Luke 4 ~ With authority and power He gives orders

Luke 4

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' [Deut. 8:3 ]"

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. [Deut. 6:13]""

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' [Psalm 91:11,12]"

12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' [Deut. 6:16]"

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [Isaiah 61:1,2]"

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

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

23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy [The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin—not necessarily leprosy.]" in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

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

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

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

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

36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

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

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

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

In the 4th chapter of Luke, Luke is still introducing us to Jesus. Something unusual the  Gospels bring us - this introduction is continuing. Let's see how the Chapter starts out, the description of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Not your typical method of evangelism. I once had an evangelist come to my door and start out his prepared speech with Hell. I cannot tell you how fast I exited. In evangelism, it is a method that should be stamped with the word - Fail. However, not for Jesus.

Let's take a second and think about evangelism. 
The lost and the wondering, the injured and the spiritually impoverished are not going to Church. They are still unreached. And... thinking about the lessons I learned from a very gentle, successful Priest bringing the message of Jesus' love and hope - God gives us opportunities to introduce Jesus.

We are given teachable moments - not to expand to the point we are shut down. In Youth Ministry this is also called "Earning the right to be heard."

Why would the Gospels of Jesus Christ tell us about the devil... it's obvious mankind understood 2,000 years ago and today - there is a force of evil at work in the world. People still really do believe it - this why there are horror movies. Just as there are horror movies - - there are people who discuss them. They want to discuss them to have a venue to talk about their own spiritual issues.

What types of spiritual questions will be asked? The ones God wanted to tell us about. The ones people will ask you about if you are familiar with the Scriptures. The ones that plant a seed to be thought about - the conversations you are gentle with and you pray during and after.

What Luke 4 Teaches Us

There is a devil, he tempts everyone. There are evil spirits and they can be found in very unlikely places. The darkness pretends to not be subject to God and pretends not to recognize God.

Notice, also, Luke doesn't get busy explaining where the devil came from. The Christian witness moves away from minute discussions of evil. The Scriptures let Judas out of the discussion quickly. If they are interested in the details of the devil biblically, tell them, gently and kindly to look them up in the Scriptures.

God set the boundaries, the devil tells Jesus his boundaries have been given to him. Really doubt what evil will promise. The temptations are sometimes not effective at all, evil is not always the sinister genius we tend to think of. Darkness sometimes tries to expose good to add confusion.

Another common misconception about the Scriptures is that in the "dark ages" everyone believed evil spirits caused illness. Jesus didn't believe Peter's (Simon) mother had a demon with fever. Jesus rebuked the illness - i.e. the cells.

Another mistake is people believe the devil is the power today because miracles have died off. No, Jesus is telling us even biblically, miracles occur when God intends them. Today we have miracles! A King of King triumphs every time.

Yes, you may have the opportunity to bring Jesus up in this fashion, but remember what Luke progresses on to:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

The compassion of Jesus is the real message. Just as Jesus did, this is what we proclaim. Very, very few people are against the real hope, the real love Jesus proclaimed, yet there are a lot of people who don't know of Him.

Father God, You are Love. The Scriptures tell us so. We give Your thanks for Your love & the opportunity to give Jesus to others. In the highest name You've given us.Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 5:27-37 ~ Perform to the Lord what you have sworn

Jesus Teaches from a Ship, painted by James Tissot

Matthew 5:27-37

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.


31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.





Matthew was a tax collector/thug who wanted to write to the Jews to explain Jesus as the Messiah, bringing in his friends to the grace Jesus brought to his own life. Mark is John Mark determined to be too much of a light-weight follower of Jesus to be allowed to go with Paul and his missionary worker, Barnabas. Barnabas, John Mark's cousin, believed in John Mark (Colossians 4:10), or Mark, would deepen in his faith to become reliable. Mark's Gospel is to reach out to the gentiles explaining to them of Jesus' faith, His Jewishness.

Luke (Colossians 4:14, Phil 1:24) is the wonderful physician called to be a worker of Jesus Christ with Paul. It is wonderful to imagine the joy Luke would have seen the miraculous healings taking place in the name of Jesus. Luke brought an accurate, thorough, historical documentation to his Savior's life.

John, the beloved disciple, was constantly astonished at the glory of God and wrote of his experiences in awe at the Love and power of God. John had given his word to Jesus not to tell of the transfiguration, and never did write of the experience, yet even his first chapter of his Gospel declares the glory of God.

Not John, Luke, Mark or Matthew would be a fan of cheap grace - living the way we want to and depending on the mercy of God at convenient intervals. The men who knew Jesus and those who encountered the Holy Spirit in the early Church really believed the reaction to God's grace is deliberate and changed behavior. We witness in the Scriptures that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, but all did extend themselves to please God.

The Scriptures, being real, give a very real discussion of the disciples learning how seriously their Savior, Jesus Christ, took sin.

Matthew 19:10
The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

As a child I wondered why oaths were so important to be discussed.

2 Chronicles 36
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

End of Zedekiah - he had encountered a living God. No one told him he was part of the Scriptures. Life isn't permanent and God is drawing us to Him.

Jesus wants us to act as the Lights of the world. He expects our yes to remain yes and our no to remain no. The Savior of the World, our Hero, said He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law. Jesus adopts us and in His name covers us in His Righteousness.

1 John 4:16
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

We would never ask Jesus to be our waiter. And to ask Him to deliberately clean up our messes.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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John 17:11-24 ~ my joy

 

John 17:11-24

I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.


This is one of the truly wonderful prayers in the Bible.
Just as Jesus was loved by Father God - then and still today.
This prayer is for us - His beloved children today.

Josephus the Historian writes in Antiquities 18: Chapter 3
"And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." Josephus is recording the unity of the Christians. Truly a Work of God in these circumstance.

I prayed this prayer with the Lord's Prayer this morning and found, joy. Jesus has Joy within Him. Giving us the comfort of His sanctification, His truth as we believe in Jesus.

Hebrews 7
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever.’”

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever,
he has a permanent priesthood. 25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them.

26 Such a high priest truly meets our need
—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.


Father God, The mystery of Your holiness is great. Jesus descended - our very God - came to live this life with truth and grace. And Jesus ascended higher than all the heavens. Jesus fills the whole universe. Ephesians 4 tells us.

Father God, You are that gentle and this vast - You fill the whole universe.

All fall short of the Glory of God. Jesus had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.   In Grace upon Grace, Jesus was fully human in every way, in order that Jesus might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that Jesus might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus.
Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

God of Love help our faith reveal hearts of Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. We will guard the people entrusted to us. We call their names out to You. And in You all Your merciful Word will be filled to Your Joy.

To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Matthew 9:27-34 ~ Have mercy on us

Matthew 9:27-34

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

 In Jesus. Amen.

When Moses was to see God, a great and auspicious occasion, Moses was covered. 

Exodus 33
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 

19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Both Scripture passages reflect this is a process to see God. Beginning with the earnestness of seeking God. And Father God is present.

Exodus 34
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord,

Jesus!

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,a forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

Luke 1 finds through the Millenniums the Worship of Father God continues and in the New Covenant God redirects His mercies as He gives us Jesus for our Salvation.

Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

The Gospel of John says in the First Chapter:

John 1:45
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Father God, just as Moses wrote us of Your Living Word - Jesus - We pray for those in need - crying to You, Lord Father God Almighty - as Moses did and was heard - “Please show me your glory.”

Father, You are working today - our Church Family celebrated the one year old baptism of a child told from medical tests to be missing organs and in severe ill health. That child was given Healing by Jesus the Lord and is whole and well today. A beautiful daughter.

This year, Father God at PACN we have prayed with local Churches for an unborn baby named Hope with a brain tumor and malformed brain. The mother and child were transferred for delivery to a major Houston downtown Hospital. The birth process was to include whisking the child upon birth to the next hospital over for Intensive Care and potential brain surgery. The baby named Hope, so prayed for by so many with faith - went home instead and her mother reports her to be completely well.

Father God we pray for unborn baby Jackson. Born in good fortune into a family of abiding believers. We ask for Your Living Word to go forth and heal baby Jackson - unborn at 20 weeks - to heal his unformed eye and cleft lip and the disturbances of his face. We pray for his soul in the womb to be strengthened and encouraged and have this comfort. Lifting up his young parents in their first time of need like this. In Jesus, we look to expectation in You Lord Father God. Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Psalm 135 ~ The Lord is great and our Lord is above all gods

Psalm 135

 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O servants of the LORD,
2 You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God!

3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.

4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own possession.

5 For I know that the LORD is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightnings for the rain,
Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.

9 He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations
And slew mighty kings,

11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O LORD, is everlasting,
Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.

14 For the LORD will judge His people
And will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are but silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD;
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD;
You who revere the LORD, bless the LORD.
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

~ For I know that the LORD is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.

Exodus 33:19
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 34:6,7
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Psalm 16:2
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works -

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Psalm 145:9
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 8

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Romans 8:20,21
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Luke 2:12-14

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

… Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21

…His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Might God,

…The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6

… God hath made that same Jesus… both Lord & Christ Acts 2:36

…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! John 1:29

…they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, the song of The Lamb Revelation 15:3

…Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revelation 5:5

..and the Bright & Morning Star Revelation 22:16

..and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life 1 John 1:1

…we have and advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ The Righteous 1 John 2:1

…whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us. Luke 1:78

…Before Abraham, I Am. John 8:58

…And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1: 34

…are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

…We have found the Messiah which, is being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41

…I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

…through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 2: 20

..a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16

…I am the Light of the World. John 8:12

…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world… John 1:9

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

The Almighty Revelation 1:8

Luke 2:10

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 8:19-21 ~ My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice

Luke 8:19-21

 
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Jesus seemed to push His own family back.
But God is God and His ways are not our Ways.

God took what looked dark and problematic and God made a path.

The Good News is that God sees us fully. And the response of God who created us and knew us before our days came to be, God Loves us and desires to give us a Hope and a Future.

In telling us what God wants of us - God has increased His Family to those who call and believe on His Son.

Jesus is the Way. His ways are not ours - God multiplied His Family like the fish and the loaves. The miracle continues - the Family of God grows today. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Father God, You are in charge of us when we declare for You. We trust in You. In the covering by the Highest Name of Jesus as Lord. Cover the ones we love in Your Name as well we ask. Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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Luke 14:25-35 ~ does not hate

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 

31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus meek and mild. Jesus is Prince of Peace.

Salt?

Genesis 49:9
You are a lion's cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him?

Revelation 5:5 n
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Jesus is King of Kings. He is not fighting for the easy peace. Jesus is here for the Eternal Kingdom of Peace.  Faith, Hope and the greatest is - Love.

Think upon all that Mary and Joseph did for Jesus.
And Jesus sometimes, other than the Wedding in Canna, visiting His Mother, could be on the harsh side. Why?

Luke 14:22
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

We worship God. We seek Him first.

We seek Him first. Jesus is the God who forgave us all.

The pathway to forgiveness makes - because of Jesus - all things possible. In this, we want to go forward in Jesus:


John 15
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prune so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."


Father God, with Your Son Jesus, we will abide in You. Be for our loved ones and for us. Protection, Savior, Wisdom, Guidance, Mercy, Love, Joy, Peace. Our King of Kings. With total gratitude for Jesus - You are a God of Love, Amen.

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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2 Thessalonians 3 ~ Brothers, pray for us

2 Thessalonians 3

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 

12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Benediction

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Work is important to Father God, however the Scriptures never say cleanliness is next to Godliness. In spite of the cleanliness of Kosher. What God says is the work of mankind is to believe God.

When we believe God, we realize we have a ministry to those around us that supersedes our rights to comfort. When the Gospel says give two coats - cities were at largest 300,000 people and the Salvation Army wasn't invented. Jesus put His hand to calling sinners and He could have fed fried Chicken, but Jesus chose to put His hand into life even if it was fish.

And this requires humility, endurance and prayer. 

John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.

Matthew 9:12
But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

This week is a prayer week. We are asking for prayers for Edward and he goes to the Dermatologist for skin cancer on his ear. Please pray for him to have the peace he already has as a continuation. For healing. For the thanks for the healing doctors who helped him find an appointment. And for the hand of God to be merciful to Edward.

Your prayers for us are appreciated!

2 Thessalonians 2
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

Psalms 29:11
The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. 

Thank You, Jesus Christ Our LORD!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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