Isaiah 7 ~ The Lord himself

 

House of David

John 19

35 The one who saw it has testified to this, 

and his testimony is true. 

He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 

36 Now these things happened 

so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

 

 

Isaiah 7

When the house of David was told, 

“Syria is in league with Ephraim,” 

The heart of Ahaz 
and the heart of his people 

shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

And the Lord said to Isaiah, 

“Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 

And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 

Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God:

“‘It shall not stand,
and it shall not come to pass.

For the head of Syria is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
And within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’”

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 

“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 

And He said, 

“Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. 

Behold
The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when He knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

In that day
The Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

In that day 
The Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

In that day 
A man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

In that day

Every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Today at Church, The Rector asked how many people feel they have an anxiety or worry? And almost everyone raised their hand. Every soul. 

The Strongest earthquakes in the last 20 years?

14 August 2021. Haiti. ...

28 September 2018. Indonesia. ...

12 November 2017. Iran. ...

19 September 2017. Mexico. ...

24 August 2016.

16 April 2016.

26 October 2015.

25 April 2015.

What is The Lord thinking? He is God of Love. God of encouragement. Comfort. Comforter. Help. Helper. 

 Psalm 97:2

 

Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Nahum 1:3

 His way is in whirlwind 

and storm, 

and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

God is Good, He just isn't a Tame Lion.

Why?

King Solomon's Throne with 12 Lions

House of David

1 Samuel 17:34 

David said to Saul, 

"Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. 

When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 

35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. 

When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 

36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; 

this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, 

because he has defied the armies of the living God.

 

37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion 

Nehemiah 9:5

5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said:

“Stand up 

and praise the LORD your God, 

Who is from everlasting to everlasting. ”

“Blessed be your glorious name, 

and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you

 of the gospel I preached to you, 

which you received 

and on which you have 

taken your stand.

1 Peter 5:1b

Share in the glory to be revealed

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in 

Job 11:15

Then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
you will stand firm
and without fear.

God tells us He is God of Encouragement.

Ephesians 2:18

For through Him 
we both have access 
to the Father by one Spirit.

Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

Mark 3

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked.

34 Then He looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, 

“Here are my mother and my brothers! 

35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Isaiah 5:26, 29-30

He will raise a signal for nations far away,
and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!

29 Their roaring is like a lion,
like young lions they roar;
they growl and seize their prey;
they carry it off, and none can rescue.
30 They will growl over it on that day,
like the growling of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
behold, darkness and distress;
and the light is darkened by its clouds.

1 Corinthians 15:1

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel 

I preached to you, 

which you received and on which you have taken 

your stand. 

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 

Stand firm, then, 

and do not let yourselves be burdened

 again by a yoke of slavery.

We have so many ways to pray and to relate to God, our Father. We can look with emotion, heart and lean into faith of mysticism to see David watched for the wind to blow and to do His Will upon the wind's direction. John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.  Or you could say, the wind was stirred by the movement of troops, and David was led by the Holy Spirit to act. 

You might say the hand of God created a volcano eruption, a tsunami and the Red Sea parted. Or you might believe Exodus 15, telling us the Breathe of His nostril, created the Red Sea parting. 

We could say the gates of hell shake us and we will stand in Jesus Christ.  What is important is to Love the Lord, Believe Him and act.  Even the small good we do, creates a faith God responds to with Great and Steadfast Love.  

In this time, to encourage one another in the Lord, creates a path and a shelter for the Holy Spirit to come and stay. No one loves drought, but we Love to see the Clouds and Winds do the bidding of our Father. 

 Psalm 97:2

 

Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; 

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Nahum 1:3

 His way is in whirlwind 

and storm, 

and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

We pray 

to rise

 to shine for Your Glory.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

Your Son.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You Lord Jesus 

Matthew 25:21 ~ Enter into the Joy of Your Master

I completely forgot about the Saturday Solar Eclipse.  Looking out the window, I am profoundly grateful for the resilient Texas trees and people. This October morning is a complete beauty of Nature. Neighbors outside and visiting in each other's houses.

Suddenly, not a cloud in the blue, blue sky (as in the photo.) 

And mid-morning, all the rooms without lights in them are suddenly as dark as a large thunderstorm. Our Porch light isn't visible when daylight arrives, is suddenly gleaming out welcome in the darkened day. 

Neighbors gather in their lawns, seeing no clouds, but the Sun appears as a gleaming round cloud. The unique gleam of a renewed green in the October landscape. Now even more vibrant as the light is gentle and merciful. Suddenly, every aspect of the horizon is beauty and goodness. Gleaming as if after a rain. Gentle light. Light you see in the Northern parts of America, England. Gentle and glowing. Heavenly Light told to us, in The Book of Revelation.

This is the most profound Eclipse I've ever witnessed. 

We happened to be on Padre Island for all the large blood moons of the last several years.  It's quite a surprise to see a Blood Moon over the Gulf of Mexico, ocean, with a Blood Moon over the moving, dark tidewaters. We were home for the recent Blue Moons and took some daylight photos of the night moon.

Eclipses and war in Israel will only remind us of one event:

And this remembrance will lead down a path, remembering many different verses of Scripture. One arrived in my heart:

Matthew 25:21

Enter into the Joy of Your Master

We always remember, "Well done, good and faithful servant." And I guess entering into the Joy of Your Master has some implications, fraught with the Great Storm on The Sea of Galilee, requiring Jesus to save the Disciples. 

And yet, if we think about Jesus going past the Ascension

Jesus goes Home

not just to see

our Father and Mary

to see His Joseph

Matthew 25:21

Enter into the Joy of Your Master

Jesus taught us,  "Give us this day."

When we think about the passing of someone we dearly Love, we rejoice hearing they found life Joy. And they recall all the Joy they have seen, heard, lived, given. Memories for the heart and soul.  Jesus does this in Chapter 14,15, 16 and 17. The longest explanations in the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 25:21

Enter into the Joy of Your Master

When Jesus wept with compassion for His People:

Mark 9:35-36

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages,

 teaching in their synagogues 

and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom 

and healing every disease 

and every affliction. 

When He saw the crowds,

He had compassion for them, 

because they were harassed and helpless, 

like sheep without a shepherd.

Many times, life offers us a time when we can't give the solution. And instead, Jesus looks to the heart, to find a concern, caring, compassion, empathy for one another. And gives us His Salvation. The Prayer Invitation is eternal and always available.

Why does Heaven offer 12 open Gates?  

Not because one gate could handle all the of the people. 

Probably, each Gate represents the 12 Tribes, the 12 Disciples

and the phases and opportunities of life - taken up or turned from. 

Matthew 25:21

Enter into the Joy of Your Master

We live during a profound Israel at war, horrible personal experiences for the Children of Israel.  What could possibly encourage The Lord?  The worldwide outcry for the Children of Israel not to have this suffering. The outrage of the horror. 

God sees a horrible war and then the outcry of His People wanting to help the Children of Israel. To offer comfort, to change the world from violence, horror and coldness. 

And in our helplessness, there is a gate, a time of a decision. We will recoil with coldness and resolve to be less caring.  We will go through with prayer and grow our souls to be more compassionate. The gate we pass through from indifference to empathy. A time when providing the actual solution isn't possible, but giving sincere love - is a journey and path. We draw close to God and His salvation in Jesus, to obtain the comfort to comfort one another, or we just pass the time. 

God alone provides The Acts of the Disciples. Renewal and Awakening of the Holy Spirit. God alone gives us Jesus Christ and His daily Salvation. We provide a shelter, where the Holy Spirit would want to dwell. What we hope for others to receive. The Holy Spirit is told to us as Comfort, Help, Helper. God would hope we would. 

 

Matthew 25:21

Enter into the Joy of Your Master

 

We pray 

to rise

 to shine for Your Glory.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

Your Son.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You Lord Jesus 

Psalm 103 ~ the Lord has compassion

  

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being,

Praise His Holy Name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins

and 

heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you 

with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed

 like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness

and 

justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate 

and gracious,

slow to anger, 

abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will He harbor His anger forever;

10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us 

according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great 

is His Love 

for those who fear Him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far 

has He removed our transgressions 

from us.

13 As a father has compassion 

on His children,

so the LORD has compassion 

on those who fear Him;

14 for He knows 

how we are formed,

He remembers 

that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD's love

 is 

with those who fear Him,

and His righteousness 

with their children's children -

18 with those who keep 

His covenant

and remember to obey His precepts.

19 The LORD has established His Throne 

in Heaven,

and His Kingdom

 rules over 

all.

20 Praise the LORD, 

you 

His angels,

you mighty ones 

who do His bidding,

who obey 

His Word.

21 Praise the LORD, 

all 

His Heavenly Hosts,

you 

His servants who do His Will.

22 Praise the LORD, 

all 

His Works

everywhere - in His Dominion.

Praise the LORD, 

O 

my soul.

~12 as far as the east is from the west, 

so far 

has He 

removed our transgressions 

from us.

 Mark 9

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 

And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 

And someone from the crowd answered him, 

“Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

And He answered them, 

“O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 

And they brought the boy to Him. And when the spirit saw Him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 

And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 

And Jesus said to him, 

“‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 

And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

 And when He had entered the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 

And He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Abba, Father,

We pray for Israel.

For the Children of Israel who are terribly afraid

in their homes of violence.

Cover us in the 

Highest Name of Jesus.

Our hearts cry,

Lord Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, as we pray

Dwell in us, Father, please.

Dwell in the ones we Love.

Bless us with Your Love,

Help us to Seek You First.

And 

we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

Heal the hurting, uplift the families. 

Send Your vast blessings. Father God, 

You are truly are as vast as the Universe itself 

and as gentle as a breeze. 

Speak the Word, Father God, and we know Your healing. 

We ask You for healing:

In the Nation,

Nations and Israel,

mankind,

families

and the weather

Economics.

All the things we pray for diligently!

We pray 

to rise

 to shine for Your Glory.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

Your Son.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You Lord Jesus