John 14 ~ Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”


8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.


12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.



15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.


25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.

Rise, let us go from here.

WOW

Jesus ends this Word of God telling us to rise up over difficulty.

He begins and repeats that We need to not be troubled, do not be afraid.

How did Jesus want us to do that when in Mark 10 the Word of God tells us the disciples lived in awe of Jesus and fear. So much so that they did not listen to His Words. Like do not be hard hearted and immediately the disciples chased children away from Jesus.

Rise up?

Believe, believe, believe, believe, believe. 5 Times Jesus says to do this. And then receive. Rounding the chapter up is know.

How are we to Believe? The Way, the Truth, the Life. The Authority of Father God in the Word of God. 3 Times Jesus says: Keep His Commandments, Keep His Commandments, Keep His Commandments. Abide in the Word and Jesus will dwell with us and Give us, today, The Holy Spirit to Help us.

The first Chapter of the Word of God is to have Light. God sees His Creation as good. Be salt and light. Flavorful, announce hope, faith and love. When we are able to abide in His Words, we can see the Good. God sees the world, the world, not just Church, God sees the World as worthy of His Love and of His Son.

Does Jesus see the World as easy? Of course not, He is telling us He is going to Die to change the world.

Jesus is telling us in spite of troubles ~ "Rise up".

Genesis 1: 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

 


If God believes this, we find what makes the day sufficient and good. We find strength knowing our prayers are heard. God delights in His Creation - you. Where you truly dwell is your eternal soul. Making this hearth, eternal and welcoming to God. Abba is Love.



Abba, our Father, Ancient of Days, Lord of Lords, King of Kings,

1 John 4:8 Because God is love.

Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God gives His Child. The Goal is Eternal Life with God. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

What will God bring us for Living in His Word and Commandments? We know in His Word, Jesus gives to us. Gives Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law where we truly are unable to reach. Where we are mortal and frail and flawed. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Father God, in Great Expectation - in the Name of Jesus - I lift up those that I love to You.  When we call with Love, You Love First and Best and Enjoy our Prayers. And I will see in this life - I will taste and see - The Goodness of God. We will laugh in times to come of the goodness You prepare us to walk in.

One mere touch of the Favor of God transforms us. 

We are praying for the Epi pen increasing in price 500% since 2009. We are praying for our life spans decreasing in the USA and costs rising. We pray the large stores open up trade for affordability. Just as they did for the Zika need for mosquito repellent. Thank God for trade, Retail,  being interested in the standard of living. Bless Walmart for leading the way in looking for solutions.

Bless our Grocery Stores for being good employers. Also Bless the Grocery stores for helping the unfortunate.  Help us to see the Good in our lives. I see our local Randall's puts out food for the surrounding elderly and apartments to enjoy at very great prices. God Bless the Family of George Mitchell who turned so many of our apartments into communities that assist the elderly and those with physical limitations. Placing them within walking distance.

We will expect the Light of Christ to shine. We will celebrate the Light. We will see more of Heaven done on earth. We call on Jesus for this.  We will Love.

Praying for us all to have good health. 

Blessing our communities with health and hope and joy. Our Churches with Jesus and His Word.  Our Churches to raise up men to lead their sons and families, with such verve and flair that our media again honors men in families. Men who will exemplify the compassion of Timothy, Mark, Luke, Silvanus. Bless the persistence of Pastors. And praying families. Our Nation to Shine with Your Brightness. Calling Upon the Highest Name. Jesus the Lord.

What did Jesus tell us? Be persistent in prayer with Hope. He will answer us. Thank God. In Jesus - Continue to hold up Louisiana with prayer. My mother in Physical Rehabilitation and her hearing. My ear infection to clear up. And my family to continue in health and hope. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Mark 10 ~ the disciples asked Him again

Mark 10

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”


13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.


17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 

19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 

And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 

28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 

29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”


32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”


35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 

36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 

38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” 

And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Father Brian White gave a good Sermon on Marriage at HopePointe Anglican Church, Sunday August 21st.  http://www.hopepointe.org/sermons






The disciples were a representation of man today. Of you and of me.

What does God want of me? Not hardness of heart!

To Trust God with verve and joy. Like Children.




The Title of this 10th Chapter of Mark is - Ask Jesus Again Until You Understand Him.

Verse 9, what God wants, is the equivalent of:

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

God is always way ahead of us. Jesus tells us, God does not expect us to be perfect. And He understands we are not all good. God expects us to be mortals who spend a lot of time wondering issues and what God thinks.

God has noticed not all things in life are fair. Life is temporary. God tells us this is within His Power to make Eternity far better and more Just. God makes all things possible. Gravity. Planets and Solar Systems. His Word upholds Life. Why not the condition of His Kingdom? Seems very probable.

Peter states the obvious a lot. God cherishes Peter.


The disciples tell us they felt in awe and afraid of Jesus a lot. They put up with Jesus because He... makes the blind see, the deaf hear and they want personal glory. This is the story of James and John. James and John boldly state they want to use Jesus for personal eternal glory. Jesus tells them that they need to make sure not to be impudent, authoritative, rude, superior, filled with self power, and jockey for an overlord position. Every day. Seems Jesus likes polite people who are not so worried about power.

Jesus does indeed seem to upset the every day apple cart.

The Disciples hear Jesus preach not to be hard hearted. Immediately they push Children out of the way. This is a very good reason why John's Gospel tells us that Jesus did so many things in His time that the books of the world could not hold all of the amazing things around Jesus. If the Disciples could rebuke Children from enjoying Jesus. We probably need to review, see, understand, grasp what Jesus says on so many levels. Re-read, renew. Use all our understanding to see what small thing is here that will actually pull our heart to the Real and Living God Who Honors His Son, Jesus.

This is the Chapter that says, "Keep on Asking Jesus."

This tells us that even when the disciples were afraid and bewildered and selfish, they felt Jesus was so loving
they could come to Jesus. Boldly and with confidence to tell Jesus who they really were and what their lives
actually really did. And Jesus would still keep them.



The Blessing of Numbers 6 tells us what we want from God, from Abba, and He intersects with us.



22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24
The Lord bless you and keep you;
25
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”



Father God,

Your Word communicates Your Heart to us. We learn You want to bless us.

Because Father God you will keep us. Eternally.

You, our Abba Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve. We hope that you will find such joy in us, that Your Face radiates Joy.

We want your gracious favor.

And in Your favor, Your Face lifts in a Smile to us. And we know peace. The goodness of real peace.

We want the Name of Jesus and His free gift of Salvation. And because eternity begins today, we are blessed in faith, hope and Love.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 97 ~ The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!

2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.


4 His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.


7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;
worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the lives of his saints;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

6,900,000,000,000 gallons of rain in one week

The catastrophic Louisiana flood is the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy four years ago.

"Thousands of people in Louisiana have lost everything they own and need our help now," said Brad Kieserman, the Red Cross' vice president of disaster services operations and logistics.

"This disaster is the worst to hit the United States since Superstorm Sandy, and we anticipate it will cost at least $30 million -- a number which may grow as we learn more about the scope and magnitude of the devastation."

Tens of thousands without homes is testing local hospitals' operations, especially in light of reduced federal funding for hospital preparedness. The hospital system was full tilt ready from the experience from Hurricane Katrina Triage Hospital experience.

Officials at Medical Center-Baton Rouge, concerned storms might cause them to lose electricity, transferred about 57 critically ill patients to affiliated facilities across the state on Sunday.

1,000 Year Flood.

13 lives were lost.

We see that in the middle of disaster. Appropriate steps were learned and followed.

The devastating floods in Louisiana stretch over 20 parishes.

What created the pathway to so few deaths?

We all know this is a disaster. But where is the Joy in the few number of deaths. The willingness to get in the amazing rain and go out and help one another.

What causes people to risk the weather to help one another?


John 1 

4 In him was life,a and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

9The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.


Philippians 2

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,a 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,b 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant






Father God,

We need to see, understand, proclaim, and pray for recovery of Louisiana.

We need to take the time and say the grace was given in this 1,000 year flood. The rescuers who did not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

In Louisiana we have seen,

One body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

They, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6Having gifts of faith; service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.


This rescue was time and time again:

Genuine Love. Holding fast to what is good.

Loving one another with brotherly affection.

Let us not forget to outdo one another in showing honor.

Let us have zeal, be fervent in spirit, let us Serve the Lord. Seeing the Good. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. More prayer is needed for recovery.

Let us see them contributing to the needs of the saints and seeking to show hospitality.

We give thanks Father God, this is today and these are Your People. We ask for even more abilities to help people like this in need. And give thanks for the times we helped.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †