Psalm 100 ~ For the Lord is Good

Like the Cedars of Lebanon

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!


2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!


3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and and not we ourselves
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.


4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!


5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Lately if you sit and listen to the National Pastime - people are Glum.  Politics....


Lately, if you are not very, very partisan - politics is discouraging.

The sheep seem to have been given the fleece. And it didn't dry out to being odorless.

However, we are not looking at the balance of real life, the majority pray, go to Church, and God is not going to 'stick it to us.' Christians should vote for Christians. It should be a priority. But we have elected people, who once in power - ran the other way to the other end zone with the ball. The Supreme Court is not very pleasing lately. Dear God.

Now, if Christians tried to vote for Christians and that didn't turn out - why wouldn't the God of Love and Mercy want to have compassion for those who pray???????????

The news seems grim. But listen to Dan Carlin, the Historian, and rejoice. Count your blessings. And get away from
war.







Let's talk about the times. When Genghis Khan was out making sure he was in control of nothing he enjoyed running, Khan was not known to sit and delighted in culture and life, but enjoyed all the conflict he could find - he murdered up to 70 million people. That is 22% of the United States population today. And Everyone Said it was the end of the world! End times. I surely understand, hearing Dan Carlin, why people said that. The solution came with the heavy alcoholism of the Khans' and the Christian determination to marry into them and love them to health. And it took quite some time.

End times. Travel will increase. Knowledge will increase. The hearts of many will grow cold. Fathers turn away from sons. Like not care for their mothers and place themselves first.

End Times - Eschatology - Christians and Muslims will revolt and cause trauma, causing people will despise the conflict saying God is a mess. We need no borders and a one world order - one world leader

Look a Dinosaur ! (Let's be clear! That's a Revelation biblical joke on ADHD and chicken.)

We have just seen Brexit.

NOW - This is the other direction from end times!!!









Now if you want a scare, Massive Animal Mortality.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/19/science/what-does-it-mean-when-animals-suffer-a-vast-die-off.html?_r=0

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/13/how-climate-change-could-be-contributing-to-animal-die-offs/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/huge-methane-hotspot-american-southwest/
National Solution Needed ???

U.S. Methane 'Hot Spot' Bigger than Expected
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/09oct_methanehotspot/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150113-mass-die-off-disease-animals-environment-science/

http://letter2congress.rallycongress.com/698/

Form Letter for Congress

What they found was not heartening. Mass Mortality Events (MMEs) are “rarely placed in a broader context,” the study’s authors reported. But they seem to be happening at an increased rate for birds, marine invertebrates and fish since the 1940s — even when researchers took into account that such events are more likely to be reported now than they were 75 years ago.

In pitiful animal die-offs across the globe — from antelopes to bees to seabirds — climate change may be culprit.

It might be the massive carbons released in the Four Corners leak in New Mexico.

The Book of Revelation tells us as clearly as Isaiah explained Jesus as Messiah. When the Wise Men went to go see King Herod to see the King of Kings. For God's Good Purpose.

Here is one summation - subject to God interpretation of God Words - God alone Knows -  the Christians complain about their loss of rights, the Muslims create war. Christians respond with war. The World becomes weary of these godly People. God followers are despised for their wars. And a one world order results in a world leader arriving after world wars. The Leader does like Caesar and exalts himself as god, marking his followers on the head. Great human extermination will happen.

In the 1200's Muslims were creating war and Genghis Khan stopped them.

Queen Isabelle and King Ferdinand of Spain fought to have the cities taken by murder, back from the murderers.

Thomas Jefferson was part of this conflict centuries later.

The answer is not more war. It is not allowing the spread of hate. The allowance of haters to rule and spread hate.



I firmly believe Father God is listening to prayers and if we pray each day diligently, God is going to help. I know I forget to pray national and global prayers. Let's do this.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."




The Narrow Path has a determination of our prayers, words, actions. Choices made  appealing to Father God. Not the picks of the world. Allowing Him to make the Narrow Path for His Glory and Sufficiency. Using the words we would say more carefully. Apologizing when our words were not what would He would have chosen for His Child.



Father God, 

Our times of refreshment are in You.

Cover me in the Name of Jesus to direct my path to be Your Path. With Jesus as my Shepherd, I will not be in want.

Lead me in Your pastures.  Let me know this path . Help my seeds to be fruitful (thank You for the tangerine and tomatoes) , placing good seeds and give love, encouragement and tenderness on this meaningful journey.  Quiet me down and lead me the Path of Righteousness for Your Namesake. Jesus the Lord.

Let Your Living Water restore my soul from being in the World and not of the World. 

Help me know  Your Spirit of Truth be one of self-control and Faith and not of Fear. 

You are my Shepherd, the Guardian of my Soul. Let your rod and staff comfort me that I may comfort others.

Let me have Joy in You and  wisdom to see  Your Narrow Path You'd provide is more than sufficient and filled with a hope and future of good.

Help me,  Jesus,  that my footsteps will leave as my footprints goodness and mercy all the days of my life. That in the Victory of Jesus Christ, I will live all my days as Heaven is at hand, knowing I dwell in Your House forever. 


Lifting up Prayers in Expectations that my needs, my loved ones needs and those of Churches, Communities, this Nation and the Believers all over the World are Held in Your Hand.       Amen in Jesus!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Luke 1:35-45 ~ The Most High +

Fox News reports Chelsea Banton was healed as she was dying. Her mom, Collen Banton, and the nurse ran to get cell phones to record the Angel of Light. 

 The phones recorded the image. The Hospital security camera also caught this Angel of light from the hallway going into the hospital room. The Bible reports Angels are Messengers of Light.

Daniel 9:21
while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

Gabriel confronted Satan. He is an Archangel and is not going to be a weak character. He stands in the Presence of God Almighty.

Luke 1:35-45

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 

41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. 

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”



Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, conducted several studies on nonverbal communication. He found that 7% of any message is conveyed through words, 38% through certain vocal elements, and 55% through nonverbal elements - facial expressions, gestures, posture. We are not privileged to hear the Word of God. Yet Father Almighty God is able to give us insight to the Word of God as we look closely.

The Word of God is written by - The Most High. We shall live by every Word of God.


 


Mary tells us about her family. Another very true story. Very real. Not sweet, not perfect.  The Bible is gracious. We see Elizabeth encouraging.

Only the Talmud of the Time of Jesus Christ tells us her father's name is Heli. The Bible does not link the family together with wonderful stories (other than a sister of Mary's is with her at Jesus' death), yet we learn about her family. Mary is told not to fear this news. And yet the Passage records, " Mary arose and went with haste".   And "into the hill country, to a town in Judah" this could be 70 miles from Nazareth. No one accompanies Mary. She goes alone. Mary stays 1,2,3 months.

 


When Mary gets to the town in Judah,  Zechariah - does not show up to greet her. Jesus, remember with me, tells us about hospitality and is point blank - up front -  with what is required for hospitality of a mere guest. Evidently Zechariah is a lot about, thinks about, goes about, doesn't go about - being about - himself.  An "I am me" attitude.

Anointing a Guest  - Anointing the head with oil- an ancient custom among nations of the East. Olive oil alone was often used, but sometimes it was mixed with spices. Simon the Pharisee was accused of lack of hospitality for failure to anoint Jesus (Luke 7:46). This indicates the custom is common in the Gospel accounts. Travelers discover this practice of anointing still exists in some quarters. Suggestions are the feet being anointed occurs to get dust off of the feet and prevent feet cracking. A tonic for sun. And hydration.

Maybe Zechariah was busy? Probably not. He is a Priest and a voice is needed. He is going to be mostly "off duty".  A traveler from far away is a time of celebration. Elizabeth knows what is going on. This is not a surprise. And if we are as gracious as Elizabeth, in this family story of verse 36, we see no overt gracious hospitality from her husband.

 





Gabriel has been portrayed in recent movies as having a grudge against mankind. And we have Mary pleasing Gabriel with her willingness to be His Servant. Yesterday we read:

Revelation 22:3
His servants will serve him.

Mary is headed to what John records as high honors to serve the Lord. And God has blessed her with the timing to go second in seeing and hearing the Archangel of the Lord. Heads up!

Gabriel has ascertained in Zechariah an unwillingness to receive an Angel of God with Faith. A priest who did not grab hold of the altar horns - a place of safety - right at hand. (Perhaps... this is from demanding a child for many years as a favor of God for his own righteousness and anger? Maybe.)


My bets are on Gabriel being correct as to the placement of Zechariah's heart.

 



Then Zechariah, 
by Elizabeth's reaction, depicts he is unwilling to receive someone meeting an - - - Archangel??? The very same one? And he realizes she has traveled 70 miles 'in haste' and  probably alone. Are you miffed with Zechariah, yet?!   And here is this priest being held closely in Father God's plan for salvation - And where is Zechariah's gratitude level??? Amazing.

Mary must want to stay rather zealously - away from Nazareth.  Ok... we will give Zechariah points for Mary staying for 3 months. And no points for zero Biblical messages that Zechariah made signs of - anything - to the Mother of God.



 

This total non-communicating, evasive, demanding, too quiet Zechariah - well - God decided to forget Zechariah?

We will not write off Zechariah. Instead seeing all of the New Testament is a Testament to the struggles of Christians to attain and sustain loving each other. The Bible is real.

The Overwhelming, Pervasive, Steadfast, Wondrous Love of God. Loudly and with trumpets? No, Jesus never healed this way - often. Heals Zechariah. For? Doing like Joseph - reacting to God with obedience. Now. Don't you like Joseph better? God seems to have a knack for people.  Yet, because Zechariah has this in him - he was going to turn to the Lord God Almighty and eloquently, fervently, thoroughly, with joyful abandon - exclaim - proclaim and become exuberant - over the Mercy, Love and Wonder of God's Unfailing Love.







 

Luke 1 - an entire Chapter of God's Willingness, as a Father -  from the Creation of the Light of the World - Jesus!  God who sees inside each of us and finds JOY, LOVE, MERCY. Giving us HIS Mighty Acts of Encouragement.


67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”






Father God,

You are our Rock. Our Redeemer. In You, we have Abundant Life. Praise God from Whom ALL Blessings Flow.

Thank You Jesus. For the care and love given to me and to my loved ones.

Rock on Father God  Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Zechariah 8:1-12 ~ The Word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, +

I see a new Heaven from an old earth. Glimpses of a mirror darkly. Living Parables.

Zechariah 8:1-12

1 And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.

3 Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts?

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”

9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.

11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts.

12 For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.




Yesterday we spoke of the Work of God our Father and in Heaven.

Would it ever please a very vast, wondrous and Amazing God if all His Children celebrated and enjoyed Abundant Life equally?

Doesn't our heart rejoice in the variations of climate, archaeology, and fierce wonders of this world?

6 Should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts?

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people



Some will be old, some young. God Himself will decide.

Revelation 22:3
His servants will serve him


Some will labor, some will rest.

Hebrews 4

9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus describes the Body of Christ being made up of people. All different, all part of the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.



Father God,

Your Love for us is as high as the Heavens.

Romans 5:8
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We can have all hopes of Heaven in Jesus.

Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Hold fast to what is good.


For all of this goodness, Father.

We shall love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.

And we will be close to the Kingdom of Heaven, our prayers enter the 12 open Gates. And we will see the river of Life flowing from His Throne, where Love, Righteousness, Mercy and Justice are held forth in His Splendor of Holiness.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it!
let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord !

Our LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. For HE has so loved the world, our Father gave His Jesus, that we believes in Jesus, should not perish but have eternal life.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 9:1-13 ~ And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold

Matthew 9:1-13

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. 

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 

3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 

7 And he rose and went home. 

8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus was eating a meal. And we know this house probably had a man-sized sky light.


But if someone needed Jesus... then.

If Jesus had been called from the house, in need. He was known to do that. Jesus was interrupted constantly. And His Ministry called Jesus to go.

Imagine, not even eating a meal.



Colossians 3:14
Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus put His own life down all the time. For an example, coming down from the Mountain - seeing Peter and John meet Moses and Elijah. The return from this was not pleasant - Jesus met the Disciples squabbling. Needs were unmet. And Jesus dealt with this perfectly. As God.





Jesus saw this in Himself with His people:

1 Peter 4:8
Above all. Keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.



And this is what Jesus displayed:

1 John 4:18
No fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear



Who was this, the Jesus crowd?

Matthew, the ill, and .... sinners. God always works with sinners. Alleluia.



Why would Jesus do this? What is the motivation of God?

God sees us fully. And His reaction is to Give Life, Joy and Love of Relationship into Eternity... Where Jesus is - there is Joy.

Father God,

Jesus is our Savior, and has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of Your beloved Son.

Because of Jesus we have redemption, forgiveness of sins.

The warmth and heart of Jesus - the Joy and Kindness of Jesus is the image of the invisible God,

Jesus is before all things, and in Jesus all things hold together. Jesus is preeminent.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Jesus is the Ministry of Reconciliation. To reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.

Because of Your Son Jesus we are able to be presented as holy and blameless and above reproach before God.

In Father God, indeed we will continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the Gospel.

Jesus our Steadfast God. Alleluia. Thank You, Father God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †