Psalm 91 ~ He will deliver you

Psalm 91

91 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.”

Lamps from the time of Jesus Christ.

Get your lamp burning now
Goodness and Godly behavior is not wasted.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me.



1 Timothy 6:6-7
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so 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

John 14:13
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.



Father God,
Help us each day to choose the good. Help us to use the gifts and talents You have given us to run our race to win. Jesus please help our hearts and souls to have you as the foundation.

We lift up the one's we Love. Their needs and concerns to only draw them closer to the Love, Joy, Comfort of You, Abba.

We pray for the Nation, Churches and Families to feel Your Goodness Alive and at work in and around them. Amen Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Mark 9:1-28, 36,49-50 ~ Jesus only +

Mark 9:1-28, 36,49-50


1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one [no cloth refiner] on earth could bleach them. 

4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.


 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; [my beloved] listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

 


9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 

12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

 



14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 

16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 

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

20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

 And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 


23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 



24 Immediately the father of the child cried out [with tears] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

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

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

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





 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” [with fasting]


36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”


49 For everyone will be salted with fire.  50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”



Salt and Light. Sounds like a good potato chip. Kind of friendly.

When we think of someone being salty, we think of someone being larger than life. Loud, exuberant. Auntie Mame, Popeye.

Then again when we think of Biblical salt, there is Lot's wife looking back and becoming a pillar of salt.... not a desirable state.

Salt and pop culture go hand and hand. Salt looses it's flavor when exposed to the air. It becomes stale, tasteless and isn't even good fertilizer or pesticide. What we become when we soak in pop culture without a discerning heart.

Salt wasn't unavailable at any time in Israel. Without salt, one could die in the desert of Judea without some travel planning and having some salt. Without salt, food is flavorless. 

No one would want to eat salt by itself. No one enjoys having religious talk, religious ideas crammed down their throat.


Let's look at Jesus asking the father of the boy ill with a demon, “How long has this been happening to him?” Recently, in another reading for Scripture for Today Blogspot, we talked about Jesus not being recorded as being a huge conversationalist. Yet Jesus is Love. Jesus is not looking for data. Jesus is not looking for a long debate with the father. 

Jesus is making contact with this man. Jesus is not browbeating him, He is opening up the conversation. Jesus is hip deep in an emotional experience Himself, returning to the grind of all too human disciples. Jesus is taking time with someone looking to Him. Jesus is opening up the man's choices in his thoughts of God. Jesus is being Himself, there aren't any basketball moves where the hips have to be watched to understand where He is going. 


Jesus is getting to the point. Jesus teaches us to live at peace with one another in this whole passage.

Read the passage once more, 
Jesus is teaching us salt and light - to live at peace with one another. 
Jesus did not live in a peaceful world and His words were not always soothing. 
Jesus shows us how life suddenly changes and deal with the emotional shifts with helping others while staying calm.
Jesus is always in a teaching mode. The teachable moments arrive for Him. 
Just  like Psalm 23, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Jesus forgave everyone from the cross; goodness and mercy was not always given to Jesus, but goodness and mercy were the grace upon grace He gave us.




 This profoundly makes a difference in my life.
Profoundly.

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me.

My husband has 3 damaged by injury and allergy to anesthetic brain lobes. This is a terminal diagnosis. We pray with seeing great effect that his soul will feed his mind. We pray he will depart to Father God on the day God has chosen in health and in peace. And sometimes the illness rears up and lack of logic happens and is painful and frightening. Not making sense. Hurtful words or hopelessness. Filters gone.

And life continues to roll past. The mighty forces of life.

I think of Jesus dealing with His own death, with Spiritual Forces that are Huge and Comforting, with the fear accompanying something large and different from every day. And being asked to let go of being Jesus and do His Father's work and to forget the Blessings of the Glory of Seeing Abba and Elijah and Moses and deal with fear, uncertainty, life, the father who is in agony for his child and the child's needs.

Jesus gathered the Holy Spirit and gave comfort. This is who I want to be near and be like.
He is Jesus. The Lord God Almighty. My Jesus. My Father God. My Holy Spirit.







Forgiveness with teachable moments are the way forward.

Blessed be the children of God, Jesus.  You want to save the world.

Help us to be Your creation of salt and light. Protect us from the root of bitterness within us when goodness and mercy do not come our way in life.

Help Edward's soul to feed his mind. To bring health until the day written in Your Book of Life. Help his family to help Edward each day.  Thank you for those who help. Jesus Christ Bless them.

Help our words be seasoned with the salt of Your Healing and Your wisdom. We always ask for Your help. In the name of Jesus. The highest name of Jesus, Abba. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Genesis 42 ~ Put him in My Hands, and I will bring him back to you

Genesis 42

When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”


35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”



Jacob was having a day.

Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

The Vizier of Egypt had his son, starvation had landed in Israel, and they were now in the possession of stolen wealth.

Trouble.
Without faith, this looks like a good time to keel over.

I read a sad article today called "Maybe I’m Actually Not a Christian After All." Stunned me so I read other articles to bring this dear lamb back. Brought tears to my eyes. And I realized this is a Christian, he is just tired of seeing the news splashes of all the hoopla and the drama in life.

We have to realize something about Gandhi. He said I like your Christ, I just don't think your Christians look look like Christ. I loved all that I have heard people discuss about Gandhi. However I'd point out it takes two two to make peace. Christians made peace - this was a joint venture.

I was overwhelmed to learn if we look through all of Paul's Biblical Works, we astonishing love.
Telling us of Jesus' love.

no one else like him
show genuine concern for your welfare
interests of Jesus Christ
Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger
For he longs for all of you and is distressed because
God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow
more eager to send him
may be glad and I may have less anxiety
welcome him in the Lord with great joy
honor people
Jesus risked His Life

This isn't about liking how people treat us. This is about being like Psalm 23 - goodness and mercy are the wake we leave. Who did this? David to human frailties.


Galatians 6
9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

If we go by the events of life, the popularity with the Pharaoh of Egypt - we will always be pushed. Jesus told us we will have waves in life. The New Testament attests to the problems of life in dramatic ways.


For yesterday, today and tomorrow - these Words of God Stand.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.


For Jacob and his family, the corner of darkness was about to lift for the rest of their lives. The circumstances looked very dire. Jacob's faith changed their lives.

Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.



Our Father, Who art in Heaven
Holy is Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth, just as in Heaven.
Give us this day,
Thy daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory.
Forever and ever. Amen


Father in Jesus,
We lift up families to find love, joy, peace, and comfort in You. For our loved ones to know the comfort of Your Love. We pray for the people You have given us. For our Nation, States, Cities, Communities to be Lifted in You to that the World will see give us the day.

For us to see Thy Kingdom, Your Power and Your Glory to be faith, hope and Love. Strengthening us all. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 128 ~ who walks in His ways! +

Psalm 128

A Song of Ascents.

128  Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
 
 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
 
 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

 The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
 
May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!

Yesterday I heard the podcasts discussing what family is.

Family is National Government to State Government to City Government.

Family is people we are related to. Oddly if you look in the Bible, rarely do brothers get along.Jacob, the believer that all Children should be blessed, has to really be honest with deceitful Reuben who had pulled hard to save Joseph and then conspired when he thought Joseph was not to be returned. Then having failed to save Joseph, lying, lying, lying Reuben then slept with his father Jacob's concubine. One failure deserves another failure? Right? Jacob then did bless all his sons. Perhaps his only daughter had died by the time of his death. Jacob is unique to believe all should be blessed. God named His Nation after this blessings giver.

(The story of Reuben tells us -  to encourage the good in people, have them see their virtues, they know their flaws. Jacob would probably say all people will let you down. Forgiveness matters.)

Family is - Brussels Sprouts. And Chocolate. Chocolate is mostly loved - looks good on Birthday Cakes and almost all foods, and you can put Sprinkles on Chocolate. Brussels Sprouts? Well, if you dress this up and put this on your "Thanksgiving" Table - this is quite the centerpiece.




Who demanded in Family that every doctrine be completely followed by the Head Cheese Opinion?

Let's take the most angry opinionated subject there is 
and talk about what Jesus 
and Joshua 
knew about God and being Centered?

Homosexuality and Family.
One opinion counts and one opinion is to SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN.

One if 5 people have been molested in the United States.

What is being molested?

What if you have recently lost a child and you know two women in your group are gay. Your opinion is, that is their business. And one is ok, the other is actually aware you know and she is always offering opinions that if you fall far enough, you will want to try new options. And she comments on this every time the group gathers. Eventually you are offered a three way. And you decline realizing, this has gone on far enough.

What about getting dressed at a doctor's office and a woman starts stroking your hair and you reply that you are fine getting dressed. The social implication is: Stop. Then you turn to say I am getting dressed. And she, the nurse, states, with inflection: "If you need anything, I am "Gay-le". I was a teenager. In a doctor's office in the nice part of town. Not expecting to be afraid at the doctor's office.

A young college student was told that his parents were Christian haters. He needed to be more kind to gay people. He told his friend, my parents don't hate, and the reply was, "Yes, they are Christian people and bigots called Haters." He replied I don't think so. And was assured this was fact. So the young man adopted more of a friendly attitude towards a co worker who was gay. The gay co worker asked him on a date, and the young college student replied, no he was not gay. He was told by his friend who was assuring him his parents were haters he needed to go to a gay bar and see this is just natural. He did go. He found the attitude to be more intentional than a regular bar and left.  His co worker saw him and asked and was told exactly his thought. Asked on a date again and again declined. Later that week, in front of customers, the young college student was pushed up against a cooler pinned held by his hips and the gay co worker mimicked a sexual action for a crowd of about 40 people.  The college student was told, "He would learn to be gay."



Homophobe?

Our Family has an elderly Gay person in the family. And how does That Relationship Work if you are such a "homophobe". Fine. You love that man, very dearly. And you are his heir and as he dies, you are the one to find the pain medication given. And you honor and cherish his memory.

And then he leaves his roommate behind. And you all become such close friends that as he dies of Throat Cancer in 2001, he calls for you to come to his bedside. And you rush there. Throat Cancer - you read of - is actually a form of STD. How do you know this? From volunteering to talk to people with STD's and unplanned pregnancies for 3.5 years.


SO ONE OPINION MATTERS ON HOMOSEXUALITY
and ONE OPINION DOES NOT?

What if you grew up next door to two homosexual men for 16 years?
One was friendly.
The other literally growled at the two children next door. Us.
And every Friday night was undress on the patio with the dinner guests. My opinion is that many Homosexual relationships are not monogamous and marriage should be.

My English Teacher in High School was Bill Nelson. Famous for running for Gay Rights for the Dallas City Council. I liked Mr. Nelson very much. I talked to him after class, it was the last class of the day. Mr. Nelson lost his job, was transferred,  for having sexual relations with a consenting 18 year old student on the High School Campus. I think that was unwise.

A decade later, I dreamed of Mr. Nelson one night, I dreamed he had Aids. I ran up to him and wept he had Aids. I woke up with tears on my cheeks. And The Dallas Morning News announced that day Bill Nelson had died of Aids. I had not known he had Aids. PBS did a marvelous special interviewing Mr. Nelson's mother - she was very, very real.

Aren't we allowed to be real now,
Or does only One Opinion Count?




Family. Allows what God allows.

This Altar shows The Davidic Line has a New Son. A new King of Kings. And All People Are Welcome At the Table of God. This is Thanksgiving for what GOD has GIVEN.

The Gospels are orderly.

Matthew begins with Family. A man accepts an infant as his son. Family blends together in mercy.

Mark begins with a Straight and Honest Path, Subduing a Natural Wilderness. Testing.  Prayer. and Healing

Luke 1 is the Miraculous Willingness of God to go many places in Amazing God ways. Fulfilling Promises in His Time.

John begins by seeing the Light of God in all of mankind. John sees Jesus answer prayer and being with the soul praying.

The Book of Acts tells us what happens in 33 A.D. after Jesus was victorious over death.  Thousands upon thousands received the grace upon grace of Jesus' Salvation.  There was no test. The Word of God says if you call upon the Name of Jesus - you are Saved.

Jesus tells us who is saved - sinners.

3,000 pages of Scriptures assure us - all have fallen. We need Jesus the Lord.

Are we in peril of Christianity Today?

80% of people in the USA report they pray to God and expect Him to Love.

If you ask teenagers, 20s, 30s and 40s if they are Spiritual - many will reply: "Spiritual? NO." Oh, do you believe in God?" "Oh, yes! I thought you meant spirits or something."

How many in our world are Baptized? Many. Most.


Who said this?

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.

Why writing this is that old God of the Old Testament and an old Prophet. (The mean, fierce God was in bad mood times.)  Joel 2:32. Jesus liked writing this so much He repeated this much, much later in Romans and Acts.

Acts 2:39
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.

Father God ran to the son coming Home.


1 Timothy 4
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Today we have a new way to date.
No one would get married without trying on a new pair of shoes!


The old way = "Her father will kill you."
The new way = more divorce than ever.

Today we have 28 Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Millenniums were 3 STDs.

This century is the bloodiest century we have ever had to do violence and war. We have a new way of looking at human life in many, many areas.

What you do with your life is your business.
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer you want me to.

God never once asked me, or you, to sit in Judgement of what your soul is. Father God sees hearts, I do not see salvation - He does.

What I know I am asked to do, is this:
Give Justice - With Mercy
Walk Humbly with Jesus, because He knows me. And He did so much for me. There is nothing I can do for Father God that He did not provide for me. I want to show my thanks by saying:

God Is Love.
God wants to save - the whole world - through Jesus.

My heart is God's hearth - I say, Welcome Father God, dwell in all of me. And the one's I love. Help this community, Churches, work places, this state and this Nation. All people who call upon Jesus. Amen.

In Optimism I pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done on earth as in Heaven.
Give us this day!
Our daily bread.
Forgive me my sins,
as I forgive those who sin against me,
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Amen In Jesus! 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †