Sing it with me! To the tune of “It’s a Small World”:

Da da da da da dada da da da….

It’s a short world after all, it’s a short world after all,  it’s a short world after  all,  it’s a SHORT SHORT WORLD!

Days seem long but years seem SHORT to us, don’t they.  I can’t even imagine how God sees time! I know scriptures say that a day is like a 1000 years and a 1000 years is like a day, and I do believe that God can spin the world in any way He wants, but I can’t wrap my head around it all!!!   I also know that many people (especially now in covid times and in this election season) are trying to tease out and identify the Book of Revelation events to now and see what matches what. But don’t. Simply don’t. For God did not create Earth as a “paint by number” canvas for us to guess. He just wants us to be. God did not hide Waldo in every riot or in every plague. Every earthquake is not the game “Perfection” running out of time. God surely even has lots of good things on His plate for us in the near future, but we are often distracted by the smudge marks of the world seemingly gone mad. Remember God is in control. Remember sometimes the Lord calms the storm and sometimes He calms the child.

I’m pretty sure it’s a short world and I know that Jesus is coming sooner than later, especially because the scriptures constantly tell us that we should be ready. (Book of James)  Everyday draws closer to the end times, therefore prepare your heart!  But don’t shuffle the Book of Revelation events like cards or cut and paste them in any which way, because that was not what John wrote down. And worrying about it would be akin to riding those fabulous Disney rides distracted while trying to figure out how all those animatronic moves happen behind the scenes, rather than simply enjoying the ride. You would not get your money worth out of that ride. You might even fall out of your seat leaning over the edge of speculation. It would also be like talking through the whole ride and missing the enjoyment of the moment (and probably annoying all the people in the movable cars next to you). You would miss the whole thing because you were distracted by your matching game of revelation vs rumination…  Don’t.

Don’t – It’s a short world after all – don’t waste your time. God put you on this ride, and He IS the Operator and gave you the free ticket. So, if He was going to put you behind the scenes instead, He would have told you by now and pulled you off the ride!

So don’t fret – don’t over react to the world – participate but don’t anticipate. Glide above the fray in your Spirit movable way and don’t unbuckle your seat belt until the ride comes to a complete stop. 

Share all the love you can, it’s a short world after all. Soak in the grace not the grief, it’s a short world after all.  Wait your turn and don’t bump the line, God’s timing is right and fine.   It’s a short short world!

Amen 

PS Jesus gives out “E” Tickets – for “E”ternity – Let’s Ride with Him!

—-

Revelation 1 prologue:

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

(A little rhyme in play)

Hey

Hey, Plan to PRAY, every start, middle and end of the day. Plan to SLEEP, don’t let worry take that away.

Plan to PLAN making a difference today! If you know the plan, stick to it. If you don’t know the plan, keep asking. If you don’t know the question, God will forever be your truth. God already has saved your day.

Plan to play, make the most of every day. Don’t worry life away, God holds the world’s wild sway. Every day.

Plan to return to the first line of business, talk to God and PRAY. Say that you can pray.

Plan to work, work the plan today. Make a difference, because that can and will work God’s plan in play.

Plan to pay, pay your debts and pay your way in the world. Pay the Way to Heaven? No way! The WAY is already paved and PAID thru PAIN to grant us Kingdom STAY. Lord, you gave forever to us that day. Thank you is the least we can say.

Plan to Kingdom Stay. Don’t plan to stray.

Pray and pray today. God loves hearing what we, His children, say. Hooray.

Amen

Amen all the Way.

Scoffers… the book of Jude warns about scoffers… the world needs mercy!! Hey book of Jude, you’re right!

3rd John warns: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God.”  And Jude calls it right out – persevere in the times of scoffers… 

Jude warns about terrible division in the world. This means that we are distracted from walking with the Lord ABOVE THE FRAY. Jesus has serious work for us in big issues and sharing Him for wholeness. It’s not that discussion is bad, but agreeing to disagree allows more forward progress. Persevere my friends on both sides, keep focused above! Jesus works to pull us all above the fray! 

Jude’s scripture:

A Call to Persevere

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen

Listen to the whole chapter: I love David Suchet!!!!

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Jude.1

I’m glad election season is almost over, there’s much to hurdle in repair, regardless of today’s results. 

I have had to hide a good chunk of people in my Facebook newsfeed, people whom I love, because it’s not pleasant to see what they post and many don’t even realize who in family or friends they are insulting or insinuating. I’m thinking Jesus didn’t have that luxury of not hearing the insults. 

A few years back, a wise advisor told me to not post anything controversial since people looked to me as a leader in the church. When they saw me they were supposed to not be distracted by private stuff made public. They were to not be distracted away from worship. Before posting, critiquing, complaining,  we are to get our own houses in order, not create more chaos. 

Same reason why I have not posted anything about the political races. Yes, I’ve encouraged folks to vote, but not how to vote, even though I have strong opinions.  I also want to remind everyone that we are blessed to vote, to live in freedom, and express our opinions without harm. Free to speak up to keep the peace and free to keep quiet to keep the peace. What did Jesus do to his persecutors? Keep quiet. What did Jesus say to His Father? Forgive them. What did Jesus say to everyone? God loves you and wants you to love Him and His children,  your neighbors. 

Let us EXPRESS LOVE by sharing the Word. And with our time, use time wisely. We are stewards of God’s time in us on earth. (That was a great message this week from a great stewardship sermon). The truth is that the TRUTH is the only thing that we all can agree on. Even the negative spirits acknowledged Jesus, scripture says. Actions in love triumphs over actions taken in ignorance or hate. 

I pray to stop seeing so much negativity turned into anger – and wouldn’t anger be better used to fuel action not friction. How many times I wanted to post “do you realize that you are insulting me?”…  I don’t think anyone’s political views are changed on Facebook. Only result is sadness that we are distracted from spreading love. Similarly, if we did not educate about love, who will?

I saw 2 posts back to back today, uncanny duplicates, with the same Ephesians 4 message: Be kind and compassionate. Forgive. 

John, was writing letters to keep the faithful strong. To remind us to love. Love involves lots of forgiveness. I pray that peace today. I pray we learn from the Lord that sacrificial love. Loving all. Forgiveness. And fueling flames of love not friction and hate.

The truth lives inside of us, God put it there for a reason so it’s easy access for us to share… it’s still all about sharing LOVE.

Amen!

—-

2nd letter of John, The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—  because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.  And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

A good read for me which was better than any distraction that kept me away from reading: Peter and Jesus – so much to learn.

I am reading and absorbing the last paragraphs in this Michael Card book: A Fragile Stone and as I close the back cover – I remember oh how much I loved this book. He reminds us to be both Peter and Paul as we continue our Christ-like journey – Paul, a pillar of the church for his “passion and exactness” and Peter, a pillar of the church for his “courage and simplicity”.

My goal, our goal, is to find both of them in us – be bold in faith and be a “bridge” to faith (like Peter to the Gentiles). Michael Card says Peter teaches us that we need to “[let go of our possessions and power, let go of our position and authority]” – to be a towel and basin servant, to be Jesus-sharing to peoples unknown… Far and wide we must travel like Peter to meet the people Jesus needs us to meet, not just physically but culturally. We are the hands and feet to reach the ears and hearts for the next awakening souls. We are to serve at the call of our Lord, not lord over our causes.

Our goal is to find Jesus in us – not to hold on to our presets and goals. We must serve – and we must listen. We need to be built upon, learn spiritually and soulfully, like Peter – and grow old in our faith years. 

I know if God had a plan for me, He has a plan for each and every one – He has a plan for you, and Jesus is our navigator. Let’s keep making time to travel ,grow, and be. Let’s be of Thee!.

Amen

————

PS

I did not know about Peter in the many ways that I do now. If anyone would like a copy of this book – only $4 on ebay – I have bought 4 of them now. so good… so good…

Found the scripture to finish this silly not so silly writing from a couple weeks ago.. 

1John 5:18-21 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.  Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

I don’t know anything about why cats have instinctual cat movements,  but they are curious for sure. My cat will cover her food symbolically, will shake excitedly, and instead of simply covering the litter she spends her time brushing the sides of the little box.. weird,  cool, funny, instinctual… since our cat is so smart, an engineer cat and nursemaid cat, she also seems that she knows she’s “just going thru the motions” which are archaic and vestigial with not of house-living physical value. It is as if she says with her eyes: “don’t judge me – I can’t help this.”

Scrape scrape scrape unless she catches you watching her.  Yup.

Am I instinctual? Are we? Yes of course, hormones and brain workings, fight or flight, and being risk averse.  Parental instincts. We are human too. However, we ARE different than animals in our consciousness. However we ALL have our moments of “I can’t help this.” But for us we are to TRY to think of why we do things. And ask for Heavenly Help when we want to stop.

I, like many, find myself in plenty of opportunities to grow in my spiritual journey. With awakening, I went from 0 to 60 Spirit miles per hour in like double four time. Took so long, years and years, for the Lord to snap me into my spiritual car seat with a Jesus seatbelt. Let’s face it, our Holy Spirit lifeplan has us in a supersonic vehicle with no release lever. Once Jesus has you, He has you.

Let’s get back to that cat. Our cat is missing her cat mom, my college daughter, and I am a poor substitute in entertainment. So she is biding her time in this house entertaining herself, basically she owns the whole house for her choices of where to lounge. She surveys the scenes from her perch on top of the stairs, and had at least 6 cat beds/boxes she created herself. Unlike my cat growing up who simply came to snuggle, this cat comes with her own agenda. 

I like it when she kneads the bed, it’s instinctual and I get that. Likewise it takes me a while to settle down too into any task or rest. But in the morning, I have now had, a couple times, the feeling of a phantom cat kneading.  Weird. Nice? Scary? What? Weird. I try to shake it off but it is weird and I want to anticipate it.

I do not know if I am imagining this or maybe there was a possum inside my bed mattress (highly unlikely).  I don’t believe in ghosts but I know there are angels and I know there is a spirit world where good battles evil all the time. So was my phantom cat kneading as an angel cat or something else.  After I thought it was cute it did concern me and this happened a couple mornings but then I realized I need to remember that good ALWAYS triumphs over evil, even if it is not immediately seen. If this kneading was not of the angel nature, then surely an angel or Jesus could take care of it. (I anticipate that it is a good sign for me to simply get out of bed and get moving, but I linger.) So surely a BIG angel cat would probably feel stronger than a light simple cat kneading. Not long after these ponderings and feelings, my live actual cat has leaped on the bed and her kneading is MUCH stronger with MUCH more weight applied, and it is ALL OVER your legs climbing all over you and even coming up to study EXACTLY where to give you a BITE on the hand, arm, toes, forehead, to GET YOU OUT OF BED. I told you, she HAS an agenda. Whether it is time for cat treats or time for opening the front door for cat TV, you serving her with your hands, for things she can not do, is in HER agenda.

Of course this helped me realize that if my actual living cat had so much more power than any phantom cat or whatever, and she’s only one small cat,  then imagine that INTENSE LOVE and care from angel armies for us. My angel cat can be the sunshine of the day, so imagine how BRIGHT the LIGHT of Jesus and all the Spirit blessings are. Imagine how STRONG the GOOD WINS OVER EVIL, even in a broken world. Instinctual behavior or not, we can overcome all, in a heavenly sense, as we know the Spirit lives inside of us. 

Yes, the scripture says: “the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.  We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

I have not felt that sensation since but ALSO because I have NOT looked for it, because our focus is supposed to be on Jesus, not leading ourselves astray. Keep focus edand let Jesus lead, we are in the world but not of it. I’m not supposed to get carried away in distractions. We are to remain in Him. It is not silly to talk about this and I honestly would prefer if the evil one KNEW exactly how much I LOVE Jesus and pray that Jesus would make him stand down. How about an action that is better than praying for myself, and to pray for the world’s people, for the good over evil – yes to fight the good fight in the world. Jesus is of course personal and prays for the Father to intercede for His disciples.

Yes, don’t trample my angel cat’s walk – and surely don’t underestimate Jesus – He ALREADY won over evil, won over death, and lives inside of us.

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Amen and amen

Remain in Him. 

All Souls Day after Halloween is remembering those who have passed. So how are they remembered? By their LOVE and our LOVE for them. By the LOVE in them, from them, not stifled or lost.

Halloween night, I love because I love to see the love of families together. I decorated real quick with lights because I wanted the families to know they were welcome at my house. (Too cold for our neighborhood firepit collection of friends, brrr, happy to be in the house). Yay, we had almost 25 kids, seemingly either aged 3 or 13… awesome… so excited… and my teenager went to walk too, I hugged him when he left, he is so grown up.

I love Halloween but I have seriously grown distant from the blood and gruel, and evil hauntings on Halloween. I’m good with spiders and webs, but I’m not going to use death decorations. No. (This was clear path ahead for the sake of a friend’s little son ever since he was lost a few years back, oh the horror of that day, that week, that month, no way. No Way….  Death be banished. Life be lived.)

So I LOVE the fall fun of the season, the joy of the children, the LIFE, the LIGHTS, the comradery, the costume fun, the walking thru the neighborhood, YES the LOVE. I’m all about the LOVE. The children do indeed LIGHT up the faces of the world, especially the people whom they visit. It’s a blessing to be visited!!! The teenagers give hope too, I gave them everything teenagery I could find: candy, poptarts, water bottles. 

1st John 2:15-27 writes all about knowing where to place your focus. Don’t love anything of the world – and beware of those denying Jesus. I appreciate how John in his letters speaks encouragement: “you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it.”     WE DO KNOW IT.

It’s good to be the sharer of LOVE in a conversation, be the truth keeper and seeker and speaker, be quiet to listen spiritually, not the spouting about worldly mirings… to remain in Him. 

Remain in Him. That’s sage advice and scripture soothing. No matter how tough or easy life is, remain in Him. 

At the pumpkin patch, I like the name of this flat variety of squash pumpkin “Zombie Bliss” – a flesh not sweet but still good for savory flavors. That’s like our walk with Christ with knowing our bliss of everlasting life, all while knowing that we are in a world of worldly attractions that may seem sweet to some but are trappings not truth. Beware the fake bliss of blindness.  We are to Remain in Him, be more true to the Truth. Let us NOT walk like a dead ghoul zombie but walk with life in resurrection-loving born-again bliss. Sprinkle real light, shine light, and be a savory-savoring Savior-seeped soul. 

Humbling isn’t it? to know our walking with the Lord doesn’t mean we have to catch up with Him, like the stragglers in a trick or treating bunch tripping over their costumes, we don’t have to run but walk, even wait AND SIMPLY LIFT OUR EYES TO HIS. And as He knows where we are stuck in worldly costume snags, and how we are HUMAN with too many human trappings, so He waits for us. HE WAITS FOR US to notice Him. And runs to catch us. He never lets us go. 

Blessed in Bliss,

Keep Walking in truth. 

Be the Light and 

Anti the Anti-Love.

Remain in Him. 

Amen 

——

2nd John 

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

I really find this passage from 1st John 2:3-11 is a good pause for us to think about not hating, or fueling the fire of hate, fitting for election season, unrest in pockets, and general ugh. Wow. Just wow. Let’s do love instead.  If we only focused on the work of the Lord thru us, we would have less time to hate. Distraction is the deed of the devil.  Derision is feeding the delight of the divider.

Grumbling is not a good thing, but an appropriate word for what we see on our Facebook feeds, TVs and mail. I didn’t know anything about a particular local candidate except that people mailing these flyers harbor hate for her. Negative publicity or fear fueling is just wrong.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 1st John 2:9-11

It is not bad that we debate topics, but mob mentality is very easy to cultivate, too easy. True that I don’t like some candidates, opposite to my thinking on certain topics, but that’s for debate not hate. Yes, just like the dried paint I just cleaned up,  and oh yeah the cat surprises behind the furniture, these grumblings and attacks of mudslinging stain the microcosms we live in, how is it on the next day we are going to forget the flinging? Not likely. How will we teach our children to be polite, maybe bite their tongue for keeping the peace. And focus on not making it a messier world than it already is. Dump the divides and clean up the causes.

I don’t post political humor or commentary on Facebook, even if I have strong opinions, I don’t want any friends blocking me. I want to show them happy posts, my kid photos, trips, and of course the cat. 

A particular Facebook post this week was like a cat catastrophe ON the furniture, not behind it. Ignore,  block,  report,  or comment? That is the modern question. I have “snoozed” so many it’s not funny. 

My prayers are for not for unity in worldly things, but unity in love. My prayers are against dribbles and deluges of hate stirring. Verify, validate, vote. Clean it up not clutter life with crud.

Don’t let the darkness overcome, we have an overcomer in Jesus, our Light, who wants to shine love thru us. What we miss being mired in mud, oh what we gain in grace both given and received!

Let’s love first, ask questions second.       

Amen 

—–

1st John 2     Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers  3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them

I am in 1st John. Where are you? I really knew that one has to read the bible deeply – but like a good beach book, people start and stop whenever a good wave goes by. I have started and stopped reading lots of little bible bits – but whole books are where I need to be – chapter by chapter – continuous in my reading. BUT also important is stopping to place Word in my brain and life – actually I mean place my brain into the Word that is ALREADY in my Life because the Word is life and I am the reader of Him in me. Just like we should not miss the scenery if we read the whole time on a train trip and forget to look out the windows. Life IS a journey and really where we are going is out into it, out into LIFE to test our own truth and understanding. To share His Light in the dark world. We need to carry these truths to light the way.

I have benefited greatly from reading all of Luke, then Mark, then Matthew, then John – the 4 gospels read deeply took me 3 years (?) because I was absorbing all that I could and re-reading when I needed to. I was wanting to read the commentary of Michael Card in his Biblical Imagination series, so to understand commentary you have to read source material FIRST. The scriptures are the actual Word of God – the sword of truth – cutting thru to the message – and that makes sense because you have to pierce the gobbly gook in the world with truth. Just like when soap hits oil and it scatters it to the side, the truth reveals clarity.

After the 4 gospels, and the book of Acts (as a church project), my next reading was the letters from 1st and 2nd Peter – I paused my summer reading book about Peter and Jesus (another Michael Card favorite) to absorb the whole letters. I certainly had read them piecemeal – great scriptures everywhere. Now in my “methodical for the moment” scripture perusal/absorption, I am in 1st John. I don’t plan on stopping until I hit the end of the New Testament with lots of backtracking and forward thinking. The time factor is NOT important here but the TESTAMENT of what I will have learned IS!!!!   I think there is nothing better for a “new-in-Christ” or “ongoing-in-Christ” soul than to soak up the source scriptures. Like wisdom from 1st John – we need Jesus to purify ourselves from unrighteousness – to get us back on track and stay on track – to break up the clouds of our own fogginess. We need to know that we go nowhere without the Light of Jesus, we go somewhere WITH the Hope of Jesus, and we are not to even worry when He is going somewhere taking us.  God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

OK – all aboard for a track thru 1st John – I hope you are reading somewhere on your own tracks – from your station – keep steaming ahead and keep looking out the windows to see where the scriptures fit the scenery – or the scenery fit the scriptures. Don’t read to race but read to embrace.

(I encourage you to journal too! You never know where the Lord is taking you!)

Amen here means we have just begun!

1st John 1:5-10, 2: 1-2   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Oh such an important message today in the devotion below. I’m super blessed busy with work right now that only small tidbits of writing fit my schedule, but this matches my thinking… 

God doesn’t need BIG things from us, just for us to let the Holy Spirit move thru us to be His Hands and Feet.

I have always suffered from under-confidence for what I know, even though I know that I know lots of things. I do have a PhD not from a whim of the Lord and have survived or thrived nearly 20 years at my job. So why I still have this issue, I don’t know. And that’s where the evil one tries to attack me, my stability and confidence. Well, I’m thinking that if I keep busy and listen to the Lord, His confidence in me replaces anything lost. I know this is true but I have to remind myself!  I am His for some reasons I know and many I don’t need to know. I thank Him for the blessings I have and the stability He shows me.

I walked into work yesterday and on Mondays there’s always SOMETHING new to shift your weeks priorities. No doubt yesterday that’s what happened. My biggest advantage yesterday was my listening and reading skills for editing an important memo and hearing the emotions of the people whom I was around. Oh, same skill God has ALWAYS given me. He reminds me to just use my skills and He will fill my brain when the timing is right. Yup.

Yes, my education is important, my memory is key in my job, and my dependence on God is 100% to see where I fit in. He doesn’t always need me to be big in a project, just His. Our skills are His at any and ALL jobs. He can make your day, or make other peoples day and life by using you.

Yes, my needed placement and timing yesterday and now today started with 30 minutes reading, 30 minutes editing. I could have stopped there but I invited myself into the conference call, so 30 minutes being chatty on the virtual meeting with 10 people all over the country. And 30 minutes of being available today for editing and signing off on a final statement. My role was and is not BIG but small and crucial – someone else could have done it yes, but how God placed me into the right time right place to be crucial is the opportunity He took with me accepting – that’s what we should ask the Lord to show us when we are feeling lost. He had a tendency to deliver, huh? YEAH!

Best we ask everyday, as I walked in yesterday asking the Lord what my purpose was that day, and He quickly showed me. I’m humble in His service because I never think I know enough and He has shown me that nervousness is not a problem, just keep working, let Him move me. Open minds to listen, open hands to type, open hearts to discern. What IS important is that we know and remember to rely on Him. Every minute, He’s got this. We are not big, but His. We are “cogs in something turning” always. We aren’t just counting time on this planet. We need Him all the time and He needs us.  He’s making the time to get His job done. He has shown us that many hands make it all work, we all have a tiny slice of the puzzle. Let’s keep solving it!

Thanks for the reminder Lord that You are Lord, let’s crack open that laptop this morning and get to work.

Amen 

He seals the deal for us doing His Work at work and everywhere. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10  Romans 7:4-6 

We often make this way too complicated in trying to hear something big that He wants us to do, when He simply wants us to be His hands and feet by loving those that He has placed around us and placing their needs above our own.

Amen

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A great inspiring devotion from Bob Bennett, Real Men Ministries

The Daily Dose, Copyright © 2020 Real Men Ministries. All rights reserved.

God is Always Faithful! 10/27/2020

Good Morning,

God will always be faithful to finish the work that He began in each of us!

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

While each of us are unique creations of God with different paths to follow and different crosses to bear, we will all go through similar stages of growth that are common to all who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Here is a few things that I have learned in almost 50 years of following Him:

God is faithful to constantly remind us that apart from Him….we can do nothing! John 15:5 He wants us all to abide and remain in Him, so we do not go our own way, which will eventually lead to spiritual and possibly even physical pain. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 God will allow us all to fail at times, in order to bring us to the place, where we realize we can achieve nothing of value without His divine guidance and power.

God is faithful to allow our pride to cause us to fall, as it is a threat to our spiritual growth. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Proverbs 16:18 God knows the deepest feeling of our heart, and all He really cares about, is changing and conforming our hearts to His. If we begin to think in our heart that we have accomplished something great without Him, then we chance being deceived and eventually following our own heart and dreams, instead of His. 

God is faithful to discipline any of His children who worship other things ahead of Him. He has been very clear in His Word on how He feels about us placing other things before Him. “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:4 He will be faithful to eventually bring all of His children face to face with whatever holds them captive, as He is a Jealous God. Exodus 20:5

God is faithful to open our eyes to the things that are evil, as our enemy comes sometimes as a wolf in sheep’s clothing with the desire to deceive and devour us spiritually. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:14-16  “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:11-13

God is faithful to remind us that this life is not about us, but that we are to all live a sold-out life for Christ, instead of ourselves each day. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20 He wants us all to become living sacrifices that are not tossed about in their faith by every whim and circumstance that comes our way. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Romans 12:1

And finally, God is faithful to remind and empower us to do His good works. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10  Romans 7:4-6 We often make this way too complicated in trying to hear something big that He wants us to do, when He simply wants us to be His hands and feet by loving those that He has placed around us and placing their needs above our own.

Lord, please draw us into a more intimate relationship with you today. Thank You for being so faithful to finish the work that You began in each of us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Have another powerful and prosperous day of being about the kingdom work by serving others in the workplace and at home!

Bob Bennett, Real Men Ministries

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” — Philippians 2:3

So much lately I have been thinking about Spiritual maturation, about growing in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Not simply book knowledge of scripture to increase as we get older, but hopefully APPLICATION of LIVING scripts of scripture as we play out our days. 

It’s my birthday, and I have been gifted with another day, another year. LIFE IS A GIFT. I have prayers for another great year, and a prayer for a closer walk with the Lord every day. It is a hard walk to give up self – but it is easier when we give Jesus the chance to carry us thru another moment, another decision, and to unburden our days. 

It’s time for churning up the spiritual milk that I have been feeding on and have forever been craving for. Churning and whipping up spiritual milk into aged cheeses, butters, and dollops of enriched cream for living more mature. It’s knowing better and living better. 

Whipped cream:  yet a time to NOT add too much artificially sweet sugaring to scripture, not sugar coating any biblical teachings when applying to life. A natural sweetness of joy is enough for us as we are learning to live more true. 

Butter: yet a time to NOT add way too much salt to scripture, not dehydrating the day. A natural saltiness of flavor is good for learning to live more true. Salt that loses saltiness is useless. Life without Spiritual sprinkling goes bland. Savoring the Savior gives life flavor.

Cheese: yet a time to NOT let spiritual milk spoil, but age it into nuggets of wisdom to live, keep, and share later. A natural flavoring of wisdom helps living life more true. A creaminess like mascarpone or firmness like parmesan, aged or fresh, smoky biting or tender flavors, shows us diversity in our days. Our walk without wisdom becomes wandering. Aging without hope grows old. Maturing is life living in the Spirit.

I pray on my 51^st birthday, and forward, to be closer to our Lord, to His sweet, salty, selfless soul. To listen and ask the Lord for His Joy, His spice of flavor, His wisdom to enrich and fortify my witness. To pray years to extend my life and protect me and all whom I love. To give comfort to the hurting and direction to the lost. To quiet the chaos and especially to open up the conversation with the silent souls.

Always birthday cake candles will be hard to keep lit in the winds of life. However, I pray that the true fire in our hearts for Jesus only intensifies. Jesus lights our way – He wants to be our re-birth hooray.

Amen 

—-

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1st Peter 2:1-3 NIV

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 14:33-35 KJV

I am nearing the close of Michael Card’s book “The Fragile Stone” about Peter and Jesus.  This crucial section is about Peter in the Book of Acts being interrupted by the Holy Spirit! I will finish – well I won’t – because we are never finished in our movement by the Holy Spirit are we ? ! ?

Fittingly, I was interrupted many times reading and writing this about the Spirit interrupting! Just now I am waiting for an elderly neighbor at a store, then will take her to the post office. Interestingly she was going to call me for a ride this morning, started walking instead and then I drove by, picked her up. Like the theme of the day – to be where the Holy Spirit needs us to be.

The last bits of Michael Card’s book about Peter tells how he grew up in faith, how Peter spiritually MATURED –  and he was EVER realizing that if the Spirit doesn’t lead, we all go nowhere.  Peter was led into the world’s nooks and crannies to where God needed him. We don’t get a biography of the journey, but you can bet Peter never lacked being in the Lord’s plans – we, like he, will NEVER be bored…

For Peter, as Michael Card educates, this increasingly meant he was in the world of the Gentiles – unclean to a Jew, but included, loved and blessed by God. Grace for everyone under the Son. Peter lived in a tanner’s house (unclean and yuck!) and later was called to Cornelius’s house, unclean unclean, but true believers they became! Grace Grace Grace. Peter was forced to explain his actions to the Jewish Christian community. STUNNED. Peter was led by and pushed by the Spirit. And we, like Peter, often see the Spirit moving way ahead of us.

Yes, Jesus did say “the harvest is plentiful but the workers few”.

Peter was tasked by the Lord to reach past “his people” to reach Gentiles. Cornelius was visited by an angel who told him to call for Peter, and Peter went! Peter saw how God’s Holy Spirit poured out onto them, the members of a Gentile’s house, and this Holy Spirit movement was crucial for the growth of the church and Spirit-directed. The Holy Spirit also made it so important for Peter to recount the story back to “his kind”. He had to get alignment to not his plan but The Plan, to SPREAD THE WORD.

Peter, such an important piece of the puzzle, the building of the church, well known hands and feet for the Holy Spirit to be used… He got to see such a powerful and generous Holy Spirit. So will we.

How fitting – we too are on a journey and have to know that God is going to push us too – to GROW.

To feel the Spirit push you, stop fighting the winds.

To see the Lord put you somewhere, ask Him for directions.

To be interrupted by the Spirit? Welcome to the generous nature of God. 

All LEADERS, MUST be a follower FIRST. 

“Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me”

Amen!!!

Well, do you have a direction in life? Got any open roads and not know where to go? Got not enough roads or no lines on a really wide road???  Ever just get lost in your own shuffle of choices in life? Would you wish for more choices or less? Do you wonder if each step is the right one? Are you stuck and scared to even move? Are there wrong steps? Yes. Are there many right steps? Yes. What about side steps when you almost go the wrong way? Yes you can recover. Do you have to figure out all the steps ahead of time? No. Is there someone to help you step? Yes. Is there someone who will even make a path? Yes.

Jesus asks us to abide in Him. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4

We are free to live freely but isn’t it going to be much better and more fruitful should we choose to live ABIDING in Him? Once you choose to serve Him it seems that you wouldn’t take any other choice. You could say it is not freedom, and it is not, but it IS Kingdom-living and that’s really a lot! Live in Him and He will provide.

When you get to the ice cream place, you have choices, all are probably pretty good. Do you have to put all your energy into the choice? No. Life is more complicated than ice cream, but choosing what to do should not be so complicated. When we abide in Him, we have a range of choices too. But this abiding and Kingdom talk is not intended to be about material things. More about those life choices, those roads to take – and those choices in life, so very important, about using the abilities HE has given us. Why are we given abilities? Because we are made in His image, all with fruit to bear.  Fruit needs STRONG branches first. Weak branches not only will drop fruit, but will be damaged themselves. SO WE MUST GROW AND GROW STRONG! Are we placed in challenging life instances from where we can GROW? That is the point. We should all pray for strength. Even if you are placed “in kind” with comfortable surroundings, you can still grow – spiritually – you can be challenged to use your talents – challenged to reach people for the betterment of mankind. Yes, even the plants are in places suitable for bearing fruit and seeds “according to their kinds”. Therefore we must be in even better circumstances since we especially have the ability to bear not our fruit, but HIS FRUIT – which He will place on us – then we can grow.

In Genesis, God planned everything to thrive “according to their kind”. For the people, He allowed eating from any tree except the one He said not to, which meant they were free to choose amongst so many good things already placed. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. Genesis 1:12.  This meant they bore what they were expected to bear….  

Genesis 2:15-17 – The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I listened to an old recording of band practice with my first band leader, my dear friend Anthony, for a new beautiful song he had just written. We were learning our parts which were up to us to develop – and Anthony, even in such few words that I already understood,  said: “There’s all kind of room in there to do (trails off)… you know what I am saying?” (“Yeah“) “Just find your spot and do something.”  That’s what I needed to hear today and always: “Just find your spot and do something” – That is what the Lord is allowing us to do – have freedom within limits of His goodness – and do things for Him, including just being us. What we do is not always but sometimes a direct command and not always but sometimes a path that we ourselves have to figure it out. Either way, we have to “find our spot”, abide in Him, listen, be His, and do something. Another song I was being taught, Anthony said “Don’t rush it”. TRUE!. In all ways, He has given us the Spirit to guide us. We are not alone.

That something of doing something always starts with loving God, when we abide in Him, we will be free to live. If we are free to eat from any tree, and there are multiple, then we are free to choose so many things. Surely we first should choose to serve the Lord and not worry about how. Simply abide, find your spot, and do something.

Amen

PS – this leaf all colorful for the fall – the green was pulled back as it reveals all the extra pigments that were doing so much without us knowing. how colorful and beautiful we all are inside – God knows – God knows you are all beautiful.

Amen Amen

Number one message from God to me these covid months has been: “REST“. Maybe that’s what the cat hears half the time from God too, because even when I had this wake up call at 130 am from God, the cat was still sleeping. I’ve now moved around, because I’m awake, the cat is not amused. Creation is groaning (Romans 8) and the cat’s face grumpingly says: haven’t you figured out that we need rest to be God’s best?

Rest – why? Declutter my brain, make room, process to help tuck loose pieces of the day away. God is wanting to speak into my head to conjoin what is already written on my heart, that which was written before I was born. As a child of God, God reads the Word to you while you sleep.  If you are cluttered in your house, it’s a fire trap, it’s a sign of mental something, or it’s just because, like me, we kinda like lots of good stuff – right? Stuff doesn’t mean that it’s expensive or showy, it’s just accumulated, useful for purposes known and unknown. Maybe you need better storage space for stuff so people don’t know what you have hidden, and instead they can complement your organizational skills. IKEA here we come! 

What about the Word written by Jesus lived by Jesus that rests on your heart? Can you hear Jesus thru the dust? Can you hear Him and see Him clearly? Have you made enough room? Dust His Word off? What about storage space? How organized are you or did you just dump scripture into the big bible bin? That’s what spiritual maturation is all about, pull pieces from the bin to let it sink in. How is your sorting? Need a yard sale? Better yet donate your mental state to others who need more scripture stuff. It is said about stuff: “If you really needed it, you will acquire it again”. SO BETTER than stuff, scripture is what sticks with you. AHA! SCRIPTURE STICKS WITH YOU! You can’t give it away. You can try decluttering but the declaration of the Word, for the Word, is trying to get your attention. It pre-knows placement, if you would only give it time to mentally stick. Your stuff can be pre-drilled as puzzling pieces, waiting to fit.

REST – my brain never gets caught up with God, now God is catching me up. REST – SO WE CAN WAKE UP – because GOD’S CALLING. 

I just now caught that sneaky Holy Spirit parsing out some messages in my latest dreams from God -about my future – it was 3 dreams back when I awoke at 1:30 am. Something Holy Spirit for sure. I can barely remember, if I did I would write it, but the next 2 dreams cluttered my now awake brain and yet those dream memories are escaping quickly.  I surely pray my heart brain connection won’t lose whatever God said. The point is that God’s in charge. God’s Spirit is decluttering your brain in dreamland to sort, store and give away. IKEA has nothing on God’s ability to process and position your mind. God says: “REST: so you can then TEST what new thinking ground has been uncovered. 

What did God say? My friends have been resting too, they have been hearing from God’s angels sorting their dreams, fears, plans, blockades, stuff. Now that’s a mental mystery – angels moving stuff. You heard of angel armies? How about Angel  “You got junk?” Armies angling for your attention? No worries, they are pre-paid.

Yup. We got junk. I got junk. God’s only trying to get your Spirit out from under your Stuff. God is decluttering your brain. 

Mentally let the dreams come. Let go of the old you.

Move forward – Jesus said let the dead bury the dead – the Holy Spirit works to herd haul the junk away for every day to become a fresh day. Our loss is His Gain. 

Move into your new mental space – Jesus is already speaking into your heart, ask the Lord to lighten up the mental path for you to follow. 

Move – ask the Holy Spirit to help you move. Look – look at your new place, your new space – then pull out your toolbox of faith building and grace. 

Grace – start freaky fresh. GRACE. Out with the old you. You, you are a new creation. You bee new. New you is now real. You aren’t just dreaming about your life changes, you are ALIVE in CHRIST implementing them.

Hang up a new sign: “This is Jesus’s Place”. He already knows my name. My loss is His Gain. 

Amen

—–

Romans 8:26-30

the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

So often we enjoy “soundbite scripture”, Jeremiah 29:11 is the perfect example:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

For all of us facing difficulties, the HOPE  OF THE LORD is precisely what we need. Let’s dig deeper, as there is so much more to this teaching than the soundbite. There’s an action plan for living in not so perfect times.

A major prophet (meaning a thick chunk of the old testament chapters), Jeremiah speaks to an exiled people, in chapter 29, and relays a message that urges them to prosper in exile, multiply, and live well. (Few verses below, but not all 52 chapters, wow). He especially told them to do their best while waiting to be delivered. 

What if God told you to do the best that you can with whatever life has handed you? Even better, God says: do the best with what I AM helping and blessing you with!!!!  Would you choose to bloom where you are planted? Or sit and stew? Put your energies into living well with no qualms? Or holdback to wait for greener pastures, even pass over blessings to ask: You got anything better???? 

What if our own placement is temporary, and it is, well that doesn’t mean to NOT till the soil. PERHAPS we are preparing something for the Lord to use, even if we don’t see it, even if we won’t see it bloom, or even if it is not for us. So, until the time you get moved on to another pasture, keep your mind on the matter at hand – as well as your hands on the plow – and maybe in prayer you will get a handle of where and what God is moving you to. 

In exile, aren’t we all in exile from the Garden of Eden? In transition, aren’t we all temporary on Earth? In place, aren’t we all currently somewhere? In momentary pause, aren’t we each evaluating our lives? Especially now? In movement, aren’t we supposed to be ready to go where the Lord takes us. 

If we are called, we should listen. 

If we are calmed, we should quiet. 

If we are to continue, we should continue. 

Watch out for the derelict deceivers, seek the Lord. Seek the peace, prosper and PRAY…

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

Wherever you are today, seek and praise the Lord. 

Amen 

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Jeremiah 29 – A letter to the exiles

This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

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Bible Project video:

Jesus, you have to “hand it” to Jesus. He knows what we need, works for our Father, and was there at the beginning and will be there at the end. He will open the Revelation-told scroll, that only He, as the Lamb, can open. 

Jesus’s hands have been on my mind from two different songs by Michael Card (Scribbling in the Sand, and Come to the Table). Describing Jesus’s hand that scribbled in the sand as those potential rock throwers set their rocks down. Describing Jesus as the Word being the hand of God writing the commandments.  And Jesus with His own hands breaking the bread to symbolize Himself, just before His hands became pierced in death.

I expand on this handy thought of Jesus, I remember so many other “hands-on” Jesus moments, with scripture and with me. Jesus has the Hands to handle life and He handled death too. Please hand everything you have to Jesus, He will “give you a hand” to lighten your load. He wants it all. Jesus is best in our lives when we appreciate watching His “hands on” approach. We can “give Him a hand” and cheer on His amazing journey thru others, thru us. 

Jesus’s hands at the beginning of His Written Ministry opened the Temple scroll of the prophesies to the passage that described His coming and His life. He essentially read Himself, a first-hand account if there ever was one. Jesus was raised to learn to use His hands from His carpenter father Joseph and Jesus was raised to learn His place next to His Heavenly Father’s Hand. 

Jesus’s hands lifted children, and made mud for a blind man to see. Jesus hand cooked fish for His disciples; He hand-picked those disciples too. Jesus took the hand of a child to raise her from death’s sleep. Jesus put his hands inside the ears of a man needing to hear. His hands washed the feet of His disciples whom then became, like us, His hands and feet. 

His Hand will always knock on our door to see if we will open up our lives to Him. Jesus took my hand to remind me that He is ever present. He wants His church (all of us) collectively to live hand in hand as His Bride. 

Is Jesus worth holding on to? HE IS. He makes us worthy thru Him, to become whole from His handcrafted love. Jesus gives us Spirit within us which should be handled with care by us, fed, nurtured, shared. 

One day, Jesus will hand you a stone with a new name on it for you. Jesus will call you, reach for your hand to pull you up into forever life. Peter sunk but was raised up from the water and his wandering. We, like Peter, will always have Jesus’s hand to grab. Jesus will handle your situations on earth and then handle your case with God when you stand together in forgiving judgement for your life. Jesus will fight for and win your soul, hands down. 

Jesus, Hand it to Jesus. His are the Hands that Save.

Amen

Without getting into details of all my sinful ways, I can generally see or at least guess that the Lord has gotten more LEVERAGE out of my recent strife, drawing me closer to Him. He gets more movement out of our down times and foibles then the devil has ever gotten from inciting dastardly derision of us. I believe in the Lord’s Leverage. I pray peace and purpose. Prayer Warriors unite, we can be part of the Lord’s Leverage thru all.

In my awakened morning just now, instead of confusion, I get contemplation. In quiet time,  He quiets me so I can watch His brainstorming into my life.  I listen to His Love. In my time sharing, the Lord gets my longing, and my thankfulness. In everything, Jesus gets my soul, because He took it anyway, Jesus chooses to choose us, to judge without weighing sins against us. For all my awakened awareness, I can tell you that Jesus was never NOT going to go after my soul. His leverage in me is from taking me. Jesus got to me first, and I pray He always does.

If the Word was with God and is God, our foundation is fundamentally in Him, no matter how human we are.

Leverage. Many convergent conversations recently have been about the coldest person being easier to become on fire for the Lord than any lukewarm person is. Better than continued mildness, the Lord leverages miraculous life overhauls.  He is just looking for the opportunity to slide under like a crowbar and flip your lid. Be open to the cracks under your feet. Be ready for the Lord wants to rock your world. Be ready for belonging. Be His.

We ask Him to leverage all that’s lacking in our understanding. Ask Him for a new start. Buy into His Plans, because He already thought of you when He made them. 

Lord, please make warriors from worriers.

Make men from mice.

Make molehills from mountains. 

Make us thine, keep us in line. 

Keep our eyes open, keeping you in mind.

Bless and LEVERAGE our time. 

Amen 

We can make many claims and reasons for personal being, self-awareness, our connections to certain people, how we deal with life, but REALLY, LIFE IS supposed to be ALL ABOUT GOD. Because GOD is ALL about LIFE

God is to be respectfully feared.

God is to be unashamedly loved.

God is love. 

Jesus is to be actively reached. 

Jesus thru sacrifice teaches unselfish love. 

Jesus surely loves.  

Holy Spirit knows.

Holy Spirit grows.

Holy Spirit shows how love flows.

How will we know our place? 

By the love. 

How will we know our Grace? 

By the love. 

How can we define our life?

By the love. 

I can not do anything except by Christ.

Christ did not do anything except by God’s guidance, they are in each other. The Holy Spirit works Christ’s mission into the world by using us, light and life thru us, strengthening us and fine tuning our actions of sharing. 

Healing thru Hearing…

By our searching for God’s plans for us, we gain direction. 

By our studying the Spirit’s actions thru us, we gain an understanding of our purpose. 

Then like Jesus, we seek not to please ourselves but Him who sent us.

Jesus’s teachings thrive thru our lives. 

His LOVE we can honor by a devoted life.

REALLY LIFE IS ALL ABOUT GOD and GOD is all about LIFE. 

Be like Jesus and let our lives serve Our Father.

Amen 

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Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,  that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. 

‘Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.  Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

‘Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” John 5:19-30 KJV 

Have you ever been in one of those fancy movie theaters or even fancier Broadway musical or plays? The drama so deep, the theaters so posh, and then there’s a hush of silence except “crinkle  crinkle  crinkle” – Oh yes, the crinkled crinkling crinkles of SNACKS. SO LOUD!

At church today it was SO QUIET! Solemn, but a deafening quiet when I was seated, during the prelude, as I was late, of course… When we went to prayer, we were QUIET, when we heard the deep sermon we were pensively QUIET (except for laughter at the jokes,  haha), when we went to have Communion, what did I hear?: “CRINKLE CRINKLE CRINKLE” !!! WHAT??? Most everyone was opening their individually-wrapped communion wafer and cup, except me (OOPS), I had forgotten to pick it up, I sat quietly bundled up in my warm sweater, and wondering  if anyone noticed… I sat in AWE of the CRINKLE, that something so small could be so loud even in a big space. Was it a good crinkle? Yes. It made me smile, and smiling is good.  And was it my daily bread? Yes, today it was, even though I forgot to get a sealed cup and wafer pack, the unsealed Jesus IS my daily bread. I am amazed how small a time on Earth can be so Earthshattering. The UNSEALED Sound of the Spirit – in the people in the pews – oh it surely pleased my ears. The CRINKLE breaking the audience silence meant God’s children were breaking into their hunger and thirst for Jesus.  Jesus was broken to make us whole. How could one man, so small in the worldly world, break the religious rigidity of the time and make such a big noisy impact?  Jesus came to be known. How can faith in Jesus be so transformative? It is YOUR Spirit pushing out of your humanness. A jar of clay hard pressed on all sides but filled with spirit.  You are God’s child unwrapped. Even if your faith is small, the size of a mustard seed, it can move a mountain. Jesus is God. CRINKLE thru that. 

What’s the next step after we step out of church, having partook in the Crinkle Community of Communion? WE ARE TO: CARRY ON THE CRINKLE!!!  Jesus, is to be shared.  Broken body, broken chains, broken out onto the world… Jesus spread to others longing to know Him. 

If we don’t take our CRINKLE out into the world and make a joyful noise for Jesus, how will anybody hear?

If we don’t transmit the message of Jesus to make it a louder CRINKLE sound than the noise of the world, how will anybody hear?

If we Carry on the CRINKLE, we can BE the CRINKLE of CHRIST!!!

AMEN 

Listening to a great sermon on “Distractions”, about Martha and Mary, was perfect for my commute home – especially the part about not being distracted while driving. Oh yes, the small distractions, the human existence we live… Sermon starts at the 45 minute mark, found this church googling a few months ago – it is so nice that Jesus is universal, and so are the lessons of how to live. https://youtu.be/mqtdhw_ZWm8

My take home messages besides the distracted driving which unfortunately we are all tempted to do, were that distractions keeping Martha away from visiting with Jesus were exactly what Martha suffered, and she even started demanding Jesus do something, even though she knew He was Lord, He was God and also a revered teacher. She was demanding for her sister to stop what she was doing and come help. Martha was blinded by Martha’s agenda. This Pastor said the tone Jesus took was soft and “look, you are SO distracted.” – not harsh as some would say. Mary was allowed to sit at Jesus’s feet (unusual at those times for women to be included and mixed in with the men for the teaching of rabbi teacher-types) demonstrated, like the woman at the well, that Jesus’s message was for everyone equally, not restricted.  

Here is the part that touched me deeply in a healing way: JESUS WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY. I get to ponder the blessings that I have by my virtual sitting at the feet of Jesus, by insights and wonderment. I get to ponder my blessings and NOT whether I deserve them or not. Sometimes I think of work that I THINK that I should be doing instead of writing so much, and yes speaking of Jesus, understanding His love, certainly I could never be listening enough. Jesus said: “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 NIV

This reads differently in the King James Version: Jesus says: “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

How wonderful and healing is that? Pondering allowed. If it seems like “overindulging” in studying and sharing Jesus, I think Jesus says to soothe that worry too. How could the Lord NOT be setting aside time for us to simply be with Him. He has created early morning quiet times, sometimes 4am wake-up calls after plenty of sleep to give me no worries that I am taking away time from my actual and perceived jobs. Even the cat often comes sit with me while I am writing rather than bite me to get me up to play. Even the cat is resting and watching…

Mary and Martha too (and Lazarus) were such deep close friends with Jesus that they felt comfortable with Him. Martha especially felt comfortable enough even to complain (so do we). In a busy household like that, did Jesus slip into the kitchen to chat with her specifically so that no one else heard? In a crowded house, how did Martha get the full attention of Jesus at that moment? BECAUSE JESUS WAS LOOKING FOR HER.

Martha also chose that evening to use her freedom to speak – to release her stress on Jesus maybe because He was the only one who actually came to seek her out. Martha chose to confide. Jesus wants us to confide in Him too. Martha could have continued being distracted and disgruntled all evening and taken it out on Mary after all the guests left, but if Martha did not approach Jesus then Jesus went to Martha to intervene, seeing her still preparing even though the party has already started (how many of us do that? yeah, guilty as charged), Jesus had given full attention to Martha to give us another example of His healing power. He soothed a situation BEFORE it exploded. Isn’t that why Jesus singled out Martha – and continues to single each of us out for intervention?

Jesus grabs our attention and it is not for temporary gain – but for eternal keeping.  James 1:5 “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.” James in chapter 5 tells us: “8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” KJV…  Yes, be ready for the Lord, prepare your hearts. Jesus has already intervened for us, with us, for us, saving us, as we now have to keep paying attention.

Jesus wants us all at His party, He wants the Mary’s and Martha’s. He wants us.

Jesus will not be taken away. For all of us He says: “Rest”. For all of us He would intervene to bring us rest, For all of us, Jesus will not be taken away!!! The quietness is a gift, the readiness is a command, the PEACE? that is Jesus 100%.

Amen and Peace