Month 9

Month 9

1.

I decided to study and find out as much as I could about Lucifer. Yes, it continues; I just want to be well informed. I try as much as possible to stay in the confines of the bible as nothing else can describe him in truth.

Satan, also called the adversary or the devil, is the enemy of all righteousness and of those who seek to follow God. He is a spirit son of God (something we have spoken about, Yes he was created by God, this in many places is termed a ‘handiwaork’ of our Father.) who was once an angel “in authority in the presence of God” (see Isaiah 14:12-15 How you have fallen from heaven,

    morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

    you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart,

    “I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

    above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b]

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

    I will make myself like the Most High.”

But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

    to the depths of the pit.). But in the premortal Council in Heaven, Lucifer, as Satan was then called, rebelled against God. Since that time, he has sought to destroy the children of God on the earth and to make them miserable.

Satan persuaded “a third part of the hosts of heaven” to turn away from the Father. As a result of this rebellion, Satan and his followers were cut off from God’s presence.

Heavenly Father allows Satan and Satan’s followers to tempt us as part of our experience in mortality (see 2 Nephi 2:11-14). Because Satan “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself, he and his followers try to lead us away from righteousness. He directs his most strenuous opposition at the most important aspects of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. For example, he seeks to discredit the Savior, to cast doubt on the power of the Atonement, to counterfeit the book ‘Revelations’, to distract us from the truth, and to contradict individual accountability. He attempts to undermine the family by confusing gender, promoting sexual relations outside of marriage, ridiculing marriage, and discouraging childbearing by married adults who would otherwise raise children in righteousness.

We know from Scripture that God is omniscient, which literally means “all-knowing.” Job 37:16; Psalm 139:2–4, 147:5; Proverbs 5:21; Isaiah 46:9-10; and 1 John 3:19–20 leave no doubt that God’s knowledge is infinite and that He knows everything that has happened in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future.

Looking at some of the superlatives in these verses—“perfect in knowledge”; “his understanding has no limit”; “he knows everything”—it is clear that God’s knowledge is not merely greater than our own, but it is infinitely greater. He knows all things in totality. If God’s knowledge is not perfect, then there is a deficiency in His nature. Any deficiency in God’s nature means He cannot be God, for God’s very essence requires the perfection of all His attributes.

First, we should understand that knowing Satan would rebel is not the same thing as making Satan rebel. The angel Lucifer had a free will and made his own choices. God did not create Lucifer as the devil; He created him good (Genesis 1:31).

In trying to understand why God created Satan, knowing he would rebel, we should also consider the following facts:

1) Lucifer had a good and perfect purpose before his fall. Lucifer’s rebellion does not change God’s original intent from something good to something bad.

2) God’s sovereignty extends to Satan, even in his fallen condition. God is able to use Satan’s evil actions to ultimately bring about God’s holy plan (see 1 Timothy 1:20 and 1 Corinthians 5:5).

3) God’s plan of salvation was ordained from eternity past (Revelation 13:8); salvation requires something to be saved from, and so God allowed Satan’s rebellion and the spread of sin.

4) The suffering that Satan brought into the world actually became the means by which Jesus, in His humanity, was made the complete and perfect Savior of mankind: “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered” (Hebrews 2:10).

5) From the very beginning, God’s plan in Christ included the destruction of Satan’s work (see 1 John 3:8).

Ultimately, we cannot know for sure why God created Satan, knowing he would rebel. It’s tempting to assume that things would be “better” if Satan had never been created or to declare that God should have done differently. But such assumptions and declarations are unwise. In fact, to claim we know better than God how to run the universe is to fall into the devil’s own sin of promoting himself above the Most High (Isaiah 14:13–14).

I can and will say that if created, one has the ability to decide. Our creations don’t always go the way they are meant to. There is so much to ‘absorb’. Satan for one decided on his own to rebel. Possibly God knew that he would. In the third of angels that he convinced to move over to his side, they were cast out of Heaven. We so often night think that why did God allow him to exist? The tree of Life was in the garden of Eden. If man had consumed of it, Was said prior, Adam and Eve would still be here.

There is more to this than meets the eye. Yes, there is very possibly a reason Adam and Eve were sent out and a Angel with a sword was placed at the ‘entrance’. With geography/constant shifting earth; just where would this be. If one could even tell you. Going would definitely be fatal.

What we are supposed to be able to surmise is the word of God is the Word of God. What He says is. And what He has created is. We can go back on our studies and realize that even when God allowed the flood to come in the days of Noah. He still conserved a fragment of the population. Yes, even though we have genes from Adam and Eve, they in turn came from the family of Noah.

Then, we might ask; why did those people go bad too? We need to take a close look.

The Flood story tells how Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, together with their wives, were saved from the Deluge to repopulate the Earth. Shem’s name means “name” or “fame”. Through Eber he became the ancestor of Abraham and thus of the Israelites.

Individuals do not have to give in to Satan’s temptations. Each person has the power to choose good over evil, and the Lord has promised to help all who seek Him through sincere prayer and faithfulness.

2.

Reason to be “Just”. I will launch straight in…

“The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. Psalm 18:20-24

No ‘lolligagging’ understood. Some of my ‘post’s’ were long. This says what it says. If any of you ‘want more’ let me know.

3.

The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

Eccl. 12:10.

Do you find that it is often a challenge to come up with “delightful words”? If so, you may need to enlarge your vocabulary. One way to do this is to take note of how words are used in the Bible. Learn the meanings of unfamiliar expressions. More important, learn how to use words in a way that helps others. Regarding the relationship between God and His Firstborn Son (We just have. To imagine existing for eternity and wanting to share this. Speaking and a “Son” was created). The reason I say this is because in the Scipture it defines God’s creations as the sons of God:

The Nephilim were on the Earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The first mention of “sons of God” in the Hebrew Bible occurs at Genesis 6:1-4.

We have spoken about this before, what God creates is termed an offspring which in our terms is “son” or “daughter”.

We might be a tad bit confused, bit in thinking about this closely, Jesus is called. The Son of God, begotten before time began, there is a distinct difference. If in fact an Angel could have stood in His place… We have already discussed how boisterous in Heaven when Jesus was born man. He was Spirit first and for eternity, before time existed. We read in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “

We can continue to follow this; when Jesus ascended to Heaven, within days the Holy Spirit was spread freely on man. Just as we are confused or perplexed by the term “Son”, just as He sent His only begotten Son. That term means so much.

Something is begotten when it’s been generated by procreation — in other words, it’s been fathered. A somewhat old fashioned adjective, begotten is the past participle of the verb beget, which means to father or produce as offspring.

True, Jesus existed before time began. But specifically what is meant by ‘begotten’ as we read, it is the product of a union, in this case, infant Jesus was placed in the wombbof Mary.

So many times, I might have been misdirected. Let us see what I mean. Mary was created for this purpose, to bear the essence of God-No other. His stepfather Joseph might have had other legal offspring. But so that people would not ‘talk’, he ‘married’ Mary.

Furthermore, why were the ‘brother and/or Sister’s mentioned in the entire bible

Those who hold this belief reject the claim that Jesus had biological siblings and maintain that these brothers and sisters received this designation because of their close association with the nuclear family of Jesus, and are actually either his cousins or children of Joseph from a previous marriage.

In the 3rd century, biological relatives on account of their connection with the nuclear family of Jesus, without explicit reference to brothers or sisters, were called the desposyni, from the Greek δεσπόσυνοι, plural of δεσπόσυνος, meaning “of or belonging to the master or lord”. The term was used by Sextus Julius Africanus, a writer of the early 3rd century.

4.

When I retire to bed every evening ruminating over life, I discovered that:

Sometimes, to succeed in life you need ENEMIES…. Yes!!!

You need people who will mock you, so that you can run to God.

You need people who will try to intimidate you, so that you can be courageous.

You need people who will say “NO” so that you can learn how to be independent…I mean how to do it yourself.

You need people who will disappoint you so that you can put all your trust in God alone.

You need people who will work towards you loosing that job, so that you can start your own big business.

You need people who will sell your ‘Joseph’ so that ‘you’ can get to Egypt and be a Prime Minister in a strange land of captivity.

You need a cruel landlord, so that you won’t be too comfortable in someone else’s house, then you can build your own house on time.

But sometimes, when we are disappointed, we feel very bad and we tend to remain on that spot. Not knowing that the end-point of disappointment is the beginning of your accomplishments.

Understand this, “that every disappointment you once had came with a blessing!” However, it is not everyone that partakes in this blessing that I’m talking about.

You cannot see a new OPEN door while you are still putting all your attention, time and energy in trying to force the closed one to open.

And again I say, “No disappointment can ever come without an attached blessing!”

So, when the disappointment come, thank God for it and tell “HIM” to open your eyes to see the new blessing that HE has for you!

Disappointment is PHASE 1 while accomplishment is PHASE 2.  I doubt if one can jump the protocols.

That is why it is called BREAKTHROUGH Something must BREAK so that you can go THROUGH!

GOD BLESS YOU REAL GOOD!

5.

All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

Are we called? Do we feel called by The Lord? So many times there are things things that might stand against us; people who will our failure or want to see us fall. There are so many ways to define this, essentially we stand in places at times that we are placed for ‘reason’s.’ Sometimes or decision making ‘habits’. Let me be you for a second (just a second). “Did I pray about this first?”, ” Did I seek the leading of The Spirit”, “Is it in The Lord’s will?”, “Will he be glorified by this action?”. Trust me, we can go on, But running across the verse above leads us to be able to lie back on and in Him. Our Father in Heaven.

So often I am struck by the wholeness of The Bible. Is there a topic that is not covered? Interestingly, when the testimonies of God’s grace and actions in the Lives of His people who have faith. It runs the gamut. Lets take a walk through a few; David and Goliath, I need not say more. But in this case it was faith. He in no way was supposed to win, with faith-He did! Let us look at some of our Goliath’s.

Bill’s, Problems at work, home school, Money…again we can say it ‘all’ without end. They are frankly our ‘Goliath’s’ in our lives, we stand in faith, just as David did. Remember, he was warned by so many; his bothers, King Saul and his men. They most likely watched from a ‘safe’ distance to see how it would end. I am definitely on the same side as the Isreali soldiers; watching and waiting for David to fall. “Poor young fool” they must have thought, felt or even said.

Place yourselves there in your minds eye. You are a ‘fighter’, well known for your prowess in battle. Along comes this ‘young buck’, to be killed by the champion of the Philistines. You would have said “They had best stop that ‘fool’ before he gets slaughtered.” But, to your chagrin they (the King and the officers) let him go! What’s more! “He isn’t wearing armor!!!” “This is going to be fast.” Was most likely the word around camp.

“What is that ‘fool’ doing?”

“What!!! He took stones from the brook?”

“This is sure going to be fast and tragic for his brothers who are with us.”

“Shhh! Not so loud, they are right there, they might hear you.”

“I guess he might think that we will sling a pebble toward that ‘hero’, that for days (weeks even) has taunted us.”

“You no what?”

“What???”

“It’s about time that they kill one of us So that we will accept that they won and…”

“Don’t mean to budge in, but whose house would you best serve in…”

“Guys, guys; he is heading out to meet him (Goliath)”.

“We had best look for his brothers and tell them how sorry we are.”

“You know what? He was too young to even enlist in the army!”

“I didn’t even ask what he used to do”

“Watch his fathers sheep.”

“What? Never fought in a battle?”

“Too young!!!”

“Like I said, fast and furious, we lose!”

In the distance they watched Goliath with a swagger approach David on the battlefield. He turns to his people and says “Look what they sent. A runt!”

On Goliaths side:

“It’s about time we stopped this show of force. We do nothing but parade our champ!”

“You know what? It’s about time this ended!”

“Are there any good-looking Isreqli women you have in mind? We might just go take our pick.”

“See this fool talking! We have been here on the battlefield. The last woman he saw was his wife.”

“Guys, guys. The little unseasoned runt is walking out to meet him.”

“Uhh! What does he have? No weapons???”

“I think the Jewish people sent him to be taken to end this fallacy.”

“Uhh! What’s he doing???”

David then reached into his knapsack, pulled out a stone and put it in his sling.

At that point Goliath laughed. A deep throaty guffaw. “This boy is truly a fool, I am a giant among men!”

As he reached back to choose which weapon would be fasted to behead the useless lad, David placed a stone in his sling. “Does he think…” David let the stone go. Mouths on both sides were agape. Goliath thought he would slap the stone away…

It hit him between the eyes. A quick though came to his rapidly failing thoughts “Was there someone who attacked from a distance while they used this runt to distract…”

He felt a pair of hands. “My nec…” And he was gone.

Meanwhile, David held up the head. The Jewish troops with a resounding roar grabbed their weapons and started attacking the fast retreating Philistines who left their belongings and tents…

You get the idea. Faith does a lot. So much!!! One cannot imagine. Name one thing that you really dream to accomplish. Got it? Well, its about time to “David” it. Our new term for faith in a hopeless situation.

I want to talk about Daniel in the Lions den; Shadach, Mesach and abdenego etc. The testimonies are known. So, I will ask, what is or are your testimonies?

I am aware that David was ‘festooned’ with armour that belonged to King Saul. He could not move! He would have been mowed down. Imagine this, He was on the battlefield, not able to walk straight. He would have been mowed down. But, he wasn’t. What will Your faith accomplish today?

Interestingly, we are to have faith in all our ways; what has that faith done for you? We can have a testimony booth.

6.

I actually was thinking (remembering the names of my God from when I was growing up, and remembered some of them.

El Shaddai – The Almighty

El-Elyon na Adonai – God in the Highest or the Highest, O Lord

Erkamka na Adonai – We will love you, O Lord

“Almighty God” (‘El Shaddaí). Towards the fourth century a. C., the Jews stopped pronouncing the name of God and replaced it by Adonai, “the Lord”.

Jehovah, …. This is my name for ever; This is my memorial for ever. “(Exodus 3:15, KJV)

“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” – Genesis 22:14 (KJV)

Elohim- The word most often used for God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim. The word is a topic of frequent theological discussion and defining. But what is often lacking is accurate and detailed information based on the biblical contexts in which the word is found.

7.

I actually was thinking (remembering the names of my God from when I was growing up, and remembered some of them.

El Shaddai – The Almighty

El-Elyon na Adonai – God in the Highest or the Highest, O Lord

Erkamka na Adonai – We will love you, O Lord

“Almighty God” (‘El Shaddaí). Towards the fourth century a. C., the Jews stopped pronouncing the name of God and replaced it by Adonai, “the Lord”.

Jehovah, …. This is my name for ever; This is my memorial for ever. “(Exodus 3:15, KJV)

“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” – Genesis 22:14 (KJV)

Elohim- The word most often used for God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim. The word is a topic of frequent theological discussion and defining. But what is often lacking is accurate and detailed information based on the biblical contexts in which the word is found.

Lord, thank You for my learning Your name and what You are in different tongues. I thank You for Your mercy and grace. Go before me and my Loved ones today. Bless us and make us whole, complete in you. Lord, where I stood and/or walked wrong, forgive me as I try to learn to forgive others. Lord, you say in Your word that if I am offering my requests up to You and am touched that there is someone I have something against. I should leave the offerings there and go settle my differences, Lord, I cast me thoughts back and each situation that has held back my blessings I let 100% off my plate, and by Your grace in Love do I make it right. Hold me Lord in Your bosom that I may be cloaked with Your glory. Lord, You have said that I should ask, believing and it is so. Lord, I thank You as You go before me today and fill the day with testimony in Jesus name. Thank You Lord, I pray in The name of The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen

8.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Psalm

Psalm 62:7

Salvation: sal·va·tion

salˈvāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.

“they try to sell it to us as economic salvation”

synonyms:lifeline, preservation

2. In theology: Deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ.

synonyms:redemption, deliverance, reclamation

“salvation by way of repentance”

glo·ry

ˈɡlôrē/

noun

1. High renown or honor won by notable achievements.

“to fight and die for the glory of one’s nation”

synonyms:renown, fame, prestige, honor, distinction, kudos, eminence, acclaim, praise; celebrity, recognition, reputation; informalbouquets

“a sport that won him glory”

2. Magnificence or great beauty.

“the train has been restored to all its former glory”

synonyms:magnificence, splendor, resplendence, grandeur, majesty, greatness, nobility; opulence, beauty, elegance

“a house restored to its former glory”

verb

1. Take great pride or pleasure in.

“they were individuals who gloried in their independence”

synonyms:take pleasure in, revel in, rejoice in, delight in; relish, savor; congratulate oneself on, be proud of, boast about, bask in; informalget a kick out of, get a thrill out of

“we gloried in our independence”

We can definitely go on. But being that we all use these words a lot, I felt it was time to ‘look into’ them, so that in quoting, it is accurate. Folks, to God be the glory for the things He has done. With His Son He has saved us, with His power He has reached and received us! To God our El Shaddai be the glory for the things He has done.

El Shaddai (Hebrew: אֵל שַׁדַּי‎‎, IPA: [el ʃaˈdːaj]) or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. El Shaddai is conventionally translated as God Almighty but the construction of the phrase fits the pattern of the divine appellations in the Ancient Near East and as such can convey various types of semantic relations between these two words: El of a place known as Shaddai, El possessing the quality of shaddai or El who is also known as Shaddai – exactly as is the case with the names like “’El Olam”, “’El Elyon” or “’El Betel”

9.

I decided to study and find out as much as I could about Lucifer. Yes, it continues; I just want to be well informed. I try as much as possible to stay in the confines of the bible as nothing else can describe him in truth.

Satan, also called the adversary or the devil, is the enemy of all righteousness and of those who seek to follow God. He is a spirit son of God (something we have spoken about, Yes he was created by God, this in many places is termed a ‘handiwaork’ of our Father.) who was once an angel “in authority in the presence of God” (see Isaiah 14:12-15 How you have fallen from heaven,

    morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

    you who once laid low the nations!

You said in your heart,

    “I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

    above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b]

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

    I will make myself like the Most High.”

But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

    to the depths of the pit.). But in the premortal Council in Heaven, Lucifer, as Satan was then called, rebelled against God. Since that time, he has sought to destroy the children of God on the earth and to make them miserable.

Satan persuaded “a third part of the hosts of heaven” to turn away from the Father. As a result of this rebellion, Satan and his followers were cut off from God’s presence.

Heavenly Father allows Satan and Satan’s followers to tempt us as part of our experience in mortality (see 2 Nephi 2:11-14). Because Satan “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself, he and his followers try to lead us away from righteousness. He directs his most strenuous opposition at the most important aspects of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. For example, he seeks to discredit the Savior, to cast doubt on the power of the Atonement, to counterfeit the book ‘Revelations’, to distract us from the truth, and to contradict individual accountability. He attempts to undermine the family by confusing gender, promoting sexual relations outside of marriage, ridiculing marriage, and discouraging childbearing by married adults who would otherwise raise children in righteousness.

We know from Scripture that God is omniscient, which literally means “all-knowing.” Job 37:16; Psalm 139:2–4, 147:5; Proverbs 5:21; Isaiah 46:9-10; and 1 John 3:19–20 leave no doubt that God’s knowledge is infinite and that He knows everything that has happened in the past, is happening now, and will happen in the future.

Looking at some of the superlatives in these verses—“perfect in knowledge”; “his understanding has no limit”; “he knows everything”—it is clear that God’s knowledge is not merely greater than our own, but it is infinitely greater. He knows all things in totality. If God’s knowledge is not perfect, then there is a deficiency in His nature. Any deficiency in God’s nature means He cannot be God, for God’s very essence requires the perfection of all His attributes.

10.

After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.

So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.

That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.

The whole town gathered at the door to watch.

So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Later Simon and the others went out to find him.

When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.”

So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

Mark 1:29-39

We see in fact that Jesus was The King of the Jews. He healed and made whole. But, importantly he did not keep it only to Jews. He touched everyone. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick and healed. Not only was she healed, she cooked a meal for them. I am sure this required focus and energy; getting everything just right.

Moreover, I want to point out the the demons in the ‘possessed’ people knew Who He was. We can look back in His-story. There was a meeting of the Angels in God’s presence, where Lucifer appeared and asked to tempt Job, upon whose Spirit, God had encircled. The point here is that after the temptations of Jesus by Lucifer, it was clear that He; though in human form was who they thought Him to be. What meeting do you imagine that the fallen Angels had? To the point that they knew just who he was. Even later they knew who Jesus was and who the Apostle Paul and what authority each had through The blessing of God and The authority that was bequested in faith, we read:  “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Acts 19:13-16

We might act in line with the authority given by El Shadai in Heaven. In faith we can step out, If it falters or is lacking, we should take the time to shore it up. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Lord Heavenly Father, in The Name of Jesus teach me just what You want me to do. In Your Word Jesus says “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Father in The Name of Jesus, allow us to do Your will that You may be glorified. Touch us, inspire us, use us. Lord that we may build up our riches in glory. Lord we feel it in our Spirits when we say that we shall be moving about with a six pack of blessings in Your presence in Jesus’ name, Amen

After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.

So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.

That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.

The whole town gathered at the door to watch.

So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Later Simon and the others went out to find him.

When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.”

So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

Mark 1:29-39

We see in fact that Jesus was The King of the Jews. He healed and made whole. But, importantly he did not keep it only to Jews. He touched everyone. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick and healed. Not only was she healed, she cooked a meal for them. I am sure this required focus and energy; getting everything just right.

Moreover, I want to point out the the demons in the ‘possessed’ people knew Who He was. We can look back in His-story. There was a meeting of the Angels in God’s presence, where Lucifer appeared and asked to tempt Job, upon whose Spirit, God had encircled. The point here is that after the temptations of Jesus by Lucifer, it was clear that He; though in human form was who they thought Him to be. What meeting do you imagine that the fallen Angels had? To the point that they knew just who he was. Even later they knew who Jesus was and who the Apostle Paul and what authority each had through The blessing of God and The authority that was bequested in faith, we read:  “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Acts 19:13-16

We might act in line with the authority given by El Shadai in Heaven. In faith we can step out, If it falters or is lacking, we should take the time to shore it up. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

11.

And we share: “Praise be to the Lord,

for he has heard my cry for mercy.”

In times of need, He is right there, all we need do is call out (even cry out) He hears you.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; not only is He the reason we walk (ambulate in ‘Medical terms’), but God is the source of our rising this and every day. Not only does he cover us from the unknown, but from the known quarry. We might appear as fodder, but we have a God in whose arms we are Lovingly at peace. Hallelujah!

My heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

Each time I realize I am in His grace, I shout Alleluia.

And my heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise him.

The Lord is the strength of his people,

a fortress (we dwell in His presence, roundabout we are fortified by His provision under His wings) of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalm 28:6-8

12.

Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you?

We proclaim it and do not realize the weight of this ‘statement’, this fact.

The verse then goes on to say: If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy; and you are that temple.

There are many ways by which we can do this: drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality…in truth, let The Spirit be your guide, not the ‘word’s’ of one or many. Weigh your actions by The Word of God. Does it fit in, or do you stuff it to fit? Remember, that which you sow, you shall reap.

There is no room for self-delusion. Any one of you who thinks he is wise by worldly standards must learn to be a fool in order to be really wise.

1 Corinthians 3:16-22.

Let no one deceive [or delude] himself.” If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age it is a delusion, don’t believe it. Many of the Corinthian believers considered themselves to be wise because of their accumulation of knowledge. The city of Corinth was a major center of learning and of Greek philosophy. And they believed they were spiritual because the gifts of the Spirit were at work among them. And this was one of their main problems as a church; they were puffed up with pride and looked down at other believers who they perceived to be inferior to themselves. But in reality they had nothing to be proud about. What they considered to be wisdom was in reality foolishness and what they believed to be evidence of their spirituality (their spiritual gifts) was in reality only evidence of God’s grace and mercy bestowed upon an undeserving people.

Let’s go back to the opening line of verse 18, “Let no one deceive himself”. This passage speaks just as much to believers today as it did back then. What is the deception that we must beware of? It is the deception of measuring our wisdom against the standard of the world.

13.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins. Hallelujah!: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. The Lord be praised!

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us.

As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear Him

Psalm 103:9-13

In these verses, we can appreciate God as a Father. Let us look at the Love of God as a Mother:

Genesis 1:27 Women and Men created in God’s image

“Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.”

Hosea 11:3-4 God described as a mother

God: “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I who took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.”

Hosea 13:8 God described as a mother bear

“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…”

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle

“Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.”

Deuteronomy 32:18 God who gives birth

“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

Isaiah 66:13 God as a comforting mother

God: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 49:15 God compared to a nursing mother

God: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”.

There are so many more. My challenge to you today is to find where and what it says about God, He is found in all. We essentially were made in His image.

There are essentially no ‘parts’, we are of one body, and as we come in further understanding of The Word, we are blessed to see that we are ‘one body’: So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:12,13

We then see that we are parts of Him, and by His grace, Him in us. So, to our God be glory forever. We should then learn to treat each other well. It is God’s will.

Next we will discuss how the whole Law or should I say, the old law is summarized in the teachings of Christ-Love.

14.

Today, we will have a challenge. We shall state fact. The question is: “Is it from The Word? Or just fact?” That is left for you to figure out.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.

15.

When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before You Father.

Yet I am always with You;

Father, You hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me into Glory.

Whom have I in Heaven but You?

And Earth has nothing I desire besides You.

Psalm 73:21-25

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in His love He will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

Our Lord sings??? We have to realize the He created musical verse, instruments, sound! We are made in the Heavenly peoples image. In this verse, I am sure it his whole Self that sings with Joy. We were rebuked and made the decision to come to Him. Father, be glorified in every second of my existence I pray in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah! Father hold me in Your Loving arms. Make me whole before You in Jesus’ name.

To share a little verse I became aware of was when Paul was ministering, and I share it below:

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Acts 19:13-16

16.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

“This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long,

This is my story, this is my song,

I in my Savior, I am happy and rested, and I will praise my Savior all the day long.”

Reasons to thank and praise The Lord, our Father:

1. Today.

2. We made it through yesterday. There may/might have been challeges; but here we are. The praises will go up to God, because no matter what; here we are.

3. Tomorrows. All our years to come are in Him. A definite reason to learn to trust God and rest in Him daily.

17. (A bit long)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 11:10

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7

I set out to do a bible study on the ‘concept’ “fear”, one thing came to mind. The word “fear” (can mean knowledge, understanding, respect and more) of The Lord is a start to so many things.

Fear: A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence. a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.

Fear of the Lord” generally refers to a specific sense of respect, awe, and submission to a deity, while Fear of God suggests apprehension of Divine punishment.

We have ‘shared’ and will once again, there are so many events in The Bible where the presence of God was so overpowering that people essentially were affected and effected. It brings one to their knees. Some examples:

(i) Mary (The sister of Martha who sat at the feet of Jesus after He raised Lazarus from the dead) – An Increasing Appreciation

(ii) Asaph – A New Perspective. Psalm 73 details Asaph’s experience, and the effect upon him of entering ‘the sanctuary of God’, v. 17. The psalm is divided by this verse. In the first sixteen verses, we see a man judging according to man’s estimation; in the closing verses we learn the effect of seeing the same conditions from the presence of God.

(iii) Elijah – A Fearless Testimony. A Fearless Testimony

According to 1 Kings 17.1, Elijah stands fearlessly before the wicked king Ahab because he recognizes that he is in the presence of the Lord God of Israel, He goes into the presence of one who has set himself to kill the prophets of the Lord, 1 Kgs. 18. 13, and leaves untouched and untraceable.

(iv) Moses – A Changed Image. In Exodus 34, we read of the second period of forty days that Moses spent in the mount with the Lord. At the end, we read, ‘Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone’, v. 29. The first part of the statement teaches us that the effect of spending time in the presence of God will not always be apparent to ourselves.

We must stop here and realize that the testimony of Moses goes far beyond this.

A friend loveth at all times…” Proverbs 17:17

Your best friend is the one who knows the worst about you, and loves you just the same, and that best friend is God, the Lord Jesus Christ who sticks closer than a brother. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

The true source, foundation, and example of friendship is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see that Moses would leave the ‘camp’ and meet and discourse with God.

I’m sure that we would love to know the experience of Adam and Eve. It says that His footsteps were heard and they hid.

I will further note that in His image we were created.

There is ‘wildlife’ to which we bear no resemblance. Yes, some might say that we bear a few similarities with baboons, apes and/or monkeys. They do not possess the ability to think and or do as we do. So, yes! We are created in the image of God

When I think of the Heavenly host, I am in my mind taken to a place where size does in no way account for anything/matter; in fact the more Spiritual minded we are and ‘exercise’ our faith, the ‘bigger’ spiritually we get.

When we are in Heaven, it is a different plane and we do not consume. In The Bible it speaks of ‘healing waters’:  Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. Ezekiel 47:1

We can actually see that there are a ‘ton’ of other verses that say the exact same thing, and we read:

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:14

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

Ezekiel 36:25

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 7:38

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation

Isaiah 12:3

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Revelation 22:1

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.

Isaiah 49:10

In the time to come, we will not ‘need’ to feed, we will be fed by and on The Glory of God. In the garden of Eden, because they were human, they needed to eat of the land, and they did as do we. To show you what I shared about the presence of God. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden Genesis 3:8

Not only that but Moses saw The Glory of The Lord:

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” Exodus 34:18-23

Isn’t it literally amazing and fantastic that Moses was deemed a ‘companion’ of The Lord. But even then, he slipped as we all do and something was taken away from him.

In leading the people of Israel to the ‘promised land’, Moses stepped wrong. Saw the promised land from a distance, but did not set foot there while alive. “I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey” Exodus 3:17. This promise wasn’t specifically to any one person, but the nation as a whole. But it never was a given that God would bring people no matter what. People were expected to obey God.

Moses and Aaron lost the privelege of the entering because they disobeyed God.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” Numbers 20:7-12.

Moses made two mistakes: He added to God’s command by striking the rock even though God didn’t say anything about it. But worse, Moses said that he and Aaron were bringing forth the water. He did not give God the credit. Because of their sin, they lost the privilege of entering the land of Canaan.

This is an important lesson for all of us. No one is so important that God must save the person. We are all promised a place in heaven. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. But we are expected to be obedient to God. “For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

As an aside, we see so many places that the number 40 appears in The Scripture. Jesus fasted for 40 days and we read on the rest:

The number 40 shows up often in the Bible. Because 40 appears so often in contexts dealing with judgment or testing, many scholars understand it to be the number of “probation” or “trial.” This doesn’t mean that 40 is entirely symbolic; it still has a literal meaning in Scripture. “Forty days” means “forty days,” but it does seem that God has chosen this number to help emphasize times of trouble and hardship.

Here are some examples of the Bible’s use of the number 40 that stress the theme of testing or judgment:

In the Old Testament, when God destroyed the earth with water, He caused it to rain 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12). After Moses killed the Egyptian, he fled to Midian, where he spent 40 years in the desert tending flocks (Acts 7:30). Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18). Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days.

18.

“Mary” the name/word is mention 54 times in 46 verses. This includes every Mary mentions (Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, etc.). There were several women named Mary mentioned in the New Testament because in NT times is was a super popular name for girls/women.

there two different Joseph’s in the Bible?

Joseph is the name of several men in the Bible: Joseph (son of Jacob) in the Book of Genesis, and the tribe named after him. Saint Joseph (1st-century BC–1st-century AD), husband of Mary. Joseph of Arimathea (died 1st-century), according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus.

19.

To focus on one thing specifically; many people have what they serve. Love of money, wealth even food. In all it is called “good living”, though In truth it is living in sin. A verse that closely resembles what we are saying, we have spoken of before:

1 Corinthians 6:10 – “nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 15:27 – “Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.”

Even, we can take it a step further:

Titus 1:7 – “For an overseer (Elder of the church), as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.”

We see that it is ‘advised’ to steer clear of that which trips us up. In reading-

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Psalm 96:5

It was pointed out that this might have been in the past. But in our time it is the things that take our attention from The Lord. These in essence amount to the gods of cold. They hold/have our attention and our efforts.

If in fact, our Father, our God In Heaven made the earth, the cosmos and all within it. Isn’t it better to focus our time and attention on Him? Just saying. So, as a quick reminder, let us keep our focus on Him.

Father Lord, thank You for this day. For all we have, for all we have been blessed with. Lord, keep my focus on You that I may serve You and only You. Father Lord. I commit this day, this time into Your holy, caring and Loving arms. Touch me, fill me, hold me, complete me. I commit my Loved ones into Your hands in Jesus’ name, Amen

20.

Today’s sharing will be based on Joseph, not the step-dad of Jesus, but Joseph son of Bilhah and Zilpah. He was 17 and with his brothers did some things that were not right, he even told his parents Genesis 37:2 “When Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.”

To hurry this along, one day he was sent to bring report of how his brothers faired while they watch the flock. When he went to the place they had been, he was told they had moved on, and he went to them. Seeing him coming, the contemplated killing him but he was fended for by his brother Reuben. Who knew that word one way or another would reach their father. They then threw him in a pit to die of starvation. But just then traders were passing by, so they decided to barter him off to the traders.

Again, we haven’t reached the ‘weren’t part yet. In returning home, they soiled his cloak (the multi-colored tunic given him by his father) with the blood of one of their herd and delivered the ‘bad’ news that Joseph had been slain by wild animals.

Joseph was then sold into slavery in Egypt and was purchased by Potiphar “Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king’s official in charge of the palace guard.”

In Portiphars home he did well and was promoted. Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal assistant, putting him in charge of his house and all of his property. v. 39:4

Not only was he placed in charge but he was a ‘dreamer’.  One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream. We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”

His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.

Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”

When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down in front of you?”

Genesis 37:5-11

Portiphar’s wife became a problem. Joseph was well-built and handsome,  and Potiphar’s wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her,  but he refused and said, “My master isn’t worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns. No one in my master’s house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn’t given me is you, and that’s because you are his wife. I won’t sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this.”

We should note he gave glory to God for what he had. Do we? More so, a lot to learn, he adamantly refused to get involved. See, he might have been killed for doing ‘wrong’, he knew what was right and kept to it strictly. Once again, do we? Moving curtly along.

One day, Joseph went to Potiphar’s house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there. Potiphar’s wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, “Make love to me!” Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat.

When this happened, she called in her servants and said, “Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me.”

Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s coat until her husband came home. Then she said, “That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house.”

Potiphar became very angry and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were kept. He could and should have killed him for what he was accused of, but God had greater plans for our ‘dreamer’.

In prison, not was he the ‘dreamer’ but the interpreter of dreams.

21.