The best rendition of the title tune from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly I’ve heard was from the ‘Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’. Watch and listen here; (https://youtu.be/pLgJ7pk0X-s)

This post isn’t about those three, I direct your attention to ‘The Called, and Chosen and Faithful’.

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

I am convinced that Matthew 25 is giving as a lesson of being called, chosen and faithful.

The Called:

Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the wise and foolish Virgins.

The 10 Virgins were called to the wedding of the Master. The wise brought extra oil for their lamps while the foolish did not. As the Master delayed His return they all slept.

When the Master arrived the foolish realized they did not have enough oil to enter the wedding supper. They attempted to get oil from the wise but had to leave to find oil.

The Wise (those who were ready), entered with the Master and when the foolish returned, they were denied entrance. They were not prepared for His Coming.

The Chosen:

The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-30

The Master, before he left for a far country, brought his servants together and gave them Talents according to their abilities. To one he gave 5, to one 2, and to one, 1. When he returned he asked what was done with the Talents.

The one with 5 had increased them to 10, the one with 2, to 4, the one with 1, had hidden the 1, and only had that to return.

No excuses were accepted, the two that had increased their Talents were praised and given more responsibilities. The one who hid the Talent was banished to outer darkness.

The Faithful:

Matthew 25:31-46 The Parable of the Sheep and Goats.

The end of time, all are gathered to the judgment, the Sheep are those who did the will of the Lord.

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)

These are the Sheep, who were welcomed into the Kingdom, the Goats had done none of the above and were condemned to everlasting fire.

This chapter of Matthew has been taught many times, about being ready, being wise with money, and obedience. I would like to direct your thoughts to the Spiritual.

The oil is the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, we must spend time with Him being continually filled with His Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18). The called.

Walking with Him, in His Yoke, and enter the feast.

The Talents, the Reformation Bible Study says of talents:

‘The English word “talent” meaning a natural endowment or special ability is derived from this parable.‘

Let us look beyond money, Jesus did not leave us money to build His Church, but the Gifts of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:6-9; and Ephesians 4:12-16)

The one talent I believe is the Gift of our prayer language.

1 Corinthians 14:2

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”

It is both the simplest Gift to acquire and the Gift most rejected. People will not give their mind and mouth to the Lord. (Very sad).

People do not understand the difference between our prayer language, where we talk in private to God and tongues and interpretation, which is a public Gift.

I believe all would accept any or all of the other Gifts, but when they reject the first given, it may hinder the acceptance of the rest.

Please do not bury the Talent, the Lord would have you to increase, ask for all the Lord would give you to increase the Kingdom. The chosen.

The Sheep and Goats. The easiest way to compare is the Sheep follow, while Goats always BUTT.

The Sheep accept all the Lord says and gives. While the Goats question whether these things be possible?

Luke 18:27

“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.“

Saints we need to act on the impossible, trust the Lord, Walk with Him and Build the Church of God.

“With signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Preach the Full Gospel of God.” (Romans 15:19)

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Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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The Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, for the first century Church, was an Awesome, Powerful and Necessary participant of their lives.

Jesus said He would send the Spirit, to guide, direct and protect us, to empower us for His service, to heal the sick, cause the lame walk and the blind to see. To comfort the brokenhearted, and raise the dead.

The Holy Spirit fulfilled that promise for many years until He didn’t. What happened?

Man’s Wisdom versus the Wisdom of God. Man’s Plan, versus God’s Desire. Man’s Fear versus Faith.

“Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

It is a time of great anxiety, a Pandemic, a deadly virus, what must we do?

We as a Church have come to man’s wisdom. That is OK, it is where we live, it is the level of Faith and Trust we have in God.

I include myself in this mix. The Power of God today seems outdated and somehow a sweet dream. He doesn’t do that anymore. (If He ever really did?)

When the disciples of John the Baptist came and asked Jesus, are You the One? He answered:

“Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.“. (John 7:22)

If someone came to the door of our Churches today, what would they see or find?

An empty building, full of empty suits, speaking empty words of Faith that is no longer believed.

I know we love and desire to serve the Lord. My heart breaks every time I miss the mark of the high calling of God. Yet, I continually miss the mark.

We must take a lesson from Abraham: ‘He believed God and it was counted as righteousness.’ (Romans 4:3). (The Birth of Isaac)

‘You see that Abraham’s faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did.‘ (James 2:22 NOG). (The Sacrifice of Isaac)

The lesson of Enoch:

“By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.“ (Hebrews 11:5-6)

WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.

He rewards us with health, deliverance, protection from plagues and the arrows of our enemies. As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death He is with us, our cup runneth over. (Psalms 23; 91)

Faith is mentioned 336 times in the Bible. It is the Rock of our Salvation If we could only believe?

“All things are possible to him that believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Unfortunately, we no longer rely on the Holy Ghost, we are living with The Ghost of Our Faith.

I pray the Church will return to its first love and regain the Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Yesterday, I was on a tear. I could not believe all the closings of schools, churches, stadium events, even many workplaces. How can people be such Wussies? Afraid of a virus?

I was reminded of the NCAA Tournament, (in the ’90s), when Michel Jorden scored some 38 points while battling the Flu, throwing up in a bucket, during the game. (That was what men did, no retreat, no surrender). America is the Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave.

What happened?

I was terribly wrong. If you do not go into crowds, (for sports, church or any activity), for fear of contracting the virus, you are doing exactly the right thing. Stay in, so you are not infected or infect others.

This is ‘JUST COMMON SENSE.’ We should use the minds the Lord has given us. After all, the early Christians hid from those who would persecute them. We want to live to fight another day.

That is the Worlds Wisdom. No one can fault us for that.

I do wonder what we are doing with our Measure of Faith? We believe in Salvation, but not much beyond. Why? Because we are not fully grown, adult Christians. We are Unbelieving Believers.

We have not exercised our Faith, Grown it, Used it, Practiced it because we are not taught how to feed ourselves, we are only fed Sunday mornings, and some of us Sunday night and Wednesday.

We cannot grow strong and effective with so little nourishment and exercise.

If we do not believe the Word of God, we should not try to walk in that Word.

“Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” The evil spirit said. (You cannot rely on someone else relationship with God. We must have our own.). (Acts 19:15).

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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All mankind is given the ‘Measure of Faith’. ( Romans 12:3) What is that measure? The amount needed to believe the Gospel and accept Christ as Savior.

He died for us all, we can all be delivered, saved, and healed. We need only ‘To Believe,’. (Mark 5:36).

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)

He must be Preached. Taught. Honored and obeyed. His Power must be Demonstrated! It is up to us. How and Why have we failed?

Paul in Romans 15:19 tells us he fully Preached the Gospel. To fully Preach the Gospel, involves more than Words, it includes the Power of God.

“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

Unfortunately, many who Preach do not Demonstrate His Power. Why? Their Measure of Faith doesn’t Measure.

Faith needs to be active in the one praying as well as the one prayed for.

The Preacher must pray the Prayer of Faith. The recipient must believe to receive. Is the Lord able to ‘See your Faith’?

Do you fight to get close so you can touch the hem of His garment? ( Luke 6:19) How often did Jesus say; ‘According to your Faith?’

Every believer has the ability to heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf. What? Do you disagree?

Are you a believer? A disciple? A Faithful Follower of the Lord? Do you long to know Him more?

John 14:12

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.“

When He sent out the 12 in Matthew 10:7-8, He commanded them:

“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.“

We are His disciples and apostles today. There is no expiration date on the Power of God. No, the lack of signs, wonders, and miracles, is our problem, we no longer seek His anointing, His hand working through us.

Saints, Pray, Fast, Ask, Seek, and Knock. His Mercy, Grace, and Power are available to ALL WHO BELIEVE.

What is your Measure of Faith? We must Build it! Grow in Jesus (Jude 1:20; Romans 12:1-3)

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Are You Blessed or Cursed? As a Christian, I have had many opportunities to ask this question, in my own life.

The Preacher tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:2:

“All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.“

I have had times of want and times of plenty. The times of plenty are desired and longed for, yet want and trouble can appear in a moment.

The secret to surviving both is our attitude and actions. We all experience trouble, how do we react? Why is it happening to us?

Deuteronomy 28: 58.

“If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59. Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.”

The curses are many and quite harsh. It is easy to get on the curses list. Refusing to listen to and obey the Lord.

On the other hand, it is easy to claim and live with blessings.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 World English Bible

“It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you this day, that Yahweh your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth:

and all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.

You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.

You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.

Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.

You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.

Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.

Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to; and he will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you; if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways.

All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh; and they shall be afraid of you.

Yahweh will make you plenteous for good, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.

Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow.

Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],

and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

Obedience…. So easy it is hard. Well worth the effort though.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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In life, we must make choices. We choose to follow the way of the Lord, (Salvation, Peace, and Love), or we follow the path of bondage.

Where we will serve the enemies of Righteousness and be in hunger and thirst, naked and in want, yoked in iron and eventually be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:48)

The other path promises bread from heaven to feed us and water from a rock for our thirst, and that we will possess the promised land, in freedom, Peace, Love, and Joy. (Nehemiah 9:15)

The Lord promises that ‘IF’ we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6). Jesus is the bread of life, he promises that if we come to and believe in Him, will never hunger or thirst. (John 6:35)

Does He mean this, in this world today?

Do you realize Moses spent 40 days and nights, twice with neither food not drink? Impossible right? No, he was with God, (Jesus) and was fed Spiritually and was filled.

The same thing happened with feeding the 4,000, they were there 3 days with nothing to eat till he multiplied the loaves and fishes. He had fed them Spiritually until then.

We, as Christians should learn to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.‘ (Matthew 6:33)

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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As babies we long to be held, and touched by Mom and Dad, it comforts us and causes us to feel safe and protected.

As we grow, a pat on the shoulder or back gives us encouragement, pushes us to do a better job, to excel.

We touch one another to convey love, (good), and sometimes lust, (not good).

We change when Salvation, gives us a New Heart, a Renewed Mind, and a set of standards that call us to Holiness, to be Set Apart, to be Witnesses of His Love and Grace.

As Christians we love the song, ‘He Touched Me’, for good reason. When we are touched by God, we can be healed, set free, delivered from bondage. It is a Powerful time and a change in our hearts.

In Touching, Miracles can be Conveyed. In Luke, we have 12 examples of touching, Jesus to man, and man to Jesus. Something wonderful occurs each time. It is Wonderful to be touched by Jesus.

The leper said to Jesus, ‘If you will, you can heal me.’. (Like 5). He realized Jesus was able to heal, just not sure He was worthy to be healed. Jesus answered, ‘I will: be thou clean.’, and he immediately was cleaned.

Jesus, raised the dead in, (Luke 7:14), and healed the ear of one who arrested Him. (Like 22:51). When children were brought to Him, He touches them all. (Like 18:15)

All-Powerful stuff, but, there is a better way. How much more Power is there when we learn to touch Him?

Luke 6:19

“And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.”

The woman with the issue of blood, she had spent all and decided if she could touch Him, she could be healed.

Luke 8:44

“Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.”

He was surrounded by a crowd, she had to work to gain access. He recognized her effort.

Luke 8:45-47

“And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.”

Lord, help us to push through the crowds and learn to touch You

In both Matthew 14:36 and Mark 6:56. We find ‘All that touched Jesus, we’re made whole’.

There is Power in our hands. Will we learn to control it?

Matthew 18:19-20

“Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

We must learn to touch Jesus. To do that today, we probably need to fast and pray. Push through the mass of prayers and help Him to recognize yours.

We must set ourselves apart from the world, with renewed minds, bodies that are holy and acceptable, our reasonable service. (Romans 12:1-3)

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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When I was about 12, my Dad ended up with a Metropolitan, a junker, I think it was a convertible. My friends and I drove that car all over my Dad’s Fix-it Shop yard.

Teaching one friend to drive, he nicked the door of a customer’s car, a Corvette. That was not a pleasant time, for Dad, the customer, or us.

One other time, my brother-in-law, at that time, lived on the 3rd floor of the apartment house next door. He dropped down to us kids, a stack of older Playboy magazines.

A glimpse of heaven for horny young guys, and also a slice of Hell. (Young people do not need access to this stuff).

I also remember, (someone, me? I don’t know), running into the corner of that building.

I don’t remember what happened to that car. It was one of many I drove around the garage yard.

A few years later, a few of us were at a fast food place, in Fitchburg, I think. We had drivers licenses then, and when we walked out of the store, there was a Metropolitan.

I boldly walked up to the lady who was in it, and told her if she ever wanted to sell it? I wanted it. I gave her my number and promptly forgot it.

Some months later I received a call, and an offer to buy the car for One Dollar. I jumped on it. What a wonderful lady she was.

I really loved that little car. It was perfect for me. Unusual, strange, and silly. It was great. Bringing it home the first time, we had borrowed one of Dad’s used cars with a repair plate, and a second repair plate for the Metropolitan.

We were stopped on Rt 2, (I think?), for driving too slow, and ‘were we going to get these cars repaired?’ Thank God we answered yes.

We were told to speed up or get off the highway.

Unfortunately, when I broke this car, by turning onto a sidewalk and pulling the steering box from the frame. It was a problem that couldn’t be repaired.

I have very fond memories of that car and the special girl who rode in it with me. I believe my life would have been very different if I could have kept that car on the road.

I wish I could get another deal like that.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Those who believed brought a blind man and asked the Lord to touch him. Mark 6:56 tells us that all who had touched Him were healed.

Saints, do we really believe? Do we introduce the lost to our Lord? Are we bringing our sick to the Faith and Power of our Lord? Do we know how to touch Him?

In Mark 8, we have one of the few times, a healing miracle took more than one touch. We are not told why, but I suspect the Faith was in the men that brought him, and he really didn’t believe.

Jesus honored the friends’ request, because of their faith.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 8:22-26

‘And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.’

A Great Multitude:

Where ever Jesus went, great multitudes found their way to Him. At the end of Mark 7, Jesus healed a deaf and dumb man, He charged them to tell no one. (This never works, people just cannot be quiet, when they witness the Power of God).

They were astonished and spread the word. ‘Jesus has done all things well.’

So there was a great multitude: Chapter 8 begins with feeding the four thousand, with 7 loaves of bread, and a few fishes. Once again a great miracle.

I submit another miracle, was that the crowd had been there for three days with no food. (They had been fed by the Word and Presence of God. Much like Moses on the mountain, 40 days with no food or drink).

The Miracles that God preforms, are done for a reason.

Why then?

Isaiah 43:10

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

That we may Know; That God IS; and He is a rewarder, of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

That we would Believe; That God IS, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

That we would Understand; That God IS, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

In Isaiah 41:20, He had planted trees, and brought water, in the desert:

“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”

To SEE; KNOW; CONSIDER, and UNDERSTAND; That God IS, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

If the presence of the Lord is active in our midst, we should expect and See His Power and Grace. (John 14:14)

Saints, we should have multitudes flocking to our meetings. It is a shame that we no longer believe He would or could. At least the leper knew He could be healed, he wasn’t sure that He would. (Matthew 8:2)

After this He departed on a ship, for the opposite shore, there He was met by the Pharisees, questioning and seeking signs and wonders, tempting Him for a performance. The signs are for those who will believe. Not for those who would persecute.

Many think we as Christians should not seek miracles, because of this verse. We must realize, He was dealing with the Religious, not Followers.

Signs, wonders, and miracles are not done to entertain the masses, but to relieve, to comfort to convince of the Power and Love of God. We are commanded to cast out devils and heal the sick.

They sailed to yet another town. The disciples had not brought bread, He told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

Jesus had a Word of Knowledge, He perceived their thoughts and questioned them.

‘Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?’

He had to remind them of the miracle of feeding the 4,000. It is the same with us, we experience His mercy and grace and need to be reminded of it often.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 8:1-21

‘In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?’

As I was praying, (ready for sleep), last night, the Lightning Bolt of Revelation entered my heart and mind. I had to immediately put aside thoughts of sleep and check the Word to see if it, (this Revelation), was true?

I realized that the Multitudes found Jesus, wherever He went. In towns, cities, the mountains or by the sea.

Those who sought Him found Him.

When He was in the Synagogues, many of the rulers believed in Him but did not confess Him, so as not to be put out. (John 12:42)

Only in Matthew 4:23 and 9:35, does it mention Jesus healing all the people of all manner of sickness and disease, in towns where He preached in the synagogue.

We do not hear of multitudes flocking to the synagogues.

No the Multitudes where not in the Synagogues, they were about the towns and countrysides. After His death and resurrection, we find that God adds to the Church, (such as should be saved daily). (Acts 2:47)

The difference between the Synagogue and the Church? The Law versus Grace. The reason God is not adding to our Churches daily, is our Rituals and Ceremonies have become a law unto themselves.

Some preach a false love. (No need for holiness or repentance). Others preach the law. (How we are to dress, interact, and behave in our Church)

The Holy Spirit has no part, in either place. Jesus came and died on the cross, not to condemn, but to save the World. (John 3:17)

Jesus told of the people’s sin, but always gave them a way to escape the eternal consequences of that sin. We need to inform them of the truth but emphasize the Gift of God.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to live and direct our Worship if we are to see the multitudes added to our Church daily.

Man’s wisdom says there must be order, and that is true, but we do not need the dressings of our favorite Services. The early Church sang some hymns and taught the Word.

There were no children’s churches, separate Sunday School classes, divisions of any type. A child was asleep, fell and died as Paul preached. With the Gift of Faith, Paul brought him back to life.

Our children need to see adults, pray, worship, believe and act out the Gospel. The miracles of both Testaments should be shared and expected to occur today as Christ meets the needs of His people.

These are not stories to entertain our children, but reminders from God to build our Faith, to accomplish His Work.

We should study the first-century church, and attempt to embrace their Wisdom. As we SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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A Gift of Knowlege and a Walk on the Water: Mark 6:45-52

After feeding the 5,000 He sent His disciples to sail to the other side of the sea. He went up the mountain to pray.

It is amazing, in the dark, from the mountain He saw the Disciples in the middle of the sea, the storms wind against their forward motion. (He had a Word of Knowledge, the Holy Spirit showed Him something He couldn’t have known).

In the fourth watch, He came walking upon the water, and would have walked by them. This, to me, lets us know how the Lord is always walking beside us, waiting for us to call upon Him, in our time of need.

They feared, called out, and He calmed them and entered into the boat, He calmed the storm. They were amazed. (How could they have forgotten the feeding of the 5,000)?

Hardened hearts, it happens to all of us. We forget what the Lord has done in the past when we have a pressing need now. I don’t understand how our hearts and minds work?

They Brought their sick, they touched Him. Mark 6:53-56

To me, these few verses are some of the most enlightening verses in the New Testament.

• When they landed the people knew Him
• They ran to BRING ALL THEIR SICK
• They laid their sick in the streets in his path
• They begged to touch the border of His garment
• AS MANY WHO TOUCHED HIM WERE HEALED.

If we could get a handle on those last lines, we could change the current world, we all take miracle drugs, and they are. The people in Jesus’ time had none of the great discoveries we have today.

They had something we have lost, FAITH. We no longer bring the sick to Jesus, Why? Most of the time we cannot find Him.

I am sorry but, I don’t believe Jesus has room in our weekly Worship Services, to work. We have our Rituals and Ceremonies, our music leader, and preacher. (No one else need apply).

We need first to learn how to touch God. Next, we must bring people to Him, and teach them to touch Him themselves.

Saints, this kind comes from prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29) We must learn to touch Jesus when we deny ourselves and go to Him when we pray in our prayer language, (1 Cor 14:14, our Spirit speaking to God’s Spirit).

We will see the results of our touch. We will begin to see the signs and wonders that He promised would follow those who believe.

Saints, Love Seek, and Find the Lord, with your heart, mind soul and strength. (Matthew 7:7-8; Mark 12:28-39) We can see His Power and Might as we Walk in and with Him.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 6:45-52

“And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. 47. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50. For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. 51. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”

Mark 6:53-56

“And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. 54. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, 55. And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. 56. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”

John the Baptist is dead, the Apostles return:

John’s Disciples buried his body. The 12 returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. Jesus directed them to go to a desert place, and rest.

The multitudes anticipated His movements and arrived there before Him.

(Why do we not understand, people will flock to the presence of Jesus? Whether Churchs, homes, or fields, the Spirit of God, calls those who Seek Him).

When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, and ordered the Disciples to feed them. How they asked?

How will 5 loaves and 2 fishes feed 5,000 men plus women and children? The mystery of division, multiplication and Salvation.

• The offering is Blessed. When we come to the Lord, He first blessed us, accepts us and begins to multiply us, for His service.
• The offering is Broken. The military uses this method to build warriors. The Lords army, must be broken and rebuilt to become true Disciples and builders of His body.
• The people are fed.  The Lord uses the Blessed and Broken to grow His body. One will chase a thousand, two ten thousand.  (Deuteronomy 32:30).

The Miracle here shows us the way the Lord works in our lives. This is how He must work in some of us who are so hard hearted and headed, that we learn slowly or not at all.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 6:30- 44

“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.     And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.    And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.    And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.     And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.     And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:     Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.     He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?     He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.  And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.     And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.  And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.     And they did all eat, and were filled.     And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.     And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.”

The Twelve Sent Forth:

He called unto himself:

Have you been called unto Jesus? Have you accepted Him as both your Savior and Lord?

Many want Him as Savior but deny Him Lordship. This is a problem. The sending out of the twelve, should encourage us to step out in the Power and Grace of the Lord.

He gave the twelve, (and also we who are His disciples), Power

• Power over unclean spirits (Sadly we neglect this power)
• Commanded them to take no extra clothing, or money, only their staffs.  (We must have financial support before we go).
• Abide in the house you enter to teach, until your work is done.  (We are more comfortable in a motel).
• If people reject you, shake the dust off your feet and move on.  (We hold on to those who reject our Lord).
• They preached repentance. (We preach Love, and all are accepted).
• They cast out many devils (Again we don’t really believe, ).
• Anointed the sick with oil (There are many sick, that are left alone).
• They healed the sick. ( We lack the Faith to see this through.

We the Church have a problem. We rely on our natural Wisdom, when we need to Trust in God.

The Church is in error, not fatally, but sadly, we have grown cold, and powerless in the face of our enemies.

The Lord sent those who believe out to build His Church.

Matthew 28:19-20

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:     Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15-20

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.     He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.     And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;     They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.     So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.     And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Luke 24:47-49

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Word is quite clear, we have been empowered to do the Work of the Lord, we have decided to leave the Gifts and Power unopened, just sitting on the shelf. We are experiencing the results of our neglect.

A Powerless Gospel. People are not transformed, lives are not changed, our Churches are not growing.

The only way to reverse this decline is to Ask, Seek and Find, (receive the will of the Lord). Do you dare to Walk in His Power and Grace?

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 6:7-13

“And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;    And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:    But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.     And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.     And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.     And they went out, and preached that men should repent.    And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”

The Trip Home – He Marvelled

This Chapter in Mark, has always been one of my favorites. The people that had watched Him grow up, were astonished at His teaching.

It often astonishes people when they see who you are today, when they knew you, in the bad old days.

I know they have a hard time reconciling the Christian I am, compared to the sinner I was.

More so especially for Jesus. They knew Him as a little boy, who played tag, hide and seek, and pulled the little girls pigtails.

A normal young man, who happened to Love God and His Word.

Here He is now, teaching with Wisdom and Authority, who even has the power to do what they think are mighty works. This offends them. He is not the child they knew. He has changed.

He has not just grown up. He is no longer just a man.

He is now a man, who has the Holy Spirit within, He has gained the Wisdom and Authority of the Almighty, not to just speak the Words of God, but has the Power to do the Works of God.

He is now a living example of who and what we should be. He promised that we would do the things He did and more, if we only believe. (John 14:12)

Jesus Himself marveled. He could do no mighty work, except to lay hands on a few sick and heal them. Because of their unbelief.

All He could do is Teach around the villages.

Mark 6:1-6

“And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”

The best is yet to come. Chapter 6 has amazing examples for us to follow.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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The Word of God:

Hebrews 4:12

• Is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword,  
• is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Proverbs 6:20-23

• It shall lead you, when you go
• It shall keep you, when you sleep
• It shall talk with you, when you are awake
• It is a lamp and a light
• it will reprove and instruct us in the way of life

Psalm 119:103-106

• Is sweeter than honey
• It gives understanding,
• Helps us so we hate every false way
• Is a lamp and a light unto my path

Therefore have I sworn:

• I will perform it
• That I will keep Thy righteous judgements

How important is the Word of God?

As followers and lovers of God: it is like a refreshing breeze or a light rain to a parched and dry soul.

It is the air I breathe, or the food I eat, the very essence of life.

To Love the Lord is to Seek His face, Understand His will and to Walk in His way.

We are created for His pleasure, if we do these things He will be pleased.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Jairus his daughter, and the woman with the issue of blood:

These two examples of Faith are combined in Chapter 5. I have seperted them to make discussion easier.

First thing First:

Jesus is no respector of people. A rich man, a ruler of the synague, and a woman, who had spent all she had trying to get well.

I am sure there were many who were afflicted and in need of a touch from God.

The only thing these two had in common was the belief that Jesus was able to help them. There were many people in the crowd. Yet, we only know of these two, who had the Faith to receive their requests.

It tickles me , that in that whole crowd there was only one who reached out and touched Him, believing she would be healed.

We find out in Mark 6:56 that all who touched Him were made whole.

Then we have Jairus, a Ruler of the synague, a man with standing, going himself to ask for favor. When he was told his daughter died, Jesus said only believe.

The people in his house did not believe, and laughed at Jesus, when He said she only slept, they knew she was dead.

Jesus only took the girls family and Peter, James and John into the room where He raised her from the dead.  We find out in Chapter 6, that unbelief, can cancel the healing power of God.

If we could only believe, all things are possible. (Mark 9:35)

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
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Mark 5: 21-24; 35-43

‘And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?     As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.     And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.     And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.    And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.     And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.     And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.     And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.     And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.’

Mark 5:24-34

‘And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.’

The Legion:

The incident that inspired my chosen name, ‘theunfetteredpreacher’. The Legion was chained, shackeled and fettered to keep him from hurting himself and others.

After being Saved, I went to a study at a Catholic Church, I had my Bible and they said it would just confuse me, so to go away.

I took a lay speakers course so I could Preach in the UMC, I attend, again I brought my Bible, I do not remember any Scripture being taught in either of the two 8 hour classes.

The Doctrine of our Denominations is given us for the same reason. To keep us Safe. The Leaders believe we cannot read and understand the promises of God without their guidance and direction.

I grew up in the Catholic Church, was saved in a Full Gospel Church, and soon realized a lot of Church Doctrine, (both Catholicand Evangelical), kept us from realizing the Fredom and Power of the Gospel.

I felt ‘unfettered’ from the confines of Policy and Released to experience joy, peace and the love of the Holy Spirit. I learned to take the Word of God, at face value and believe, that God CAN DO ANYTHING.

We all know the facts of this story. Jesus arrived, the Legion came fell down and Worshiped Him. Calling Him the Son of God, and begging to be left alone.

He would rather cut himself and cry out, breaking the chains and fetters the normal people had0 imprisoned him with, than experience the Freedom of God. He asked if commanded to leave that he could go into the heard of pigs.

Jesus gave them leave, they entered into the swine and they ran into the sea and drowned.

The keepers of the swine ran to town and told all they saw, people came out to see for themselves, and found the man sane, clothed and at peace. He desired to follow Jesus.

Jesus sent him to his hometown to proclaim this miracle, and many marveled and came to believe.

To be ‘unfettered’, free to walk in the full power and grace of the Godspel, to come boldly to the throne to receive Grace and peace in our times of need.

To read and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to all truth, not hindered by the unbelieving believers in our midst.

It is my prayer that you be inspired to seek out and find the truth of the Gospel. The Gifts and Calling are given us to build His Church, not ours.

Thanks for visiting,
Know You Are Loved

We all have the relationship we want with God. My desire is a more intimate one.
bill theunfetteredpreacher cote

Mark 5:1-20

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Amen