Mark 4 ~ let him hear

Mark 4

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 

2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 

9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

“they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 

14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 

23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

 

  26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.

 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”




30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

 

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.


34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.

 And other boats were with him. 

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 


41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

John told Bishop Papias of Hierapolis, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke were completely correct.


John 21 agrees with Mark 4

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The sermon Father Brian White did today involved the conflict between intelligence and faith. June 26th HopePointe Anglican. Many people of faith have reached out to the community looking for reason, logic, for the unseen to be within understanding. Meeting the Promise of God for those looking to God to answer questions within.

Guidepost wrote this month, the faithful report the passing of loved ones and seeing with eyes of faith, the miracle of Father God easing the passing. When the faithful gather to tell of their faith journey, you hear Father God interacts in the lives of those who decide to journey this life with Jesus.

We are all on this Journey to Jesus Christ. And we are all in different places and stages. The Community of Faith is the mercy shown to one another. These absolute discussions of faith and of help to walk this life - this is the community of Act 2. The basis of the Church Jesus gives, loves, restores, and strengthens.


Father God,

I lift up to you the ones I love. Some need healing, some need kindness, some need truth, some need heart rejoiced by Jesus Christ. Some need prayer. I give You thanks for the prayers for my arm healing, for Edward's health. For my family.

I thank You Father God, You give us encouragement, renewal, clarity and direction. Each day Your mercies renew. I heard today from a Pastor saying the last 5 to 10 years have been harsh. And in these very difficult times, even the little things were hard to accomplish. Emotion threatened in the changes and difficulties to swamp life. Like Jesus on the boat. And in the Love You offer us always, the Pastor decided that each day to rejoice in You is a choice. A choice to have the Joy of the Lord Jesus be our strength. You alone conquer and weather our storms. We have emotion and in You, center on You, to know that You provide Your Holy Spirit to us. And in Jesus, our emotion will rest as You embrace the Ones You Love.

Your Great Love will continue to lift up those who Love Jesus. Your Promises are sure. Your Love and Mercy and Grace enduring and healing.

In Jesus Christ we are sealed in His Love Forever. Amen.


 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Ruth 2 ~ The Lord be with you.

Van Gogh

Ruth 2

 Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter." So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you." They answered, "The Lord bless you." Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman belong?" The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, 'Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment."


Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."

At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied. Her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin." Then Ruth the Moabite said, "He even said to me, 'Stay close by my servants, until they have finished all my harvest.'" Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field." So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.


Even in times of trouble, we are given the opportunity to be blessed and have gratitude.


Life doesn't always cater to us. In these times, we have to look at our blessings, sometimes with a pick and a shovel. Sometimes with a magnifying glass. God wants us to Expect His help. God wants us to see one of our obligations is to find Joy in His making the day sufficient.


Ruth was a foreigner. With a bitter old woman, picking in the fields. She was to share good fortune and in the blessing of sharing - to really be blessed.



Father God,

You have said that You take no pleasure in the austerity of sacrifice. What You request is to worship in Spirit and in Truth in the Law of Love and Liberty.

Help us each day to see and look for and search "Your Mercies renew daily."

We ask that we and our loved ones, the people we pray over have a deep desire for Gratitude.

In the name of Jesus, His Banner over me is Love. I will carry this with Gratitude.

In Jesus, The Lord, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 14:13-21 ~ Jesus heard this.

Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

In the midst of His day, a day filled with requests, endless ideas of what they perceive God to be, ideas of what He should be, their joy, their pain, their trouble, Jesus acted lovingly.

So much need. So many requests. With God, He will find a way.

Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Who are these people peppering Jesus with their prayer requests? It is us. Jesus as the Son of God can speak a blessing over God's provision. How can we do less?

John 5:17
Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.


Father God,

A Heavenly Father who is finally thought of as a Blessing. And Rejoices. Loved as the way things really are.

Even the Father who has Love for the believing heart can rejoice again when real Gratitude flows.

A Mighty God who wants His Children to believe His Word.

A Mighty Father who wants to be believed as Love above the words of men and the traditions of mankind.

The Word of Father God is True. God is Love.

Thank You Father for our Loved Ones. Amen in... Jesus!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Mark 8:14-21 ~ He said to them

Mark 8:14-21

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They said to him, “Twelve.”

20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

And they said to him, “Seven.”


21 And he said to them, “Do you not 
yet 
understand?”






Jesus said to His Disciples ( - after Andrew had gone to find Simon Peter to tell him John the Baptist said Jesus is the Christ) and Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus, is our Savior. Redemption for fallen mankind. Redemption for - the 'WORLD' through Jesus Christ. This is a God Sized Mission Statement.

Jesus could have started out with the list:

I am.
I am the Gate.
I am Living Water.
I am the Bread of Life.
I am the Shepherd of the Sheep.

And really what Peter is displaying in proclaiming the Grace of God - Jesus is the Christ.

Peter is saying the abundance of Father God. His Storehouses never fail. The Kingdom of God is at hand.


Job 38

16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
20 that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern the paths to its home?
21 You know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses
of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses
of the hail,
23 which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?


24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

25 “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and a way for the thunderbolt,
26 to bring rain on a land where no man is,
on the desert in which there is no man,
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with grass?

28 “Has the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
30 The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.

31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzarothb in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
that a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?


36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts
or given understanding to the mind?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38 when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods stick fast together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in their thicket?
41 Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God for help,
and wander about for lack of food?



Verse 37
God sent forth the Children of Israel through the Red Sea - with abundant treasure from their former slave owners. This treasure became the Temple of God. This is also recorded in the Ipuwer Papyrus - which is secular.


Ezra 1:5-10. The list of returned Babylonian (see the history matches independently in the Babylonian Chronicles housed in European and British Museums in perfectly cared for cuneiforms. ) items included 1000 basins of gold, 1000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 30 bowls of gold, 2410 bowls of silver, and other vessels of gold and silver totaling 5,469 in number.


It is known that most or all of the holy vessels of gold and silver from the Tabernacle were with the Ark when it was brought from the city of David to the First Temple by Solomon (I Kings 8:4). Although David desired to build a permanent house of God in Jerusalem, his son Solomon built the first temple. The plans were those of David, and David amassed the materials (I Chronicles 28:1-19; II Chronicles 2-4; I Kings 6-7). These materials included 100,000 talents  of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, (I Chron. 29). From his own private fortune David also gave 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of high grade silver.

This is an enormous quantity of gold and silver by any standard: 100,000 talents of gold = 3750 tons, value today per one ton = $48.2 billion; 1,000,000 talents of silver = 37,500 tons, value today silver per ton is $1 Million. 

In round numbers, the wealth of the First Temple was ASTOUNDING.








How does the New Testament - relate to this?

Today you will be with me in Paradise.

Matthew 12:15

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.

Matthew 4:23

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Luke 9:11

But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.

AND - How does this relate to the New Testament? This is Jesus - The Son of GOD.



Peter.
Cast your nets that way. The fish were so ladden the nets began to tear.

Peter was, frankly, 'Terrified'. "Lord. Look away from me, I am a sinful man."

Peter later said, "I have no where to go. You have the Words of Life."





Why would multitudes of Women show up to mourn just a man?

Why would the Unblemished Son of God die to save this world?




How would History record this - is there anything we can concretely grasp as an undeniable proof?

Although the Second Temple was considerably, considerably more poor - 

The Arch of Titus in Rome clearly shows gold Temple Tools, The Bread of the Presence, The Table of Bread (Not the Ark removed before 570 B.C. by Jeremiah). You can today witness what gold built the Coliseum from God's Gold Covered Temple in Jerusalem.

You can see 16 years after Jesus, The Roman Emperors began to kill Christians and hunt them and the Scriptures to destroy for 367 years until Constantine changed the Roman Empire forever. And for another 1,000 years the Roman Empire was located in Constantinople.    Yes History records the World - changed.









God has put something extra astonishingly amazing in seeing into each man, woman and child.

John the Disciple saw this in Jesus and tells us 'God Is Love'.



John 1

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him





In your darkest of moments know this about God.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And Father God -

What will we do to Claim this Salvation. The Salvation Jesus gives - freely. Abundantly, not pressed down - overflowing?

Father God,

Please Forgive my sins.

I believe in Jesus as Lord. Son of God.

I accept You today to live in my heart and soul.

Guide me in Your Good Will. Let Your Love live in me forever. And help me in Your Abundant Love, Goodness and Mercy to stay on Your Path and rejoice in Your Pleasure.

In the Name, The Highest Name of Jesus.

We will trust. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Philemon ~ Refresh my heart in Christ

The scrap of Philemon (not really blue seen further down in the post) dates to the late 2nd Century. However the Ignatius of Antioch c.35 – 108 A.D. refers to The Book of Philemon many times in his histories. Ignatius proclaimed work to get along with one another.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn's painting of Philemon

Philemon

1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,^{[Onesimus means useful or beneficial]}, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 

13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.



Paul - here is a fine example of God's heart portrayed in Paul. Paul , if you count all the times he loves the people he preaches to, shows us the parental qualities of God.

1 Corinthians 4:17
That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Sometimes listening with our heart involves looking at the very word God gives us.


Apphia our sister

the church in your house Grace to you and peace

I remember you in my prayers

knowledge of every good thing 

joy and comfort from your love

hearts of the saints have been refreshed

I prefer to appeal to you

sending my very heart

your goodness

as a beloved brother

knowing that you will do even more

Paul is sending his very heart. God HIS heart  for you to have -

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.


Thank You, Father God, for revealing your heart for us in these words. Thank You, Father.  Help us each day to teach Jesus Christ, the qualities of Jesus in every place we go. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †