John 14 ~ Let not your hearts be troubled

The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

John 14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; [You believe in God] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [ In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you ] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” [Where I am going you know, and the way you know ] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. [If you have known me, you will know my Father also]. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, [Advocate, or Counselor] to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in me, I am preparing a place for you. You know. You know me and you know my Father. Because you believe in me, allow the Counselor, the Helper to dwell in you to do the works of our Father. Look for, allow and rejoice in the peace God gives us.

You are not alone, you are not orphaned, the world does not see me, but you know and believe. Keep the word of God, do His commandments, let goodness and mercy flow from you.

In John 14, Jesus isn't saying the world is a rough place, just accept it. No, the opposite. Jesus says how much He loves us and we should be prayerful. Jesus asks us to pray with expectant hearts and souls. John 14 tells us how much God can accomplish with expectant prayer. This is an amazing chapter filled with the power of God and the understanding of Scripture.

Thank you, Father God, for the works you have shown us in the Scriptures. Open our eyes to the possibilities you would give us. Help us to see and know Your word and work for each day. Let us be the goodness and mercy you would have us show. To the Glory of Your name, which You willing bestow on us, Your children. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15 ~ understand them because they are spiritually discerned

1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15


The person without the Spirit does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

3 But I, brothers,^{[brothers and sisters]} could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!



No one is called to joy all the time. We feel worried, even the disciples had fear during their time with Jesus. Paul recorded the end of his life for us to see. He was unhappy and worried. Fake joy is unbecoming. The Scriptures convict us if we are to grow. Sometimes that's uncomfortable.

Sarcasm is not the language of God.

If we feel that God would hold us in deep conviction - we should listen. God is so large we will be called to different aspects of God in different times in our lives.

This is an adventure. Sometimes the adventure is pure joy - but looking at each day for the sufficiency. Times will change. Value what you have today. Look at your life. Your children are young - drink in that innocence. Your children are pre-teens and awkward - rejoice in the first steps to adulthood. Your children are teens - memories are made. Don't forget - you don't own your kids. They aren't your friends - but don't let them forget they are your friends. We have to parent, but we want them to remember We Like Them. They are part of the team.

Your children are in college - Pray - for roots and wings. Pray. They are wobbling off on their training wheels.

Young adult kids - empty nest is easier. Enjoy your spouse. Have good house rules. Those firm lines with love are reliable. Time to grow into making your legacy for your children and grandchildren to be proud of the adult you have raised yourself to be. Seeing your children grow into the gifts God gives them to be. An adventure playing out.

God puts the Scriptures together so marvelously. One more reason to have awe of the Scriptures and not just allow the subtitles to soothe us.

Luke 17
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’

Jesus is saying doing your duty in life will not earn you applause. For the apostles want to throw over the trees. Jesus is saying, their ministry grew because they became willing to follow Jesus in Love. Jesus causes events and circumstance. The disciples attained the above statements of faith from doing the hard, unappreciated work. And yet, God would Never leave a servant unthanked. God would reach out to thank, to appreciate. We innately know this is Father God. Honoring humble service. God is saying the world won't applaud God's service.

How would we feel this? A self esteem that will uphold us enough to pray and to get back to His Work and His Path. Our Relationship to Him. Having confidence in Jesus to let Him be ours.

Expectation of God is important to Him.
He calls that faith.
If we do our duty, knowing He knows - and perhaps say - "Send me!"
We know - He is pleased.

Thank You, Father God, for creating Life and calling Your Creation good. Help us in good times to rejoice. In sad times to walk by faith.

You created each one of to have gifts to contribute to Your Glory. Today we choose to see ourselves as You see us, believing You Believe is us and Your Church.

Help us to love each other as You love us. Forgive us our sins and help us to forgive those who hurt us - as we hope for that forgiveness too. We pray for the up building of the Body of Christ in the Church. We pray for the Joy in the Holy Spirit to Carry Us Forth! And give You great thanks for the blessing of prayer received. And ask those who seek Your comforts are carried in that forever. In Jesus Christ. Amen.


Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

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Jonah 2 ~ the deep surrounded me

Jonah 2 ~ New International Version

 ¹From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.

³ You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.

⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’

⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me, ^{[waters were at my throat]}
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.

⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”

¹⁰ And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

So it is with faith. And a couple of quotes to back this up....

Mark 10:15
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

Matthew 17:20
Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

So. Did Jonah wind up in the fish or is this a great, useful analogy to being hip deep in alligator swamp when the objective was to drain the swamp. And we will use another great Jesus Biblical quote....

Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

The answer is always Jesus, but Jesus says not to get stumped.

Bringing up the serious level, now. I do believe that Jonah was in the fish. God was getting the job done. Jonah was trying to play his life's work, Ministry, in his own time, his own plan, and God decided Jonah was going to do what God wanted.

If you don't believe Jonah was in the fish, I do hope you believe Jonah existed, because the message of Jonah's life was to carry God's salvation to Assyria. And in bringing salvation to Assyria, we see Nebuchadnezzar did the work of God. The message of Jonah is both Great and Small. God helps those who need help. Today. Personally. God listens, God loves, God acts.

The Scriptures prove more and more each day in scientific, archeological, historical fact - that this Biblical stuff isn't stuff - it is fact. Serious fact.

The larger message of God is this, God does not exist in boundaries. God is not only for Jonah. God is not only for Israel. God is for Assyria and God is for Nebuchadnezzar. His ways are holiness. And unfortunately, much Higher than ours as we put one foot in front of the other, but still, Praise God, leading us to Him.

This is the nature of the Lord Most High. He is for everyone. He is worthy to be praised.

He isn't about Black-eyed Peas, don't step on a crack, wear a little bracelet with knots tied in it so many days, pray in this exact fashion, eat this diet, or wear your hair like this.

He does not ask you to sit up straight. He does not ask you to refrain from alcohol. He does not ask you not to dance. He does not ask you not to chew gum. He is not partial to one skin type or one color. He is not partial to one class over another. He does not say cleanliness is next to Him. He does not say that if you pay attention to Him at least once a week, He is pleased. He does not ask you to seek wealth. He is more fond of wisdom and kindness.

Father God seeks you. Father God does not expect you to save yourself. He doesn't just put you off until eternity, He is part of this life. He wants your love and trust. He is for you. He chose to create you. He is about love, wisdom, loyalty, forgiveness and eternity. He loves you. God is for you.

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

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Deuteronomy 13 ~ If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying

Deuteronomy 13

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere.

Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.

12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.

Joshua 24:15
"If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you,
then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.

But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

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Deuteronomy 8 ~ man lives by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord

Deuteronomy 8

The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,
testing you to know what was in your heart,
whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4

Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5

Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.6

So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.



“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12

lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15

who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water,
who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16

who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19

And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20

Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 2 Timothy 1:9


27 Times the Word Blessings is recorded in 3,000 pages of the Scriptures.
15 Times the Books of the Law and the Prophets record the Word Blessing.

About the same way that Jesus asked faith in the actions and attitudes of people He healed.

FAITH, WORDS, ACTIONS, And ATTITUDES 

John 4:48

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

Luke 4:31-36

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!”

Luke 5:4-6

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

Luke 5:12-14

When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
 
¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴ Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 17:26-27

Jesus said to him.  “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

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James 1:20 ~ the anger of man does not produce

James 1:20
The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.


Ever done youth ministry? The monkeys are Too Tame in the Video - but hey, it's an instructional idea.

We all get angry at God, it's just - it's not righteous.  And God isn't going to say - "Oh man, blew that situation. Look at Frank over there - what Was I Thinking."

God just doesn't have to be - Politically Correct. This is His Story and He knows the Days Written.

Consider a Very non-politically correct story of God. Actually two. Elijah had some interest in FIRE!!!

2 Kings 1:10
Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty."

Elisha had a similar Not PC moment.

2 Kings 2:23-
From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. "Get out of here, baldy!" they said. "Get out of here, baldy!" He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

(Mauled means an animal wound to a person or animal by scratching and tearing. How much damage occurs to 42 boys when two bears arrive. And do you claim mauled if you scrap yourself on a tree climbing? Remember with me, this is reported as fire and death to all the boys.)

Elijah stood up boldly for God in a very difficult time of life - God was cast aside for human sacrifice. Something He has always abhorred. Elijah means "My God is Yah(weh)."


Why didn't God honor Life above the actual human beings with hearts, two arms and two legs.

He was in the process of affirming life.

God sees events Very differently that we do.

Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

God, Genesis and the Psalms inform us, the fullness of the Earth - Belong to Him.
The people who died are not - LOST - to God.
They have Gone Home. His Kingdom - His Valley of Decision.
We All have an invitation to leave this planet.
Personally. Significantly. For Long Term. I Pray. Let me be taken like a Camellia. Whole.
Intact. With My Boots On.

God tells us in the First Chapter of His Story - HE finds what HE gives us in this life - Good. He continues to find Life - Good - because HE is affirming life and creates more.

Is God angry? God is Not known in all the aspects of His Story of His Nature - Given to Us - as a God of Anger. How can we judge God for HIS anger?

No doubt, our seven to eight decades indicate - No doubt but we are the people, And wisdom shall die with us.

God says Fear is the beginning of judgement. He also says Real Love casts out fear. And in this extrapolation, Elijah would not get far with all the monkeys jumping up and down Screaming Baal is good as the idol claimed infant sacrifice is needed for crops to come in and financial blessing.

We love to scream about this passage and have it screamed to us - but - who reasons this out?

Look in the Hospitals - Life and Death are daily events to God. Life is not created by mankind - we have no idea how to create life - we merely use what He gives us. Life is, after all, a voyage Home.

We have these endless and silly debates about Salvation. WHO is Saved. Salvation is a Work of God. He never in the 3,000 pages of the Scriptures, once, remotely, asks if we could please Help Him Judge Salvation.

Instead - God says work. God gives mankind the work to believe God.

Work. Work out our "own" Salvation with fear and trembling. Fear is the beginning of wisdom. Real Love Casts out Fear. Worth repeating.

Philippians 2
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now,
not only as in my presence but much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15
that you may be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16
holding fast to the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

So God allowed Elijah and Elisha to do something rude.

Jesus was confronted with a real and profound doubt - a rudeness if you will - to His Authority. John the Baptist is compared to Elijah by Jesus, after seeing Elijah in the transfiguration. (Witnessed by men - John trying not to overwhelm the listener.)

John sent a message to Jesus in his hour of death - asking Jesus - publicly- is He the correct person, as the Messiah.

God does not zap John the Baptist, yet He tells us of lack of faith takes us down. He is saying, in effect, if we can - "Let not our hearts be troubled" - to seize that.

Jesus does not set bears on the messengers. We don't have to say that twice. John the Baptist creates questioning in his own disciples instead of leadership. Proving once again, be it - TV evangelist, Christian Singer, Elijah, Elisha - any person - will let you down. But If we put our Hope in Jesus Christ - He will not disappoint us. We are not to expect a waiter or Santa or the Grim Judge. Only God is Good.

God said you can ridicule the name of Jesus and bother Him, but not to complain about the Holy Spirit. (Yes, of course, we are not supposed to take His name in vain.) The Holy Spirit brings God to us. Dwelling in us. God doesn't get fussy, but He wants us to understand how He strives for us and not to break the connection of us to Him. We seem to take God up on this, God is cussed, Jesus' name is blasphemed, yet rarely do you hear someone cuss the Holy Spirit.

We are assured, Jesus will not break a bruised reed. Jesus said if we "Let our hearts not be troubled,"  He creates a place for us in Heaven. Too far off you say - Heaven - what about:

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

A huge statement - that is under the category of - Unseen Faith. The eyes of faith have to see somethings unfold in thirty or more years.

The Scripture exists to explain the nature of God. There is always a need to dig down deep to find the reasoning.

Remembering Elijah did more than just one event.

~ Elijah knew who he was God’s representative
~ “Elijah called “the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead.” six times and was well known by this title - a rocky area - indicating a hard life - a journey to survive the area
~ Tishbe” means “to take captive” - Bringing God back into Israel.
~ Was direct and laid it on the line. He said there would be neither dew nor rain for years except by his word.
~ King Ahab's response - is not recorded. Scripture is silent. This demonstrates the promises and warnings of God’s Word always take precedence over man’s response or opinions.
~ God’s Word is true regardless of how people respond or react.
~ God sent Elijah to live with a widow in Zarephath and prevented starvation.
~ The widow's son died. Elijah stretched himself on the boy's body three times, and God restored the child's life.
~ Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the false god Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel.
~ Elijah called on the Lord, and God's fire fell from heaven, consuming the offering, the wood, the altar, the water, and even the dust around it.
~ Elijah over came fear and depression.
~ Elijah prayed, and rain fell on Israel.
~ An angel brought him food.
~ Elijah to anoint his successor, Elisha (God and his workmen feel the work goes on).
~ God sent chariots and horses of fire and took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, while Elisha stood watching.

The righteousness of God does not need mankind. We are blessed to be Heard. God does more than that, and allows prayer to move His Hands.

Thank you for creating us to be who You want us to be. Today we choose to see ourselves as You see us, to believe in our life in You as You believe in us and to love each other as You love us. Thank you for the resurrection power of Your presence - living in us as individuals and in your Church.

We receive everything You desire for us this day. And the days to come.
In Jesus. Amen.

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