#866, 22MAY

If I Had a Choice, 22MAY

If I had a choice,  I’d choose freedom,  But I don’t always exercise my freedom wisely.

If I had a choice, I’d choose obedience, I’d choose devotion to God’s Will. I do have a choice because God gave me free will. But I don’t always submit to God like I should. I don’t always turn down the freedom of free will, I usually pay the price when I don’t follow God.

If I had a choice, I’d choose Jesus.  I’d choose life thru Him. I’d choose salvation because I need it. I’d choose freedom from sin because I have it. There is no say in my salvation except to say “I surrender” – “I need my Savior”.  I don’t always appreciate like I should that Jesus will take it the rest of the Way.

If I had a choice, I’d close my mouth from bickering but open it for praise.

If I had a choice,  I’d close my ears to painful distracting bickering, but try to listen to Jesus reminding me that I am saved.

If I had a choice, I’d close my eyes to disaster, but keep my eyes open to His workings.

If I had a choice, I’d keep choosing.

If I had a choice, I’d choose Jesus all over again.

If I had Jesus, I’d realize that I never didn’t have Him. I’d realize that He chose me.  I was chosen. He chooses us.

Jesus could have been given a choice to save us. His choice was made in the beginning. He knew the end. He chose the cross over the collapse of the world. He chose choosing. He chose chasing and catching sheep. Jesus will never lose those He’s given.

Jesus chooses all.

Jesus chooses you.

Amen

#865, 20MAY

2 Angels

“Is this your first pandemic?” Asked the one angel to another cloud cushioned angel. “No, but the first one that I’m watching from afar. You see, usually I was on the ground holding people’s hands, putting secret money in pockets for surprises, guiding pets to comfort their people just at the right time… see that tissue pack positioned just so? That was me.”

“Really? What’s your task this pandemic?”

“Watching a writer. Watching her write. See, she knows what Jesus is all about, she knows how she should share this immense knowledge of truth that things will be ok, that all will get to heaven OK, if they only believe… see, she worries that there’s too much bickering in the world, too much distraction and not enough simple sharing of the truth of love. She worries the message will get lost in the fray.”

“Are you surprised that she is stressing about people? She seems to care deeply. She knows that only God can sort things out, right?”

“Yes, she knows and yet she has to remind herself over and over again.”

“So why are you just sitting there on this cloud, being still? Shouldn’t you just jump down there and do something else to make her do something?”

“No. It’s only when she writes that she sits still, I need her to sit and process, otherwise she’s moving and moving.  If I sit, she will sit. If I can be still, a busy angel be still and demonstrate that the Lord is in control, then she will be still…. I  know that she will move again,  but now,  just now, she has to just BE.”

“So you are watching her just BE.”

“Yup. No better place to position a bee than just have her BE. Be in prayer. Be in pause. Be in praise. Be in belief. Be in tune… (See that tissue pack? I placed it weeks ago in her car, knew she would need it just right now. Therapeutic tears means living water repriming of her system,  shedding the stress.)”

“Be loved little bee, be loved. Be in peace. Be prepared. Be good. Be you. Be. Bee.”

“Hey. Thanks for the cloud chat, I see she just now got a text from a friend who prompted her with joy and direction just as she was finishing writing. You saw that Holy Spirit move just then, right? You just saw that inspired text about a VBS sing-a-long right?”

“Truth”

“So pandemic or no pandemic, VBS or no VBS, the VBS Spirit flowing just moved her back to focus on spreading the love of Jesus. She won’t be without her bee.”

“Truth”

“I think she’s ready to rejoin the world now. She’s just got to send that writing email to friends who really care to hear bee being bee… and now she will be back to bee-ing herself.”

“So, see you next cloud chat. I’ll be excited to see what you are helping her with next. Get your rest, that bee looks to be getting busy. Keep reminding her that there’s nothing she can do to share the love of Jesus more than just to be – BE HIS.”

“TRUTH!!! Bee be blessed…”

😉

 

864

Spiderman Slime

New science experiment lesson for both young and old. When Spiderman jumps from place, he swings, on what? A web that he shoots out by throwing his arm up and out. He then trusts that web to hold him as he swings, especially when he is getting out of danger, or sending web to rescue someone else.

Isn’t that true for believing in Jesus? For putting our trust in God and in Jesus? When you are called to step out in faith, when you have to give up your own agenda and when  you need to be rescued, you must trust in Him, not in your own understanding of the steps to take in life. Just like Naaman, you must immerse fully in faith,  just like Peter you must leave your life and gain His, just like everyone and Spiderman you must swing out in faith yourself and trust that Jesus will catch you, AND JESUS WILL!!!

Spiderman slime is pretend, for fun, and yet a great teaching tool for hands on lessons about faith.

It is great to make slime, mixing 2 chemicals together, white glue and Borax laundry soap. Add a little food coloring for fun. The glue has long chains of chemical structures called polymers, it oozes slowly. The Borax chemical is going to react with the glue polymers and chain-link them together, the long polymers are cross-linked. The chemicals look like a net (or a miniature web) if you could see the molecular structure and we make slime, which holds together, oozes more slowly.

The basis of the experiment is to mix equal parts glue and water, just a couple teaspoons of each, mix them well. Dissolve a teaspoon of borax into a couple teaspoons of water. Pour the Borax solution into the glue and stir. The crosslink reaction will set the glue into slime. Wait a bit – or keep stirring and then slime will be stretchable and you can work with it with your hands.

Spiderman must trust his web in order to swing thru life, we too must trust not our own understanding of life but Jesus and take His Hand, we live thru his life’s teachings under God’s LOVE and learn the truth that ONLY Jesus can give us eternal life. We are to give of ourselves freely into faith. Trust God’s path for our life. God does not want lukewarm faith, you are either hot or cold to Him, if you are lukewarm then God will spit you out of his mouth, like it says in the book of Revelation.

So trust Jesus to lead the Way because He is the Way. Speak about Jesus to your friends and family, because Jesus is the Truth. Trust Jesus with your life because He is Life. The Way the Truth the Life.

I urge you to be active in a faith community as well, as together we all can create a strong net to help others (including ourselves) be stabilized by faith. Be Spiderman and send a web of support to others, so they can know that LOVE and rescue by Jesus too.

Amen

#863, 16MAY

Mini Musings

<^> Don’t be a mythic person,  be yourself mythically.

<^> Don’t be an asymptomatic carrier, flash your love bug style.

<^> Don’t judge neighbors who have a driveway party, do spatial distance but enjoy the slice of pizza they offer you (and those wings!).

<^> Don’t be un-sense-able, sense smartly.

<^> Don’t worry, worship what will work out in the end.

<^> Don’t grudge, be gracious, growing, graced.

<^> Don’t observe injustice, justify your place and serve.

<^> Don’t miss the opportunity, open the openings, smile the Spirit, take the time, long for a LONGVIEW.

Love

#862, 15MAY

Witness His Next Stitch

John, the apostle, was so young when Jesus called him and brother James to “Follow Me”. Jesus loved him dearly and John knew AND grew to be a great witness and wisdom-filled teacher who lived many years. John lived a long life to tell, teach, and weave his wisdom into his accounts, seasoned to know what his readers would want to hear, the stories, the witness, To tell about the love of Jesus, a man who was both God, family, leader and friend.

John’s gospel, written last, covers many tidbits not in the other 3 gospels… the stitches into the net of insights are not for show of his personal status, but for the future readers to understand his important placement of witness – Jesus sent all the disciples out to be taught. We are the ones that weren’t there. We must reach into his wisdom and the wisdom of everyone’s past witness to find how Jesus is UNCHANGING even in new times. We want to know the words of truth, the Word Jesus thru Witness.

The youth of today are our hope, for they are the teachers of tomorrow. What will they witness of Jesus thru us? We must continue stitching the thread. Share our witness that He gave us His strength to live. Not reinventing the witness but CONTINUING the long threads of TRUTH from the Word weaved thru our lives. Will the Word weave thru us enough to make us want to tell of Him? I hope so. We have to make it so… We have to show how our faith has stitched us together.

What damage do we see in the world that we can counteract with witness? What can our threads of faith fix? Calm the frayed ends? Comfort the crashes? Can we be warm witnesses to counteract coldness? Complacency? Cowardness? Collapse? What about facing fears and frustrations by demonstrating trust and due diligence? What about changing the gloom and doom into bright light, sight and hope?

I hope that our youth can say, one day, that we were a praying generation, a sharing generation, a paying attention generation. If they could tell stories of how we choose to show our strength instead of flaunt it, and show that we did not shy away. How we exerted efforts to listen internally and broadcast HOPE over the noise of nothingness…

Do we have to have life figured out? No. Perhaps it is better if life figures us out instead… Perhaps living the life of fluidity and fulfillment of cause IS the life that Jesus shows us how to live. Best we remember that Jesus shows us simply first to BE, and to keep walking in humbleness, seeking justice, loving mercy. We can keep walking with Jesus these days and weave our path of wisdom into the net, the fabric of the future.

I want to be remembered as Holy Spirit fueled, not as running under my own power. I want to be sharpened as a needle to pierce new fabrics with a mission to share.

Be a witness today and pray placement into the next stitch of the fabric of His LOVE. When you share your hope in Him, you are helping to start His next stitch. Be woven. Be real. Be witness.  Be.

Amen ahead of time to be a believer of His next stitch.

 

#861 – 11MAY

Hold the Rail, Mom IS Right

My Mom is the best!!!

My Mom is Heaven-sent. I get to borrow her here on earth.

My Mom’s ever-spoken advice: “Hold the rail!” Even at age 50, I can still hear her say it, and thank God she still says it! Yes, there is nothing easier to do than fall down the stairs, and I have… Up and down the stairs we still go, “Hold the rail!”. There is nothing so simple a saying which is the best good idea. HOLD THE RAIL!!!

Hold the rail.

In life as well, let’s not overlook this as the best advice EVER.

Hold the rail. Yes the physical one.

Hold the rail. How about the spiritual one? Hold the prayer rail, hold the rail and draw a line against distractions and disasters, hold the rail and the rail holds you – as long as your grip is good. Watch each of your steps. Get a grip.

Hold the rail and in other words, hold onto what will steady us like none other. Hold the WHO most of all – hold the out-streched HAND of the LORD.

Hold the Lord. The Lord is holding you.  Hold the Lord against distractions and disasters, hold your grip, get a grip. Watch your steps.

My Mom knows the Lord in her own unique way. As we all do. My Mom holds the rail, even put in a second rail on the big stairs at home. Be extra careful now these long years… take advantage of the most safety you can to transverse day to day…

A Second Rail, Hmmm… an advocate to come alongside, a Holy Spirit to hold, to help… How Amazing… We HAVE a surrounding SAVE…

Hold the HOPE. The HOPE is holding you!

Why not hold the rail? The steadying presence is for your own safety.

Why not hold the Holy Hope Helping of Heaven’s Host.

Hold out your hand, He is here to hold.

HE who helps, HE IS THE LORD.

HOLD ON TIGHT!

Amen

#860, 08MAY

WHY Do I Wear a Mask?

Why do I wear a mask? and stay socially distanced? Because my faith is UNMASKED and I believe we are to do our part to inspire others, remind others –  and because I am alive.

Because my FAITH should be written all over my face.

Why do I wear a mask? Because I am blessed to know that the rules are not JUST for protection but trust that compliance is for DEMONSTRATING that I CARE.

Why do I wear a mask? and change it twice a day at least? Why do I wash my hands? Because I have to be aware of my surroundings and not take the things I have to do and get to do for granted.

Why do I wear a mask? Because I DO honestly want to go out and about, but NOT for flaunting my freedom. For now IS the time for finding our balance between work and worry, routine and risk. And while I wear a mask, I can still show that I CAN STILL SMILE.  We can still smile while wearing masks, we can still sing quietly in the grocery story while wearing one, we can still be polite and friendly,  we can still believe in the goodness of the Lord while wearing one. We can certainly show our humbleness while wearing one. We can still be His servant while wearing one. We should not judge while wearing one. We should be still.

Why do I wear a mask? Because it caught my overflowed tears just now as I watched (via a Facebook live feed) a dear friend lay BOTH her mother and father to rest in a cemetery – both 80 plus – both taken swiftly – BOTH passing away only a week apart – together in dear love 56 years married… I will re-remember today because I heard the sadness of those there at the service. I will wear a mask and know the “closer” of illness but the beginning of eternity. I will remember their closeness to each other and of each of them to the Lord, and I will wear my mask to mark the completeness of their earthly cycle.

Why do I wear a mask? Because we don’t know when, where, how we will participate in the spread of this virus(SARS2). We don’t and won’t see it coming – especially if we THINK it already came by, skipping us for now – but we just don’t know.

Why do I wear a mask? Because we know we are all to pass away someday. Wearing the mask draws me closer to the Lord knowing others are passing. Yet, we know that that is OK – that we have the Lord leading our way.

Why do I wear a mask? Because I am still a breathing, living, loving organism. Because I praise the Lord – and the Lord alone – because He has filled me with breath and life to make me His. The Lord has made me aware and allowed me to simply walk out the door today and go where I choose…  Even better, I best go where He chooses me to go – He allows me to wear the mask today because I am still on this Earth…

Why do I wear a mask? Because if I don’t set a good example, who will? If I don’t prepare for my children, who will? If I don’t show the synergy of my own knowledge of science, spirituality, and sensibility, who will?

Why do I wear a mask? Because I have lots of fun fabrics to sew and so that others will be seen smiling within these masks too – and if I am not colorful and singing and smiling, and crying and listening and learning, and being a person of faith behind my mask, who will?…  Many are all these things in their faith and therefore I also can be. I can be me in a mask. I can still be me.

Why do I wear a mask? Because I am still alive…

Why I am alive? Because the Lord said so…

Why did the Lord make me? To show my faith in Him. To be loved by Him and to love Him.

Why do I UNMASK my faith in Him? because He made me me.

I was unmasked to the Lord before I was made – He knows everything about me. And He told me, showed me He loves me. He told me that my job was to tell you that He loves you.

God loves you. Jesus saves you. Holy Spirit moves you.

Why do I wear my mask in faith? Because my FAITH should be written all over my face.

Amen

859

Mega Micro Mega-phone Micro-Crab, My Lord, You ARE in Control, 07MAY

Don’t ever think that the Lord is not in control…

Don’t ever think that you overthink the complexities of the world – but DO think of the BIG as well as simple little things that the Lord has helped control for you, in you, with you helping… DO think what the Lord can reveal to you, and ask with all your heart. If you think Micro, you may understand Mega. If you think Mega you may understand that it covers all the Micro too. God has it all…

I may have told you that we found a lost hermit crab (that we named Christmas for his colorful shell) in the camp woods about 3 years ago – saw him on a path after discussing a gut feeling for us to walk one path over another – TRUST that gut feeling…

I may have told you that Anna S. (Christmas’s Grandma) and I didn’t want to be late for the supper bell – TRUST that calling.

I may have told you that we were amazed but left the crab there, OOPS – TRUST the OOPS feeling. We went back – because others reminded us that hermit crabs are not native to PA woods in chilly October. others urged us – we went back the next day – TRUST the people giving you advice.

There he was – there he was – there he was waiting for us (well how would we think like a crab? he was just existing) – TRUST the SOMEONE was thinking about him and about us – TRUST that the Spirit gives us time to think and to pray and to act… THINK about THINKING.

The Lord wants us to think about thinking.

I LOST THE CRAB!!!!!

My mistake – I took the crab out for exercising from his small enclosure and then I forgot about him – lost my thinking like leaving the stove on – Christmas was “lost” in my house for 18 hours or so – OOPS – honest mistake – we are honestly HUMAN – KNOW WE ARE HUMAN.  Think about forgiving our humanness.

PRAYER – RESCUE – HOPE – TRUST… I prayed and the Lord revealed a hunch and an image to me. TRUST that I am NOT making this up but that prayers and revealing and hunches are NORMAL – gut reactions are there for a reason… I found him within 3 minutes of my prayer and vision – whoda thunk? not me! whoda thunk that the Lord would use my forgetfulness to teach me something, that when I ask He answers. I pray to never forget that – HE is in control!

If the Lord thru my gut feeling can reveal the whereabouts of the smallest crab, in my MICRO life – then tell me how amazing the MEGA plan is – a plan to save the world before creating it!  Tell me that your gut reaction is WOW – tell me that you can’t imagine the unimaginable because I can’t imagine it either – but imagine TRUSTING the gut feeling that Jesus was planning on saving each of us before they created the world. I can only imagine that by faith not by sight.

Imagine how our joy gets cultivated by revelations and encouragements that there are no coincidences, imagine and experience the fun about little miracles of connective-ness. If you can imagine the Lord knowing the hairs on your head, you will believe it when He makes your hair stand on end! Surprised for the little coincidences of life – which are not co-incidences!

God-incidences all around…

Imagine me simply walking up to say “Hi” to someone I don’t know but while chatting they randomly ask: “do you have a megaphone? we need a megaphone for the National Day of Prayer parade.”   Well, yes, YES random questioning person, i do have a random megaphone that is not mine but in my office, purchased by a sweet friend. Well yes, how NOT random the Lord knew to connect the big MEGA things to make the MICRO things fall together – how NOT random…

How random the conversation drifted to hermit crabs – how NOT random that this person had a story about hermit crabs too – how NOT random that the Lord is in charge.

How NOT random that making people THINK and PRAY are all in the works for the Lord’s Day. How amazing is that EVERYDAY is the Lord’s Day…  How could we forget?

I’ll take my awe of You Mega and Micro-capable Lord, I’ll NOT wrap my head around the huge-ness of You Lord, but I will wrap my heart up in Your warm embrace and LOVE. I will take my Mega-phone and Micro-Crab and totally know that neither of them are mine – never were – but I was gifted the strange duties of holding on to them for Your Purposes.  I will not even think that my life is my life – that my time is anything but Your Time – I will try to reduce my bargaining my own time, remembering that it is from You Lord, Your good graces that I even wake up everyday! and it is of Your good mercy, Lord, that I get to actually sleep at night…

I believe that You Lord need us to tell of your God-incidences, God-winks, God-sightings…

I believe that You Lord need us working Your work in the world this whole while.

I believe that You Lord need us.

I KNOW that we need You!!!

I know you have the MEGA and the MICRO, You are in control.

Amen

---

 

Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN.” John 17

858, 02MAY

We don’t always “get it”, but WE WILL

What is going on today? Often we feel that we cannot understand all that goes on or thru our lives, nor have the mental capacity to process even a fraction. GOD KNOWS ALL but He WON’T tell all – He does tell us to trust Him.

In John’s account of the Last Supper, Jesus is explaining that He is leaving – that even if the disciples don’t understand all this heavy news now, THEY WILL… and if they don’t completely understand how it all comes together,  they will, but ONLY later… “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t hear then now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the all the truth.” (v16)

Jesus didn’t need to tell His disciples everything, because He was with them, but now that He was going to be leaving thru crucifixion, He told them that they will need His Spirit to keep moving forward.  (We do too)

We also are on that same track – not always knowing why we are in a circumstance – but having been given the TRUTH, we are told to TRUST…

We are urged to have patience, perseverance as well as passion and praise – even in unknowns, for our future is secured by Jesus.  We stumble through life, and are picked up only by stumbling upon the TRUTH. We may live thru follies and frustrations, but we WILL get to a place where we WILL see it all fall into place. We won’t see it all now, nor could we. We won’t “get it” until we get to be where all is revealed – and we won’t need to look back, we will just need to be. We will just be.

Let’s hope that the Word permeates the world, so all will know that the Truth of Jesus leads the way.

Not now, but someday THIS DAY will be understood by us.

And someday, we will not even worry that we didn’t know.

Amen

857, 30APR

Found Again! Christmas the Crab!

Found Christmas the Crab… oh you know there’s a devotion here about me losing focus… and the Lord clue-ing me in.

I found the crab with the hockey sticks, behind the washer… I lost focus yesterday and left him on the living room floor, packed my lunch and went to work… home late, I saw the lid off of his home, I sadly realized I had lost focus… I was too exhausted for the exhaustive search, I went to bed knowing that I was going to have to tear the house apart.. I work up unusually early at 430 am with the realization that I better start looking. Better yet I best start LISTENING… Christmas the crab is active at these times… I took the battery out of the clock that was ticking too loud in the kitchen and just stood silent.  I probably looked like I was hunting for a hidden Easter basket. And I LISTENED.

I prayed to the Lord: “Please GIVE ME A CLUE!” and I rose my hand to acknowledge my lost unfocused self, I lifted my hand to the air to ask Jesus to pull me out of the water… I asked for help because how could I lose a crab I was so supposed to help? and honestly I prayed because I really didn’t want to tear my house apart!!!… and yes, just then, an image came that quick – I just envisioned the laundry room – I headed over. I listened for the crab but no. I simply kept thinking about the hockey sticks but those gaps seemed too small for a big crab… but there he was… THERE HE WAS!!!.. God knew… I was the recipient of His Power to forgive and focus. I was gifted a vision. I knew and know that I will forget how much help I got just then from the Lord…  I will forget that He flashed a vision to me. I will get a bit lost again and again the Lord will find me. If the Lord can find a crab for me, for sure He can find me when I am lost. Surely He can lead us back to Him.

God led me to find the crab, that I feel… that hunch and vision was real and undeniable… I could also say I KNOW that mini-miracle was from God because ALL GOOD THINGS ARE FROM GOD (Psalm 16, James 1)… So WOW, to feel that hunch is startling!!! That’s the feeling of getting help from Someone assembling my thoughts for me.

Whew… (and I didn’t even start cleaning, only listening)… Christmas lost and found again,  Easter-basket style… Whew Lord, Thank You…It was a simple bad mistake, like me forgetting the stove on, I am so very much human and get so distracted… I can be lost just as much as Christmas was lost in the sticks…

How blessed we are to know that the Lord refocuses us to His mission of seeing how much life is better when we rely on Him… Our focus is lost at times,  we are the lost sheep… we will always need to listen…

Amen

---

Psalm 16 NIV, of David. (1-11)

Keep me safe, my God,

for in you I take refuge.

 

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing.”

I say of the holy people who are in the land,

“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

or take up their names on my lips.

 

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 

AMEN

---

 

James 1 NIV (1-18)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

 

Greetings.

 

Trials and Temptations

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

 

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

 

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

 

 

856, 28APR

Just Say Jesus

Remember that campaign of “Just say No”?

Well, how about “Just say Jesus”.

Jesus is NOT an excuse but a REASON.

Don’t want to let unwanted things slip into your life? Just say NO.

Got a bad vibe about something? Just say NO.

Want to choose good over bad things for your life? Just say Jesus is my justification.

Want to break out of an old habit?

Find Peace? Just say Jesus.

Just say Jesus and the REASON replaces the routine.

Want to stay away from temptations? Just say No. Want to give yourself a reason to treat yourself better, like a temple? Just say Jesus.

Just say Jesus

No more anxiety.

Just say Jesus

No more loss.

Just say Jesus

Just say YES, Jesus.

Just say Jesus

Amen

Love Still

Sing-out

Service 

Sacrificial 

Sorrys

Spoken 

Spiritually 

Slave-like

Strong 

Striving 

Skillfully 

Sadly 

Soulfully 

Soothingly 

Solemn 

Special 

Specific 

Seed-planting

Love Sowing 

Love Shows 

Savior love shared still 

So lovely

Love 

Still

854

Friendship Lines, COVID19 and Jesus’s Commandment to LOVE, 26APR

How heartbreaking the stories,  but how heartwarming the LOVE.

I had just finished reading about Jesus giving the disciples the great commandment to love one another, according  to John’s recount of the last supper.  I closed my bible and then read about the Friendship Line in California, and the pairing of college students and senior citizens, and about meal deliveries… about reaching out and loving one another… I love the LOVE.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Love is God and God is Love.

The love of all is held in such importance by the Lord that He gives this Command (at the time He is warning the disciples about His death) because He wants ALL to know that LOVE is the defining characteristic of being Jesus’s disciple.

I love seeing the Lord in His people. THAT’S HOW WE SEE GOD IN ACTION, THRU HIS PEOPLE SHARING LOVE.

Sacrificial love is the giving of time, resources,  hope.  Sacrificial love is not the easy way, but the Jesus Way.

Service love is the giving of time, resources, hope. Direction…. love we give is not self-serving,  should ALWAYS point to Jesus… Serving love is the Jesus Way.

Share love today,  the Jesus Way.

Amen

‐——–

In another move to expand resources for seniors, Newsom [Governor of CA] announced increased staffing for the Friendship Line, a telephone “warmline” that both answers phone calls and makes check-in calls to seniors. Students from California State University, Sacramento, and United Airlines — whose call center staff have been freed up by the pandemic-induced drop in air travel — are among those who will help staff the helpline.

https://www.kqed.org/coronavirusliveupdates/news/11814221/gov-newsom-supplements-senior-home-staffing-adds-new-hotline

853

Who is Your Plus One? 25APR

It’s Christmas in April !!! 4/25 – do we remember that Christmas day when the world got a plus one of a little baby? Jesus came in most vulnerable human form. He stepped off the throne to venture down to us.

When we are re-emerging after/during this Covid19 situation, we will have to figure out venturing back into society and whom will we see or hug first. Our parents? Our children? Our Amazon delivery driver? Our choice… Whom would we risk ourselves for in order to share our love… who is our “plus one?… And whom will risk their health for being with us?

Hmmm…. Christmas in April, is like everyday,  I know who would venture and risk themselves for us…

Christ.

Jesus Christ was called to take it upon Himself to seek each of us as His one. His “plus one” is each one… He sacrificed His skin for our sins. He’s the One and only One to bring us to God.

Plus One… Jesus wants us.

I want to feel the Lord’s love over all human love, I know that His comfort is like no other. I want everyone to know Him.  He wants everyone to know His voice and His Love and His comfort… He lived to be known.

Cast your anxiety away to accept the hug of His Hope.

Live. LOVE. Listen. Learn. Live.

Amen

852

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, 24APR

This Covid19 situation is unprecedented for our generation,  but not at all for the Lord. Oh the pandemics  that He has seen… The HOPE He has cultivated…

I could imagine the book of Job with the Lord modifying the Devil’s schemes… I can imagine the Lord morphing and helping us with this too. The ability to persevere is 100% from the Lord. We can show HOPE to shine light on the one who gives us hope. I believe we are also to learn that we really are all in this life together. Time to share, help, teach, sow.

You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5

Scripture comes to mind that despite our situation,  we are to grow. Despite what we see in the world,  we are to cultivate Godliness… Jesus taught in parable (Matthew 13): “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.  Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

It is a PATIENT Lord that we do have, One who could act swiftly but He may wait out the spiritual growth of the world so that as many as possible are found. The opportunities we have to learn about our path to Heaven are only as much as we are taught about Jesus. Therefore we too need to teach. Our own seeds need good soil in our existence and growth. So does everyone’s. As the parable of the sower reminds us – many people are not always strong in their faith. God WANTS good soil soul growth. God wants to harvest good wheat and a whole crop. God’s got to pick thru the weeds first, wheat from the weeds.

Can we remember to be in this world, this situation, for His glory and other’s growth? Can we support the weak, help them live and grow? Can we find strength in our weakness to demonstrate that we won’t just rollover, shrivel up and give up? Will we remember that we also are being encouraged to grow thru adversity.

There are plants that get battered by the wind and grow stocky and strong. There are trees that adhered to mountain cliffs and still manage to grow. There are people who don’t know the cushy life, but persevere and build deep faith.

The Lord has told us that we are all in this together.  Do we comprehend that and do we understand how we can spend our energies in building up each other? For when we work for the Lord, we want to reach the people who have ears waiting and wanting to open.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. 

And are we to grow thru our experiences now? Today? Yes. Are we to take time to improve ourselves thru these experiences? Yes. Have we been gifted time to explore what the Lord needs us to do? And are we to help the whole Kingdom of God’s people? YES

Having Hope will remind others of the one who gives hope.

What will we do in our precious moments today? Shrivel or grow?

I hope we will all GROW.

Amen

 

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“God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.

You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. (1Corinthians 12)

Amen Amen

——

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5

Amen

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From the Book of Job:  “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer!  Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear.  You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety.  You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. (Job 11)

Amen

——

1 Corinthians 12: (NIRV)

One Body but Many Parts

There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.  And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.

You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.

Amen 

—–

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.  But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13

Thanks Lord… AMEN

#851, 18APR

Spread JOY GERMS

What can you do in your walk with Jesus???

I believe that I am supposed to encourage, sometimes be the object lesson of God’s experiment (of me)… Others are gifted to warn, to teach, to prophesize, you name it.  I hope to keep a healthy fear of God, a solid respectful fear, we all should accept His correction…

But what really is the path the Lord needs us to walk? What role has Jesus been teaching you to take on? What do you want to tell others God means not just “to you” but “thru you” ???

I’m pretty sure that I am supposed to share JOY GERMS… if you’ve got them, spread them….

I’m pretty sure that I am blessed by God to tell of His HOPE… I am excited to learn in order to teach about Him!!! I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER JOB!!!! So why wouldn’t I look for the JOY IN THE JOB? My job. His job. Why wouldn’t anyone look for the path that the Lord picked for them?

Yes, some choose to obey, some get forced to accept Jesus thru tough times,  so why not accept Jesus thru our own walks. Knowing that Jesus chose me in the Way that He did brings me to tears. “WHY ME LORD?” – well, He says: “WHY NOT YOU!”

Jesus said to His disciples “I know those I have chosen” ,,, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”  John 13

Jesus said this for all, pulling all closer to Himself, while pointing out the one (Judas) He foretold as His betrayer. Jesus told them all so they (and we) would understand in retrospect that He had full knowledge of the walk to death and life that was being required of Him – that they and we would know He was God, the Son of God, the fulfillment of the prophesies. He wants us to know Him as REAL. As Lord.  As Savior. AS FRIEND.

We need to remember to SHINE the Light by sharing the Lord in us, thru us, to walk as the living beings of Christ intent.

He who receives whomever I send receives Me;

and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

If God picks YOU to share Him, share Him!!!

If God picks you to sing His praises, SING!!!

If you even have a chance to share a SMILE,  share a SMILE.  If you do have to rebuke someone, then rebuke for the good of others. If you have to correct someone,  do so with LOVE,  for building up the strength of the Spirit. Be receivable and approachable. Build up the body of the church,  which is EVERYONE.

Today – Especially today, LISTEN to the road map of the Spirit… keep learning and sharing your gifts.

Be His walk. It’s His High-Way.

Amen

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“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.  If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10

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So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what’s the point of opening your mouth? There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I don’t understand the language, it’s not going to do me much good. It’s no different with you. Since you’re so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don’t you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church? 1st Corinthians 14 (MSG)

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“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” 1^st Corinthians 12

850

My Father is ALWAYS Right, 16APR

Well, my Father,  as in my Dad, is always full of wisdom and probably always right, even though I would have sometimes disagreed growing up…

My Father, as in Our Father in Heaven,  He is for sure always right.

Convergent advice both my Dad and Our Father have? Treat everyone with respect,  be helpful to all.

My Dad says treat everyone well on your way up,  because you never know when you will meet them on the way down. He says treat the custodian and the CEO the same. And he values a person who can sit down and have a cup of coffee with you,  in other words someone who doesn’t make themselves higher than they need to be… down to earth…

That advice about custodians and CEO’s??? SO FITTING for today I spoke with both! Guess whom I gave advice to, and whom gave me advice? Yup, as predicted by my Dad’s advice,  the custodian is whom gave me the best advice today,  filled with wisdom at age 85, he would be the one all of us should listen to.

The advice? Do a job well,  take care of the people whom you are employed to take care of, and never burn any bridges because you never know when circumstances change… the custodian came to my office and sat down giving me his wisdom… that’s what I will remember…

My conversation with the head boss was also fruitful as he was the one who wanted MY advice… and helping the managers set their manager’s tone is time well spent.

How does the Lord fit into all this? Listening,  learning,  sharing,  helping… we must ask why we are put into the positions we are put in. We are ACCOUNTABLE to Him to make the most of every moment. The Big Boss, Our Father, sets the tone.  He surely makes the weather and He wants us in ALIGNMENT with Him.

Our Lord Jesus serves. We need to SERVE like He does, not simply make small talk or give lip service, but LISTEN and meet the people where they are.  To reset our tone, we must give up our burdens, we need to shine the LIGHT and be the LIGHT while the LIGHT is still with us and in us.

We are to steady ourselves too, not be tossed by the wind and waves… and right ourselves because we do live in His Grace. And we have to keep walking…

My Dad would have been happy I had the opportunity to speak to the boss and tell him a piece of my mind, and ALSO listen to the wisdom of the custodian who shared his mindfulness with me.  My Dad is right, treat everyone well.

Our Heavenly Father, as shared thru His “Down to Earth” Son, is right too, saying: Love one another… Speak to each other in encouragement… Be real.

It is good to be walking and working in the Light FOR the Light…

Amen!

849

God Says: “Take a Hint”, 16APR

I write thinking how we are just travelling through this world, yet our home is in heaven,  but we must make the most of each step here and now… there are good hints of how to live well and move on…

For example, I’ve been given hints, not quite like Paul who couldn’t go to Asia in the book of Acts, but hints that sometimes my act is NOT together. A small example: for some reason I am not in step yet for mask making! I’ve tried many times to find the time to sew masks, I keep hitting my own road blocks, maybe God says “take a hint” and do something else right now – there will be time for your agenda later. And yes, God not only hints but hammers home that my busy work work and my home work is important. God also hints that rest now is purposeful restful to gear up later…. So, my best mask elastic ran out, the extra wasn’t right, then my machine broke,  then I fixed it but I needed to test sizes, then my sizes were good but my new old elastic started coming loose. I thought I bought new elastic arriving this weekend but it is nowhere in my orders, boo. I never followed thru with the order… my mis-step of course, allowing God to say AGAIN “TAKE A HINT”… “WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE”…

But I did get like 40 masks made and given to neighbors and random people like the lady at the essential BUSY Rita’s water ice stand, I mean why not? She brought the hope of gelato normalcy to my kids, and I shared HOPE too… she said her husband  needed them to work construction, I was happy to help… when you keep your ears open for hearing hints, you can construct and share HOPE.

… and meanwhile, while my machine was broken, I gave away lots of HOPE, including 20 year old good fabric that I probably would have never gotten to use (I say that NOT to boast in American dream example of excessive living BUT because we all need to purge, giving things away before they rot)… I was able to absorb a lot of timeless HOPE and great fuzzy feelings giving away excess stockpiles… we certainly can share and feel helpful because our ability to bless mirrors when God says “don’t store up treasures here on earth”. So yes, clear your piles, take a hint, work on something else !!!

Not everyone has the same talents or missions from the Lord. Not all of our time needs to be filled either,  sometimes our time is simply for being still, being here, being present, being us.  My friend says: “why are you rushing to get everything done at once?  You can have everything in life, just not all at the same time.”

Sometimes we can end up being bewildered, so we best take stock, give half away,  and make room for new blessings… take a hint, God always wants NEW blessings for us.

Ultimately we can’t take anything with us… not our blessings of this life.

What we want to know and feel is the biggest hint of all: Grace – the gift of FOREVER FORGIVENESS that ONLY the Lord can bestow. The road map of the Kingdom is marked to lead us Home.

When we simply ask to Be His, we find out we already belonged to Him already, before we even believed.

And that’s all we really need to be, is really His.

So

Sew

Sow

Be blessed…

Be still…

Be real…

Be His!

Amen

848

On Easter, You Count, 12APR

The moon reminded me this morning that there is a tremendous amount of math used to calculate the Easter date. Full moons, spring equinoxes and manmade picks, Easter moves, it’s been a very movable date always. Appropriate as Easter moves us to rise. It’s not actually a date anyway,  Easter is a truth.

The math that counts, on Easter and every day, is always one. ONE man laid down His Life to rise up for ALL, and especially for One – you.

YOU COUNT.

You count on Easter,  you count every day.

To our Lord,  no one counts to Him more than the ONE sheep – YOU. Jesus calls to us, chases after us, loves us and saves us.

You are the One He Loves.

No one is NOT counted.

Jesus died for one… for ALL…

Jesus rose for ALL…

Jesus rose for YOU…

“These are written that you may believe  that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20

Jesus IS the TRUE Savior we can count on.

Believe in the ONE. He Believes in You.

Amen

847

Maybe My Faith Needed Oiling Too! 11APR

My sewing machine got stuck, a small but big issue because I was the one planning out my day, I even took half that Friday off to sew masks!!! Well, NO!!!  Tell God your plans and watch Him laugh!   It is a workhorse machine, it hardly ever fails,  but wow it was loaded with crud, and not oiled in a while,  and it got jammed…

But I write this observation NOT for an amazing machine,  but for observing an AMAZING GOD.

After 2 hours working on unsticking the machine that is still stuck, I observed that apparently God had other plans for me that day… Yup… instead of sewing, I spent the rest of Good Friday with my daughter and son, time best spent… delivered couple things to folks (drop and run), made plans to give fabric away to another mask making group, got takeout food, and slept well, knowing God was in control.

And after another hour oiling it today and removing crud, it now works,  but not before I organized and cleaned up my stuff, and did lots of other house stuff… I think God repurposed my time on purpose, YES… I know  He did, so I un-be-grudgidly repurposed my own time and stuff too.

More importantly, now I have a GREASED AND OILED FAITH too… See my prayers worked out for the machine,  but that’s NOT what really mattered today.  What REALLY mattered were my groans of prayers this morning, see my son awoke to say he was extra tired. And I heard one cough and I took his temp. 99. Sure you can say 99 is normal-ish, and no other coughing occurred,  but when he went back upstairs, I went on my KNEES in prayer… There is no better way recapturing your strength than to first fall on your knees to bow and submit to God when you are overcome with fear. I wasn’t overcome or overwhelmed,  but I knew I needed the Lord nothing else…. We can oil our oil knees to bow in submission. We have to oil our fading faith when we worry, we can know that our prayers are heard.

I got back up from my knees, grabbed cleaners and got busy, returned to being half Martha, but NEVER stopped listening like Mary. I was praying and submitting all my plans to the Lord at that moment. . . Jesus also AGREES THAT HE IS THE BEST PLANNER…

My son is fine! My freakout, but he’s fine… of course I took measured cautions and measured fear in portions with my faith, so I prayed HARD!!!  His temp was not high, I KNOW 99 IS FINE,  he didn’t feel warm either, said he usually is tired from sleeping too long, and yeah that mop of hair in the front surely raises him a degree on that forehead thermometer, LOL… He’s FINE, within half an hour said he felt much more awake… I also know that he is the least at risk being young… but on your knees,  you simply pray in wordless groans… Well, God is good and I am STILL PRAYING,  but this time it’s for normal stuff, which I have plenty of prayers for… Whew!!!

God knows how much I thank Him for my good kids. I know God answers prayers. I know.

Since all things good come from God, that means God listens really good!!!! I could have shared my “freak-out” with Facebook, but instead shared my “faith-out” with God,  He can oil your plans and keep you moving.

My faith got oiled today.  My squeaky prayers answered.

God is good…  Thanks God.  Tomorrow we celebrate Easter, I know that every day is YOUR DAY…

THE DAY YOUR SON ALLOWED US TO BE UNSTUCK FROM OUR SIN…

We can now come back to You, JESUS ANSWERED YOUR PRAYERS TOO… THANK YOU JESUS…

Amen

846

Spirit NON-Distancing, 11APR

Jesus sent direct messages to His Father through His internal connection of prayer as well as speaking out loud. We can too. Even in groaning, our prayers are understood.

When Jesus died on Good Friday – we call it GOOD because the veil in the temple was miraculously torn at the exact moment of His death – the symbolism is SO REAL – our path to God is opened,  we just have to push away the curtain and enter in…. Jesus came crossing onto Earth and then crossing back to Heaven, we are DIRECTLY connected to God – there is NO barrier.

Jesus also asked God the Father for the Holy Spirit to come to us,  as His advocate.  Now we have this immediate connection of being hard-wired internally for remote Holy access… God can use us, move us, block us, remote us in. He is our Lord. He is in us and us in Him.

Social Physical Distancing is the norm right now,  Spirit Distancing is NOT. Our bread of life, Jesus, is like spreading His sandwich bread and filling it to make Holy Spirit Double Decker Sandwiches… If Jesus is the Bread of Life and Jesus  is in each of us thru His Spirit, and we in Him, then we are OK moving our slices of bread a little further apart and letting the space instead be filled with Holy Spirit meat and cheese, veggies and sauces, “Oh God is so good”!

Each of us need to choose to FILL our gaps with Holy Growth and remember HOW we are connected even if we are far away… fill the space with Spirit not static…

Spirit NON-Distancing is the best thing since sliced bread.

AMEN

845

Peacefully Lamenting, 09APR

I PRAY PEACE in the unknowns, focusing on the KNOWNS. Jesus knows.

Holy Thursday is a reflective time to understand peaceful lamentation, a sadness and sorrow that is allowed and understood by Jesus.  We say to not worry, to give up our burdens to Jesus, but we humans are human and ache thru lamentations of anger, unease, tears,  remorse, deep pain. Jesus did too.

JESUS KNOWS these current uneasy times. He knew them throughout our many troubled times.  He knows families are separated and have unknowns of when and if ever seeing each other again. JESUS KNOWS. God stepped off the throne to bring His children home. Jesus knows long time:  Jesus said REMEMBER ME, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29

Jesus and we can understand the remorse and frustration and woe. Jesus knew WOE.

The disciples didn’t understand that one of their own could even think of betraying Jesus. They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”  “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Mark 19

Jesus knew of frustration in knowing how others would fail Him. Jesus prays for all to be strong facing horrific times. And use our strength to help others.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHERS.” Luke 22:31

Jesus knew of Humble Service. We are to learn humility and yet the disciples were STILL arguing about who was greatest, even at the Last Supper.  They didn’t know until they knew.  We also STILL have tough times accepting humility. Jesus said: “the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Luke 22:26

Jesus knows Forgiveness. We must show forgiveness for others in order to be forgiven ourselves.  What we struggle with can be handled by Jesus who knows our humanness and knows our failings. He knows why He came to serve. In washing Peter’s feet, truly He was teaching that He came to wash away ALL our sins in order to enter the Kingdom. Jesus WANTS US WITH HIM. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” John 13:26

JESUS KNOWS THAT IT IS HARD TO HOPE WHEN WE ARE HURTING. JESUS WILL HOLD US.

And Jesus knows LOVE. He knew taking care of and cherishing His own those Last Earthly days.   It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, HE LOVED THEM TO THE END. John 13:1

Easter week shows Jesus lovingly leaving, on purpose, but not leaving us alone in our own lamentation,  JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH US THRU THE SPIRIT: “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15

Jesus reminds us of FUTURE GLORY.  Nothing we suffer now compares to FUTURE GLORY.  We are to remember everything He gives to us: “PEACE I leave with you; MY PEACE I GIVE YOU. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” John 14:27

We know Jesus brings us peace, we are allowed to have lamentations but with our internal spirit connection we are encouraged to have HOPE. 

Jesus will rise us to Him. HOLD TIGHT.

We must believe in JESUS LOVE.

Amen