Joshua 1:6-8 ~ Be strong and courageous

 Joshua 1:6-8

"Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 

8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

Jesus kept on explaining Scripture of Ages and fulfilling all Scripture. We are in a interesting age. Will we be prosperous again, will there be peace again. Will the Church grow again.

Will the news be calm again. Will marriage increase in the Nation. Will the birth rate rise. Will college be affordable again. We wonder about our Constitutional rights.


God always has a positive way forward if we pray and believe. Troubles are part of life.


2 Corinthians 4:1
Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

Luke 18:1
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

How did Jesus do this? Overcoming. Working through things. Like His own Brothers being a work in process. Jesus allowing for the Journey.

 

Today I went to Lunch. We sat on the patio. It was a rare treat in Texas to watch the wind make a symphony of texture and color as the trees swayed in the increasing cloudiness. We stopped eating to watch the various greens tumble and the clouds pass by as grey and dark and purple and very dark. Just as I said, "We are so fortunate to have had rain in July." There was not rain, but there was a HUGE clap of thunder and the five people on the restaurant patio had visible and loud reactions. One person screamed. Her companion said, "GOD IS GOOD." Right, we had survived that amazing Thunder. And I yelled back across the Patio, "Amen!" All the people smiled. People realizing God is always there.

The Times are calling for us - to encourage each other to speak of God. God's Love. God's Presence. God's Amazing Ways.
God's Protection. God's Provision. God's Willingness. God's Joy in us.




2 Timothy 1
This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

What did Jesus actually do to call mankind to Him in this life?

Galatians 5
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

This is the definition of Jesus: The Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The news shows we are in climate of Troubles. God is not worried. 

Luke 1:78
Because of the tender mercy of our God, the sunrise shall visit us from on high.

Father God is here
for us
in all seasons.

Father God,

We will trust in You for our strength. And we will do good and not be weary!

May our Father God, Lord of Peace, Himself give you peace at all times in every way.

Father God, Our Lord is with us!

And we will Give Him to the ones we love, uplift our cares to Him, for this community, the Church, our Nation, all People calling upon Jesus - all over the world.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with all of us! Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

1 Thessalonians 2 ~ to please God

1 Thessalonians 2

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.

6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

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. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.


 God choose 12 not famous, not worthy, regular people to change the world. They couldn't have accomplished what they did without the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Each day we put out our hands to ask Father God what He would like of us. We pray for each other diligently. God will sometimes remind you to pray for people.

1 Thessalonians 2 is a very special letter to you from Father God. Written just to you. Just as Jesus died for you. How will you respond.

the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict

We all have conflict in our lives.  Even the people who seem to live what we call the good life.


we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God 

The call to please God is yours in the Body of Jesus Christ, all believers are entrusted with the Gospel.  This letter is all that you'd want from the ones you care and love.


never words of flattery, as  a pretext for greed—gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her own children affectionately desirous of you, we sharing the gospel of God and our lives, care, time and effort, because you had become very dear. 

As a father with his children,  we encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

The word of God, what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Endeavoring eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

So taking this beautiful letter, remembering the eagerness of the prodigal son's Father, our Father, you are asked.

To avoid false flattery

Be as gentle as a mother

Share the Gospel of God knowing the Word of God is at work in believers

Endeavor eagerly to help others, desire to share your life, see others.

Let others become dear to you.

Be fatherly, encourage others and set an example of a life lived with love.

Allow others to have glory and joy, be thankful for the ones you love.




Father God,

Let us please You, guide us and help us to Please You. When we love You, the Kingdom of God is at hand. We will seek You first. We will see our blessings. We will find reasons to Praise God.

And in doing this, the Father, Larger than we can Imagine, is pleased with His Child - me.

We will see with eyes of faith, we present ourselves to Abba. In Jesus, He says, "Welcome, for ages and for all times, always Beloved!"

We want this for our own beloved. Always. And Believe God is willing and able. For our prayers, for this Nation and the believing World sharing Jesus the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Give us this day

Give us this Day.

Today. Living Bread of Jesus Christ.

Today we will remember our blessings.
To praise God in peace and worship in freedom. To be genuine.
We will be genuine and remember our hard days.
We will remember the days of the Kennedys being killed.
We will remember the days that Martin Luther King was killed.
We will remember Kent State.


We will remember the true events behind the Movie, "Woodlawn."


I hear people say fearfully we are headed to Martial Law. And I say, with sadness, the shooters in Dallas and in Baton Rouge - we see military with PTSD. The Military is not hopeful for Martial Law.


In my lifetime, I have seen this Nation rise up and Overcome. One Nation Under God.

We will remember the true events behind the Movie, "Woodlawn."

Woodlawn Rotten Tomatoes,  a Good and Positive Tomato.

One message of hope, love, faith in Jesus Christ from Billy Graham. Rev. Graham was talking in the Dallas Cotton Bowl about the Light of one candle in the darkened football stadium - sparked - the end of bombs - fifty bombs in Birmingham, Alabama - and at that time the city was known as "Bombingham".

One man heard the Light of Jesus was 2 millenniums ago and ... Visible Today In Your Life TODAY. Give us This DAY. His faith carried him and he traveled that day to Birmingham, and found a racially torn day in 1973 - a group of High School Football players believed Jesus Christ makes a difference, provides a way forward. Change overcame Alabama.

The Light overcomes the Dark. Yesterday and Today.

This is the story of Jesus Christ. Today. Tony Curtis Nathan is an African American football coach and former pro football Running Back. This is his story of his High School days at Woodlawn High School. Nathan was a running back from the University of Alabama who was selected in the third round (61st overall) of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, where he played from 1979-1987.

Love God with All Your Heart.

Matthew 7:12
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets.

Galatians 6:2
Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ.

James 2:12-13
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

St. Augustine was greatly converted. And says:
Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, place, circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.


I have seen races sit together to do Christian work. Eventually, comments are made saying "I was raised this way." And in these comments - someone is going have to give some to have peace. These people continue to be kind to one another and help one another. Phone calls and prayers requested. Time spent together. Healing occurs. Care continues. Advice given and shared.


Thank You God for the witness provided to me by people like David - ruddy.

1 Samuel 16 -   Judgement by appearance
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance"

Thank You God for the witness provided to me by people like Mose's wife Zipporah.

Numbers 12:1
Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman.











WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL


This amazing change was brought by:  JESUS CHRIST THE LORD

 End Arguments by this:

Romans 12:9-11
1. Let love be genuine!!!


And we can learn from Jesus!


1. A Preacher with Faith.

1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.





2. A believing man - who went forth to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.

Ezekiel 11:19
And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.





3. A group of people who decided with expectation Jesus would change the world.

Proverbs 19:20
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.





4. The people - went forth to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to more people.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

James 1:19
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger





5. More people - decided Jesus would change the world.

Proverbs 16:32
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 2:2
Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding.

Anger was pushed down. Listening was increasing.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.







4. More people - go forth to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this entire state changed.

Galatians 6:2
Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ.





This is One Light.

Hold this Light of Jesus Christ Up.

Mercy Triumphs.

Father God,

Give us this Day! Thank You have carried the burden of our sins. You Forgive.

I thank You, Your plan is to make the Body of Christ - diverse.

Finding Joy in the unique qualities of each Child of God.

We will place ourselves in Jesus Christ. His Child.

In Your Holy Spirit - Help Us to Love and Listen and Carry Burdens and Help and Go Forth Together in Jesus Christ. Grow this to be Primarily Genuine LOVE.

Finding Peace in all circumstances because God is King.

For Hearts of Love in Jesus Christ we Pray. Amen in the One Who is Good - Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

1 Thessalonians 2 ~ For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 2

For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.

6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.

11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

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.

14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you —I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.

19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?

20 For you are our glory and joy.

Paul wrote Thessalonians in the Holy Spirit as John wrote the Gospel of John. Both have something in common, they do not employ parables. Jesus sent His Disciples out to do work. All the Disciples will have a different order and path where the Holy Spirit grows them. And John, being the Disciple who stayed with Jesus, probably did not consider the parables very puzzling. John uses allegories instead. This is what John remembers of walking in awe and wonder with the Son of God. And John was chosen in the beginning.


The disciples were blessed to have grown up as Jews with the teaching of the Bible - we call The Old Testament. Their lives Testify to God. And we need to learn, again, the examples known well to the Disciples of Jesus' Generation - and why life had changed even in the Examples of the Old Testament.

This passage of Paul's is like the Disciple John - filled with Love. Pressed down like this ~ No instead ~ uplifted by the millenniums of learning about God! Allegories built on being Raised by God.

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Allegories.

We need to remember, again and again,  how the Disciples had been raised. They did not come from the 1st Century of Rome, they came from the millenniums of goodness and flaws of being raised in the well, badly, and unique to them and their hearts/ souls Scriptures of God.




Verse 3

For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

David. We gloss over the fact that David spent his train-David-up- years as a killer for hire. In fact, David was slaying the enemies of the Nation David would father. The other countries were Baal and baby killers. David was making - honestly -   pre-war.

David and the Bible do not deceive us on the harsh realities of life. Violence. Needy Families? David was certainly the Father of His Nation. 

Yet God did not name Israel David. Nor David Israel. David did not spring from any error of God. All impurity is not a glossy magazine of cheery welcome. David was entrusted to live a Gospel record of his life. David was indeed an important Allegory. These men, these disciples, came from Jews who believed in one marriage, one wife, one husband. David left an allegory we need to remember as we commit a vow to God called Marriage. David was beloved by God for his obedience to a difficult, nigh, impossible task involving even living in ditches in Ziklag - far from safe or prosperous.

David is an allegory of bad marriage - bad parenting - guilt consuming parental responsibilities and parenting punishment effectively.



If you want a perfect allegory of treat others the way you want to be treated. 
Look at David's Michal, the daughter of King Saul. David put her away. And when David put Abigail away to obtain a total of six wives. Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital and Eglah during the 7-1/2 years he reigned in Hebron as king of Judah. After David moved his capital to Jerusalem, he married Bathsheba. By the end of David's life - his wives are separately summonsed and there is no tearful goodbye. Love has become a polite obeisance. 

David ends up dying in the arms of a woman who was really paid to keep him warm, from probable heart failure. In David's family - greed, rape, thoughts to murder and murder. His family dynasty will fall by with David's Grandson and we never really report his great-grandson picks up David's Dynasty again.

God works in the nigh well impossible weaving all things to good for those who love Him and work according to His Purpose.

David IS an ALLEGORY - do unto others. Or see what happens with love and respect and family ties. David had too many people stand in his shadow and did not take the time to concentrate on his family life.

Let us remember why Jesus wanted to teach pictures - to obtain the whole picture.





Verse Six

Obtaining Glory from People.

Sarah expected slavery. She expected to have Haggar to do whatever was thrown her way. And then she expected to see no human need or emotion from someone casually sexually used. Haggar was beneath Sarah. Sarah had times where she was like the disciples of Jesus. If there were conflicts, like Jesus explaining Communion of the Son of God and His Sacrifice - Sarah wanted comfort. Sarah wanted personal Glory from those around her. She wanted the Will of God to be easy.  Sarah wanted another woman's child. Sarah did err.

John expected to Do the Will of God.

Abraham expected to rescue Lot - Hard Work. Abraham expected to argue with the Most High to save others.


The 10 Disciples who fled, repented, and later gave their lives. Sarah laughed at the ability of God to do His Work, His Story, His Will. Sarah passed on. The Allegory is:

Genesis 25:1
Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah.

And Abraham treated Ishmael harshly and he treated the children he had with Keturah harshly. Creating the Middle East difficulty. An Allegory of do unto others.

Verse 17

we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you


Abraham longed for many years for God's Word to be filled.

David longed for years for God's Word to be filled.

Israel, Judah, Judea all longed for God's Word to be filled. Jesus was waited for.

The Disciples all lived to see Jesus again. And have. A Paradise Jesus proclaims.

Isaiah 41
3"He pursues them, passing on in safety, By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

 4"Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"


What we do with our lives - is the point - God did not fly the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. He expected them to have personal and actual war, trust, to be brave, to go forth. To obey God.

James 4
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Father God,

We are Your beloved, build us up in Your Most Holy Faith. With Jesus help us to pray in the Holy Spirit.

Gently, like a nursing mother, taking care of us Your own children. Be Gracious to us, we ask. Affectionately desire us, we are ready to share with You not only Your Gospel, but also our own selves, because You are very dear to us.

Seeing Your Living Parables in our lives, looking for the good, we will labor and toil for Jesus. We proclaimed the Gospel of God. God is Love.

We seek the belief of all Your Promises to us in Jesus. Cover us in the Name of Jesus, we ask of You Our Father. Cover us so closely with Your Arms as wings, and in Jesus, call our prayers holy and righteous and blameless. Forgive us as a Father with His Children, when our conduct toward You, and believers, is not as You love us to be.

As Our Father with His children, exhort each heart and soul. Encourage us, charge us to walk in a manner worthy of You God. Lead us. We want Your Kingdom and Your Glory.

Keep us firmly in Your Love Father God, the Grace upon Grace mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ leading to eternal life. Please have mercy on those who doubt. Help us to do Your Will. Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Help us see to show mercy with reverence of You.

Glory and Joy in Expectation for our Prayers with Jesus.

You are able to keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before Your presence.

The glory with great joy, the only God, our only Savior Jesus Christ our Lord. We will see Your glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen in The Highest Name of Jesus the Christ.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †