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Be Sticky-Note-Worthy for the Lord, 23JUN

Did you ever take a moment for yourself and know if you didn’t take this moment you would regret it later?

Yes – and so I took a very important moment, for me and for the Lord, to say Yes. I became sticky-note-worthy for Him to move me around.

I saw a devotion video that explained you cannot say No to some things unless you say YES to bigger things – to faith-fulfillment things – to the things that the Lord wants you to do… The video recounted reaching for the big seashell. What if your hands are full of little itty bitty seashells, which might be nice, but a big seashell comes along that you want? In order to grab it, you have to put down your little seashells… You have to say YES to the opportunities that the Lord says: “Don’t pass up!”

I thought about my opportunity to possibly sing in my new praise band – and I took it – I get to sing once again – in HIS service – in HIS Spirit – adding my voice – it is work but so is everything that means so much…. And the work is worth it, knowing that it will all work out…  You have to say YES to working out where your faith is taking you…  You have to say YES to faith…. Perhaps the big seashell of faith will help me carryout the little things I need to carry in life too. Yes it will. Yes, pick up your faith and your faith will pick up you.

My name is written on a sticky note for the band sound board…  I am on a sticky note – no need for the permanent label – I am but a traveler in this world – not of this world but in it – and I am worthy enough for the Lord to keep me in this world one more day – one more song – one more chance to praise…  I am on a sticky note and the Lord may take me where HE needs me…

I am blessed to be sticky-note-worthy for HIM!

699

The Heavy Sigh from Jesus, 20Jun

We tend to only look for what we already know, Jesus’s disciples only partially understood what Jesus was trying to teach them – and didn’t understand for the longest time.  They witnessed miracles (due to Jesus’s compassion on the human condition of hunger and sickness) but for the longest time they could NOT compute the BIGGER connection that Jesus was the Messiah, the people’s Savior. The disciples could relate to Him as teacher but they did not yet understand that He wrote the book, He was the book, He is the Word….

Partially understanding is where our faith lies too… and we have to discover our faith by ourselves… we who are blind cannot fully see… our Spirit is wanting to come out and connect…

The layered stories in the Mark 8 scriptures recount the disciples’ knowledge block – they also forgot so quickly about the clear miracles of sharing the bread and fish, which they themselves participated in – so how could they piece together that there is final victory over death? Jesus had victory and Jesus gives victory. It takes FOREVER for everyone to catch up – but one day everyone will…  Whether they currently desire to share in it or not – we pray that everyone who is blind will see, will understand… So when Jesus has compassion on a blind man’s gradual gain of sight – that’s our story too – we are partially blind, partially we see…. We only know what we know… the veil is torn but we need to physically push the curtain aside to see.

We are just like the disciples who remembered the mechanics of picking up the leftover bread – 12 baskets – 7 baskets – but they forgot the miracle.  The disciples fretted later, when sitting in the boat, that they had no bread. Jesus also was telling them about future trouble – but the disciples saw only the trouble at hand… It is as if they only grasped knowledge in bread loaf sized increments. Partial sight… Not ready to open their eyes fully to the fullness of Christ…

The next story in Mark 8 (scriptures below), we see Jesus heals a blind man – surely it could have been complete healing instantly, so why were their only increments of partial sight? Why are we only partially seeing? Jesus in many scriptures tells his flock that it’s their own faith that heals them (like the woman touching the fringe of His robe). So, was this blind man who received partial sight restoration at first (people looked like walking trees) only partially believing? Or was he only looking for familiar details of the world that he could remember? Partial belief, partially understanding… Not looking big picture (that’s us too)…. He was told to NOT go into the village. Was Jesus afraid of the sideshow attraction that he might get and throngs of people would make a mad rush (as biblical scholar Michael Card suggests) – likely this is the case because that happened a lot. I also personally think that the formerly blind man had to be told to NOT go because the crowds would simply focusing on the sight and not the bigger picture of SALVATION.  They and we look at mechanics of miracles and NOT that the Messiah who Himself is a present miracle.

BIG SIGH!

I get that Jesus, I do…

Get back in the boat Jesus, it is a tough crowd… Pharisees wanted a sign, they were not satisfied, never will be…  We won’t collectively either – we won’t collectively be together until we really are. Big Sigh Jesus, it takes time, we are as a body of Christ wandering in the desert – we need to get all parts of peoples to Your Promise land – Your promise fulfillment…

We have tasted your goodness – yet we also can’t imagine HOW AMAZING it will be to see ALL the glory we have yet to experience. We have partially tasted – we have partially seen. We like disciples in training are working on the greater wisdom.

If you truly believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will thirst for more information – but simply know that information is not as powerful as SIMPLE TOTAL FAITH.

Seeing is:

Not about gaining the world – but about gaining wisdom.

Not about the world – but the Way.

Not about loafs – but about being led.

Not about seeing signs – but about seeing Salvation.

Not about the sideshows – but about the Savior.

Not about mechanics – but about miracles.

Not even about miracles – but about the Messiah – about the Messenger of the Message…

 

It’s about the Message…

Jesus came to humanly connect, bringing Heaven down to us…

This is the Good News…

Jesus came to give us victory over death…

We thank God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Jesus, the boat will pick us up to travel with you – the world will eventually bow to your greatness. We will keep paddling – we will help spread the Good News of You!

AMEN

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Mark 8

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.  If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

---

1st Corinthians 15

There is a physical body. So there is also a spiritual body. As the Scriptures say, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. The spiritual man did not come first. It was the physical man that came first; then came the spiritual. The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. All people belong to the earth. They are like that first man of earth. But those who belong to heaven are like that man of heaven. We were made like that man of earth, so we will also be made like that man of heaven.

I tell you this, brothers and sisters: Our bodies of flesh and blood cannot have a part in God’s kingdom. Something that will ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins. But listen, I tell you this secret: We will not all die, but we will all be changed. It will only take the time of a second. We will be changed as quickly as an eye blinks. This will happen when the last trumpet blows. The trumpet will blow and those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we will all be changed. This body that ruins must clothe itself with something that will never ruin. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that will never die. So this body that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, the Scriptures will be made true:

“Death is swallowed in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?    Where is your power to hurt?”

Death’s power to hurt is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

698

Jesus Justification, 18JUN

Justification or Jesus? Only Jesus needs to be the answer…

Would Jesus walk miles and miles for ministry? Oh yeah, He did…. I can too…

Would Jesus talk to strangers about God? Oh yeah, He did… I can too…

Would the strangers be strange to Jesus? No, He knew them all… I need to remember that too…

Would Jesus have understood discouragement, danger, the devil? Yes – and Jesus defeated them all… He still does… I need to remember that too…

Does Jesus justify the Journey? Your journey? My journey? YES – because Jesus is the Journey, the Way, the Truth, the Life.

Jesus justifies it all. Jesus justifies you. Jesus justifies me.

Jesus says keep moving with the Spirit, no extra justification needed…

Thank You, Jesus.

697

Practice Patience in Prayer, 19JUN

How long did it take Cleopas and his friend to walk to Emmaus? If they were walking from Jerusalem, then some bible scholars say it would have taken about 2 hours – then after their amazement of a Risen Jesus being personally revealed to them as their walking companion then dinner partner, they traveled right back – I bet they RAN all the way or at least speed-walked… bible scholars say that running that distance would still have taken at least an hour…

I think about my hour-long commute – or any hour-long drive that I have – I actually really do appreciate them now!  I used to think an hour was lost time from my day – but I realize now that it is found time for me to ponder the mysteries of Christ and the world, the Word and the Way…. and how I fit… My processing commute is my walk to Emmaus every day, and I sing thru it, all the time… I stopped minding my time commitment to driving as soon as I awakened – 4 years ago now – the drive was necessary time for me to be alone with my thoughts and the Lord. Now I often think about my walk with the Lord and often my RUN to tell the others that I have beholden Jesus Himself in Truth… If Emmaus/Jerusalem, commuting by foot, was an hour or two time, then mine can be too… I bet those walking commutes also were filled with songs to fill the time… the key to any journey is not “passing the time” but FILLING THE TIME! Even long drives are faith opportunities… Fill your life with faith and prayer and praise…

The two walking to Emmaus were discussing all the news of the day from Jerusalem – BIG NEWS – then Jesus Himself came alongside and asked (knowingly) what happened… So, while they were recounting the story as news, Jesus, who IS the TRUTH, explained how all the news was truthfully fulfilled scripture… they heard it from the Source, but it still had to filter it into their understanding of reality… doubters and debaters were discipled… it was when Jesus broke the bread that they recognized Him… then He disappeared… and they rushed back to tell the others… (Luke 24)

They were ponderers and talking thru their faith – we can be too…

Doubters and Debaters today are STILL being discipled… I was one – are you one too?

Think of the time Jesus spent recounting the whole scriptures from Moses to the present time – explaining fulfillment – is that not what Jesus is still doing today with EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US?

The Truth is: Jesus takes the time to help us individually discover the Truth in our faith… Jesus takes the time to walk with us, talk, teach, sit down, ask questions of us, answer questions thru His Word – the scriptures – and be real… Jesus never waivers in His Love for us because He is the definition of Love – patient and kind, persevering for His flock… “My sheep know My voice – I give them Eternal Life – no man shall pluck them out of My Hand” (John 10)…

The human reality is this: We need to take the time to walk, pray, ponder… We can do this anywhere… how more calm we are when we talk out our news of the day with the Lord and with fellow travelers – and oh how awesome that we find out the answers come to us! Patiently pondering pays off…

Taking time in prayer means we need to be ready to WAIT for the answer rather than scramble to our quickest conclusion – if we pray on it, sleep on it, then often the answer comes to us. Jesus knows our internal steps as much as our external ones – He walks with us in our own paths – in our hearts – our souls – our minds…

Be Still and let Jesus help you sort out what may have been be-bopping around in your brain…

Instead of “interference” – listen for your “inner voice”…

Recently, I was sitting in a leadership training room and the concept of “interference” (jumbled brain distractions) was used as a stumbling block to getting things done…   I sat there quietly to only hear my inner voice say: trade “interference” for “inner-voicing” – take the time to think – not interference but inner-voicing gives you the Truth to know what to do… (and that voice also says to not sweat the small stuff)

Walk thru thoughts, like singing, gives me time to think – because singing pulls away the part of my brain that could be muddling up my inner voice… driving and walking gives me time to think too… Being Still gives me ideas that pop like popcorn or float in like a breeze, or sound like a whisper… When I feel stress, I know I should take time to wait… to talk it out – walk it out – pray it out – LISTEN…

Talk it out to take it in…

Walk it out to wait it out…

Pray it out to pray it IN…

Then RUN to tell the Good News to those who are waiting to hear… you yourself may have the piece of their puzzle, that God needs you to drop into their internal conversation… if they are practicing patience in prayer too, then you may be able to plant a witnessing seed that God whispered to you for you to share…

How amazing – these two friends were talking when walking to Emmaus – and they had time with the Lord because of their discussions – they changed from faces downcast to doubts cast away. We can too – we can see the Light – we can feel the walk – we can know the rest of the story… We are saved…

Keep Practicing Patience in Prayer…

Keep walking…

Keep singing…

Keep the Faith…

Keep Sharing…

AMEN

PS: Walk by Faith not by sight (2nd Corinthians 5:7)

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Luke 24:13-35 (NIV)

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas,asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

 

 

Blessings Come Thru Raindrops, 15Jun

Blessings come thru raindrops. Step out into the rain.

“Maybe our blessings come thru raindrops” – this a good fitting lyric from a spiritual song by Laura Story to remind us that “this is not our home” – that trials of life will remind us that we are ONLY VISITORS here on earth… we are apostles to our faith, we are saints in transition, traveling demonstrations of our devotion… We belong to the heavens… Therefore, thru it all, we should remember trials in life are inevitable. We are to have HOPE and FAITH that we can survive the trials. We will surely have tears along the way, and we can count on that ultimate healing from the Lord…

Just like we can choose JOY (or not), we can choose to step thru the raindrops or sing in the rain while life moves on… Life moves fast – life moves even if we don’t…

So today, how much better are we for knowing the Lord has a home for us when we “finish the race”. We are blessed. Our blessings come thru raindrops.

Think how when we step into the world, that we are to know our JOY in the Lord – we are to take our energy from His comfort.

It’s not worth worrying about future trials of life, don’t ignore them but just deal with them in the present, and choose JOY whenever possible… Rather than complaining about things not under our control – we can TRY to deal, move on…

Have I figured this all out? NO!!! Not even the Apostle Paul felt like he had achieved this state of being OK with the directive… But he did look to the future by being present in his situation and knowing NOT to have his mind set on: “earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control...”

THE RAINDROPS of life are ushering us into the future… God gave us this future so that today we can choose to step out in faith…

Amen

——–

“Blessings” by Laura Story

https://youtu.be/XQan9L3yXjc

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

---

 

Paul writes in Philippians 4:

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. … And the God of peace will be with you….

… I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

 

---

 

Paul in Phillipians 3:

 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.  For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach,and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

696

Blessings Come Thru Raindrops, 15Jun

Blessings come thru raindrops. Step out into the rain and finish the race.

WOW… the skies opened up – what a DELUGE!!!

It had been a wonderful graduation ceremony, then the announcer said we could meet our graduates in the parking lot where the arena’s underground tunnel spills out… 5000 people were there for 350 graduates, oh yeah, get ready for that crush of the crowd!!!… In hindsight, the tunnel exit was like our graduates were figuratively birthed from the underground earth and pushed out into the world once again – now that the protective cushiony world of high school was done – don’t let the door (or diploma) hit you in the ‘you know what’ on your way into the world – and oh yeah, GOOD LUCK finding your people!

BUT, oh the mood changed so quickly from joy to geez… the skies had opened up with such a downpour, a DELUGE, and there was NOWERE to go but pushed into the parking lots to get SOAKED… Yup, sounds like life… the turn of events can make or break individual moments, feast or famine… This was only rain, so hopefully we will laugh this off later – and with the graduates WHOLE lives in front of them,  how could they not?

With our WHOLE lives in front of us, how could we not? We must laugh off the rain…

“Maybe our blessings come thru raindrops” – this a good fitting lyric from a spiritual song by Laura Story to remind us that “this is not our home” – that these trials of life will remind us that we are ONLY VISITORS here on earth… we are apostles to our faith, we are saints in transition, traveling demonstrations of our devotion… We belong to the heavens… Therefore, thru it all, we should remember trials in life are inevitable. We are to have HOPE and FAITH that we can survive the trials. We will surely have tears along the way, and we can count on that ultimately healing from the Lord…

Just like we can choose JOY or not, we can choose to step thru the raindrops or sing in the rain while life moves on… Life moves fast – life moves even if we don’t…

Not surprisingly, before the graduation ceremony was done, my phone stumbled upon the scripture verses teaching us that we don’t know the hour or day that the end will come to this world… So, we are to be ready, to strengthen our hearts, to be working for God all the time. I choose at that moment to think about the rain, I had no choice to step out into the rain, I had to step into the puddles – it was my only option.  I was glad I had been a camping girl scout, I was ok with rain knowing that the warm car was ahead of me. (My daughter was in the same predicament, except in heels… Thank God she had been a camping scout too, she was more concerned about finding her friends than the rain anyway). We would survive. I knew that even before stepping into the deluge. So with a sigh and direction to find my child, I gave my keys to my son and my mom and I stepped out.

So today, how much better are we for knowing the Lord has a home for us when we “finish the race”. We are blessed. Our blessings come thru raindrops.

Think how when we step into the world, that we are to know our JOY in the Lord – we are to take our energy from His comfort. There will always an opportunity to act, an opportunity to pray, an opportunity to be present, an opportunity to be part of the future… We will also remember that we had an opportunity to be present in what will become the past memories and life experiences of our collective children.

FOR SAKE OF THE FUTURE, BE PRESENT IN THEIR PAST…

It’s a blessing to realize that it’s not worth worrying about future trials of life, don’t ignore them but just deal with them in the present, and choose JOY whenever possible… Rather than complaining about things not under our control – we can TRY to deal, move on…

Have I figured this all out? NO!!! Not even the Apostle Paul felt like he had achieved this state of being OK with the directive… But he did look to the future by being present in his situation and knowing NOT to have his mind set on: “earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control...”

THE RAINDROPS of life are ushering us into the future… God gave us this future so that today we can choose to step out in faith…

Amen

——–

“Blessings” by Laura Story

https://youtu.be/XQan9L3yXjc

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

---

 

Paul writes in Philippians 4:

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. … And the God of peace will be with you….

… I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

 

---

 

Paul in Phillipians 3:

 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.  For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach,and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

695

Different Pond, but God NEVER lets you feel like a fish out of water. 11JUN

Well, Wow! A friend invited me to sing WITH their church’s praise band!!!! And YES, the director invited me too – they found room for me!

WOW!!!! Sure it was boldness of my willingness to try but it was His timing for sure – blessed how the Holy Spirit does that!! On Pentecost too…

This is an email recount of my singing, I have to say something or I would explode in retro excitement.

I understand how this is HUGE to me, but just another mini adjustment movement for our all-knowing Lord… He knows to use our weaknesses AND our strengths for His purposes…

Seeing the Lord overlap old situations with new situations – it’s a case study of myself being hopefully led, not simply me wandering. It is knowing where and how I am best to be fed not just from my human wants but from craving spiritual milk… I am ok realizing that it might be both – I ask the Lord to use me either way… I THANK THE LORD… I KNOW that I need focus, guidance and strength… I know that He will provide…

Wow, so on this particular Pentecost Sunday I was actually too busy to stop to say big wows – I was too busy trying to keep up with the Holy Spirit who was running the show… In actuality, so many of the people in the world don’t comprehend how Earth-shattering it is to watch the Holy Spirit move… when I wonder if I am moving with the Spirit flowing or only due to my human eagerness of the world,  I try to ask the Lord to show me His fruit gained by the situation  – He has not disappointed me so far!

SO on this morning, I left really early 7 am to get there at 8 am in time for practice – JUST IN CASE there was the possibility to sing… and if not, I would just get the chance to hear the amazing band…  I just felt so peace-filled driving there, that already told me something…. I went inside, and the band director said: “there’s a microphone with your name on it”, like he has been saying to me every time he has seen me… Well, yes, turns out someone was missing and really there WAS an extra microphone! So, I sang, I praised with the sweetest of folks, shoulder to shoulder… it was good to give support as a substitute singer and a full praiser… I knew one song, never heard the 2 others songs, the director said “we have 20 minutes”,  LOL…. and yeah, I learned them real quick!!!! And wouldn’t you know that previously on Holy Thursday, when I had the opportunity to serve communion at that church, that I looked at that music stand and realized it would feel normal to sing standing at it…. Yes, 3 months later how amazing this easy assimilation was!!!  I slipped right in and never felt out of place, it felt like the most natural thing ever. I got to sing and sway… our blended end notes sounded great… I got to watch the guest sermonist walk the sanctuary, praying… and visually pray for him as he walked…

As practices go, I had a few off notes, the band had a few tweaks, so we hashed them out because I know the deep reasoning for us to play well is for wanting to serve the Lord with excellence… I enjoyed every minute of singing AND meeting the band and internally watching how the day went down – how God got me there… I was WIDE awake and registering it all… there was little time to chat in the moment, but after I chatted with band and the sound techs and thanked them… I felt so blessed to sing…

So, yeah… cool…

Amazing sermon, a tremendous meaty sermon, about the Holy Spirit being a person and being God… a great message for me and for everyone… Yes, a great church… a great day… and it was only noon, haha… Sure, the realities of busy life invaded the rest of the day, but I remembered that singing was my oasis of praise – a spiritual springboard into the week…

I’m grateful that a nice lady said, as I excitedly told her I was going to sing: “Just let me pray for your feet to stay on the ground” – of course, I must have exuded the joy… I got hugs from three women whom I’ve met a few times, it was both so welcoming and a relief to share my joy…

The freaky thing was that it was NOT freaky at all…. it felt SO NATURAL… that’s SO amazing… now that’s the Holy Spirit moving you and you being OK with it…

I really do thank the Holy Spirit for being such the strong beam of LIGHT in the dark, attracting my moth-ness… I thank God for feeling the REAL THING – real light and the truth of healing… I thank God for putting me in His sights and knowing where to place me when he needs me someplace…. God speeds up or slows down the system when it’s clicking into proper place…

Singing was so awesome for me that nobody could understand that level of joy except the Holy Spirit Himself… AND I GOT TO DANCE MY PRAISE…

I realize only He, our Lord, understands the high inner zeal volumes, just as much as He understands our low whispers for help….  I am appreciative if/when He regulates me at HIS sound board so that I blend with the zeal of all His creation.

Being a praise band groupie that I am, LOL, I am appreciative that this is a BIG band – I appreciate that even if I was placed in a new pond, I never ever felt like I was a fish out of water…

I can’t wait to sing again, but in His time,  not mine… (I am on the schedule for this Sunday but it does not mean there will be room for me but regardless, I will get to practice the songs and praise in the service.

Between services my friend, who originally invited me, slid into the pew next to me and was happy to see me happy – to see how I finally accepted the offer to sing… and to me it is feeling both the PUSH of the Holy Spirit that drives me and feeling my human joy to be included, it’s all mixed in. Honestly, I was just going with the flow – the Spirit doesn’t care if you are ready to move or not – the Spirit can take over… Surely my boldness is not all me… I’m still learning this new me… I appreciated such peace knowing that I was in the right place today –  I tried really hard to keep up with how the Spirit was moving – WHEW!

Like I said, this was completely a new different pond, but I NEVER felt like a fish out of water…

Blessed…

Blessed…

Blessed…

Holy Smokes Holy Spirit…

Blessed!!!

 

 

 

 

694

I met our Holy Spirit, 09Jun

I met a Holy Spirit man, met him before, actually he has introduced himself to me four times, didn’t know that I knew him. He simply wanted me to feel welcome.

A Holy Spirit man with an enthusiastic Spirit.

I met a Holy Spirit man, he shared laughs and chattered with me even though I was a stranger. He couldn’t remember me, but he didn’t want me to feel alone in the conversation.

A man with a bold Holy Spirit.

I met a Holy Spirit man, he heard that I didn’t have something that I needed, so he willingly shared his extra with me.

A man with a giving Holy Spirit.

I met a Holy Spirit man, he waved hello to me from a distance. He waved goodbye to me from closeness. He may not remember me next week. He simply wanted to be friendly.

A man with an open flow of Holy Spirit.

When we meet a man filled by the complexity of compassion, led by a gentle bold giving welcoming enthusiastic spirit – we have met a holy spirit – THE Holy Spirit.

Will I meet this man again for the fifth first time? I hope so.

I know that the Spirit in this man knows the spirit in me. Our small talk is simple,  our spirit talk is complexly connectional.

I love meeting the Holy Spirit, again and again.

Don’t you?

My segment of Spirit felt your segment of Spirit making your head nod “yes”…

The Holy Spirit already is One with itself…

Simply Spirit…

Simply True…

692B

ALIGNMENT, 03JunB

Alignment with the Lord’s purposes is MUCH easier when we put on the Armor of God, not only can we be protected, but we also can be moved with a God-magnetic-pull on our God-Armor-metal.  We can let Him move us. Think about those metallic bingo chips lifted and moved by the metallic wand. Do you ever feel God placed you in step with His purposes which were not solely yours? Click click click – get ready to be moved… His guidance for our steps… the right place at the right time… but then be ready to move again… click click click, clear the board it’s time for a new round of life…

We can trust His Will and free our spiritual brains to realize how we can make a difference for Him, simply by emptying our agendas… that is tough many times but it is worth it… meanwhile we can feel the blessing…

Not every task is easy. Not every step is known to us. The Armor of God is good and purposeful. We must have TRUST that His plan is being put in place…

Our spiritual cups are more easily filled if we allow ourselves to be aligned just right under His flow… It is impossible to pour out of an empty cup… Alignment is brought to you by Jesus. Imagine Jesus lining you right up to where you need to be… HE KNOWS!!!

Our souls are fed by knowing His ways are better than our ways,  His thoughts better and higher than ours…

Alignment with Jesus is for serving God…

Embrace His Way.

Amen

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From Isaiah 58

The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

---

From Isaiah 50

“The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.”

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From Isaiah 55

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace…”

693

Devotion in a Car Wash. 04Jun

I sat in a powerful automatic car wash and I knew there had to be devotion in that experience – somewhere… It was already formulating AUTOmatically in my head and when I saw the last sign to “DRY-N-SHINE” – AUTOmatically I knew that was God’s message today and always… He wants us to SHINE HIS LOVE!

My car wasn’t awful dirty but certainly it could have been cleaner… (what am I saying?  My peanut shell crumbs and life dust go on and on, purple bird poop from parking under trees was nothing compared to the inside explosion of who knows what!)…. Likewise I deceive myself into thinking that my life my soul are not as awful as I could imagine (What am I saying?  My sins of omission alone and self righteousness go on and on, and oh the mistakes, the human oaf I am, yeah it’s ALL inside that needs cleansing, bird poop of the soul…) …. Because of me being lost and found, despite of all of our humaness, the Lord finds ways for us to cleanse, to find His Way – Living Water in a car wash – a soul-soaking cycle for SAVING.

Every car is dirty, every soul is a sinner – all sin is equal – all soul-saving means savouring the Savior.

Inside the wash, my car was on a single track, I had to put it in neutral and let the machine do its work automatically. In life we can look for the narrow but sure path – and we have to actually put our agendas in neutral and let the Spirit take over. Let Jesus do His work – automatically the Spirit pulls us, DON’T even think about putting it back in gear…

Inside, the car was dry, warm and dark! While the whirling bristles and flashing lights outside were like lightning and thunder, I felt the calm in the storms. Under God’s wings we are safe and sound – even if we see the enemies about – even if we hear the roar of earthquakes – calmness will help us hear the whispers of the Lord.

The car got not just one, but many many swirling brushes – many many slapping flaps…  One round of clean up is never enough, nor is it sufficient if you skip the hidden areas… Likewise sin and life require lifting the dirt under the dirt… our Savior understands and comes to clean continuously…

Actually, I really wasn’t worried about how the outside looked at all, I really wanted the unlimited time to vacuum and to sort my car on the inside. Jesus doesn’t worry about the outside of you either, Jesus wants to look inside. God wants you to feel beautiful. GOD LOVES YOU!

Is it easier to start cleaning the car ahead of time – yes vacuum the soul too… first you can take out the big chunks out by hand – bottles under seats and logs from eyes…

At the vacuum stations, my red car neighbors were arguing about scratches, on the gas cover. Sadly by arguing, they missed the joy of having 99.99% of their car shiny and clean… I stood grateful for realizing that my life scratches, most of which are of my own doing, car AND soul… My dents are like Mader’s tow truck dents from the movie Cars, they are my memories… my tears, my thorns are my humility reminders… my smiles are in that car too… my joy is measured in miles… Eternally smiles and joy are in the Lord, as eventually we will leave the body shop of this world into a freeing forever after.

And at the end of the car wash what sign is it that I see illuminated? “SHINE!” Car buffing came included with this ultimate wash package. SHINE! Guess what? Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to each of us at Pentecost and forevermore so that we can SHINE. We are sent out into the world, driving to wherever His SHINE is needed.  His LOVE flows miles and miles.  “DRIVE” is the motto for a red Pentecostal Subaru – “Feel the LOVE” Subaru and Salvation…

You know this shining up of my car did not cost me anything today!!!… I texted and got a free wash – a top of the line wash for FREE!!!… (yeah sure now they have my number)… You know what? OUR choice to follow Jesus is FREE-ing and doesn’t cost us anything either but it does cost us our own lives. Jesus has got our number and He will forever be pinging us to find us. We can hand our lives over in exchange for His, because He gave His life in exchange for ours – FOREVER… Free washes, free salvation, the owner of our souls already paid…

Of course it is not my boast to SHINE – it’s NOT of my own doing – it’s not even going to prevent me from having new sins, life is life, we mess up.  However, the ability to shine is going to give me a chance to heal and to tell others of my healing by the Body and Soul Shop of the Spirit.  It is in humbling gratitude that we know the splashes of mud will come, we are bound to repeat our need to be cleansed, we will have remorse, and when we repent we will be forgiven, re-cleaned, souls refreshed.

So take your mud and your scratches, those in your car and in your life and keep driving forward – for you are now commissioned – you are cleansed by the Living Water- it’s time to for you to DRY-N-SHINE!

AMEN!

GO!

692

ALIGNMENT – A Sunday Tired is a Good Tired, 03Jun

“The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.
The Lord God has opened My ear;
And I was not rebellious,
Nor did I turn away.”

Isaiah 50

How blessed I felt, even as exhausted as I was… to try my best to serve the Lord this past Sunday – 4 church events/services – plus home life… the body gets tired, but my fuel was not my own, no way it could have been to keep going…. Then again, it’s not surprising how the Lord provides energy and efforts. Regardless of our motivation, the Lord’s strength is what shines…

I felt His strength Sunday – on route to my 2nd activity, which was an unknown situation in the city, I seemed to know it would be OK, I had faith…. First driving to a sketchy portion of the city could be nerve-wracking, but the Lord provided a last minute presence of a friend to chat with the whole time… I turned to my friend before we got out of the car, to an unknown church situation, in an unknown neighborhood, that this was why we put on the Armor of God.  When we arrived, it was clearly the place we were blessed to be in… the prayer of protection became a praise of participation… we delivered excess craft supplies for their children’s services and VBS. I knew that the Lord was alive and incredibly active in these areas – hope in a Holy Spirit  – the Light that shines like noonday in the darkness can NOT be denied... After our delivery of supplies, we caught a portion of their 2-hour bilingual spirit-filled service… oh how we were the ones blessed…

The pastors knew we were coming and called us out and welcomed us. They preached that our presence was a testimony to the TRUTH that the Lord was ALIGNING His kingdom… alignment of us with the sharing of blessings for all His people… that He is moving all things and ALL OF US for His purposes.

Actually, it was not hard work that we had done, multiple people worked with sorting and purging excesses of 15 years of donations and I was blessed to be the messenger, knowing that God had put the right place in front of me… the cleaning and sorting work was slightly time consuming but not hard, and extremely necessary… And the Lord clued us in on knowing the greater need in a growing section of His kingdom, it was easy to give the materials away – the blessings of our excess. It is the legacy of God’s work in these craft supplies, many donated by a good friend,  who had passed away… She lived to teach children about the Love of Jesus, and thru her couponing and clearance shopping we had TONS to deliver Robin Hood style to many areas that she would have visited if she could… to help God’s children is a blessed path – since there are always NEW children to teach, new spirit to tap into… I know that now she is smiling at these moments… She would say “You go girl!”

I felt the alignment to the Lord’s service even stepping out of the car as the church was rocking with amazing music that the sleepy whole block could hear…

The pastor preached during the offering that the Lord provides – trust and you will be provided for –  YES, YES that’s true!

The pastor preached about the intrinsic Glory of God never separated from God. Amen!

The people poured out their thankfulness to us, but it was me who felt the hunger of my spirit which was blessed to be placed where He needed me at that moment. ALIGNMENT…

Our spiritual cups are more easily filled if we allow ourselves to be aligned just right under His flow…

The pastor preached about how God changes our paths – often… oh yeah – AMEN to that!

Alignment is MUCH easier when we put on the Armor of God, because then we can be moved with a God-magnetic-pull on our God-Armor-metal.  We can let Him move us. Think about those metallic bingo chips lifted and moved by the metallic wand. Do you ever feel God placed you in step with His purposes which were not solely yours? Click click click – get ready to be moved… His guidance for our steps… the right place at the right time… but then be ready to move again… click click click, clear the board it’s time for a new round of life…

We can trust His Will and free our spiritual brains to realize how we can make a difference for Him, simply by emptying our agendas… that is tough many times but it is worth it… meanwhile we can feel the blessing…

Not every task is easy like this. Not every step is known to us. The Armor of God is good and purposeful. The trust that we must have is that His plan is being put in place…

I was given additional hope in an unusual usual normal way. The little girl in the pew in front of me wanted attention to play. I realized in the clamor of loud praises, of a church filled with moms and children, that the whisper of the Lord was for me to entertain a little girl so that the mom could absorb the message…  this mom was very devoted to her daughter and knew that she needed to have her cup filled as well… was I in that EXACT situation only a short long 15 teen years ago? Yes! A wonderful stately gentleman entertained my daughter, so I could hear the message those days in church… years apart, both peekaboo moments brought to you by God’s Alignment… Am I still in that same position? YES, I need my cup filled too – it is impossible to pour out of an empty cup… Alignment is brought to you by Jesus. Imagine Jesus lining you right up to where you need to be… HE KNOWS!!!

Our souls are fed by knowing His ways are better than our ways,  His thoughts better and higher than ours…

Serving God…

From Isaiah 58:10-

If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 

A Sunday tired is a good tired…

Amen!!!

 

Isaiah 55

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

691

Imperfect Us – Perfected by Grace, 16May

I appreciate the voice of JOY flowing thru Keith Green at the Speed of the Spirit when He shares the LOVE of Jesus – WOW… Thank God for YouTube, even after his tragic death in a plane crash, you can still feel Keith’s Spirit living on thru the Spirit leaping out of the screen and His lyrics. They are alive because you process it is thru Your Spirit.

Keith Green had a “Saul to Paul transformation”, therefore I know that he would understand my faith and energy… Keith Green was/is called to burn bright… I’m so appreciative of the lyrics and the life and enthusiastic love of live musical messages, they are so NOT the polished studio feeds but Keith talking to the crowd in RAW films with SO MUCH raw energy… 

The lyrics of two songs speak to me today, which were written to encourage all of us to be faithful when stumbling blocks show up – when our faith seems to fade. (lyrics below)…

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A wonderful writer and Pastor, Pierre Eade, has shared a message about the canonization of the bible – and how a very strong God used very imperfect men to accomplish this task – and like all imperfect men, like Peter, God uses us to feed His sheep. God uses our imperfections… God gives us grace… let’s stay on the path…

From Pastor Pierre’s 13 page paper: “As we survey the lives of the seven characters discussed in this paper, we see how God used imperfect men in the formation of the canon. Peter had denied the Lord three times. Luke was a non-Jew and also not an Apostle. Paul had once persecuted the church. When Marcion couldn’t convince the church of his devious doctrines, he started his own church. Tertullian did not receive the title of “saint” because of his rough and at times abrasive character.  Athanasius had a “fiery and stubborn personality.”  The study of the formation of the New Testament shows that an omnipotent and all wise God is able to use the events of human history and the workings of fallible creatures to perform a good and perfect work.”

PDF at

http://www.christiangrowthnetwork.com/Canon_of_the_New_Testament_Pierre_Eade.pdf

http://www.christiangrowthnetwork.com/canon_of_the_new_testament_scholarly.html

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Please read the Keith Green lyrics and listen…

“Keith Green – Stay on the path” on YouTube

https://youtu.be/eGlLS24kYaI

Stay on the Path

When you first find your self you want to run and tell
All the world of your joy and harmony inside
But the hardest thing is to live what you will say
And you find your truth, slipping quietly away if not used…
So you stumble but try to reach out once again
Something urges you on, ’cause you now tasted light.

And the path goes on – getting steeper all the time.
But with each new step you are strengthened in your climb towards your goal
To make all things whole

So you think you’re aware, well the works never done, stay on the path
But if you were once there, well don’t give up now, stay on the path
If you work on yourself, then your on the path, your on the path
But if someone needs help, then do all you can, and you’re on the path.

You will never receive, more than you can use
And we’re tested to see how much we’ve really learned
And you feel your goal is to reach the highest plains
But you’re so, you’re so alone and you find the growing pains, hard to transcend.
But you will, you will in the end

So you think you’re aware, well the works never done, just stay on the path
And If you were once there, well don’t give up now, stay on the path
If you work on yourself, then you are right on, right on your path
But if someone needs help, then just do all you can, keep on your path

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“Keith Green – Grace by Which I Stand” on YouTube

https://youtu.be/60T4c3MPrXE

Grace By Which I Stand 

Lord, the feelings are not the same,
I guess I’m older, I guess I’ve changed.
And how I wish it had been explained, that as you’re growing you must remember,
That nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I’m saved.

Lord, I remember that special way,
I vowed to serve you, when it was brand new.
But like Peter, I can’t even watch and pray, one hour with you,
And I bet, I could deny you too.
But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I’m sure that my whole life would waste away, except for grace, by which I’m saved.
But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I’m saved.

——

From Pastor Pierre’s 13 page paper: “As we survey the lives of the seven characters discussed in this paper, we see how God used imperfect men in the formation of the canon. Peter had denied the Lord three times. Luke was a non-Jew and also not an Apostle. Paul had once persecuted the church. When Marcion couldn’t convince the church of his devious doctrines, he started his own church. Tertullian did not receive the title of “saint” because of his rough and at times abrasive character.  Athanasius had a “fiery and stubborn personality.”

The study of the formation of the New Testament shows that an omnipotent and all wise God is able to use the events of human history and the workings of fallible creatures to perform a good and perfect work.”

PDF at

http://www.christiangrowthnetwork.com/Canon_of_the_New_Testament_Pierre_Eade.pdf

http://www.christiangrowthnetwork.com/canon_of_the_new_testament_scholarly.html