Time Safety from Predators Shepherds. 

10. Further, supposing would be 150 nighttime Shepherds looking over a large, easy field. Spread out in military precision with some usual campfires.  A field is easy to view.

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 

6 and goes home. 

Trust. Love one another. Pray together. Fellowship to find one lost sheep.

To leave 99 sheep, is to trust and love one another. Prayers to find the sheep. And the full understanding

God will make this turn out just fine. We have seen what Jesus has written.

And when we don't have a great number of Shepherds to agree in prayer, we have Jesus Promising

He will never leave or forsake us. We are yesterday, today and tomorrow God's Lamb. 

And He is going to find us.

What we find out about God giving us His Faith in us, we operate Life itself from a basis of Trust. The Universe is upheld by God's Word. Not having fear, is Faith. Believing things will work out for us, is Faith. None of us keeps it all together. This is Abundant Life. 

God offers up to us, "God is Love." And we do the work of putting up with James and John and their pushy mother.  We live with Faith, the Brothers of Jesus are going to turn out well and not just goad Jesus, Himself.  We believe God our Father is in Charge the day Mother Mary lets the Brothers go to town in loudest and most embarrassing way.

Because God is Love, we will share the Road to Emmaus. Enduring the Road to Damascus.

Lord Jesus,Abba, gives us,

Our Father, Abba, Who Art in Heaven,

Holy is the Name Jesus,

Thy Kingdom Come!

Thy Will be Done!

On earth as it is done in Heaven.

Give us this Day.

Our Daily, Living Bread Jesus.

Forgive me my trespasses

as I forgive those who trespass against me.

Lead us not into temptation

Deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power in the Glory, 

Amen.

Dwell in us, Lord Jesus!

We will seek You first and Have Heaven.

You know everyone's story, their very heart and soul. 

We ask in this time with so many prayer requests and prayer opportunities, 

that when we say, "Please Jesus" Your Mercy and Grace and Love Prevail.

Father, You are God of All. 

And we ask You for all these opportunities to be Covered by the Love Jesus Christ

  to Live to see Your Glory.

We Simply and effectively say Jesus Christ with our hearts of Love for Your Love. 

And believe Jesus Christ will cover All.

Remembering the Love God brings us Home yesterday, today and tomorrow.

His Steadfast Love we bring in our lives.

Drawing His Love forth to enrich our lives.

May Father God bless us all in Jesus.

Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.

Covered in God's Love,

President Donald Trump, the First Lady and Their Family

Vice President Mike Pence, the Second Lady and Their Family.

The Presidential Team.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx

Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.

Senator Tim Scott,

The end of trouble surrounding this Virus.

For Elliott and Harby.

We believe Elliott is healed.

Father, the Truth, the Way and the Life for our Nation we pray.

We continue to pray for the Safety of All the Nations.

Thank You all the Willing Help You'd Give us with the end of Hurricanes, Wildfires, Riots,
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.

Please continue to bless us.

Amen in Jesus

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

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Luke 4:14-44 ~ Scripture is fulfilled

Seeing the Forest through the Trees. Trees meet Forest. Forest meet trees.

Right.

My phone rings more at the end of the Pandemic, than before. And, you know, I don't always, usually, get the Believers want to Discuss the Bride of Jesus. Oh no no no. I'm a rocket man. Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone. And I used to think it's gonna be a long long time 'Till touch down brings me round again to find... Oh My Dear Lord, Oh God, I used to talk about Jesus like William Shatner did in 1978.

I know I did. When I heard Billy Graham say, 'I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.' I remember hearing that the first time and realized this is what I wanted to convey.  Struck to the Core.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed and the opportunities to grow the seeds in the difficult soil don't have spring training. And happen the day you have a crushing sinus infection. The day the washing machine has been leaking and you find out what the smell is - oh no. The day the CPA is telling you, you aren't paying attention. The day your child decides to tell you who they are. The day you have all these things happen and you realize your neighbor who was crying her dad died and you suddenly didn't know what to say and then the next day you realize... Hopefully God was giving you a day of spring training. And the relief is - God is in charge of Salvation. Salvation is a GIFT of GOD. However, it's fairly important to realize we can't bring Heaven to someone until we find Heaven on earth. We have to have glimpses of Heaven to be able to say The River Jordan runs warm.


Bill Hybels had a visitor one Sunday who was annoyed and challenged Bill to ask him how difficult it is to bring the Gospel to those in the world. Without a collar, without the building of a Church. And he asked Bill Hybels, what have you done for Jesus lately? And in an angry tone. And Bill decided he'd better find out. Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith - Hybels, Bill.

St. Patrick is probably the first one who ever thought this. There was no exact manual for his part of the world. Or maybe he had to use the one 5 Centuries out of date and adapt it. And like Bill Hybels, Patrick found out, you have to put all of you there and it takes years. That's probably why The Books of John at the end of the Bible are so remarkable. This is a life growing and walking with Jesus - by Faith. John's Books are like Patrick's life, you have to overcome the snakes. Instead of becoming one to blend in.

In fact, when you consider the History of Faith, you find one Generation has faith and the next is rowing its own boat.

Matthew 11:8-10

8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? 

Behold,
 those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

The manual is living and breathing Word of God. Jesus is God's Word made manifest. If we insist how we each will unfold to God, we have not understood The Message of Jimmy Swaggart's Life. We have missed the profound Mercy those who donated to Jimmy then - found - what they wanted Jimmy to have was Jesus.  And the Love and Mercy the people gave to Jimmy was the message the world largely didn't find reported. The Dallas Morning News did a very fine job finding this Mercy and reporting the tenderness. In fact, when people referred to the article, frequently there was a mist or some tears. The Mercy was Huge. Like the one where God said He wants to save the world.

1 Timothy 2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

To live in the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Luke 4:14-44

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.


31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus Heals Many
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.



The Most Wonderful Part of Scripture, I will tell you what I thought - and you just might see something else that helped you tremendously. Or we will walk the Road to Emmaus  - Together - and find Jesus Warms our Heart.

Either way, we have found God, our Father, and He is with us. Emmanuel.


This is what I see today. Give us the Day.

set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Raise the warm heart, hear our prayer - we really want this.

Jesus goes to His home. This would be where we all have a place we understand as home. So many aspects of Jesus are 'immediately'. Jesus even teaches us the Theory of Relativity in John's Gospel Chapter 6. Immediately, the boat is on the other side. And we find out - home is not where all things solve quickly.

And in the Beautiful Day - many things did solve quickly. In fact, home is where the most amount of upset came to Jesus quickly. Many, many, many understood and Loved Jesus. Even on Good Friday we find Jesus has multitudes turning out for Him on Good Friday. And what did Jesus do with the Beauty and the harm and the tragedy and the hope?

And He kept on preaching

The Gospels say the starting point is the wilderness. Making a straight path keeps us in the Way, Truth and Life. Blessed are the Merciful they will obtain Mercy. Jesus had seen the last pages of the Book, He knew it was going to turn out just fine.

Abba, We are this in Your Son Jesus,

Ephesians 1:13

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

Father, The Old Testament is sad for the sons of Eli, Samuel and Hezekiah.

The New Covenant is Hope for the Brothers of Jesus. John 21, Acts 1, Acts 2 and

All the Word of God.

What we do the least of us, we do to Jesus Christ.

And this whole Post and all the prayer points to us, ourselves, individually.

Peter might be the Rock of the Church, and given the Keys to the Gates of Heaven,

but Father God tells us the 12 Gates of Heaven and the Giant Pearl, never close!

Thank You God for Your Love, Salvation and Mercy. Always.

Abba, Father God,

Help us to continually see Your Good.

Live assured daily of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus. 

Opening our doors with expectation of Your Continued Goodness in ourselves,
in the ones we Love,

Jesus Christ in the people You bring us.

Blessing our Nation, blessing us.

Ending our Divisions. Lord Jesus Christ.

Remembering the Love God brings us Home yesterday, today and tomorrow.

His Steadfast Love we bring in our lives.

Drawing His Love forth to enrich our lives.

May Father God bless us all in Jesus.

Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.

Covered in God's Love,

President Donald Trump, the First Lady and Their Family

Vice President Mike Pence, the Second Lady and Their Family.

The Presidential Team.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx

Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.

Senator Tim Scott,

The end of trouble surrounding this Virus.

For Elliott and Harby.

We believe Elliott is healed.

Father, the Truth, the Way and the Life for our Nation we pray.

We continue to pray for the Safety of All the Nations.

Thank You all the Willing Help You'd Give us with the end of Hurricanes, Wildfires, Riots,
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.

Please continue to bless us.

Amen in Jesus

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

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Matthew 5:37 ~ Simply

Matthew 5:37

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;

 anything more than this comes from evil.

We are all now familiar with the phrase, "Cancel Culture."

Tonight, I was listening to a Program saying one of the problems today is the fleeting values of Culture. The absurd way values change year to year. This was romantically assessed as growth. I don't think this is growth. I believe a great deal of this is pressure and overt and covert bullying.


In the year 2000, an acquaintance of mine, went to a jazzy dinner party where the discussion was hijacked to be a guest's moral and ethical values. When others disagreed, then there was expert, verbally annihilation. The Dinner Party wasn't complete with tears. The attacks continued. 100 years ago, this would have been a misogynist attacking women.

My acquaintance friend was shamed to silence.

There are several highly effective solutions to Adult Bullying.

Say no.  Doesn't even have to be loud. Repeat no, if necessary. End the spin.  And do what the Bible says.

Matthew 5:38-40
You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:38-40

“You have heard that it has been said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, do not fight with the man who wants to fight. Whoever hits you on the right cheek of the face, turn the other side also."

Dionne Warwick must have liked this Biblical Verse. The Dionne Warwick Version says, "Walk On By." Bye.

A rolling-past soap box collects no más. Go home. Go to the Restroom. Changing locations sometimes simply shifts the conversation. Say, "Dear, we are Leaving." Say, "Dessert Course, another location."

Never agree. To be Bullied.

 Never, never, never, never give up.

Never, never, never give up on Truth and Mercy

Why? The Basis of the French Revolution was Resentment.

The Truth is a well-spring of well-being.

Ten years of hate from social and political 'expectations' of equality led to the original haters being beheaded several times, bloodbaths and the Reign of Terror. Rolling hate. Haters grow hate with lies, intimidation and never ending senseless arguments.

Stand up for what is right.
Even with one simple word, no. No verbal accompanying shot has to be fired.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, 

and of love, 

and of a sound mind.

Skip the anger. Skip the drama. Do what is right. Feel good.

Culture -
The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

Attack Culture does not allow for difference of opinion. A rigid adherence to a code of conduct. Anything outside the idea box is labeled as fascism. Odd. There is no savor the flavor of ideas generating growth. Do not adhere within the box. Avoid being a clone.

Romans 12

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function

So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Abba,

Joy to read the Brothers of Jesus Christ. We find Your Words taught to us, Your Family.

Jude 1:2

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Joy to read John the Beloved Disciple living into the 2nd Century in endurance and Love.

John 20:21

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

We ask You to Dwell in us.

And in Your Love and Mercy to be displayed and a True Peace,

we pray to un-learn the art of not being seen.

Hebrews 12:14
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; 
without holiness no one will see the Lord.

We pray to be the Helper in ending The Great Cold, this Virus Covid.
To persevere, to encourage, to be merciful, to be Truth.
In Lovely circumstance, in distance circumstance, in times of unequal blessings
a real part of the ups and downs of life, and in great discomfort -
to find real Brotherhood

Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my dear son: 
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

James 2
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “ Here is a seat of honor, but say to the poor man, “You must stand or “Sit at my feet, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Pursuit what is Good.
Disregard what is unnecessary. Look to what is Good.

Jude 1:16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.


Be Genuine. Love what is Good.

2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes
He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! 

How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.

We will take the strength of God and find:

Father in Your Strength,
we will find More Heaven on earth and
see You first.

We will place those we love confidently in Jesus Christ.


Dwell in us, we ask in the Name of Jesus for Your Help.

Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and more Joyful.
Covered in God's Love,
President Donald Trump
Vice President Mike Pence
The Presidential Team
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx
and their families.
Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.
The end of divisions.

We pray with all the Pacific Northwest for
God's Blessings and for Louisiana and Mississippi.

We ask Your Path encourage us to find You.

Covered in the Love, Mercy and Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †

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