Freely Give

Therefore do my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

John 10:17-18;1 John 3:16;2 Cor. 9:7;Matt 11:12;Psa. 140:1

Why do people say that we are the violent that should take the kingdom of God by force? Jesus didn't say that we are violent, we are like sheep, meek, we are not forceful.  God doesn't make us lay down our lives, Jesus laid down his life on his own, and by his own terms, saying to Judas, "What you do, do quickly". Then He said when the soldiers came to get him, "If you seek me, let these go their way".  And Jesus also said, "If my kingdom was of this world, then should my servants fight that I wouldn't have been delivered to the Jews, but my kingdom is not from here, because we are not of this world, that is violent.  He didn't let them take him by force, he laid his life down, when he was ready.  That is why God loves him because Jesus kept his Father's commandment but Jesus was cheerfully giving his life.  We say that God is making us give up things, this is not true, the devil is the accuser, God allows us to have a "will" to give when we want to...the story of the sons that was commanded to go and do this or that, the first said "I go sir", but didn't do it, but the other son said "I won't go", but he repented and went, saying the last son, did the bidding of his father.  So we are not forced, that is why God has long patience for us not willing that any perish, waiting to received the precious fruit of the earth.  The bride made herself ready.  Amen.

FAITH is GOD

Faith, is the Substance of the Thing that is Hoped For.

Faith, is the Evidence of the Thing that is Not Seen.

Faith, is the Proof of the Invisible.

Faith, is the Knowing of the Existence.

Faith, without Works, is Dead.

Faith, Comes from Hearing God's Spoken Word.

Faith, is that Living Bread that Came Down from God.

For Without Faith it is impossible to please God,

And now abides Faith, Hope, Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is Charity.

1 Cor. 13:13

For he or she that comes to God, must believe that God is, and that God is a Rewarder to them that Diligently Seek God.

The World Is The Lord's

The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which have made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and have translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.

Psa. 24:1;John 3:16;1 John 2:15-17;John 3:17;Col. 1:12-20

No Racism In God's Church

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined doing. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.So the Lord scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from there did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

...for in his days was the earth divided....  These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because my word have no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says unto them, If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man that have told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to you, saying, I repent; you shalt forgive him.

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God have not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who have also given unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

So when they had dined, Jesus says to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loves you me more than these? He says unto him, Yea, Lord; you know that I love you. He says unto him, Feed my lambs.

Gen. 11:1-9;Gen. 10:25&32;Gen. 17:4-6;John 8:37-40;Luke 17:1-4;1 Thes. 4:4-8;John 13:35;John 21:15

Overcoming

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

Not withstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Mark 16:20;Luke 10:20;1 John 5:5

Jesus Is The Name

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon you liest, to you will I give it, and to your seed;And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places where you would go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Who have ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who have bound the waters in a garment? Who have established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and What is his son's name, if you can tell?

And no man have ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Wherefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Jesus says unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.

Gen. 28:12-17;Prov. 30:4;John 3:13;Eph. 4:8-10;John 20:17;Acts 1:8-11

God Will Quicken You

That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and do deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

(As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were.

For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens whom he will.

It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Rom. 10:9;2 Cor. 1:9-10;2 Cor. 3:5;2 Cor. 4:14;Rom. 4:17;John 5:2;John 6:63;Rom. 8:11;2 Cor. 4:7

Comfort Yourselves

Comfort you, comfort you my people, says your God.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do.

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Isa. 40:1;2 Cor. 1:3-6;1 Cor. 14:3;1 Thes. 4:13-18;1 Thes. 5:4-11;2 Thes. 1:4-10;John 14:16-18

Can Germs Make You Sick? No.

And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands often, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables.  And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he said unto them, Are you so without understanding also? Do you not perceive, that what so ever thing from without enters into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it enters not into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Mark 7:2-4+14-23;Psa. 91:1-4

PESTILENCE. pes'-ti-lens (debher; loimos): Any sudden fatal epidemic is designated by this word, and in its Biblical use it generally indicates that these are divine visitations: A snare of a fowler is a to trap birds, speaking of COVID19.

The Lord's Sheep

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.  You prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: you anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd give his life for the sheep.  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catch them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is an hireling, and cares not for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.  As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.  Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Psa. 23:1-6;John 10:7-18;John 10:27-30;John 6:65-69