Revelation 1 ~ Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. The Almighty.

When you've sat in a few Bible Studies inevitably Judas is brought up. Can we condemn Judas?

Truly, I'd personally rather be compared to John. Let God help me to be John, too.

So if we had to Biblically understand the Longest Living, Recording thoughts of a Long Life reflecting on time spent with Jesus

- versus the ruin of Judas who is recorded both as hanging to death in a cemetery and falling down and bowels gushing - (one does not preclude the other - Judas could have hung in the tree until he fell and burst open - so Bible truth and accuracy recorded by witnesses who were horrified more of one than the other.) And Biblically Judas was judging the Christ of God for His deeds for merit. Judas wanted Jesus to look shinier. More saintly. And then we are told Judas 'turned to his own interests'.

Now John - went on the Second Century having survived being boiled in oil. In fact, John lives well and beyond when Titus goes in (after Paul records in the Bible that the daily sacrifice continues in the working Temple in Jerusalem - forget the nonsense the Bible is 400 A.D. Christian Era). And John lives well beyond when Judea is brought to ash and rubble by the Roman Empire.

So John, having lived past the trouble of the collapse of Jerusalem, Temple, and Judea - is, of course, going to run into more Trouble. John is boiled in oil in the Coliseum and the Coliseum is going to erupt in faith for Jesus. In fact, historically, the second Emperor after Domitian - is going to decide to be nice to Christians.


Domitian – Hauled St. John from Ephesus and exiled him to Patmos. Continued to be fearful of Christians. Conducted one of the fiercest battles against Christians. Under Domitan, the Church split in half. Half ran - and God used this to the Good of His Plan.

Domitan Heresy - the Church is only for saints. Domitan tortured until Christians surrendered every fragment of the Gospels and New Testament he could find. 81-96. Because of Domitan – we have the word traitor . Part of the Church wanted to forever exile anyone who lied to get out of torture or gave up Scripture. Forgiveness is the business of the Church and Jesus Christ. This is why we have a Bible today. In our casual usage. Amazing.




John In the Coliseum - which is recorded by -

Trajan (c. 53 - 117) Philosopher Pliny the Younger's letter to Trajan on the subject of the Christians and the response of Trajan to Pliny the Younger. On Early Christian Writings. How to torture Christians to discredit the claims of Jesus Christ.

Hadrian (c. 76 - 138) Foxe's Book of Martyrs -- Persecution Under Trajen...... The forenamed authors, Antoninus and Equilius (Clarification Foxe's Book of Martyrs took evidence from many historians, a few are named here. Published in 1563 by John Day.) And there is a Church in Rome dedicated to John Boiled in Oil.



Emperor Antoninus Pius (c. 86 - 161) saw too much of Goodness being killed for evil. Instead of stirring up persecution against the Christians, he extended to them the strong hand of his protection throughout the empire. Rather than give occasion to that oppression which he regarded as inseparable from an emperor's progress through his dominions, he was content to spend all the years of his reign in Rome, or its neighborhood. Under his patronage the science of jurisprudence was cultivated by men of high ability, and a number of humane and equitable enactments were passed in his name.

This is a great question when reading the Word of God. Necessary. This Roman History is the sign of our times.

Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Ideas of Belief. Faith. Help. Selfishness.

Jesus spoke of this as the Seed Parables.



166 188 A.D.  Christian persecution returned

- The period was one of ever-increasing calamities.

The earthquakes which had alarmed Asia under Antoninus were but the prelude to more serious convulsions. The Tiber rose to an unprecedented height and swept away the public granaries. This was followed by a famine, and that by a pestilence, which spread from Egypt and Ethiopia westward. Everywhere on the frontiers there were murmurs of insurrection or invasion. The year 166 was long known as the "annus calamitosus," and it was in that year that the persecution broke out and that Justin suffered. These calamities roused the superstition of the great mass of the people, and a wild fanaticism succeeded to an epicurean atheism. The gods were wrath, and what had roused their anger but the presence of those who denied them?

What happened to John?

When we read the long life of John - we find more and more and more and more Graciousness of God.

John saw the world as the world was - and John was more and more in awe of Jesus. John did not sneer up in judgement of others. John saw the goodness of God loving the world. John looked to see the Goodness of God. John Lived During this Tumult.

I got a great phone call this weekend. Our Priest and his wife Margaret. Father Bill is now 91 Years Old. In his 70's Bill had a massive, massive heart attack. He lived and walked 2 miles every day. At age 89/90, he started to die of heart failure. Margaret cried Bill would never get out of bed and never leave their small town again. Jesus our God had other plans, so on the phone, Bill was making plans to grocery shop by himself, driving himself confidently on down the journey of Life. God's Plan.(We got to see them Last Thanksgiving here in Texas!!!)

And Margaret said, in her Charleston voice, "If peeeeople knew Bedddar, they would DO Beddddar." If we never put our hearts and hands for kindness, we have not let our soul warm up. God is going to fully accomplish God's Plan without us. We have the opportunity to be kind.

Margaret said having been in the Church all these years, the most saintly woman said to the Church, "Judgement is a Peach of a Sin."

Christians in the First Century AD did not let go of the Bible, we can believe this with all our might, they just didn't let go of Mercy instead of Sacrifice. Mercy and Love - won the war of good vs evil.







WHAT HAPPENED TO FAITHFUL JOHN IN ALL THIS TRAUMA AND UPHEAVAL AND WEATHER AND POLITICAL UNREST???


God's Provision.

 Upward Path to John's Cave, Island of Patmos, This is the walking path of John's house to the town. John traveled here.


John survived some pretty terrible ordeals. Life was not a picnic.

Philippians 4:19 19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

John stood when other's fled. John ran to the Tomb. John was eager for Jesus. Loved Jesus. Saw God as God of Love.

2 Timothy 2:19 
Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."


John believed Jesus as Messiah.

Interior showing the stone bed used by John in the 4 meter cave.

Psalm 37:40
The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

We casually repeat this:

The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory are Your's.

In the cave, John saw Jesus one Sunday afternoon 63 years after Jesus Lived. And in fright, Jesus assured John, their Love and Joy is Jesus Triumphant. Revelations 1 and Revelations 6.

Early mosaic of John writing Revelation, near the entrance of the cave.

John 10:9 
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Entrance to the Cave of the John - who is historically recorded by local historians as living here even in the second century.



Now this is what John watched from his door.............

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

 View from the cave - now, now, now - we know why John lived in this Cave!



Was John rewarded with an easy and cush life? John lived near Timothy with Mary, Mother of God. The town had ups and downs with faith. We can't say all of John's life was easy or trouble free having seen Jesus die. John continued to be the good seed in God's good soil.

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

Matthew 7:15-29
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Here in the 4 meter Cave of the Apocalypse, John lived & slept. Historically, this is where Revelations is written. Critics of Revelation often feel that Revelation comes without Biblical background, which is not correct. 

Apocalypse is the Greek word for revealing or disclosure. And Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah and John agree on the Living Kingdom of God. God of the Living.

(Looks rather like Hobbits. JRR Tolkein must have seen this place.)

John 21

21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

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.

John, still according to Church tradition, survived unharmed Emperor Domitian literally throwing John into a boiling cauldron of oil. Domitian had no other way to put John away other than exile.

Unsurprisingly, God had use of John's long life and they wrote one of the most memorable books of the Bible, with the most glimpses of heaven. Small wonder Heaven confuses us with the descriptions of such splendor.

Critics of Revelation believe John must have found wild mushrooms as he was having these visions. Nothing could be more wrong, these unusual details were also written thousands of years before Revelation met John's parchment. The prophets who also saw such splendor were: Moses, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, Isaiah and Jesus Himself.


Exodus 19:19-20
19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.

Zechariah 4:2
And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.


Ezekiel 1:28
Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.


Isaiah 6:2-3
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Revelation 1



Our Abba, 

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

And made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,
to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wailb on account of him. Even so. Amen.

We thank You, Father, for hearing our prayers. Increase the Love showing the Holy Spirit and help us with the political upheaval and storms. We ask Your mercy on the people You have given us. And for Your Love and care of the people we love. We lift up our concerns to You, knowing Your Love.

Amen in Jesus Christ.



8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”


9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore."

Our Good News is Jesus Christ. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Romans 8 ~ Those who are in Christ Jesus

Papyrus 46 has 104 Scriptures listed in the index this reader chose to keep. It's one generation after Jesus died and is marvelously intact. These three photographs are Romans 8 three pages of that Chapter  complete and intact - amazing.

Romans 8

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.


12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.



18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.



31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn?
Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.[

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.

1 Thessalonians 5

God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 1 Thessalonians 5

 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing

Hello Abba,

If we drive north on the Highway to Dallas and return south toward Houston all in one day, You are with us.

If we are energetic and get errands and chores done quickly, You are with us.

If we fall into napping and wake up in Dallas, You are with us.

With one mother and her lovely companion and then with one precious mother-in-law, You are with us.

If we return late at night driving back down the Highway, You are with us.

If the phone rings and we hear from our son in Michigan, You are with us.

When we casually use our blessings, like a phone, to speak with the other son. You are with us.

From coffee in the morning to fish dinner, You are with us.

And in Genesis 2, You have said it is not good for mankind to be alone.

For the joys of family and phone calls and old friends and new friends, we say Love one another.

For the miracles of people connecting again from decades and coincidence, we say God loved first, You bring all things together for His Good.

Your plan, Your Hope, Your Will, Your Way - is Good.

Bless me, my family, the people You have given me, today and tomorrow - with all Your Love.

And in Jesus, we say more Holy Spirit for us all and Your Good Love. Amen and Alleluia in Jesus Christ.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

John 6 ~ Believe in Him whom He has Sent

John 6

6 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”

13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”





15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.





22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”







28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”






30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”





41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”






52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)

65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 7

0 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

.

John's Gospel  - John walked with Jesus.

Jesus displays and teaches why He says have faith like a child.

The boy with the loaves wanted Jesus to be blessed by giving what he had to give. Bread of Life. The child was doing what our Father wants. The summation of God's plan of work in us. Believe upon Jesus who is sent to us. Today.

Jesus takes all of this message and supports this in the entire Chapter telling us of Jesus and the child. This boy, this child would absolutely say do what Jesus says. The child would be so pleased to have the opportunity to give to the man Jesus. Son of God. Oh Glorious Day. Glorious Day.




Jesus did not choose this difficult message about God's plan by taking it hidden in some remote town of Israel. Jesus chose to speak His Faith where He lives. This is good news to us - we are comfortable telling of our faith where we live. With the ones we Love. We are telling of the Belief giving Life.






The beautiful Capernaum was blessed to exist living the prophetic Words Jesus said of Capernaum -13 centuries in Peace. Wars revolved in the area and Capernaum (which was a new town in the days of Jesus dwelling as grace and truth) and Capernaum had the peace of God and became the archaeological paradise we see today.

We take all of our body and join this to Jesus in communion. And Live.

Our Abba,

Jesus chose to dwell with us. Jesus chose to Plan us to be with Him always. We want more of Jesus and His Holy Spirit in us and in the people we Love and You have given us.

We see the Graciousness of God. God does not require our advancement of God Himself. We find the Joy of doing something to please God. Knowing our Good Father is pleased with our faith in Him. The Joy of making Jesus pleased.

Our imaginations boggle. Living Water and Bread of Life meet by beautiful Creation seeing Jesus fed and healed them all. And is still working.

When we do the work of believing what God says - we have placed Him first and all things fall into His Plans.

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

Our God is God. Jesus is His only Son. Jesus our Savior.

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

Jesus is entirely God. Entirely Loving.

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

All our Alleluia and Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Luke 7:11-14 ~ He had compassion on her

Luke 7:11-14

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.

12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.

And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”





Jesus. Son of God. Could have handled Himself in so many different ways.

He could have worn a shirt radiating the Heavenly Host, reading, "Jesus Christ Superstar."

He could have shown Himself rising to the pinnacle of the Temple.

Instead, the first person Jesus chose to say, "I'm He - The Messiah." Was a woman who needed Jesus. In a quite place. Just the two of them. Jesus could have left town after He told her. Instead Jesus stayed until all understood what she had said.

Isaiah saw Jesus 700 years before Jesus was born and called Jesus: "Wonderful" "Counselor" "Almighty God" "Prince of Peace". Our Jesus. Is Wonderful.

Jesus wanted His Children - to hunker down? To say sinners we are? No. To Arise in the Glory of God uplifting us.

Jesus knew the young son, the young man of the widow of Nain proved to the great crowd - what Jesus could do.

John 7:31
"After all," they said, "would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?"







And Jesus stuck around for the accolades? No, Jesus had more to do for the Children of God.

Jesus Christ - Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Hebrews 1

2 But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature,
upholding all things by His powerful word.

After He had provided purification for sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

4 So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.





What has made the Brightness?

The Light of Jesus Christ as the Light of Mankind.

Jesus has said He is the Way, The Truth, The Life.

His life tells us; His Love demonstrates:

Mark 12:33
"To love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.







John who stayed with Jesus said God is a God of Love.

Hosea 2:20
And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD.









Abba, our Abba,

We approach You with confidence as Jesus gives us His Name. Jesus is our Mediator and Advocate.

Speak the Word, Lord Jesus, and we shall be healed.

Command Your Word. You are the Authority.

Jesus, we will walk with you in awe.

Surely, You are the Son of God.

We will Live by every Word of God.

We shall be saved and our household too.

The Wind blows where it will. You will never leave nor forsake us.

It is not good for man to be alone.

You will supply all our needs in Jesus Christ.

All things work together for Good, for those who Love the Lord God and work according to His Purpose.

Jesus goes to His Father and our's.

We Love because You first Loved us.

We will cast all of our cares upon You, Father God, You have compassion upon Your sheep.

Jesus Christ is our foundation. All of our Yes is in Jesus.

We will be with Jesus in Paradise.

In the Name above all names. Our Hope. Our Faith. Our Love. Jesus Christ Alleluia. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Luke 2 ~ Looking for Jesus

The Joy of Jesus' Reunion with His Brothers and Sisters.

Jude 1:21
21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Luke 2

And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

And he said to them, 

"Why were you looking for me? 

Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

Jesus tells us He is easily found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12 Open Gates. Heaven. Approach Father God with Confidence in Jesus Lord God. Amen.

Abba,

You Hear our Prayers......


Amen in Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 100 ~ His faithfulness

Psalm 100

1 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 we are his;
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.



The Post is picked out before knowing what the Scripture will be. When the Scripture appears again, apparently, we are not finished discussing this Scripture!



When John the Baptist began his ministry - he wanted the paths to be clear, straight and going in the right direction. Preparing a Path God would love to travel.

Jesus, of course did eclipse John the Baptist and Jesus did this life and in John 14, 15, 16 told us Jesus had found Joy living this life. Jesus was not one to whitewash to make the people feel better.

Any time we have experienced trauma in the news, we tend to be pulled down. Earthquakes. Fires. Solar Flares.  People discussing huge Hail storms from the last year.


And I read an article from Father Mike Endicott today.

Marvelous. Perfect for the weather and the worry.


When Father Mike came to visit us, I had prayed for my oldest son to move because his insurance job had decided all workers could work from home and he was far from us and not really happy in a city far away. I went to Father Mike and he said he thought my arm would be ok. I said no, I was fasting and praying for my son. And Father Mike - who has a very, very well known healing career - said I had an arm problem. But because I was diligently praying for someone else - God would be merciful to my arm. I was pretty disappointed and his wife asked about arm health questions in our family and said this was prophetic. And my son returned to live with us for a few months before moving in with old friends of his. As he moved out, I was having arm surgery in 2016 for a tumor that turned out to be a benign cyst. And as he moved, again, to Michigan for Law School, I had to have surgery just in time for moving him to Law School and Hurricane Harvey.  Four Benign tumors same arm - praying with belief - yes, we are done here. Thank God.

But Father Mike's article was on my heart and I decided to share this with you. I follow him on Facebook - Fr. Mike does post very interesting articles, but does not reply - Fr. Mike is blind. And has the most amazing healing ministry. He leans to remembering God is the "Good Father" and you never have to beg God like He is a poor parent or 'bad dad'.


God is Perfectly Willing. God one day tapped Father Mike Endicott, in his astonishment, in conversation (his 20th year as a Priest in the Church of England). Telling Fr. Mike he had accepted being blind was truly God's Will. God told Father Mike had done a great job with God's will for himself and blindness. And instead of getting depressed - praying for people - to praise God for His Good Will and see where God was willing. Voila. Bam. Heavenly Host. Choirs. The Willingness of God has made Father Mike Endicott's Healing Career - Move Mountains.

POWER IN THE PEWS I have spent a great deal of time over the past fifteen years roaming the western church worldwide, (and of course UK) teaching kingdom theology as best I can and generally having a whale of a time. Throughout that experience I have observed a number of general issues: 1. That white Victorian Christianity is in steep decline. 2. That as our congregations grow older, the folks on the pews have greater needs; larger families so a greater range of need, looser standards in society generally  and the consequential problems and pain of every kind. 3. Whilst every church seems to lead us formally in prayer for many very serious and troubling circumstances around the world, the sharp heart focus of the average pew Christian lies not there but in their own families, in their own pain. Very often all we can do is encourage them to speak out a troubled name (as long as it’s not their own as that may be deemed selfish). 4. We have not taught our people to pray. We have taught them the various kinds of prayer at Sunday School but generally not since. 5. This means that, by  and large, we have been taught to wait until our leader has finished praying and to then speak out an Amen. That’s often all there is to it. 6. There seems little evidence on the pews of an option to include God in life’s difficulties. There is little practical working knowledge of the kingdom. This may be because the church has for centuries taught us that church and kingdom are the same thing. The church can’t mend a broken life so that option usually closes down. 7. The church, many centuries ago, lost its trust in Our Lord and turned to the Saints and their relics for healing. Much of that has since dwindled and is even now largely lost. No trust no healing and therefore little point in going for that church option. 8. The pain remains on the pews. Many modern pulpiteers and church Gatekeepers actively steer their people away from the possibility of a healing God and a healing kingdom, possibly out of their own ignorance and fear of such things? 9. Of course the bodies involved in various healing ministries need to attract and train new workers and we assumed that they might be filling that need with their courses. 10. These courses, I arrogantly assume, are pointing at the original publishing ministry or even at their ministry methodology itself. However, the need of the church is far greater. 11. My own spirit tires of yet more after more training courses while the church sits in pain on its pews and the pulpiteers and Gatekeepers remain impotent to help. 12. We so badly need to educate the pews, not in healing ministry at all as most have no interest in doing that. To do this we need to rekindle their trust in the kingdom and its workings, the Cross and its workings today and equate them more thoroughly in the nature of Christ so that they begin once more to trust. Just a little trust will be enough for God. If we face  up to the truth about kingdom things, we find that the church’s faith has gone negative.  13. The church pews do not need any more ministry information or training schemes. The church needs to raise her trust in    the kingdom and its King. That way the pews will be moved more to confident healing prayer. 14. I constantly remind myself how the kingdom moves. As trust rises up and meets  Grace coming down so God is given elbow room to move. 15. Wether or not we could ever agree on a simple and practical healing theology which will lift trust on the pews is another initial hurdle, another one being the question of jumping over the pulpits to get this good news to the pews. My own spirit wants no more courses to train specialists in specialist methods but to help the pained people on the pews to trust more in their God. I’m sure the healing ministry is a calling on every Christian in every pew and, if only some body could encourage it, what a powerful kingdom witness church we would belong to! Still dreaming, Mike Endicott Please share this!

The Bible tells us of times in all generations that have included joy to come.

Moses believed this of his life and this certainly proved to be true:


Numbers 10:29
Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us and we will do you good, for the LORD has promised good concerning Israel."

When people find something magnificently good, they do want to share the Goodness of God.


Hezekiah trusted God and the people worked hard to make sure that all would be in order for God. In fact at one time, Hezekiah had to turn away the tributes to God, there was no place for them. They had loaded all of the Temple.

2 Chronicles 29:30
Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped."



We are prone to dismiss "All things work together for Good for those who love the Lord and work according to His Purpose"

- - - sometimes we need to see blessings with eyes of faith. Hope of Promise God would Fill.





Sometimes when I pray, I picture the huge, gigantic rock the Children of Israel carried in the Exodus because the rock unfailingly gave Water. Living Water.

And I place myself up high, upon Jesus as my foundation.

Mount Nebo over looks Israel in all of Israel's Glory.

Abba, Our Abba, 

Renew and Fill us again and again, with Your Holy Spirit. Live and dwell richly in us. Fill us with Expectation of Your Goodness and Glory.


We thank You for our Recent health issues had good, good, good solutions. We are praying for - Paul, Ken, Bruce M, Marc, Julie. We are praying for the Goodness You have Provided. We are grateful for how many good turns we have seen as we have prayed. I am amazingly grateful to have fine use of my arm.

Giving You thanks for my Loved ones. Keep them tenderly, near You.

Bless us to walk in Your Will knowing Your Hope and Your Future.

We all need a Gratitude Journal and I will start one.

We will put down our burdens when we pray and come away with renewal in the Joy of Love.

Bless those we love and pray for. Bless these Churches tomorrow to always be a blessing to Jesus. And Bless our Nation and Christians around the world.

Blessings upon Jesus, we Know He Fulfills His Word and Promises to me and to you.

In Jesus. In Jesus Christ. In Jesus, our wonderful Savior, we give You Thanks. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †