Esther 2:1-18 ~ Esther's banquet

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn painted, 1660

The Thanksgiving holiday is great time to celebrate the story of Esther. Esther is a woman who knew what was important in her life when thrown into lavish circumstance. Esther did not value her own safety over the safety of others or value a powerful position over doing right.

Unlike the book of Daniel, Esther doesn't have any circumstance promoting the power of God. Daniel has a dream, a prophesy, a firey furnace and hand writing on the wall. Similar to the New Testament, Mordecai and Esther rely upon prayer, acting as a child of God and doing unto others as they would have done to them. God acts in the Book of Esther as an unseen hand.

Psalm 77

19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.

Thanksgiving celebrates the abundance of God’s provisions. Esther was chose by God, and had this celebration because she really was a fabulous soul, dedicated to the words of Jesus:

Matthew 22:
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.

Esther 2:1-18 (New Revised Standard Version)

After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. And let the king appoint commissioners in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the citadel of Susa under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; let their cosmetic treatments be given them. And let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.

Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the girl was fair and beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. The girl pleased him and won his favor, and he quickly provided her with her cosmetic treatments and her portion of food, and with seven chosen maids from the king's palace, and advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem. Esther did not reveal her people or kindred, for Mordecai had charged her not to tell. Every day Mordecai would walk around in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

The turn came for each girl to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their cosmetic treatment, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics for women. When the girl went in to the king she was given whatever she asked for to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. In the evening she went in; then in the morning she came back to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

When the turn came for Esther, daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was admired by all who saw her. When Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she won his favor and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great banquet to all his officials and ministers - "Esther's banquet." He also granted a holiday to the provinces, and gave gifts with royal liberality.

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Nehemiah 11 ~ applauded those who voluntarily offered

When Jesus saw Jerusalem he proclaimed his love for the city. In Revelations, Jerusalem – reformed- is part of heaven. God, His Word and his people all have the understanding Jerusalem is a special place and holds an important place in God’s heart.

Luke 13:34
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Nehemiah 11, the people are happy when someone volunteers themselves to live in the city destroyed due to the destruction of Israel and return from Babylon. At this point in Israel, it is better to live independently from Jerusalem.

This reminds me about a movie of a Thanksgiving family reunion that was too full of Hollywood liberalism for me to watch. Until the preview scene: the brother locks all the car doors to verbally abuse his grown siblings and they are desperate to jump out fast. It’s just a repeat of childhood. Both sides of our family have this episode of past remembered anger and hilarious remembrance. Watching this family filled with dysfunctional scenes created by human flaws and failed communication; we could all recognize a scene or two from our own lives.

By the end of their Thanksgiving, these adult chicks were ready to abandon “Jerusalem” and flee back to their independent lives. Until the dad sinks down to lament that everyone is so happy to leave. This strikes a cord and everyone listens. He remembers small moments in their childhood and circumstance that were silly, but everyone remembers the joy of the moment. A complete family filled with joy for the big future. Their reunion is rekindled; the love will be carried back into their lives.

In the last four decades we have all heard discussion on the decline of the family. When our last senior pastor was moving to his new ministry, he accurately told our church family we are a family and have this joy and pain in our community of human frailty. We read in church, today, church attendance in our city is down 10% in 10 years. This census records that only 20% of children could recognize a photo of Jesus. I have heard 3 different families say they were church going and believers, but it became easier not to dress and hustle the kids to church. All 3 families had their kids ask them, “What was that man doing on the letter ' t ‘?”.

At Thanksgiving, we will feed our family for the day. Let's remember to give God the blessing of blessing our children by giving them His love.

Psalm 87

1 He has set his foundation on the holy mountain;
2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God:
Selah

4 "I will record Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—
and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.' "

5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
"This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her."

6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:
"This one was born in Zion."
Selah

7 As they make music they will sing,
"All my fountains are in you."

Nehemiah 11 (The Message)

1-2 The leaders of the people were already living in Jerusalem, so the rest of the people drew lots to get one out of ten to move to Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in their towns. The people applauded those who voluntarily offered to live in Jerusalem.
3-4 These are the leaders in the province who resided in Jerusalem (some Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple staff, and descendants of Solomon's slaves lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in various towns; others from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem):

4-6 From the family of Judah:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the family line of Perez; Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem numbered 468 valiant men.

7-9 From the family of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai: 928 men. Joel son of Zicri was their chief and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

10-14 From the priests:

Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor of The Temple of God, along with their associates responsible for work in The Temple: 822 men. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and his associates who were heads of families: 242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and his associates, all valiant men: 128 men. Their commander was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

15-18 From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the outside work of The Temple of God; Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

19 From the security guards:

Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who kept watch over the gates: 172 men.

20 The rest of the Israelites, priests, and Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each on his own family property.

21 The Temple staff lived on the hill Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were responsible for them.

22-23 The chief officer over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, singers who led worship in The Temple of God. The singers got their orders from the king, who drew up their daily schedule.

24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, represented the people's concerns at the royal court.

25-30 Some of the Judeans lived in the villages near their farms:
Kiriath Arba (Hebron) and suburbs
Dibon and suburbs
Jekabzeel and suburbs
Jeshua
Moladah
Beth Pelet
Hazar Shual
Beersheba and suburbs
Ziklag
Meconah and suburbs
En Rimmon
Zorah
Jarmuth
Zanoah
Adullam and their towns
Lachish and its fields
Azekah and suburbs.
They were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31-36 The Benjaminites from Geba lived in:
Micmash
Aijah
Bethel and its suburbs
Anathoth
Nob and Ananiah
Hazor
Ramah and Gittaim
Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat
Lod and Ono and the Valley of the Craftsmen. Also some of the Levitical groups of Judah were assigned to Benjamin.

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Psalm 33 ~ He is our help and our shield

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says Psalms are important summary of the Old Testament while bringing the promise of the New Testament. He says Psalms reach all people and help them communicate directly with God. All the Books of the bible do this, but Psalms tend to put it all in one place. In a warm and tender moment, Matthew Henry says about Psalms, “It is good to be here.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

I don’t intend to dwell on the loss of our daughter as we read together Scripture for Today. I had a few questions asked of me about losing a child and faith. I believe when we experience loss, it allows us to learn better how to comfort one another. I believe with all of my soul that Isabelle lives and she serves & served God’s purpose for her life. A friend told me - I take great comfort from it- although God knew Isabelle’s days would be very short in God’s book of life, He chose to create her and loves her immensely. I grieve, the grief recovery sites say it can be for up to 2 years, but I do not grieve as one without hope of God’s goodness.

Is God good?

But in this thought provoking season, I have learned deeply I am one who is saved by grace not by being nice enough, clean enough or by works. As I have cried unfair and not good to the Lord, I have read Job and realized what used to be a theory (hardship, grief, fairness in God's actions), is very uncomfortable to experience. In Psalm 139, (the baby Psalm) the Lord acknowledges there is no where to go where He is not with us. And I will confess, as I read Job and felt his cry and the Lord’s answer that would we judge Him for goodness, I really wanted to crawl under the sofa and not have my thoughts seen.

A very wise Minister once told me years ago in times of stress or emotional pain, it is good not to make life changing decisions. After Isabelle’s death, I did not want to abandon my faith, but clung to it. In my emotions, I did not always feel that God is good all of the time, but I believed it.

God is good. All the time.

It is a great and wonderful thing we have a God who grieves with us when we grieve. God wept over Lazarus.

Because I know God, my family, including Isabelle, and my friends do not want us to suffer over Isabelle, I am able to put the sadness down mostly and be thankful for what is good in life. It IS good to have a daughter when last year she did not exist, she is a treasure in heaven to look forward to. It is good to know with time it won’t hurt so much. It is good to know my life is still part of God’s plan. It is good to acknowledge Americans do poorly with people who grieve, the people who avoid me for my sadness will again be part of my life and the love in friendship will continue. The tender mercies of God are renewed each day. It is good to be here.

Psalm 33

1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.



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Psalm 1 ~ like a tree

Christian Church - same Management for 2,000+ years

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man [1]
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law [2] of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes
[1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see preface
[2] 1:2 Or instruction

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2 Kings 20:1-11 ~ Thus says the Lord, I have heard your prayer

The Power of Prayer Video - Listen

2 Kings 20:1-11

1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.” 7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”

8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

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Revelation 4 ~ day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty"

Speaking for myself, the photo above makes me feel uncomfortable. It isn’t the still small voice that Elijah heard.

1 Kings 19: 11
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake:

12 and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Even in the passage of Elijah’s talk with God, God was letting Elijah know that He is almighty. Listen to God telling us through Isaiah 55:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Recently, our community went through Hurricane Ike. The uncertainty of basic necessities like…food. The memory of Hurricane Katrina as the officials told us not to get on the highways and flee. Our area is still cleaning up and repairing as news report financial worries all over. In our house, we had just learned that our soon-to-be-born daughter wouldn’t live. We couldn’t get in the car, anyway, the baby was trying to come early.

Ezekiel: 29 Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

And yes, the vision of God’s throne is unfamiliar. God is different than we are. I haven’t created any universe. And yet, God, tells me He loves me and knows me. He lets me know that love in His word and in that quiet voice. God’s love is so high, that one day I will see God’s throne.

Romans 8: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Revelation 4 (Revised Standard Version)

[1]
After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this."

[2] At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne!
[3] And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
[4] Round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.
[5] From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder, and before the throne burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God;
[6] and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:

[7] the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.
[8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!"
[9] And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,
[10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
[11] "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for thou didst create all things,
and by thy will they existed and were created."

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Psalm 100 ~ we are His people, make a joyful noise

I am the vine, you are the branches - John 15:5

Father God loves us & as we read the bible, it is God Almighty, creator of all things, speaking to us into our souls in our current situations.

James Earl Jones beautifully reads Psalm 100 set to music - Listen

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

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Psalm 101 ~ when will you come to me?

Matthew Henry's Commentary says Psalm 101 was written by King David as his kingship began. This is a good Psalm for our country. David asked God to be with him and wrote,"Oh when will you come to me?"

Census says: the majority of Americans believe in God and pray. We can trust God in all circumstances. When economic conditions are shaky, we can have hope. When life creates uncertainty and pain, we can have faith in God. We can remember in love, God gave us this country as our heritage, we remember His goodness and faithfulness to us.

As our new President takes office, it is a good time to pray for God to help govern us and bless us with His continued love spread out over the generations. We will pray for Israel, that our country will continue to show favor to God's first chosen people.

Psalm 101

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not endure.

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.

8 Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.

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Psalm 91 ~ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty

Psalm 91

Max McLean Audio Bible, English Standard Version

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”



Philippians 2:9-10
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.God is Love - 1 John 4:8

Father Almighty, Abba, I Am, Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, God hath made that same Jesus… both Lord & Christ, Lamb of God, servant of God, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Bright & Morning Star, Word of Life, Jesus Christ The Righteous, Dayspring, Son of God, Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, Messiah, Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Savior Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Light of the World. The true light, which enlightens everyone. I am the true vine and my Father is the Gardener. I am the door.

I am Alpha & Omega the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come. The Almighty

Listen – "Blessed Be Your Name" by Beth and Matt Redman.
Blessed be your name
in the land that is plentiful,
Where your streams
of abundance flow,
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name
when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say ...

Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.

Blessed be your name when
the sun's shining down on me,
When the world's
"all as it should be,"
blessed be your name.
Blessed be your name on the
road marked with suffering.
Though there's pain in the offering,
blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in,
Lord, still I will say . . .

Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
blessed be your glorious name.
(repeat)

You give and take away. (Job 1:21)
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be your name.
You give and take away.
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be your name.

Blessed be THE NAME OF THE LORD,
blessed be YOUR NAME
Blessed be THE NAME OF THE LORD,
blessed be YOUR GLORIOUS NAME.

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Other Scripture for Today Blogspot posts on Psalm 91

Psalm 91 ~ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge —

Shelter, refuge, expectant prayer, letting God's will be done , Christianity, Bible, Scripture, Jesus is Lord, Messiah, Anglican, Prayer, Faith, Hope, Love, Miracles, God for us, day of blessing, day of adversity, praise, dwelling in Him

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Ezra 1 ~ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me

Why doesn’t Judah’s return from exile and the rebuilding of the second temple get recognition? It’s just too unlikely that a nation of slaves returned to their land with the king’s help. The king gave back the pillaged temple goods. A nation of slaves build a world-known temple for their own worship and to God’s glory. And the king understood he was privileged to be able to accomplish this for the Lord. But that is exactly what happened.


Ezra 1

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. 7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

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Psalm 126 ~ The Lord has done great things for us

Prayer increases our ability to realize God promises us He loves us. My friend and I were talking today about heaven. To read Isaiah 65, is to have a glimpse of heaven. Jesus promised the forgiven man on the cross with Him, that heaven is paradise.

Psalm 126 - Listen

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.


Matthew 11:28-29
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

1 John: 5:4
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

When I call on Jesus, All Things are Possible - Listen

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Matthew 24:29-35 ~ his angels

The picture is from the movie ‘Ben Hur’, Zechariah 6 says:

"What are these, my lord?"
5 The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south."

7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth.

The photo today probably shouldn’t be the chariots of Ben Hur, but should be the Son of Man. Nothing is more important than to know the love of God. In all probability, we will not see the second coming of Jesus Christ; we do not see the signs in the sky. The Lord’s words will not pass away, but we will.

Today's photo shows the urgency of the angels and horses straining to do God’s will. We want to be gathered by the Lord. If He gives you an opportunity, use it for His glory and remember the urgency the angels of the Lord use after being in His Presence.

Matthew 24:29-35 (Today’s New International Version)


29 "Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

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1 Corinthians 9 ~ I am not writing these things to secure any such provision

Icon of Cephas / Peter and his wife.

1 Corinthians 9 - Listen

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

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Romans 10:1-15 ~ heart

Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

Romans 10:1-15 (The Message)

1-3 Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time. I readily admit that the Israelites are impressively energetic regarding God—but they are doing everything exactly as they think -- their own righteousness, without looking for the Spirit of God. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it.

4-10 The old testament was intended to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?

The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.

It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is the Son of God & I will trust him for my life"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"

11-13 Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."

14-17 But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?

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Luke 12:13-15, 22-32 ~ He said to him

Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1916


Luke 12:13-15, 22-32

At that time, while Jesus was teaching one of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

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2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ~ Father of compassion and the God of all comfort

When I call on Jesus - Nicole Mullen - Listen

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 2:27-29
27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him

Ecclesiastes 11:10
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Psalm 86:7
In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Luke 24:37-39
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

John 12:27
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

John 14:1
[ Jesus Comforts His Disciples ] "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Acts 7:10
and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

Acts 16:18
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

Romans 8:35-38
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Save the Date ~ HopePointe Anglican Church has a new location / church!

HopePointe Anglican Church
Invites
You
to
Save the Date
&
Join Us
As We Celebrate God's Goodness!

Sunday, December 21st

Our New Church Home: 3333 South Panther Creek

Corner of Woodlands Parkway and South Panther Creek

Hope Pointe Church is part of AMiA-
Anglican Mission in America

We believe God gave us his son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, we are redeemed, loved, forgiven, saved, healed and will live with Him in glory.

We believe the Holy Spirit gave us the Scriptures to learn, worship and love our Heavenly Father.

For 2,000 years, Jesus Christ’s church has worshipped Him with song, praise, liturgy and the reading of His word. In our worship, we combine this tradition and use contemporary worship as well.

We welcome newcomers with coffee from Rwanda. AMiA is part of a global church. We celebrate His Love & gospel going over all of His creation.


HopePointe Anglican Church

HopePointe Anglican Church
3333 Panther Creek
The Woodlands, Texas 77381
(281) 362-1144
Rev. Clark Lowenfield



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Acts 19:1-20 ~ Holy Spirit

I Know My Redeemer Lives, by Nicole Mullen - Listen

Acts 19:1-20 (New American Standard Version)

1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men.


8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.


11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.


Paraphrasing Matthew Henry – Acts 19

19:1-7 “Paul found religious people, who believed Jesus as the Messiah. They had not been led to expect the miraculous powers of the Holy Ghost, nor were they informed that the gospel was especially the ministration of the Spirit. But they were ready to welcome to receive the Holy Spirit. Paul said John never intended that those he baptized should rest permanently in the baptism - John offered through God – of repentance, but told them that they should believe in Jesus as Christ. To confess with their lips and believe in their heart that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice saved them. They thankfully accepted the discovery, and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Ghost came upon them in a surprising, overpowering manner; they spoke with tongues, and prophesied, as the apostles and the first Gentile coverts did. All who profess to be disciples of Christ should welcome the seal of the Holy Ghost, the sanctifying influences, to the sincerity of their faith.”

God’s Holy Spirit is alive and well. I have seen in my life the miraculous healing of my mother’s thyroid tumor, the healing of a friend’s leukemia like blood count, our pastor’s two rotator cuffs in his arms & the healing of a woman in church’s blood vessels to her eyes and cataracts. Our dog was poisoned, prayed for and healed.

Our pastor saw a 2 year old boy’s leg grow to become normal; the healing was with 200 people in a Catholic congregation as the boy was carried down the aisle and prayed for. Seeing the power of God, in this powerful prayer meeting, convinced our pastor of God's call to become an ordained minister.

We all know the Holy Spirit is alive and well when we are prompted in acts of unselfish kindness helping and praying for each other. All good in our lives is a gift from God.

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Psalm 116 ~ because He inclined His ear to me

Holy, Holy, Holy - Michael W. Smith - Listen

Psalm 116 (Revised Standard Version)

[1] I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.

[2] Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

[3] The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.

[4] Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, I beseech thee, save my life!"

[5] Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.

[6] The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.

[7] Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

[8] For thou hast delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
[9] I walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.

[10] I kept my faith, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";
[11] I said in my consternation,
"Men are all a vain hope."

[12] What shall I render to the LORD
for all his bounty to me?

[13] I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
[14] I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

[15] Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.

[16] O LORD, I am thy servant;
I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid.
Thou hast loosed my bonds.

[17] I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.

[18] I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
[19] in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!

John 17:20
[ Jesus Prays for All Believers ] "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

Exodus 9:29
Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's.

2 Samuel 7:18
[ David's Prayer ] Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

2 Samuel 7:27
"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.

1 Kings 8:22
[ Solomon's Prayer of Dedication ] Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven.

28. Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

38. and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-

45. then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

49. then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

54. When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.

1 Kings 9:3
The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

2 Chronicles 32:20
King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.

Psalm 17:1
[ A prayer of David. ] Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.

Psalm 39:12
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.

Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Isaiah 26:16
LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.

Isaiah 56:7
these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Jeremiah 10:23
[ Jeremiah's Prayer ] I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Daniel 9:1
[ Daniel's Prayer ] In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom-
3. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
17. "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.

21. while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

Matthew 6:5
[ Prayer ] "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

1 Timothy 2:8
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Acts 6:4
and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

Acts 10:31
and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.

Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

James 5:13-16
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Acts 16:13
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

1 Timothy 2:1
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—

2 Corinthians 9:14
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

Ephesians 1:15-16
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Philippians 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Philippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Philippians 1:19
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossians 1:3
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 3:1
Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

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1 John 4:7-12 ~ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God

This is Isabelle's tree given to us in love and kindness.

1 John 4:7-12

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

A lasting gift.
On Tuesday, September 23rd: We began a journey that would begin and end Isabelle’s life. Doctors had already told us that Isabelle had chromosome disorders and Isabelle’s life could be filled with pain. Isabelle received so much love in so many prayers. The love shown to our family gives us the remembrance to the end of the last day on this earth, the love that God gives to us. It is a sample of heaven. Isabelle was part of the church family in a strong way. Isabelle and us were blessed to have many people come over to pray and visit for hours. Many Christians called to say that more Christians were concerned and many prayers were offered.

On that day - busy, fear filled, fast-paced, unannounced day, this great congregation, this loving church family showed up, stayed, wept and provided their youngest Christian with baptism. As Isabelle was being born, her church family gave Jesus Christ to her. It was a time of tears, Isabelle would not fill the lives of her family with her life and their love. It was a time of mercy, Isabelle was born with a beautiful face and was blessedly asleep in the Lord. The youngest Christian of the church family was going to the Lord with a look of love, baby joy and contentment all over her face. Her parents will remember that peace for a lifetime. They will wait for patience for the day the Lord brings them home and know one of the first voices calling to them on that day will be Isabelle reunited with her family. It will be a great day to walk with Lord in love and a great family reunion.


Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.


Matthew 6:25
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

Our church family fed us more than we could eat, Dilly was coordinating with the wonderful church family and our good neighbors had our refrigerators overflowing.
Michele and Larry, part of our Friday group, brought a thanksgiving of food that we were truly blessed. My 11 sisters in our prayer and service organization wanted to bring meals for many weeks; we were really grateful, but were trying to keep to a more normal schedule. Neighbors - Renee, SueJen, Suzanne sent meals. The church family sent meals, we had more food than we knew what to do with.

Our family travelled from all over the state of Texas and as far as California to be with us. All of our siblings and both mothers came. They stayed and provided immeasurable comfort.

Acts 15:9
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Our pastor gave a beautiful homily and made the point that whether Isabelle was an infant, a king, or queen God sees us equally loved and important to him.

We were most fortunate to have a wonderful deacon, Lisa, and her family to give the reception after the funeral. My 11 sisters and wonderful women from the church provided the food.

We are blessed to live in an area with so many kind people. My good friend Renee and our neighbors asked me what type of tree we wanted to be given by the neighborhood to remember Isabelle. I asked for white Crepe Myrtle for the christening gown she was cremated in.

Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

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