Luke 6:43-45 ~ For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

 Last Judgement by Michelangelo, in the Sistine Chapel.

Luke 6:43-45

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Oh, if only the walls had eyes. The very real and very honestly depicted saints of the Bible would be watching the The Last Judgement fresco by Michelangelo on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity.

All the saints would see Biagio da Cesena, Pope Paul III's Master of Ceremonies. He was painted in the judgment for telling Michelangelo his painting was fit for bars and taverns for the nudity portrayed. Michelangelo worked Cesena's face into the underworld (far bottom-right corner of the painting) with Donkey ears ( meaning foolishness during the Renaissance, while Jesus and David liked their donkeys very much), and Cesena's nudity is covered by a coiled, biting snake.

What would the saints say to the Fresco of The Last Judgement?

And there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." To Abimelek king of Gerar

Isaac said, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing." Isn't God open to the prayers of parents for blessings? Jacob blessed all of his sons and some grandsons.

Noah was drunk and uncovered; Noah cursed his son for not covering him, but merely telling.
“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

The disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"

Jesus is not a Fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

Now what is the point here?

Jesus Christ the Lord

These saints are real and when life presses and presses and presses us - we all must accept what God has said of ALL OF US.

Romans 3
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.


What the Scriptures do tell us is this - God is very real. His Word is Real.
The saints would agree we are all headed in the same Direction.

THE SAINTS AGREE.

Galatians 4
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

1 Peter 2:25
For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

Because

Matthew 18:15
If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.


~We all want the blessings of God. 

~This is having the courage to stay to the path.

~ Going back to the path when you are in need to be renewed on the Path of God.

~The wisdom to know while the Law points out our sin, adhering to the Goodness of God allows us to have the framework to establish a life in Hope, Faith and Love. 

~Diligence in pressing forward to God. 

~Moving Fear and Reluctance Aside.

~Fighting the Good Fight. Not rolling over and saying someone else will fix something. 

~Rejoicing with Thank You's To God when things are Good.

~ Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.



Setting Faith in Action and Belief when wind is not blowing our sails, staying in belief because the Word of God is Accurate, Truthful, Real, Enduring, and Love.



Psalm 128
A song of ascents.

1
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
2
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4
Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the Lord.

5
May the Lord bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6
May you live to see your children’s children—
peace be on Israel.


Abba, Father God, 

Who will live in Your Sacred Places? Who will live, as Isaiah and Psalm 15, tell us of Your Holy Mountains?

Help us, Father God, in the Righteousness of Jesus to walk in You blamelessly. Help us to do what is Righteousness. Help us in Jesus to speak truth from our heart.

Jesus, we want to spend time with those who Honor the Lord.

Keep us in our vows and oaths to You. Help us to be consistent in You.

Giving kindness not to be repaid.

And in these things real life produces character and hope. Fear is put aside and Joy has a place to dwell. Thank You God for Teaching us this

The Blessing of Healing in Jesus for us all. For Elliott and Harby. For Dee.

. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Nehemiah 6:5-19 ~ with the help of our God

In the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (445 or 444 BC), Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king. This Relief is of King Artaxerxes I. The Cupbearer stands behind the King.

Nehemiah 6:5-19

Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 

8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.”

But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?I will not go in.” 

12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 

17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

This is a great Chapter to include with this:

Matthew 12:20
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.


We all feel if we wonder or worry we have let God down. Nehemiah was doing all he could.


Nehemiah 1
1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, 2one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They replied, ‘The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’

4When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; 6let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. 7We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. 8Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.” 10They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. 11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!’
At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.


We can better understand this by looking at Mary.

She exalted and glorified God to hear His Plan.

Mary escaped her family with great haste for 3 months.

She had to live with her family until Joseph had mercy and collected her to travel, great with child, to Bethlehem.

Mary pondered the words of Shepherds and the Wise Men, pondering the words in her heart.

She was confused where Jesus was as a boy. And witnessed Jesus grow up with great wisdom and stature as a child to man. And then try to drag Him home away from His Ministry.

We do not disappoint God easily. God's Plans will always be fulfilled. And God's Plans Glorify God. Jesus came down from His Mountaintop Experience with His Father God, to find the Disciples didn't do as well when Jesus was absent. Jesus didn't rebuke the father of the son in spiritual upset. Jesus did not rebuke His Disciples, He said this situation will require prayer and fasting.

God's Love and God's Mercy are Astonishing. Jesus is Grace upon Grace.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Ephesians 1 ~ our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ

Ephesians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

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

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished upon us,
in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ

As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of his glory.


15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,
according to the working of his great might

This he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And he put all things under his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body,
the fullness of him
who fills all in all.

We are familiar with so much of God's Glory with our own thoughts. We were built to think about Father God.

Some of this is inspiringly new to think about:

THE WILL OF GOD

Blessings in the Heavenly Places - thought of by our Father in the foundation putting of the world.

Blessed to be of the Beloved.

Lavishing wisdom and insight to find in that glorious day the Mystery of His Will for you. According to this - The Purpose of His Will. We will find this in what we are drawn to in Jesus Christ. And He will unite us to this. Where your heart is warm. And in this Good News - we Will Praise God.  Praise in His Purpose for you. Thanksgiving will not cease. God is the Father of Love. God our Father of Encouragement. Father of Glory.

When we find what warms us to Father God - when we truly connect there and we are given eyes of clarity - about His Love to you - and your prayers will flow and flow. Glorious and Immeasurable Greatness.

SADLY THE PHOTOS WERE REMOVED BY THEFT

Our Gracious Father giving us the Light of Jesus Christ in mankind.

To those who Believe and are promised to be the Children of God:

Our Father, our Almighty Father, our Abba,
May the God of Love
God of Encouragement
God of Glory
surround, uplift, encourage
strengthen and sustain you in the Holy Spirit, Jesus' gift to us.
in His Good Path
chosen for you.

In Jesus Christ's Great and lavish Love. we see Abba.
For ourselves
the ones we Love
the people God has given us

May we all feel as Chris Janson has about "Good Vibes"  as Jesus Loves us. To be lifted, filled and fill others.

Uplift our Nation trusting in You.
Bring peace and more Heaven on earth from Nations trusting in You
Upheld by the Believers who are the Children of God as His Purpose has called us.

The Light of God continues to shine. For Elliott and his family and healing. For Janice.

Thank You for Bringing Rain we pray for California and Thank You for West Coast rains. Thank You for rain and cool temperatures at my house.

Blessings of Jesus.

Amen.

Jesus Living Water of God, Nourish, Renew and Fill as our Father knows exactly.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Ezra 1:1-11 ~ the Lord stirred

Cyrus's Cylinder
1995 Dr. Bryant Wood. Cyrus's Cylinder, declaring freedom for captives in Babylon to return to Israel and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple.  Cyrus was amazing for his time and had incredible interest in human rights.  Ezra 1:2-4

Ezra 1:1-11

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,

...the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. 7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

9 And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

Jesus told us "it is written" many times. How blessed to find His Word recorded in nations and in the fullness of His earth.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Psalm 118 ~ Oh Give Thanks to the LORD, for HE is GOOD!!!

Psalm 118

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees;

they went out like a fire among thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

15 Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,

16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,

the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord's doing

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Wouldn't we love it and be great if Jesus had sit down and given an interview we could all relate to in our lives just about every single day?

Actually, being Jesus Christ, Son of God, He did.

What was Jesus thinking about for this particular interview? Jesus was thinking about the times we feel life has not been just and fair and we feel 'Oppressed!'

When we think about this truthfully, there is not a day where we are not confronted - with the fact - Heaven on earth is a prayer of Hope and seen with Faith and not with all circumstances - all the time.


Jesus would want us to know - if you do "This" you will be much more content and happy. Jesus was actually about to pray for us in Chapter 17. This is completely understandable. "Do this" from Jesus Christ and then a Prayer from the Son of God. Jesus would of course, send a Helper and Comforter.

John 15 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[b] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

What would Jesus give us to hang on to?

The New Commandment of Jesus is to Love.

 If we place ourselves to be helpful, we have a mind set on peace. If we try to be polite and considerate, we have fewer regrets. Our mind is set on Pleasing Father God and He is pleased.

When we feel abandoned, not respected, left apart - we are able to remember where we are welcome. When we are pressed to think in paths where it would lead, we are completely open and praised to remember - with childlike faith - return to our Father. Exactly as the Word of God explains, like the Prodigal Son Greeted By His Loving, Willing, Awesome Father. Peter was given the Key to Heaven, and God smiled. Father God Loves Peter and tells us all 12 Gates of Heaven are always, always, always open by our Holy, Holy, Holy Father.





12 Open Gates.




12 Open Gates

Being from Texas, we are a little surprised finding how quickly Michigan Goers - Michigoers - are able to travel the entire state. 68 Degrees. Sixty-Eight Degrees. August. Lake Michigan has an actual Tide during storms. The flowers are simply amazing. Hydrangeas do not pout. Snowball Hydrangeas do not cease. Day-lilies are 'twice' as big. Winterberry trees make red berry Christmas all winter long. Heaven has flowers like this. (I had Blue Spruce like these, in our 4 year yard while I was in High School in Emporium, Pennsylvania.) Sixty-eight degrees. August.



Yes, we are visiting our son who is entering his 3rd Year of Law School. He has made the Dean's List every semester, but the first one. (He's bright!!!) And so, Sunday morning, we had this wonderful breakfast like I have never seen, gratis, in a hotel before. And I was waiting for my husband and son to join me. And next to my table is a cheerful group of a man and two ladies. The man is filled with Light. He speaks with Joy. He said he has been hearing from the Lord this week about being Joy bringing. We, all who believe, are part of His Garden. We are on His Fruit Tree. We are part of Him. We are on His Vine.

I was absolutely delighted. I had just finished reading John 15 from Hotel insomnia. God is So MARVELOUS. I'd told Father God, I wanted to do More of THIS last night. To be a Joy Bringer to Father God. So of course, I'm smiling and beaming and looking touched. The three turned to me. I said, "How I needed that message - today - thank You!!!"

They beamed back at me. He turned out to be a Minister here for a wedding. He was here to marry the young couple at the Hotel. The Minister said we change lives when we try to smile to be the Light of God. We went on to talk about Haggai - who was in burned out Israel. Destroyed. No food, not even fruit on the tree. And Haggai found the Joy of the Lord God to be his hope. And he found Joy. The Word of God lives in us. We find God's Temple is within us. We work on our Relationship with Father God daily.

YAY. Really Yay.

Abba, Holy, Holy, Holy Father,

We Bless Your Holy Name. Jesus, Thank You for Your Willing Blessings.

You reach out to us in life, in Your Living and Active Word.

Help us to be Joy Bringers.

Thank You, so much for our friend Elliott. He is a Joy Bringer. And like th eMinister today, a man filled with Light. Radiant Light of You. Elliott is 42 years old with 3 children and an excellent wife, Harby. Elliott went into the doctor with a hurt back and found he had cancer all over. He has gone to the hospital after an eight week journey with cancer - to the Hospital - admitted with a broken L1 spine from the cancer. He has actually had a good month. We ask You to willingly speak Jesus Healing upon our dear friend. With You all things are Possible.

Thank You for the People You give us. Blessings of family. We look to You and say Thank You. You hold us up.

More Heaven on earth is the prayer You gave us. Your Will to be Accomplished. A Blessing to ask.

In the Name of Jesus cover us. The People we Love. The People You have given us. This Nation. To Trust in You and find Your Joy. For the Nations seeking Your Brightness. And the fullness of the earth is Your's and the people praying with Love and Hope in the Name of Jesus every day and all day.

In Jesus we are Blessed, Jesus blessing on us all
Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

Isaiah 49:1-13 ~ saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

Originally Posted 3/2/15


Each morning I re-read the daily Scripture for Today Blogspot, (re-reading is very, very helpful after time has gone by because what made sense when I proof read, doesn't always mean the sentence was coherent) I check on the Feedjit tool at the bottom of the page and push the Real-time view seeing what people are reading, praying, thinking and where they come from (like the wonder I feel looking at the dots appear on the spinning globe tool). Twice it has been someone from Vatican City and flying the Vatican flag. We have a very faithful friend (Scripture Partner) in New Zealand and Evansville, Indiana (hi!).

Today, before my day began, I saw Feedjit and was thinking the rest of the day. The question was this......

"i wonder what God thinks of me"

Empathy filled me at the lower case i and the desire to know, capital G God, in the question.

There are multitudes of Scripture written personally to "i" just for this reason. As many as the stars we can see in the sky. Four passages hit me that I'd like to share. The Word being living and active - these Scriptures create thoughts & emotion in us - sometimes this is why people are angry or uncomfortable reading the Scriptures. For those emotions, prayer and talking to God is needed.

As Father God sees us, He is like Isaiah, He is not fixed on today, in a cage of time. He is not seeing us as teenagers, moms/dads, married or elderly and (based on the colors described of the people in Jesus' ancestry) He doesn't really see us as a color. We are not locked in to a specific time for God, He sees us as the whole journey of our lives.

Gideon wasn't seen as a young man, or weak, or questioning - Gideon was seen as a wonderful, wonderful soul, a creation of God.

Judges 6:11-23

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”

God has no trouble being in the moment, in your conversation to Him.

John 1:44-51
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Why God would be interested in a question like that. A humble question.

Matthew 19:17
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

Jesus says:

John 14:1
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me

In believing God, we can read about Jesus and ourselves told to us through Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:1-13

1 Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. 3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” 4 But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— 6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

8 Thus says the Lord: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, 9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; 10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. 11 And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. 12 Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.

John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. +

Father God let us Love. In Jesus. Amen.


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Mark 7:24-30 ~ His Presence

According to the cuneiform from Babylon Chronicles, 597 BC, in The British Museum, Jerusalem remained blackened burned stones heaped upon each other. It was so burned, it took a century for the stones to be clean again in the ruins. Jerusalem was not going to be enjoyable for the meager remnant.

And Judea fell again when destroyed by soon to be Emperor Titus in 70 A.D., when Jesus would have died of natural causes and old age. Titus got to march in with an estimated one million Jewish slaves as part of his Royal Triumph Parade. The Colosseum was built as a spoil of war. The Temple Tools are carved on the Arch of Titus.

And the Arch of Titus was completed 81 AD by the Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's official deification or consecratio and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judea.




About 1550 AD the Pope used the Arch for Oath taking and loyalty ceremonies. And the Arch began to show deterioration.

By 1700 AD it was almost abandoned and a citizen lived in the ruins.

In 1812 the Pope decided to restore this:

(This) monument, remarkable in terms of both religion and art,
had weakened from age:
Pius the Seventh, Supreme Pontiff,
by new works on the model of the ancient exemplar
ordered it reinforced and preserved.


Good idea.

1948 - The Jews had refused to walk under the Arch of Titus, believing Israel would rise from utter defeat almost 1900 years later. Correct!

What will we expect from Jesus - Living Son of God - Author of the Living Word of God?

Mark 7:24-30

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.

25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”


28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.



Jesus was always known and IS Known as being approachable.


In our lives, we all come from

different aspects,

seasons and varying degrees of our Journey in Life with Jesus.

Jesus is not the type of Man, God, who will revile someone in their wobbles.


We were not there, we do not know if the Syrian woman approached Jesus with dogged diligence or if her whole approach was filled with trepidation.


If someone greets Jesus for many years and many paths with trepidation - this is just like the Prodigal Son being seen, far, far away. The Father had time to make sure this was his child.


The Bible is living and active, Jesus is not going to shame the Syrian Woman for having trepidation, Jesus is going to be with her and work out her worries.


We all will encounter the Living Father God in various seasons of our lives. Some days we read this as Jesus is being quite regal to a gentile. But perhaps this particular gentile expected God to speak to her in ways she found recognizable.


Can you imagine if the woman had approached Jesus and said this to Jesus and He replied, "Oh Ridiculous, your daughter has never ever had a demon. She had Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder and you, being merely at the start of the Gregorian Calendar, surely you are uninformed and stop groveling."

(Yes, I am completely sure Jesus knew of what He was speaking of in Divine Knowledge in the passage - this is an analogy.)


God being God - is going to have to approach us in our highest level of thinking. We cannot attain to filling the Heavens with our Presence. Father Francis MacNutt is a 91 year old graduate of Harvard. He has been involved in healing ministries for 40 years. Father MacNutt says that when someone is healed they want to know right away if the healing is permanent. They begin testing the permanence of the healing like a colt on new found, shaky legs. Father God does not zap them for being people of little faith and take the healed miracle back. God allows us to grow. To lean to Him. Francis MacNutt reports the Joy of the realization process of healing.


The Vast Mercy of God will agree with the Disciple John working, walking, watching, talking, living, and experiencing Jesus. Saying to us - GOD IS LOVE.

How does Father God like to be addressed in Expectation?


Hebrews 4:16
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.


Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.



God is God. Always. His own Word tells us about Father God. We use our talents and gifts to bring them to Father God, in prayer, saying, "I hope I have pleased You." Believing of Father God - He is Love and He is easily pleased with earnest hearts who Love Him.




Abba, Father God,

You have placed me in my life - just where I am. You gave me my name, you gave me my circumstances. I have days of plenty and days of want. Help me this day to place my thanksgiving, my gratitude for what has blessed this day - as a gift from You, Father God.


Help us in our circumstances we label as difficult. You, Father God may not see our difficulty as troublesome. When our boundaries do not enlarge, You ask us do we see a desert or a patch of land to garden and cultivate. Help us to be wise in our own thinking. And See You are a God in Whom Nothing is Impossible!


Let me place my heart, my talents, my gifts in front of You and ask all things work together for Good. Let every knee bow at the Highest Name of Jesus, let us kneel and worship. You are our God. We are the people of Your pasture. We place our cares in Your hands. Thank You for hearing our voice. Let us hear and understand our calling in life from You.


We bring in our hearts, the Ones we Love. Asking You for their upbuilding, to broaden hearts and to create more Heaven on this earth.  For healing for those asking Jesus to be healed. Give us every good gift we need and continually point us in the right direction. We ask this for our work, our friends, our Church, our State and Nation. Knowing to Know Your Love is to create Love, Hope, Faith, Joy and Peace. Help us be led in Upward Goodness and not as needing a bit and a bridle.


THANK YOU FATHER GOD, Your mercies RENEW each day. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †