Testimony of a Witness

"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." I Peter 2:24 

Healing Verse Encouraging Faith

 "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." ~ Isaiah 53:4-5

Divine Drama in John

Favorite Verses

The opening verses of the Book of John rank in my view as one of the most incredibly important series of verses in the entire Bible, right up to where John abruptly, dramatically, talks about to John the Baptist. The book of John also contains, the high priestly prayer, in Chapter 17. I reread all these verses quite regularly as deep into my heart as I can, being the first bookmarks to be tabbed in my newest Kindle. Also, chapter 11in Hebrews is the single short standout verse defining faith. The foundation of everything is for me, built on faith. Here the KJV is best, but with the "thee" and "thou" edited.

The breath of God breathes Existence

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. Psalm 33:12

 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 33:6

Now these are two choice verses that better meet my favorite category than the previous entry did. I like them better because whenever there is any reference of God's breath, or of His speech, I think His Holy Spirit, being mentioned, makes me feel close to Him. Lately also I am enjoying the praise and rejoicing in Psalms that I'm reading in my new Kindle. However, am finding it more cumbersome getting them into Manna. 

Was Jesus murdered?

 I've heard the view expressed, the view that God was murdered by the Italians. Italian is terminology found more than once in the King James. However, in the very context itself, murdered is not true, if John 10:17-18 is to be believed. Jesus says first that the Father loves Him because He (Jesus) lays down His life that He may take it up again. How else would our sins been forgiven?

"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down of my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." John 10:18

Since God is existence, He is also love by definition

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." John 18:15.

Years ago, quite often people became committed to asylums with mental breakdowns driven there by abuse of their families. Whether true or not, they would tell my mother how they could not withstand the hate they were subjected by them. This is one verse my mother told them, that Jesus was hated before they were, and it seemed to release them. Not a few nurses seemed to react with patients as difficult adversaries. My mother however, was referred to as the love nurse, and patients always tried to help her. 

When overwhelmed

 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; He brought me to a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me He is my helper. Psalm 118:5-7 The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Psalm 118:18

I cannot vouch too strongly for the severely, but I am thankful for the spacious place. Accordingly, I sense this is a reflecting moment for closeness with Jesus. When praying I am often focused on being thankful and forget to articulate more pressing problems as I intended.

Marking up my Bible

 I have seen Bibles that were so marked up and underlined that nothing stood out. I never mark up my Bibles. I never carry around for people to see my reading Bible. It is full of clear bookmarks that do not obscure any words. The colored tabs of these bookmarks stand out so I can reread verses that mean something to me instantly. 

Truth of being honest with God

 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Luke 12:2

I always wondered that this verse might be referring. I think it is deeper than it appears. Everything once existed, exists forever. That I believe, is the scientific view. The water boils and eventually in an illusion disappears with the steam. 

The flesh cannot help us Jesus said.

 Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of God. Romans 10:17

This is the only definition of how to acquire faith of which I am aware. My belief, that is to say my own belief, is like I am filling and locking my mind so that I am building a base in my faith for it to grow stronger. That is my thought. It means I should read more often, and longer. The body is very short term while the spirit is forever. 

Praise lifts me up no matter what

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved. for you are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 

Something I tend to kind of forget, praise is important to healing, and persistent praise is even more important. There is no time limit. I think because there is no time. Time is temporal, eternity is forever. The flesh is temporal, the spirit is forever.

Guardian angel?

 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying "This is the way, walk in it," Isaiah 30:21

 To the simple words Try on more time, I answered "Ok" and reaching up my hand, immediately felt the gutter underneath the top of the swimming pool. I catapulted myself to safety from drowning with the sense of water sour in my stomach. Shoved from behind into the deep end of a swimming pool, when I stopped struggling exhausted, I think now I was floating upward when the voice spoke and I answered as if all was natural. I was maybe fifteen, part of a church sponsored basketball event. I do not recall I ever spoke about it until I emerged from my college atheism years. Even then I did not realize what it all meant. After all who would believe what I was talking about anyway? Now I consider myself a witness, and today am witnessing for my own benefit. All others can consider their own benefit.

 

No one between us and God

 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! 1 John 3:1

I count this a great simple comforting verse. Talk about hiding in the shadow of the all mighty! Great for meditating or reminiscing about. It gives us authority to speak with boldness with no restrictions, or having to go through intermediaries. This is courage, the boldness that comes alongside the Holy Spirit.

Seeking more faith

There are many ways to gain faith but I like the best only one. That is, by myself, all alone, reading the Bible. But not just reading anywhere I want to go to the most powerfully written ones. They are the ones I like. There are a lot of them is the Psalms. There is where people go for more. More emotion and more into stronger faith. 

I used to have a red letter Bible, with only the words of Jesus in it. But I have misplaced it. Like many I suppose I read the most when I need it the most. I used to read the ones about healing, but I am fading on that score perhaps since I read Jesus words about the body will not help me. 

My focus is moving more toward the spirit and the Holy Spirit. I sense power in the Holy Spirit. I wish I could memorize more but I have to read. I tried listening to the Word but found my thoughts picking up on a good passage only to fall behind the reader. Scourby is the best. One word comes to me often. That word  is diligent. I want more, more faith and more diligence. The Bible is the only place I know of to go.

One never knows...

      ...when the blow may fall

There are many wonderfully written, very deep verses in the Bible. But it is a challenge for anyone I personally found, who was unfamiliar where they are, to discover them when I need them. One soon can get tired reading verses with little personal background to appreciate them. I myself long felt I should always carry healing verses with me in case I am suddenly informed of dangerous physical situations in a doctor's office. Eventually I learned not to count on the body. .Jesus said the body will not help me. "One never knows when the blow may fall." However, knowing them can build faith. 

The arrow that flies by day

 He who 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 I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. Psalm 91:1-4 

This Holy Scripture I read and reread above is by itself seen alone as a moving revelation of the great fountainhead of power of truth of the Holy Spirit all through whom it comes.

A good Psalm standing by itself

The 27th Psalm is a great read because its' beauty is spread throughout the Psalm, rather than concentrated in short dramatic meanings as in other famous Psalms. It is likely written for David, and edited by him, much like a speech written for a President of today. The Psalm asks whom shall I fear? David extols God who will hide him in the secret place of His tent. Good reading if one feels embattled by a group. The power comes out greater according to the passion that goes into it.

Grace and truth are very deep

The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

That verse shows how great Jesus is and reading this next one over and over is faith absorping.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! 1 John 3:1

I am who I am

 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 

15God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.…Exodus 3:14 Berean Study Bible · 

Keep on believing...

I love those who love me, and those whe seek me diligently will find me. Proverbs 8:17 

Wondering about sin and sickness...

What does it mean?

Often when Jesus healed someone He said, be healed according to your belief, then several times I recall, also said go and sin no more. 

I think the first link is important to emphasize, that is, the  link between  our belief and Jesus' belief. But the second, the mentions of sickness and sin makes me wonder why I never hear anything about this comment. I think there are may be more than one such comments no one wants to take on, or more likely, do not understand. I have not gotten very far at all myself. 

The animate and the inanimate

I seek and admire the wording in Biblical words rather than  the words chosen, even to say the same things, from within physical science. It is a bald contrast between the spiritual words in the unseen, that are not picked up in the seen of physical science. There is so much power in the ancient's chosen unseen expressions, overlooked in the seen.

No news is good news

It is important to remember that God wants us to love, obey and worship Him because He is the spiritual fountainhead of all existence. He is all good just as existence is good. It is for our benefit that He wants us to experience Him. God said, according to the Holy Spirit, I believe in the Old Testament, that He puts before us life and death. He asks us to choose Life. However the greater attention it seems, comes from those who on their own or influenced by strange spirits, sow destructions.

How faith becomes substance

Jesus said the flesh
can not help us.

as the seen comes from the unseen     

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...Without faith it is impossible to please God..." Hebrews 11:1,6 

I like the KJV, I think it is, with the words substance and evidence.  The substance of my hope is faith working. If I can please my God of Existence, my faith will not return to me void but will exist. I notice that while the mind controls the body, or else the body controls the mind, that the spirit, born as it were again, controls forever in the manner in which I fed it.

We only have faith to work with..

 

Arose from the dead

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

If I am hungry, and that hungry enough for the word of God, and if I am up against enough opposition I will build faith to overcome, with diligence, all doubt and wavering.

Ask without wavering

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea and tossed by the wind. James:5-6 

My second epiphany

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying "This is the way, walk in it," Isaiah 30:31 

The words, over my right shoulder, said, "Try one more time." I did and immediately my hand hooked over the inside gutter of the swimming pool, and propelled me out of the deep water to safety. I'd accepted my death without any evidence of regret or fear by drowning and thought those at my funeral would say he was so young. My struggling had kept me down but in giving up, exhausted and gulping water, I'd floated to the top when I heard the words behind me. I was circa fifteen. 

Matthew 25:...40,

As if?

Perspectives change

Jesus said in one of His parables, "Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me.'" This is my view of how we should talk to each other, "as if!".

All things seen came from the unseen

Born Again

Entering the Unseen 

 Below is still another reference to the seen and the unseen which I visited previously and so attracts me, perhaps because I was never introduced to any concept of my spirit, in a life time in church. Yet this was the theme of Jesus ministry! How can anything be more important than our spirit and the Holy Spirit? Instead of coloring books in Sunday School this is what we should be teaching, instead of graduating as adults to so much perfect attendance pulpit talk. 

 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen, are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Taking Jesus at his word?

Jesus Speaking With Faith

or with figurative fancy?

One has to admit it requires a lot of faith to believe in Jesus being raised from the dead, and does not throwing mountains into the sea require a fair amount of faith as well? Those who figure Jesus was speaking figuratively must base this on some reason that has escaped me. How much is figurative and how much is fancy.  All or none? One has to decide where faith comes into that picture, I would think.  

Jesus Talking

If God Cannot Negate Himself

His Teachings Cannot Negate Him

 "If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea', it will be done. And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Mathew 21:21-22

Jehovah Jireh

 The Lord will provide. Genesis 22:14

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Building faith

Good begets Great

and it gets better

Reading the Bible gets better as I read it, particularly with regularity. A little bit of diligence has its' own reward. Seems like the more I do something the more I want to do it, as a sense elation grows within me. Just like I praise God if I feel like it, but especially to my own benefit when I don't feel like it. My overwhelming emotion is gratitude, thankful for God's existence and for the existence He has spoken into me.  

Psalm 103

 1Bless the LORD, O my soul;

all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and do not forget all His kind deeds—

3He who forgives all your iniquities

and heals all your diseases,

5who satisfies you with good things,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

When I leave my flesh behind, I believe in my spirit my youth will be renewed more wonderfully than I can conceive while in the flesh. What beautiful hope our future blessings we believe bring!

Groanings too deep to be uttered

....for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words....Romans 8;26 

For whom, He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. Romans 8:29  

Are there are those who believe there is anything true yesterday but not true today? Then where do they stop and start believing? Anything not true today was not true yesterday as well. Anything true yesterday is still true today or else how is the crucifixion still true for those believers? One has to be a grammatical gymnast of the highest order to turn truth on and off arbitrarily without so much as a wink. That which requires the greatest faith is surely the most precious to Existence Himself. 1:45pm August 26, 2021  

Expanding Faith

 The immediate verse below is a marvelously written passage from Hebrews, one of my favorite books alongside John. It summarizes the Christian experience beautifully, concentrating on Jesus, as was John, the love book.  It is in Hebrews where we read the definition of faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. I like one translation that renders assurance as "evidence". I am in love with expanding faith. Sunday Aug 15, 2021

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." I Peter 2:24

  

Healing Verses 

"Surely He has borne our grief's and sicknesses, and carried out sorrows and pains, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our inequities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

"And He...healed all that were sick: spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" Matthew 8:16-17 

This is where reading the word is important to me. I read and reread from my collection of healing verses. I set no time limits. I will persist forever. No matter what happens or when. 

The Wisdom Book

Proverbs 3:25-26 

Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor trouble from the wicked when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught. 

 Proverbs 16:9 (NET) – “A person plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Another famous Psalm

Psalm 91:1-7 He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. This is the Psalm where we are told not to be afraid of the arrow that flies by day. I love to read this Psalm over and over. This is my hope, how I program my thinking, building faith. 

How terrible is must be, to be without hope. I mean, like, forever and ever into eternity. The spirit, once existing, never dies. Even oblivion, in order to be aware of itself, has to exist. 

Famous quotes in

Psalm 118

The most famous phrase in 118, many times mentioned, is the stone that has been rejected has become the corner stone, often quoted. 

Then in verse 22, maybe 28, I believe, his love endures forever and all the other "endures", His love endures forever, His mercy endures forever. All in Psalm 118, long but these poetic refrain concepts hold it together perfectly.

I used to listen years ago to a preacher who mentioned Jesus Christ all through every single one of his sermons. When he was dying someone asked why he wasn't being healed. His response was God's mercy endures forever.

As for me, "When hard pressed I cried to the Lord and He brought me to a spacious place". I love that phrase, purely a perfect one for me personally, and in verse 17 I will not die but live. This too is good, but it is a long Psalm. Good for reading in the evening or as I usually do, this morning.

Renewing my youth like the eagle's

Psalm 103:1-5 is one of the great reading Psalms. It offers so much promise, and encouragement, but it also reads so well.  The Psalmist urges us not to forget all His benefits. The Lord redeems us, forgives us, crowns us, satisfies us, and renews us with good things. Saying this Psalm is strengthening to the spirit in my experience. Saying it makes me want to shout and lift my hands. Now all I need is to do it! Right now!

How strong is belief really?

Verses that picture the intended extent of one's belief must include Mark 11:22-24 as well as the Crucifixion. If the latter is so easy to be universally believed, then what about the former? Yet we find many who believe in Mark 11 Jesus was just using a figure of speech. 

Idle talk? I believe in belief however. It seems perfectly believable that with belief, if strong enough, God could create the world as He spoke it into existence in the beginning. Then strong enough belief can move mountains. I call the idea that Jesus was not serious about such a serious subject, a belief in Jesus, but denying His power.  

Our future points to what we say

 I like to read out loud for reasons based in the July 18th Sunset Stroller. 

Faith and fear

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans  10:17

I also, forgive me, also think faith comes by saying, speaking the word of God, which I suppose is pretty much the same thing. Faith always interests me, what it is and so forth, because it is quite literally POP, the point of purchase. 

I know there are various degrees of faith since Jesus spoke about little and great faith. I want as much as possible because I know I believe it on paper, but do I believe it in the foxhole? I am convinced we are directed, we are empowered, by our words in particular projecting our faith into the future. This is my view for myself at any rate. 

If some do not go along with my view then it does not reflect on any error in my view nor does it prove I am correct either. I think whatever we have faith for we will get in the future. 

If I do not believe in any existence for myself in the future then that is what I will get. Only catch is I will know I do not exist, and therefore outside existence and knowing it at the same time. That is as bad anything gets. We get what we believe, is essentially what I believe.  

Marking my favorites

I've been reading in Psalms recently and earmark my favorites that speak to me, as it were, personally. Psalms 90 and 91 come to mind recently, particularly the beautiful 91st. 

What God looks like

And God said.....

“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  Genesis 1:26

"Our" refers to .the Trinity I believe, as is everyone who is spiritually One in God as Jesus prayed in John 17. As I read this entire account it appears a better account than a physical science one because it is more poetic and spiritually powerful. But I do not see any natural controversy between  the two. The unseen version includes the seen view while the stand alone seen version merely lacks the beauty and power of the unseen view.

Power of the Tongue

James 3:1-12  is the best concentrated source of wisdom about the tongue in the entire Bible. God spoke the worlds into existence, worlds much greater than generations upon generations of people even could conceive.  Speaking is important for each of us as well I believe. Jesus asked questions of people who wanted to be healed to which He already  knew the answers. They had to speak back. Speaking brings life to words of the speaker. Words are powerful, more than I believe any of us realize. Notice how many times we read that God says in Genesis. I want to do as God says, but in the effort to be light hearted and humorous I often speak nonsense, I suppose to relieve tension. Sometimes excuses are also reasons.

You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God's. Mark 8:33

Unlike God, time figures into everything we think. It is not disputed that we have free will because we witness the continual practice of it. Why some seek to blame God for anything untoward that we ourselves introduce is a real blind eye, in my view. As Walt Kelly's Pogo said I have met the enemy and he is us. I, myself, look for forgiveness. God does not just forgive, he forgets outright. 

 I called upon the Lord in my distress, and he heard me from his Temple. My cry reached his ears. 1 Samuel 22:7

There are more ways to be wrong just as there are a million ways to die. But I wanted to be free and struggled for it from the beginning but, it seems now, mostly  as an observer. Freedom however, like wisdom, is heavy and scary in the foxhole, unlike on paper. Now I am hanging onto God so I can continue to exist. We are a long time dead, and a long time forgotten, together with all our other physical possessions.

 Your words are what sustain me. They are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. Jeremiah 15:16

Being down is good because it can cause me to look up, if I am willing. Suddenly a world conceived to change hints at an unsettling change coming. There is only one place for encouragement when there is a certain weariness in the wind.

My Hope is in God

Fountainhead of all existence

 No mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. 1Corinthians 2:9

This assumes a future state. It seems to me, and it may be, that hope rides ahead of faith preparing the way for future victories. What success can be expected from no hope, without  God, and the absence of the excitement of existence? We shall have to rely on the atheist view response. 

May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understandng of the patience that comes from Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 

Be glad for all god is planning for you. Romans 12:12

Our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us. 2 Corinthians 10:13 

My desire is to understand. Understanding is illusive sometimes, since I notice it changes, improves, is more clear and is by times more multidimensional than I realized previously.  Seeking, it continues to surprise me.

Facts give birth to more facts

What a shame - yes, how stupid- to decide before knowing the facts. Proverbs 18:13

Long after people die, those living discover new facts and this is repeated generation to generation. All the facts will never beknown because they keep on expanding as they multiply. We rely only on faith.  Just like the worlds out there all hanging, on nothing.

spirit is always a spirit

When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! Corinthians 5:17

This verse tells us there is a big change inside a person. That person feels wonderful but it does not mean that others feel outside as wonderful as the newly saved person feels inside. Heard JD Sumner bluntly tell it this way on television. When an idiot becomes saved he is a saved idiot. 

God has secured me in a safe place

As for me, I look to the Lord for his help. I wait for God to save me. He will hear me. Micah 7:7 

I concentrate on words written before hand by the Holy Spirit, and I magnify them in my heart. I trust Him no matter what. He will take evil and make it good, because He is good, because good is existence, and that is His nature.

Trust him all the time. Pour out your longings before him.

Psalm 61:8 

I will always trust Him forever. No matter what I feel, no matter what appearances loom up before me to consume, no matter how worse it gets, because the seen world, like a March snowstorm, fades quickly, and the unseen is coming conquering no matter what.

Just the hope alone

 is itself worth it all

There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for awhile down here. 1 Peter 1:6 

This is the hope that keeps me going. My flesh is closer to the end than my beginning. 

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. Lamentations 3:25

I do not like to see anyone left out by the many. I do not like to see many be ugly to one.

Searching diligently!

Psalm 105:4  Search for him and for his strength, and keep on searching! 

I like the "keep on" part. In the unseen spiritual realm strength comes through the power of the spirit, i.e., from the fountainhead of the Holy Spirit. Personally I view the Holy Spirit as an active member of the Trinity that I seem to relate to in critical times in the manner of a revelation. 

Faith and belief

 Anything is possible if you have faith.  Mark 9:23

Now who said this I wonder? The same that said if one had enough faith they could move mountains into the sea. We know He could do it. Recall the boy who His disciples could not heal? This kind do not heal without much prayer and fasting, He said. 

So there is little faith and also great faith. Do I have enough faith in Him to move the mountain? When the scene changes to the foxhole it seems to me I may find out. We know faith is easy in substance, like a mustard seed. 

But is strong belief easy? Is it more than agreeing with the pastor? Is going along good enough? Is wondering about these things a signal of doubt in the mix?

Faith comes from hearing

The tree is known by its fruit.

"whosoever shall say unto to this mountain, be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says." Jesus in Mark 11:24   

If I can only believe the believable and I build little without anything left over for the hard to believe, how much faith is that? I think the word say is important. God spoke the world into existence. I follow God, and practice speaking as well as reading. 

From the treasure of the heart the mouth speaks.

John17: High Priestly Prayer

 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ who You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth, I have finished the work you gave me to do." Jesus in John 17:2-4

Weaker Spirits

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Cannot say how many times I've heard so many shy types  say they had the spiritual gift of discernment. The Spirit makes one bold. Boldness and hope. How atheism can thrive looking ahead without hope is baffling.

Philippians 2: 12-13

 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure. 

To be in harmony with God and in His existence is extreme pleasure and priase beyond our full understanding. Loving God is to love His existence and the existence He has given us.

Persistence is the bedrock of belief

When I pray for healing I must believe for it and if it does not come then I never give up or quit until I do receive healing.

If I quit believing then I stopped my faith and I am not believing any longer. I can never say God did not heal. I keep on believing "what is not is as though it were" Believing is not believing unless I persist. 

Persistence is the bedrock of faith. One thing no one must never say is that God changed His mind. It is written God is not a man that he will change His mind. Jesus stripes healed us already and we have only to accept it. God dos not make a covenant and then walk away from it. That is my understanding and this is my witness.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 "For I am the Lord, I do not change..." Malachi 3:6

Jehovah Rapha

 Jehovah Rapha or God our healer. This is a redemptive name found in the Old Testament. (There are seven.) 

"For I am the Lord that heals you" Exodus 15:26 "He sent His word, and healed them." Psalm 107:20

by whose stripes you were healed

 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." Peter 2:24

We do not have to convince God to heal us. He has healed us already when He sent His only Son to the Cross for our sins and endured the stripes which healed us right then. We only have to believe and accept it. There is no time involved. If one has enough belief they will be healed. Bedrock of belief is persistence. 

The old in the new

 ...and he...healed all that were sick; That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying  Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." Matthew 8:16-17

Jesus healed all those who believed He could heal them. It was done, Jesus said, according to their faith in His faith. 

Healing Verses

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he has borne our grief's and sicknesses, and carried our sorrows and pains; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of god and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our inequities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."  

Educated out of God: Everything in the New Testament was prophesied in the Old. I never fully realized this because something else was taught in the cemetery and thus never mentioned in the little churchy on the corner I was born in. Sunday School was coloring books. Bible stories were not true, only the meaning was true. Sort of like Easter Eggs, St Nick, and the chocolate bunny. Adults put on the Pulpit Rock pretend show for the kids. The boys grew up and ran off at fourteen. The adults went to the bowling alley and after beer. Most were never seen in church listening to pulpit talk. Nothing was mentioned much either way. Break between Sunday School and church service, I talked baseball and the adults smoked. I myself was on my way to the smoking session of eternal life. 

John 17

Believe as a child

One in the Trinity

 22I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one— 23I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.

As our bodies were born into the greater, so shall our spirits be born into even yet greater.....

1 Corinthians  2:9 NIV

"What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love Him."  

Soon: Healing verses....

Another favorite

 2 Corinthians 4:18

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Isaiah 53:5

 "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."

New Living Translation

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed..

Deuteronomy

 The Bible link provided in "related sites" top right hand column is an exhaustingly complete program source in discovering interesting verses when my curious eye fell upon Deuteronomy.  Some say this book is particularly loved by Jesus and hated by the Devil because it quoted in the "temptations". It also mentions that Deuteronomy is second only to Isaiah in its majestic description of both the Person and plan of God. Isaiah is a highlight, certainly in prophecy, but my favorite is still Exodus becasue of what "I am that I am" means to me because of my epiphany.

In Hebrews 11

Below is one of my most favorite verses. I like to just listen in my mind's ear to the reading and rereading of these verses. As an aside faith is the only way we can please God. That answers so many questions as well as doubts. 

Hebrews 11

 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

I am a witness. . . .

This is my spirit. I witness from the Spirit within me what I am told. I am told this for my own benefit. I am not an instructor. I do not persuade or convince. That is between another person's spirit and whatever spirit is within them. The Holy Spirit convicts whom He will. Spencer Corkum

Purpose of passion is power

 Ecclesiastes 7:24 Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?

Love the Psalms!

From the 23rd Psalm on for many more psalms, I find listening to them able to increase my spirit. Without passion there is no energy for anything to happen, or I suppose a definition for anything to experience either. 

Energy is motion. I call it Emotion. Now there is some science for everybody. If it is expressed in a formula it is scientific and therefore absolutely true😉

Rest in the shadow of the almighty

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.  NIV Psalm 91

Jesus the Pioneer

 Hebrews 12:2

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”