Exodus 19:1-8 ~ went Up to God

 

Exodus 19:1-8

On the third new moon 

after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, 

on that day 

they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, 

and 

they encamped in the wilderness. 

There Israel encamped before the mountain, 

3 while Moses went up to God. 

The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My Voice and keep My Covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among All peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a Kingdom of priests and a Holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

 8 All the people answered together and said, 

“All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Israel

John 16:33

 I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. 

In the world you will have tribulation. 

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope 

fill you with all joy 

and

 peace in believing, 

      so that by the power of the Holy Spirit 

     you may abound in hope.

Israel

Psalm 121:1-2

 A Song of Ascents. 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. 

From where does my help come? 

My help comes from the Lord, 

Who made heaven and earth. 

 Matthew 6:33 

Seek first the Kingdom of God 

and 

His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you. 

 Psalm 3:3-4 

You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory,

 and the lifter of my head. 

I cried aloud to the Lord,

 and 

He answered me from His Holy Hill. 

Selah

Abba, Father,

So many times

we all think and sometimes

pray

for more Heaven on earth

and God's good will be done.

And we must be the Heaven

and we must be the Light

Dwell in me

Dwell in those I love

Dwell in those I pray for 

To seek God first

Help us to see more Heaven on earth

Help us to be more Heaven on earth

And we will finish well

in Jesus Christ.

Amen.

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus

Psalm 69 ~ Those who Love His Name shall dwell in

Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire,

where there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters,

and the flood sweeps over me.

3 I am weary with my crying out;

my throat is parched.

My eyes grow dim

with waiting for my God.

4 More in number than the hairs of my head

are those who hate me without cause;

mighty are those who would destroy me,

those who attack me with lies.

What I did not steal

must I now restore?

5 O God, you know my folly;

the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

6 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,

O Lord God of hosts;

let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,

O God of Israel.

7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,

that dishonor has covered my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother's sons.

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,

it became my reproach.

11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,

I became a byword to them.

12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,

and the drunkards make songs about me.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

At an acceptable time, O God,

in the abundance of your steadfast love

answer me in your saving faithfulness.

14 Deliver me

from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters.

15 Let not the flood sweep over me,

or the deep swallow me up,

or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;

according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

17 Hide not your face from your servant;

for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.

18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;

ransom me because of my enemies!

19 You know my reproach,

and my shame and my dishonor;

my foes are all known to you.

20 Reproaches have broken my heart,

so that I am in despair.

I looked for pity, but there was none,

and for comforters, but I found none.

21 They gave me poison for food,

and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

22 Let their own table before them become a snare;

and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,

and make their loins tremble continually.

24 Pour out your indignation upon them,

and let your burning anger overtake them.

25 May their camp be a desolation;

let no one dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down,

and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.

27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;

may they have no acquittal from you.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;

let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

29 But I am afflicted and in pain;

let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

30 I will praise the name of God with a song;

I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the Lord more than an ox

or a bull with horns and hoofs.

32 When the humble see it they will be glad;

you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

33 For the Lord hears the needy

and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

34 Let Heaven and earth praise Him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will save Zion

and 

build up the cities of Judah,

and 

people shall dwell there and possess it

The offspring of His servants shall inherit it,

and those who love His Name shall dwell in it.

Today, this is the Liturgy. And I couldn't decide between 1 or 2. 

The Second Choice turned out to be Job 24.  Psalm 69 is a Psalm of David. David's Saint style was being honest with exactly how David felt. And this I have learned seeing friends attend AA or the offshoot programs.  People generally have a hard time putting their emotions into words. Fester fester fester, makes Uncle Fester.  David just doesn't have the fester problem.  Which is a little unusual, after David was on the run, the crowd he gathered were the mercenaries who were malcontent.  Not the Apple for teacher crowd.  And they lived in a cave, lived rough and killed for the cave rent.  Were kidnapped. Their wives and children. Got ugly and turned on David. This isn't the crowd to whine to. And David has his emotional Scriptures recount all of his sorrows.

God loved David. David knew this and God said He relied upon David to be obedient. Sometimes David was.  The other aspect of David's personality the Lord God Almighty adored about David, David was optimistic. David didn't enjoy the sorrow and suffering aspect, yet David really wanted God to slam in the Home Run.

David continued with God because he was filled with honest clarity.  David gets very sincere how he feels about his family being kidnapped or potentially killed terribly. He does not like the adversity in his life. David is a Mercenary and he feels like - - - David is learning Shepherding the hard way.

David has so much honesty, he can deal with the mafia mercenaries living with him in a ditch and in a cave. And in this honesty, we can understand David and his prayer life. 

David can be understood by Everyone.  Thousands of years down the road. 

Because Jesus said, there are Trouble signs and Trouble in this life.  Overcome.

David was doing exactly that in a very human fashion. Similar to the photos Franklin Graham posts of his family life. They are human. 

Job is very today. He just doesn't see the point of life. And he is going to complain to the real God about how unfair all of this is.  Like Atlas, Job feels the weight of life. We all eventually will. Job is sure life has slipped away and all that is left is to complain. Job felt his friends really did not care. David felt much the same from season to season.

Job and David would have enjoyed each other for a day or two. And then David would have done something a little authoritative or direct or just left. Both Job and David don't change the world or even Israel. God does. God tells us He directs the earth. 

Job sees the same thing every day and feels the burden. David sees the same thing and sees the end, but cries out, "I just know You will have Mercy, O Lord!"  Job is like ... Paul at the end of life. I believe God, but this is hard work. Oh, Lord!

Reading Paul or David, you want to read more. Job has an angle of hopelessness that will remind us of people we pray for.  It's hard work reading Job when he isn't enlightened and complaining. Reading Job we find our own worst aspects. Cringe. And the sorrow we have for the people we would like to see God help. So badly.

As we flip through Job, one can only long to read God Answer.  And know Job did find in the Lord a Help, Helper, Comfort, Comforter.  David just knew this as boulders on fire were launched and arrows on fire flew.  And the beloved first wife traitor ed up. And the best friend went completely and understandably silent. The beloved child was more interested in the power and glory than love.  The other child raped a beloved child.  The wife sought is as cold as ice towards the end. And the wife loyal would help and be comfort.  David seeks a fresh opportunity in his nurse. David is David. While the best friend's son is crippled and honored almost as a prince. Seeking to put the knife in. 

David has seen a lot of variations in life. And still finds the desire to honor God with Life.

Job has seen real adversity and yet finds the small comforts in life are the most rewarding, the most joy and the most opportunities for Joy.

Why? God gave.  During the Middle Ages, the serfs died working in the mud. And then the plagues. And then literacy.  One well known history of the Middle Ages is a serf learning to read from a torn piece of paper read, "God gave."  And the idea that God would give was so joyful that life suddenly had Light.  And as that serf went to the monks to eat, explained what the day had revealed.  God Gave!  The Monk was almost overcome with awe to see Life expand in those years with such gratitude.

And the Monk with a full soul and heart explained who Jesus Christ is and the Savior of mankind.  The serf replied if God would Give, this is extremely understandable and filled the serf's heart in preparation for this Great Salvation.

Ten Lepers were healed, 1 went back to Jesus the Christ of God to say, "Thank You."

Oh, Lord, let me be in their numbers when the Saints go Marching In.

Abba, Father

Thank You 

Father God 

for Mercy.

Dwell in me

Dwell in those I love

Help us to seek You First

and in

Jesus Christ we will finish well.

Thank You,

Jesus

Thank You,

Jesus

Thank You,

Jesus

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You, Lord Jesus 

† 

Acts 1:1-11 ~ All that Jesus began

 

 

Acts 1:1-11

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. 

He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” 

7 He said to them, 

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His Own Authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. 

10 And while they were gazing into Heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,  and said:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

 This Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, 
will come in the same way as you saw Him go into Heaven.”

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Psalm 19

A psalm of David.

1 The Heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the Heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

and

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

              refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and 

all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them 

there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth 

and 

this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, 

my Rock 

and 

my Redeemer.

It's a little startling this century has so many parallels to the Book of Acts in the First and Second Century.

Lightning strikes are up to a record high. Flooding, Fires, Droughts. Arson. War. Violence. In third world nations, death by Lightning strike due to lack of cover is an incredible ongoing weather map on Weather Underground. This was the same in the first and second Centuries. Even today the Roman History lists the bizarre deaths by Lightning.

Violent Crime was up. Marriage Laws were recreated. Families inherited businesses for stability and, in these centuries, the Roman Empire was as vast in wealth as the USA today - this really only compares additionally to the Renaissance. Trade suddenly had war and violence to deal with. Everyone just felt uncomfortable in general and this was the beginning of walled city states. A general distrust of one another like Halloween candy. People wondered if the end of the world was at hand, this is very Historically accurate.


Gradually, times changed. 

The Good Sunday School Answer never failing is - Jesus. 

And the action we find changing the world in the Book of Acts is what occurred to me on Sunday at Church. "May I pray for you now?" A huge hug and an amazing prayer. From someone in their own emotional pain from a recently departed sibling. Few of us live with Ozzie and Harriet families. The culture of life intersects the brokenness of the world. 

Real hope comes from the real life events brave people share with one another.

What brought about another 1,000 years of Roman (called Byzantine after defeat) Empire? 

The Expectation of Jesus.

Prayer with belief. Faith. 

Overcoming what is inadequate. Less than warm. Overcoming what life brings you, to what your soul will willingly expect from God. 

Doing our best to avoid the abyss potholes to bring Love and Hope. The Book of Acts records ' Prayer. To pray and believe in all answers of prayer - God has answered. Even to say - wait or - no.

Paul is not recorded standing on a pulpit and castigating the culture

Which was less than perfect. Paul gave Love and parental Love and concern. Paul expected God to bring forth what we could not and for us to Trust God. When we flip through the Paul written with the Holy Spirit pages - we find Paul had an overwhelming Love for the people he spoke of Salvation in Jesus.

Matthew 17:5

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

Colossians 3:12

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience

Ephesians 1:6

To the praise of His glorious grace, 

with which He has blessed us 

in the Beloved.

Romans 1:7

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

 Grace to you

 and 

peace from God our Father 

and 

The Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, 

always abounding in the work of the Lord, 

knowing that in the Lord 

your labor is not in vain.

Consider the Brothers of Jesus, sons of Mary and Joseph

Jude 1:3

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you 

about our common salvation, 

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith 

that was 

once 

for 

all 

delivered to the saints.

James 2:5

Listen, my beloved brothers, 

has not God chosen those who are poor in the world 

to be rich in faith 

and 

Heirs of the kingdom, 

which He has promised

 to those who love Him?

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from 

The Father of the Heavenly Lights

Psalm 29:11

The Lord gives His people strength;

The Lord blesses them with peace

Psalm 23:1 

The Lord is my shepherd, 

I lack nothing 

Abba, Father,

Blessings of God dwell in me, please in Jesus Christ.

Live, Move, Have Your Being in me. 

Know every breath, every thought, every cell. Be my Light.

Thank You Father 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in me.

Thank You Father 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in those I love.

Thank You Father God 

for Jesus Christ. 

Live in the Nations of the World 

Light of Christ Shine 

in all of mankind.

Thank You Father 

God for Grace.

Thank You Father God 

for the Victorious Promises of Jesus Christ. 

Build the Temple of God 

within me.

Thank You Father God 

for Living Water and Light of Christ 

Shine on the earth You call Good - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Thank You Father God 

for Your Living Word 

Let the Word of God dwell in us all, 

 Richly Building Your Body. 

Building the Church. 

Building Love. 

Your Word Living and Active Today.

In the Highest Name we can Praise our

 Jesus Messiah. 

Amen.

Thank You Father God 

for Mercy.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You, Lord Jesus 

†