Blessed to share the sermon about Saul to Paul – pancakes – and our 2 parts in life with Jesus – saving forgiveness and mission calling.

I love to start with Psalm 111 because it has so much encouragement in it – and I could imagine Paul, the focus of our story today – having read it and read it and read it….

Part of Psalm 111:

Praise the Lord.

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever….

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.

,…..

So – I pray we call upon the Holy Spirit in our midst to move us – I pray for anyone who is itching at the ears and heart to understand Jesus more, to let God open them – and let themselves hunger even more… God is willing to lead us and we can hear Jesus DIRECTLY thru His Word.

Paul, whom we learned about in our children’s message and by the two-part scripture reading was a man who became VERY HUNGRY for the Lord – hungrier than for pancakes! … This later apostle of Jesus was first just a man who persecuted Jesus’s followers – and then He saw the LIGHT…  Paul is said to be the great writer of the book of Hebrews stating:  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

——–

This a story of a man who changed from a DIRECT encounter with Jesus – DIRECT.

I call this sermon “Not done yet” – because we are all not done yet – and we can learn from Paul – and we are always maturing like those pancakes on the skillet… so yes, let us take that trip to Damascus and then see where it leads us…

Let me tell you a story about a man to whom God turned up the heat… This man’s name was Saul, that was his Aramaic name – the same local language that Jesus spoke to the Jews he was with – and this man Saul was around in Jerusalem just within a few years, scholars say, when Jesus was crucified, risen, and went up to Heaven. Saul was not a good man, he himself said that he persecuted the Christians “Beyond Measure”. The rulers back then were afraid of this new “The Way” – thought it was blaspheming God, but they did not understand the scriptures foretold of Jesus coming…  They read them but they didn’t understand. Jesus would say of many that they could not read the sign of the times…

Saul witnessed Jesus’s followers teach, but he didn’t absorb it to believe it – it actually made him MORE mad to see this sect of Judaism go against what he thought was honoring God. When Jesus-follower Stephen was the first martyr killed for speaking about Jesus, was stoned to death, the people laid their cloaks at the feet of the young Saul – he gained a hunger for killing Jews. Scripture says: they were furious – Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears … While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (sounds like Jesus too)  –

Saul saw this all – didn’t change him then – but he remembered and retold the story later…  How surprised he must have been, after killing all those new Christians, surprised that Jesus singled him out and came directly to him, as I told the children – there were at least 2 BIG reasons (and lots more) – to CHANGE Saul AND to give him a new MISSION. This made Paul MORE hungry for Jesus’s maturing in himself – a message for us too – 1st reason: change – a NEW CREATION in Jesus – Jesus forgave Him when Saul asked for forgiveness. Jesus spoke to him. God “turned up the heat” on Saul (like those pancakes) and made him blind for a while and made him completely dependent upon others. AND Jesus not only gave him an opportunity to be better, the flip side of Paul’s life in Jesus was Jesus commanded him to go teach as a missionary. Reflecting upon his new life and mission, Saul went by his Roman name Paul – It was so that he would reach the new audiences (like in Greece and Rome) for Jesus by relating to the Gentiles… And with this 2nd “FLIP-SIDE” reason, Jesus made sure Saul/Paul had this change of heart, to get him teaching both Jews like himself AND non-Jews, who are called Gentiles (and we fall into that category) – teach them all about “the Way”- the Way of Jesus. The people of Jerusalem as you heard in the scripture reading were NOT happy when Paul said God told him to go teach the Gentiles.

And how did Paul teach? He traveled, he went to see people, he started churches, in one place he taught for hours each day while still working full-time as a tentmaker, he even got arrested and taught in prison, he taught the guards, They witnessed Paul saving people – even while being escorted to Rome – to be held in trial before the Emperor –  and especially important for us, he wrote letters back to all those people whom he met – YES, God gave him a job, God turned his life upside down and put him back onto the earth – to do more work -and God even moved him around – God’s pancake lifter… If you have not yet read the book of Acts, I encourage you – the stories are AMAZING of his travels – Paul even heard from God directly again, telling him that he was going to go to Rome to witness to crucially important people. Because God moved Paul around AND reinforced connections, this is how THE Word of ‘The Way’ spread further… we too benefit – we learn about Jesus here in America because God brought us the Word thru His missionaries like Paul…  God brought Jesus to us.

What about us?  Are we feeling Gooey inside?

In the middle of writing this sermon I was remembering I am still really gooey in the middle like the undone pancakes… My own pancake is not done but indeed the Lord did flip me – He did – He turned my life upside down and I was reborn – and put me back here on the earth for a while longer still… Yes the Lord has been cooking me, gently, with Steam and Spirit. He gives corrections to my thoughts, convictions of my mess ups… I could give you a laundry list of my faults but I’m not going to, we have to be careful not to “take pride in our sins” – especially knowing that Jesus has already forgiven them. Not to gossip about ourselves, but yes we DO need to witness how the Lord has changed us – so we do need to show how God got us from there to here…     … and that gooey stuff in the middle? well there are trusted friends within whom we can and should confide… And of course we need to be willing to tell Jesus Himself, to confess to God who already knows our deeds, we need to be completely open – to show Him all our gooey middles – to ask Him to hold us tight to Him – to help us move closer to Himself and away from us being sticky and icky…

The point I really want to make here is that we all experience gooey middles – we are human!!!  … Don’t let your humanness prevent Jesus from maturing you.  God turns up the heat on us but for Love’s sake.  In one of Paul’s letters he says:  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

What can we do with our situations, those sins of omission (those you didn’t realize), sins of commission (those you did realize) and every oops in between? Give it to Jesus. Let us Let Jesus be the One who lifts us. Let Jesus cleanse us in forgiveness –  in truth He never ever leaves our sides.  None of this salvation is by our deeds – and we are never going to be worthy of it – but Jesus died for us because He said the whole situation was worth it –because God is worth it – all worth being with us, His children – THAT’S LOVE!

*Paul would write letter to the people in the church in Ephesians:  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. …  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. – … it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do….

*Paul wrote to his friends in the church he planted in Colossians about teaching the Way to Jews and Gentiles:  “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

*Paul would write to the Hebrews about Jesus’s perfection:  He always lives to intercede… Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. . . He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself – the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

We are placed into Jesus’s story – many of us have roads to Damascus. Many of us have felt that thunder of God, some are still afraid to have Jesus turn up that heat…  and yet many have felt the gentle touch of Jesus – warm but not burning.

I have felt the gentle touch of Jesus. God brought Jesus to me. I am someone who was almost dead in their faith, to put it succinctly, gooey on Both sides of my pancake – even while working for the Lord, I didn’t get Jesus 100%, I knew of Him but I didn’t know Him IN me – and I ran away from that opportunity to know Him more.  I didn’t understand, I didn’t… This is not unusual to other’s stories. It was not until God drew me closer to Jesus that I started to change – and Jesus GRACEFULLY acted as if I were Jairus’s daughter, simply saying: “She’s not dead, she’s only sleeping.”  I won’t tell you the long version of my road to Damascus but in my “short stack story” using the pancake analogy for myself, for all of us, a reminder that Jesus doesn’t wait for us to be all “perfectly done” before He calls us – No. We can’t decorate ourselves with chocolate chips on our pancakes – we can’t pretend to hide under our puffed up pride. We can not achieve what God would have us achieve, in us, without God.  He flips our world upside down and puts us back on earth… we are to bloom where we are planted, mature and teach, live, and simply BE STILL and KNOW He is God. Let us keep watching Him be God in our lives and in the lives of others – let us appreciate the heat at times… And remember, here on earth: this is a non-stick surface. This is not our home.

This is not our home.

Won’t you please pray with me   – Lord, we are not done yet, but that does not make You love us less – You ARE LOVE – we are LOVED. You are still working on us, in our trials we are to look towards You and You gives us direction. Take the scales off of the eyes of our hearts – like you did for Paul. Let us hear you and obey. Let us be lifted and re-lifted by Your Spirit. Using Paul’s prayer as [workers] for the Lord, help us live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Let us be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Lord Jesus of lifting, we thank you. We Praise You always in your precious and powerful name.  Amen.

---

Acts 22 NIV 1-21

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” When they [those accusing Paul] heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.  Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. 

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

“‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.   “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’  

“‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’  “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” 

---

The Children’s Message as well was about pancakes Saul to Paul….

https://debbieupper.blog/2023/04/30/batters-up-a-childrens-message-about-saul-paul/

“Batter’s Up!  – Children’s Message for Paul on the Road to Damascus (see Acts 22 etc)

Yum, let’s take a lunch break – yeah maybe we are going out to the park! Maybe let’s pretend to take a journey on a road trip to Damascus… let’s stop to eat! How about some pancakes!!

Yum…. hand out bags of batter…

Wait? Not Done? Oh! 

What do we need? To cook them… how about this Electric Skillet?

Let’s pour some batter on it… yum..  pancakes! Wait, not done? 

How about we add chocolate chips or blueberries or sprinkles? Yum! Pancakes! Wait, not done?

What needs to happen? Oh! Turn up the heat, the Pancakes are not done yet… OK cooked on one side… done. . Oh! Not Done yet???… 

Let me tell you a story about a man who God turned up the heat on… his name was Saul,  he was around when Jesus was crucified, risen, and went up to Heaven. He was not a good man, in fact he was so mean to those people who believed in Jesus, because they were afraid of this new “The Way” that Saul had people killed.

Well, Jesus came TO this man, Saul, He came FROM Heaven already ascended after Easter, and picked out this man specifically. For at least 2 BIG reasons for him (and lots more for us) – both to change him AND to give him a mission. 1st reason: change- and Jesus forgave Him when Saul asked for forgiveness. Jesus spoke to him. God “turned up the heat” on Saul and made him blind for a while and completely dependent upon others. Jesus came and spoke to him directly and made him realize how he had been wrong. But he gave him an opportunity to be better. And even to reflect his change in life, and his new mission, Saul went by his roman name Paul (yes they rhyme) … And the 2nd BIG reason Jesus made sure Saul/Paul had this change of heart, was to start teaching both Jews like himself AND non-Jews, who are called Gentiles (and we fall into that category) – teach them both about the Way of Jesus.   And how did Paul teach? He traveled, he went to see people, he started churches in communities (like we are a community here)…  He wrote letters back to those people and those letters are included in our bibles!

God not only saved him but raised him, like a pancake – done on one side but with more finishing to do. AND God gave him a job, turned his life upside down and put him back on earth – more work to do  God put him back on earth. See it is like God slid the lifter – God’s lifter in Jesus – under Him – under his pancake and now flipped sided up, he can be facing God, looking for God’s reasons, Paul could watch Him work

And guess what – God brings Jesus to us too , God has a plan for us. Even after we are saved by Jesus, we are not done yet – we are maturing – striving to be more like Jesus and help lift others up too.

Let us pray:  Jesus – You are our light and our lift – You can heal us and keep us in Your Hand with Your Lift. Thank You for helping change that bad man Saul and helping him become a good man Paul – who would write stories about you to all his friends and to us too. Thank You Jesus for teaching us that You are our Savior.

Amen

I love how God is in every where at all times… His is the One who is 1+1+1 = infinity – He does the math, not us…

Psalm 111 is key to remember – His Wisdom is what we look for – and we should all try to gain more – but all we really need to start with and know is that He has it! And believe in it.

Praise the Lord.

and AMEN!

…

Praise the Lord

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

This is the Psalm 110 that makes the amazing revelation that David knew Jesus before He was born because God revealed to Him the fulfillment of the law and scriptures, of the prophets and petitions…. This Lord of earth knew the Lord of all. this servant was served by Jesus.

“Clear as the Jesus Way”

Plain as day,

God spoke to David in a Jesus Way.

King David knew the TRUE King as a servant each day.

And yet the Lord also served the servant in His Own Way.

The One Lord, was from the beginning, Moses would say, 

Indeed Jesus, Holy Spirit, God Almighty, ONE GOD, created the earth and each day.

Jesus ruled, rules, and will rule, all enemies will be judged one day.

Crushed and underfoot, ruling in the midst of enemies, He does say.

“The Lord says to my lord”, oh how often David did pray,

And David (and we) could lift our heads up in the midst of his enemies, HOORAY!

Because Jesus rules in our hearts and shows us the Way.

Drink from the brook along the Way.

Clear Living Water IS the Jesus Way.

Clear as the Jesus Way.

Amen

—

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

The Lord says to my lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.”

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,

“Rule in the midst of your enemies!”

Your troops will be willing

on your day of battle.

Arrayed in holy splendor,

your young men will come to you

like dew from the morning’s womb.

The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind:

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at your right hand;

he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead

and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

He will drink from a brook along the way,

and so he will lift his head high.

So, my mom lost her watch at my house, set it on the bathroom sink before showering, not there afterwards. More weird than anything. More worrying than weird. Frustrating and upsetting. Hmmm…

I pray she finds it, it’s not expensive but a gift, sentimental and of course useful and upsetting to her. Upsetting for the retracing of steps has not found it. Unless it was lost previously, like in one particular trash bag in the car, it should really be in this house or her suitcase. It’s an added worry of memory over movement. Why this issue, except we are human and misplace things…

To whom shall we pray? Let us not misplace our trust in a situation like this.  “God is in control” is the painting on the rock on the bathroom sink where she says she placed it, so we both trust that. I have to wonder, did God move it? I am positive that the cat did not take it. Would the cat be useful in pointing it out to us? Only if God intervenes with that cat’s motives. Well… Could I pray for a vision? We really should pray for clarity in thoughts just as much as for the watch. I know St Anthony is the patron saint of lost things in catholicism but isn’t that an added step we DON’T need when we are allowed and encouraged and commanded to DIRECTLY ask Jesus? 

Jesus is in Whom we should ask. We need not intercession anymore when we have the intersection and interception of Jesus and us. Even the torn curtain (that used to block the parishioners from the priests), was torn as demonstration on the day and moment Jesus died is the repair of our rift from God. The intersection of old and new covenant bridging old and new testaments means Jesus IS the Way.

What about this watch? I would be fulfilled to find it, on my knees in prayer as much as reaching under things. I don’t have time yet to tear my house apart. It make more physical sense if it was lost outside the house, but it’s a double secured band. It’s a mystery of memory, and just weird. It’s only after we find it that we will solve the mystery, or not. But in contrast, Jesus solves our mystery as we find Him in faith. It is still mysterious the in-between, but the finding is real. He even looks for us everywhere, even when we don’t know that we are lost. His Intercept is His Intention. No intercession needed by anyone else from inception of God’s Plan. 

Interception 

Intention

Information 

Intersection 

In the asking…

Jesus, because we praise You, help my mom or me find peace first and the watch second. It’s a watch of You more than a wrist watch… and always our time is well spent praying to you.

Amen

…

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.… Mark 13:33

POWER IN THE BLOOD, POWER IN THE BLOOD…

FORGIVENESS power by the blood of Jesus.

HEALING power in the return of Jesus.

Great PROMISE power in the Healing of the Nations.

Great MOTIVATION power in Heaven’s Hope.

HEAVENS HOPE is HELD WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

Nothing is withheld by Jesus – the curtain is torn – our lives are reborn. 

POWER IN THE BLOOD, POWER IN THE BLOOD…

Amen

---

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5

God can use upheavals to keep moving the kingdom forward, it’s like the gardener always tilling the soil to aerate it. We have upheaval in our lives at times, so I pray we work these emotions out in the Garden WITH the Gardener… Each day to God is Him looking at HIS Creation. Him planting seeds. Him growing us where He wants us.

God can use us all – within His Net – we may get stretched into far away places from each other, or kept close enough but kept separate on purpose – it’s like stretching the strengthening partners hold on each other firmer, and each person thinner as yet keeping the fabric of His catching net more agile and movable… like a trampoline, the stretch helps the strength. Like our bridging – we will catch more fish if we let God fish with us where HE feels fit.

Remember always that Jesus knows where to throw the net better than us.

Our Gardener will throw in the trowel on us not the towel.

Amen

…

Author Charles Stanley just passed away – His influence will live on – thru his books and TV teaching. He may have been a strong personality to some – but there is always a few that need that! And I appreciated a book he wrote – the only one I read – about Surviving in an Angry World – finding your way to personal peace. I read it cover to cover in one night – and the most thing I remember from that was the talk about forgiveness, You will not have peace without forgiveness. And that comes from us to others just like it comes from the Father to us, thru Jesus.

If you can not forgive then you can not be forgiven. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

So we soldier on in this world – an angry world – we knew that and yet we forget the brokenness comes from the beginning – and the brokenness of Adam and Eve – and the brokenness of Cain – the farmer – who did not sacrifice the way God wanted Him – and resented it and killed his brother Abel – the shepherd. It took another son Seth and his generations from Enosh to once again give praise to God and atone for sins. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” That is us in the present day with our brother Jesus – a Shepherd. Yes, it took another to be born – from a line of the shepherds – born to atone for our sins – all the people’s sins. if we extract ourselves from this angry world we must turn to it in forgiveness – and turn to God in praise…

Thanks God for fellow Praise-ers and fellow forgiver-ers…
Thanks God for Charles Stanley’s work in Your Name.
Thank You Lord, for Jesus is our brother and fellow Forgiver.
Amen

---

Genesis 4

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, “Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” And he said, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth.” And Cain said unto the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. And it shall come to pass that every one who findeth me shall slay me.” And the Lord said unto him, “Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod to the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents, and of those who have cattle. And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. And Lamech said unto his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech! For I have slain a man for my wounding, and a young man for my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son and called his name Seth. “For God,” said she, “hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.” And to Seth also there was born a son, and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

---

https://www.charlesstanley.com/memorial/obituary

The Lord’s Word Relates.

It’s great.

It’s never late.

There’s no debate. 

The Lord’s Word Relates.

God can use upheavals to keep moving the kingdom forward, it’s like the gardener always tilling the soil to aerate it. We have upheaval in our lives at times, so I pray we work these emotions out in the Garden WITH the Gardener… Earth Day to God is Him looking at HIS Creation. Him planting seeds. Him growing us where He wants us.

God can use us all – within His Net – we may get stretched into far away places from each other, or kept close enough but kept separate on purpose – it’s like stretching the strengthening partners hold on each other firmer, and each person thinner as yet keeping the fabric of His catching net more agile and movable… like a trampoline, the stretch helps the strength. Like our bridging – we will catch more fish if we let God fish with us where HE feels fit.

Remember always that Jesus knows where to throw the net better than us.

Our Gardener will throw in the trowel on us not the towel.

Amen

Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

Blessed is the one who believes

Blessed is the one who begins again

Blessed is the one who borrows nothing but joy

Blessed is the one who begs nothing but forgive

Blessed is the one who trusts the Lord to give it

Blessed

Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord

Amen and Blessed

—

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord; 

    he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

    out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

    and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

    and put their trust in him.

Blessed is the one

    who trusts in the Lord,

who does not look to the proud,

    to those who turn aside to false gods.

Many, Lord my God,

    are the wonders you have done,

    the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

    they would be too many to declare

—

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.”

For a friend…

I pray peace, long and short

I pray sheep fleece, warm and wholey wooly, to bring the warmth of words.

and I pray: preach what is pleasing to the Lord.

We can’t “play church” with our friends forever but we can “Be the Church” forever.

Amen – Fleece Peace Preach

Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

Good and WOW. I woke up this morning (already a praise) and layered on top of my brain was an important thought – a needed, really simply overlooked until now, but needed thought – REALLY needed as advice for a work project that I am consulting on. Whew! I didn’t put the thought there, I DIDN’T, the Lord DID. HE DID THAT! He bridged a mental gap while I was resting my body and brain. He found the bandwidth when I had played all mine out. When people say “rest on it” – we should also say “Rest with the Lord taking over”…  Gratefully, when we give back to the Lord what is His anyway (especially His Healing time with us even when we are sleeping), He will use it for the good of Him and the good of us. Even if the idea is not novel, Him putting it there IS, right time right place… PROVISIONS and PRAISE! SWEET!

Likewise, when thoughts in our brains “gel” where we had not been focused on them before, or we see the EXACT person we needed to see or the Lord needed us to resolve an issue with (and repair a fray in His Net), or when time appears out of nowhere for us to get something done (and make His Net deeper), or we get an opportunity to help someone or ourselves, we MUST PRAISE and say: God did that. He did that!!! 

As for any of our work, it’s an important aspect of experience to be able to add some personal touch of project management from the ground floor. AH! That’s ALSO like the Lord coming to us, God with us, project management from the ground floor. Achieving the Plan. YES, let us praise, He came to us, then lifts us all up!

Psalm 107 speaks of the BIG saves, including our redemption, even if these words, a song, were written hundreds of years before Jesus came to redeem, the relate! Isn’t that fitting of the Word, it relates. The Lord’s people redeemed their sins by sacrifice and rejoiced in their fortune by praise.  So should we so should we… We have the GIFT of Jesus’s sacrifice for us, “He sent out his word and healed them” – LET US keep up our PRAISE is powerful and needed. Remember, God did all this for us. HE DID THAT!

AMEN! HE DID THAT!

HE REDEEMED 

HE GATHERED 

HE DELIVERED 

HE SAVED 

HE RESCUED 

HE BROUGHT 

HE BLESSED 

HE LIFTED

Give Thanks! HE is Good, His Love Endures Forever!

HE SATISFIES,

HE BREAKS CHAINS,

HE SENDS OUT HIS WORD.

HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS,

HIS WORKS,

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.

AMEN!!!

—

Psalm 107 (PLEASE PONDER AND PRAISE)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those HE REDEEMED from the hand of the foe, those HE GATHERED from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty  and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and HE DELIVERED THEM from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for HE SATISFIES the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So HE SUBJECTED them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and HE SAVED THEM from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and HE SAVED them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; HE RESCUED THEM from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and HE BROUGHT THEM out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; HE BLESSED THEM, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But HE LIFTED the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.

Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

It strikes me, in my REGULAR REGIMENT of methodical READING of the old testament, about how much is REPEATED and RETOLD. REALLY! Abraham to Moses detailed again and again, why? Well, because it’s a REMEMBRANCE story of God’s righteous faithfulness and His action. God RESTOCKED the RESOURCES and REBUKED the foes. It’s not just that was God blessing (and correcting and making an example of) a set of people like a streak of gold in mining, it is RETOLD so these stories RESONATE with us, stories of understanding people who REBEL (REALLY REBELLED over and over –  remelted gold, re-mingled with real foreigners) and YET, they were and are still LOVED. And therefore from them a REMNANT of a people was RESTORED to REVIVE the Kingdom. We read that LOVE WON.

We can RELATE right? We are LOVED by the REDEEMER enough to be ransomed – His life for ours. “for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented...” We are the redeemed in rebirth. Rejoice.

RELATE 

REPENT 

REKINDLED

REDEEMED

REBIRTHED

REJOICE 

REMEMBER 

RETELL 

So, with ears to REHEAR, let us listen to Psalms 105 and 106, they RELAY and RELATE REMINDERS of these REVIEW REPEATS – remembering our current REALITY, REALLY…

And let us RE-SEEK and RE-SEE God’s Face.

Amen

---

Psalm 105

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.” When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham. The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made the land dark — for had they not rebelled against his words? He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.

Praise the Lord.

—

Psalm 106

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right. Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.

We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them. In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the wilderness, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they aroused the Lord’s anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves. Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He gave them into the hands of the nations, and their foes ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 

Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy.

Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord.

Easter is SO important and goes so quickly away in our memories. I’ve been blessed these last couple years to celebrate it twice, once with my church family and once with my friend’s… Orthodox Easter is tomorrow and tonight is midnight services to get to see and celebrate an Easter feast just after. It was beautiful Good Friday service last night even if I didn’t understand most of the words sung, I certainly knew why we were reverent, it was Good Friday in this Orthodox church’s Holy Week remembrance and pilgrimage. We sang, walked around the church, and sang again, and I listened and tried to sing from the program – it was hard not knowing the words or what they meant. This was my mini “world of no words”. My friend explained some of it but I now have great difficulty hearing whispers in a room full of sound. It was OK to not understand and this directly caused me to pause for thoughts. Of course the music was beautiful and every page had one verse in English that we sang and was a glimpse of the other verses. One was: “As a lamp of light beneath a bushel is hid, so now also in the earth is God’s flesh concealed. And doth drive away the gloom of Hades’ realm.”  YES, HOPE FROM THE GRAVE. 

This WAS a sorrow-filled time for the disciples that Friday and the Sabbath day Saturday when they normally would have been WITH their Lord in flesh. For Jesus was crucified, the sunlight gone, the creation moaned, the people trembled. They had not understood there was good in any of this. Jesus was dead. We in the service kept our candles lit in remembrance, but even those wicks kept going out, drowning in wax. No words, no light. Jesus had died. 

The world of no Word, the Living Word, Jesus, God with us, Name above all names, Light of the World stepped down into darkness, was silent in speaking, in the living, but Mighty in moving in the moment. The world of no Words made the disciples trembled into hiding. 

Yet, there were some words, of ruling authorities who heard the prediction of the Savior rising in 3 days, wanted the disciples to NOT steal the body and falsely claim resurrection, so they sent guards to keep the tomb secured.

There were Words of the fullness of scripture just before Jesus gave up His Spirit, and so Heaven was satisfied before earth duties completed. There were Words between the brave Jewish leaders who became secret believers, Joseph of Arimathea and Pharisee Nicodemus, who took down the body of Jesus and wrapped it ceremoniously, after speaking to Pilate for approval of the retrieval of Him off the cross.

There were Words of Good Friday that we don’t know. But I imagine there were many who had no words to understand it all.

In the end of this 3 hour service, I was able to walk thru the church with my friend, all areas were accessible, and with a kid’s enthusiasm I was able to climb under the tall table to the Cross displayed with flowers around Jesus’s crown of thorns. It is symbolic of cleansing of sins to pass under the table and all evening people did as they came and went. We were given flowers and could take some more from the table. All evening the cross looked beautiful with flowers and a scarf blocking the view of Jesus’s face. How fitting. The face blocked until I got up real close inside the table area and I could see Him. How fitting for with Jesus’s act on the cross, we are forgiven and able to BE up and close with God ALWAYS. Thank You Jesus. Thank You for the curtain torn, the law fulfilled, the forgiveness and forever. 

The people kissed His feet and I thought about the serpent crushed under those feet. Forever peace is in our heavenly future. 

My favorite words of the evening were from the priest, spoken to me in English, as I kissed the scripture book after walking around the building and stepping under the cloth tent carried on the pilgrimage. The priest said: “Bless you.”  Now those are WORDS I heard loud and clear with my Spirit, and not just my ears…

“Bless you.”

Good Friday and Everyday… blessed…

Amen

—

John 2:18-22 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”  But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

—

The Death of Jesus, John 19:28-42 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The Burial of Jesus

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

 John 16:15-33

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

…

It’s not that I couldn’t or won’t ever write management books or other advice stories, but for now I would rather stick with writing about the Lord. But if I were to write about working, I would write about with a mixture of work advice and scripture advice: because God DOES give working advice, like in Ecclesiastes 5 life advice: ‘This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with GLADNESS OF HEART.’

So much I want to remind folks, work wise, that YOU can make a DIFFERENCE at work with the Lord’s Work, that you can listen to the Lord to decide where your energies should be spent.  If we follow God’s plan for our work, God keeps us occupied with GLADNESS OF HEART. 

There are people and life creatures and moments of work and relaxation (like with that cat on the couch AND outside). As always, Heavenly Hopes are found and caught in earthly places. We find working order on earth because there is order in Heaven. We see disorder on earth because we are not in Heaven, yet. We have a choice to make earth work better or just let it all slide… I chose to not let it slide….

There’s much busy activity this springtime, and warm weather feels good for flowers and creatures. Work on a house across from me proceeded all winter, really took shape and now with longer daylight there are different someones there 7am to 7pm. The cat likes to watch the birds working while inside and out – and we love these great temperatures. Life Springs alive in Springtime. Life is remembered as renewed thru Easter and hope. 

What a great time to thank and appreciate God. We look up to God, like we are looking up from earth, Psalm 104 says God sends His spirit and makes creatures from dust and renews the face of the ground. In this springtime of renewal, the face of this earth grows flowers and leaves, baby creatures too. If we get out there, we can see it open before our eyes. The hard work of the day and a week in our lives are but a milli-fraction of the Work God had shown around us. The dead-looking branches bud and life renews in intricate ways. Flowers seem to unfold from nothing – even if I do understand the science of it all – it is still always AMAZING, and on plan.

Yes, it is a good season for us praising the Lord and working hard and resting well. Gladness of Heart and purpose of season. 

In the song of Psalm 104: let us sing Gladness for God.

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

Amen! Amen!! AMEN !!!

—-

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works— he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Praise the Lord.

This is one of my favorite devotions – one that God connected in my head – it is number 434 of the nearly 1500 but a true favorite… The pouring of pancakes onto the skillet is like us growing and maturing – looking for that lift from God…  I am going to plan to use it for teaching kids soon…  Batters up! 

I am adding a new line to this – the aspect of the griddle being non-stick – or at least God adding some good grease…  Because we are not OF this world – we shouldn’t stick – God will take us home one day and all gooeyness will be gone. In the meantime, don’t mind God sticking His spatula under you and seeing how you are cooking!!!  Butters up!

Pancakes, 20Sep – #434 **

A light and fluffy devotion this morning….

Pancakes, 20Sep
God pours us like pancakes when we are born onto the skillet of life on earth… it takes some time for us to cook, but not too long, for we are but brief travelers in this world…

Before we were born, we were already part of the mix, part of God’s batter. He already knew the plans for each of us before we were poured onto this skillet we call earth.

When we pancakes started to cook, we were filled with bubbles rising to the surface, we were and are always called to be maturing and learning. We are not yet complete… we do need a lift for achieving completion… God’s spatula comes to lift us… Sometimes it comes as a gentle slide, sometimes an abrupt push… God slips securely under us to catch, scoop, and then “ahhhh”…. LIFT…. can you feel that awesome lift? Just imagine that feeling of being lifted by the Lord up off the earth, the lightness in your heart, the forgiveness of your sins, the JOY of being chosen by God…

LIFT…

Wait… Guess what? We’re not done…

FLIP…

God flips our worlds upside down… back onto the skillet…
We must return to the heat which started our maturing ways… It’s OK!!! It’s OK because this time we can look up, we can watch God while He works!
This time our SPIRIT-filled bubbles are now inside our undone gooeyness, lifting us up, changing us from the inside… We are cooking, fine-tuning and maturing our ways – as we live out our time on the skillet of earth…  The good works started in us will be brought to completion…

With focus on GOD’S WILL, we need to work on those gooey parts of our lives, taking action to be SPIRIT- filled to doneness, asking God to keep an eye on us as He guides us thru the narrow but sure path…

God ever-watching our progress, He knows when He eventually plans to lift us off the skillet of earth… to take us back with HIM eternally… Our Gooeyness replaced by His Glory. His Glory bringing us home. To the big chorus of Amens.

HOME

We are but short timers here.
We are IN the world but not OF the world.

ENJOY today
ENJOY the lifting SPIRIT
Appreciate the FLIP
Work towards completion

SMILE

We are going HOME

---

The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. Psalm 14:2

---

Ecclesiastes 7: 11-18

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing
and benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is a shelter
as money is a shelter,
but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves those who have it.

Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten
what he has made crooked?
When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future.

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?
It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

Easter is a pinnacle of feelings, where do we go from here? Well… Go on singing!

David wrote so many Psalms as songs, and I am sure he returned to singing them over and over again. David’s psalms/songs are said to include: 2—9; 11—32; 34—41; 51—65; 68—70; 86; 95; 101; 103; 108—110; 122; 124; 131; 133; and 138—145. Yes, 75 of the 150, the scholars note.

Psalm 101, David will try to lead a blameless life. Isn’t that like us, after Easter, enrolling in our Spring semester of “Life 101”, trying to live a blameless life after a glorious Easter Day, and yet see pitfalls everywhere. We are just human, we know. Psalm Life 101 has many challenges of “life-happens”. But in all this, God does not change. He does not waiver from His ultimate grade of LOVE. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Psalm 102:27 (unknown as David or other appreciative writer)…

God, schooling us in “Life 101”, does NOT release the grades of your homework assignments or exams over the course of the semester of life, He forgives and is slow to anger, removing transgressions (Psalm 103)

Psalm 103 surely is a favorite: Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

Where would we be without God? Not even a question because God made us, we wouldn’t even be. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. 

Praise the Lord, my soul. Let us keep reading and SINGING Psalm 101, 102 103 and on… Keep living “Life 101”. Stay in School where God rules!.

God keeps being God, and so we must keep SINGING….

Amen

—

Psalm 101:1-2 of David.

I will sing of your love and justice, to you, Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life – when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.

—

Psalm 102:11-28

My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord. In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”

—

Psalm 103. Of David.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children – with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

I almost missed the egg hunt Sunday, but that’s OK, God had me chatting with new visitors to church. I’m glad they walked in to fulfill their Easter day. And grateful I was there to be welcoming. (And no worries, I was handed a BIG egg with candy by one of the egg hunting children afterwards, so sweet!).  I stepped afterwards into the inside of the church basement to wash my hands and I felt the empty, the Spirit had stepped OUTSIDE, to where the people were. All day I felt the people were the connections that held Easter. Many years ago, I got to share in one particular egg hunt, when my kids were maybe 8 to 10ish, and I remember a young man my son’s age scoping out his bountiful harvest of candy at the table. I remember his face in a real puzzlement when an egg he opened was empty. No candy, and a real momentary pouting sad face… 

Me with my “quick thinking”, which I hope was inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: “Ohhhh that empty one has a story in it…”  Not candy but a crucifixion and empty cave story… See when Jesus was crucified and died, they put him in the tomb and rolled a big stone across it. 3 days later He was gone, stone rolled away, tomb empty. I told Joey that He had an “empty tomb egg”. SPECIAL. Celebrating Jesus is Risen. He smiled. I will always remember that smile. Empty in this case was and is fine. Empty tombs are fulfilled prophecy. Empty is Full-Filled.

Eggs are made to be cracked – for food or for baby chick’s to emerge or plastic ones for candy… Empty tombs pour out too. Think of Easter morning, Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, Jesus met her alone and her with an empty feeling, and He “filled her in” – filled her in with the news and with the Spirit – that INDEED He was ALIVE, just as He said would happen. 

Jesus filled her emptiness – we all know that “our empty” needs Spirit filling. At times we need to purposely empty our schedules some to make room for spiritual fillings. We need to declutter our lives and make a good empty space for Him to sit quietly with us. We need an “empty” to get “full”. Mary herself has been emptied of demons, now she had room for compassion, care, and her Christ. Empty brokenness is how God sees us – as fixable and fillable. 

An empty Full Easter is like an egg already cracked. You can’t re-piece together the original, but you can make something different out of the contents. We too, must make a new start from a new creation cracked and hatched out of our brokenness.  Let God lead…

Amen and Happy Easter again. 

John 20:1, 11-18  KJV

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. … But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

.

I wander back to my old work site at times, it’s got great trees, a great spring breeze, and great memories. But the office I lived in for 20 years I had to move out –  passed it on to someone else and I moved to the new building. I can’t complain but sometimes I still do.  However I do get to squat “hotel station” in pretty much any empty office or conference room or window of course any picnic table (wifi works!). I need to take these opportunities more to not work from home but work from “other work”… I can’t do it all the time, but sometimes. 

My old building has charm, but really my new building is where my people are, my group and all those who need me to answer questions. I had to move forward, people and the new space I helped design and get online were waiting for me. You can visit old places but “you can’t walk backwards into the future”.

My old office doesn’t carry the spirit of me in it anymore, not even the sight of the door, even though I was there 20 years. It was given new paint, new furniture, and the once great window is covered by plastic for construction, eww… So, the picnic table does keep its functionality, and I thought I would sit under these old trees and reminisce and work, but I had no laptop battery power left – I need a new charge. 

So I can’t even claim these were the same trees, “good ole days”, old stomping grounds or not. These trees had NEW FLOWERS and NEW bees and they moved on from spring to fall to NEW spring again. These trees will bear NEW fruits… GEEZ, NEW, NEW, NEW…  I guess we ALSO must move FORWARD with the Spirit breeze. NEW charge of our batteries, NEW surroundings, NEW lives, NEW memories… New Callings… New trees and NEW Me’s….

God told Israel: And I will put my Spirit in you and move you… New… Even Jesus didn’t have a place to lay His head… NEW… Hand to the plow, don’t look back.

We aren’t supposed to return to our old ways, old days, or see life with the old gaze. We are made NEW each season to bloom, to fruit, to share, to even shed. Shed the leaves in the fall. Wait out the winters in our lives. Spring again… We are a NEW creation of God everyday. God never changes, but He earthly died to fill us spiritually afresh with Him.

Remember that old view.

But EMBRACE the NEW.

God knows it suits you.

True. 

Amen

---

Luke 9:57-62 The Cost of Following Jesus

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

—

Ezekiel 36:23-32

 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you [Israel] have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!

Lord, we made it to Easter because You have made it possible.

Lord, we are forever praising You,  as we NOW see that You have rolled away our own grave stones as well, by Your Power.

Now as You are calling us to step out of our graves too, let us shake off our chains of sin that You broke, and let us let You peel off our wrappings and look to Heaven’s Healing. We are Your Easter People and by the cleansing Power of Your Blood we share in triumph over forever death by Your Victory. May we always remember that we are reborn in Easter’s Rebirth. 

Today, Lord, through Your Spirit help us SHINE,  SHINE YOUR JOY, YOUR HOPE. May we also humble ourselves and appreciate YOUR MERCY, YOUR FORGIVENESS and YOUR GRACE and extend it to all those we meet today. May we be your Easter People tomorrow just as much as today. 

We Praise You for You are WORTHY. We are singing the song of the saved – savoring the sweetness of salvation – and seeking the soothing of our souls. Thank You Lord for calling us Your Children. We give PRAISE in Your powerful and Mighty Name: Jesus,  Name above all names. 

Amen

…

John 20:1-23

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained.

It is SURRENDER SATURDAY,

Set between Good Friday and Easter Sunday there is today: Saturday.

—

Sandwiched-in Saturday 

Stuck in Saturday

Solemn Saturday

Shocked Saturday 

Stolen Saturday 

Stupid Saturday 

Sorry Saturday

Sad Saturday 

Surreal Saturday 

—

Surrender Saturday 

—

Soothing Saturday

Softening-Heart Saturday 

Slowdown Saturday 

Seeking Saturday 

Smart Saturday

Sit-Tight Saturday 

Soldiering Saturday

Sabbath Saturday 

Simply Saturday…

—

Savor Saturday, Salvation Sunday is Surely Soon…

—

It seems to me that Jesus would have had to have SO MUCH TRUST in Our Father. Not only did He trust in the plan,  He was in on the plan, and He had to trust being placed in a broken human world completely dependent upon Mary and Joseph, (and of course the angels). Then, in His last days, His trust in the Father and in the Plan led Him to have to ALSO trust in the ones who would kill Him.  He knew how obvious the devil would think and even use evil for the good of the Kingdom. Yeah, trust the journey of sacrifice to succeed – use sacrifice for supporting Salvation. Suffering in submission. Walking the Walk.

If Jesus was said to be the fourth man in the furnace, seen by King Nebuchadnezzar, when only 3 were sent in (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Old Testament book of Daniel 3) but who all were not burned, then Jesus was and is protected and protective. So, imagine the “dropping of the guard” that Jesus would have had to endure both at the beginning and the end of earth walking to be human and be perishable in flesh. Perish in flesh but never Spirit. 

Jesus had to have TRUST in death as he did in gaining human life. He had to accept suffering. For Jesus to show us the Way, He first had to follow the Plan. We can turn to Him because He has been there. 

His mercy includes knowing our short lives, the broken frailty of us, and yet He knows how to make us strong WITH The same Spirit He has. Fill the jar of clay of us, Lord. 

We DO have the power to walk out from death, but only by Him. Not only do we desire the strength (His Strength in us) to walk in His shoes (sandals) meaning we have chosen a life of sacrifice for the good of the Kingdom, we must walk using the power of the Spirit inside us. Holy Spirit is a personal placement of God INSIDE us, not a wind that blows us haphazardly. The steps we take are motorized with LOVE. 

Walk peacefully and purposefully today. Endure. Love endures all things… 

Jesus, we love You for Your Walk. And TRUST.  Lord, hold us close to continue to walk with You.

AMEN 

—–

Proverbs 16:3-4 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

—–

Matthew 16:24-27

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Passover was last night and last year and last century and last millennium too. Many millennia ago and all throughout the ages from Moses’s time. It’s the worst sign to the Egyptians, death to first born sons, even Pharaoh’s, that appeared more real than a trick or coincidence. God sent a STRONG message in commanding release and in saving His people from foreign bondage. God sent a strong message to His people too: I have saved you. Because of the Blood of the Lamb on your doors, you have been passed over from this tragic death.

Won’t we remember that we are HIS Passed-over people? Won’t we also know our houses are stained with His Blood, the Blood of the Lamb. As He led these Israelites thru the desert with a pillar of cloud and fire, won’t we recognize that He already HAS been leading us and He also will lead us into our future.  

Forgiving and yet firm in punishment, God reveals to us the Lamb. God did not spare His own son, Jesus, but did spare all His children by choosing this path to our salvation by the blood of Jesus, by forgiveness. Grace and Mercy for us. We have a God Who loves us enough to have sent His Son for our sin.

We are guided, let us not grumble. As Moses led, the people grumbled. As God leads, the people tremble. As Jesus leads, the people (us) now should remember to Resemble Him, stay on path and minimize our own delays…  Grumble, Tremble, Resemble – that is how we got here. Let us keep resembling Jesus a servant.

The world is in a delay pattern, distracted and deluded by Evil, but we can ask: Holy Spirit, please break away our fog and help us walk righteously with You. Burn Your Fire in our cloudy view – bring us closer and closer to You.

You Lord, for Moses and Man, have given us Your Passover Plan. Amen and Thank you Lord.

We remember our Passover in celebrating your Passover feast too: Your Last Supper until all who are called are in Paradise for the Supper of the Lamb. God, You serve us in so many ways. 

Thank You.  

Amen

Amen

Amen

---

Psalm 99

The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy.

The King is mighty, he loves justice – you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. 

Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

---

Revelation 19:6-9

 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

What’s your favorite fruit season?

Twelve Heavenly fruits will please us, with good reason.

Sitting under the Tree of Life will surely feel pleasin’.

It’s Heaven’s bounty that awaits us, and I am not teasin’.

.

His Water flows thru Heaven in a river 

And He Forever IS our Light Giver.

Jesus and God and Spirit in One,

Shining so brightly – there is no need for the sun.

.

See His Face

We are given our new place.

Servants we will be,

Serving God while under that Tree.

.

Leaves for the Healing of the Nations,

Wars cease as we take our serving stations.

We will see Him Face to Face.

We will have all Finished the Race.

.

No more curse and no more sin stain.

No more tears and no more pain.

New names we will each gain

and He will always Reign.

.

He will ALWAYS Reign.

.

Amen

.

………

Revelation 22:1-5   Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Psalm 100 – For giving grateful praise.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I’m no April fool, I took God’s peace when He offered it – this time for writing and delivering a sermon for Palm Sunday… Peace and priorities and persistence, Psalms and Palms.

I wrote and wrote and wrote when God gave me a theme for a sermon, which I volunteered to give with such enthusiasm that essentially I was like character Horseshack on the TV show ‘Welcome Back Kotter’, saying: “Ooh Ooh Ooh”!!! Hand up before I knew the answer… I didn’t worry, I took God’s peace, and path, and I WROTE.

And God did not and does not disappoint, God provides ABUNDANTLY, and so I wrote and wrote and wrote over the course of 2 weeks, new sections, appropriate scriptures, and included these wow chapters of prophecy from God that for some reason no one seems to preach about – Revelation…. 

And then I TRIMMED and trimmed and trimmed… I originally wrote about Mary and Martha, but scratched that…  Yes I wrote a section about my own faith journey, but I lined that out because that might take years to explain. I decided what I already knew: God’s journey is more than sufficient for this sermon for any sermon. And the expounding about your own journey is best to just a few, with a tea cup in your hand and at a kitchen table… or a porch… or in a blog… or anytime you are asked specifically about your journey…

My startling moment for when God reinforced the theme of this particular writing was well after I wrote Paul Harvey’s tagline: “The Rest of the Story” into my pages of notes.  Well, about a week later, my mom, OUT OF THE BLUE, quotes Paul Harvey. WEIRD!!!! I mean how often do we mention Paul Harvey, from such a long long time ago… Apparently God knows how to trigger our memories, as well as knowing how to lay the groundwork to let us know that He is in charge. Cool…

We must take His Peace and USE IT, in the middle of the really strong thunderstorms, I was editing and focused, not really giving much of myself over to stress. I watched the radar, stayed inside obviously, checked on friends. Trees didn’t fall or power fail in my neighborhood, neither did God in holding onto my focus. 

And so after the regular sermon, I actually had a chance to give the sermon in miniature TWICE again in the afternoon… cool… Once on the phone in decompression and once sitting on a friend’s porch… I was helping my friend clean out her family house and she was sad to not make church, and yet with mere hours to her financial close, she had to do what she had to do… Clean Sort Toss Keep Move On… She asked for church palms and of course I brought her some extra… I also brought the children’s message experiment to do on the porch while resting my legs too. We talked about this broken world, about Jesus’s journey, about us not grumbling because we know that REST OF THE STORY…

I came across many items her dad owned in her house related to Pope John Paul the second, and he was the pope of my youth… He had that warm fuzzy huggable pope demeanor, he was an inspiration of the time. What I remember from a documentary about him is that he was different and unusual for the priests of the time, he would take a canoeing trip with a youth group and then while camping would use an upside-down canoe as a worship altar… He took services and sermons “on the road”….  No need to keep church only in the building… Likewise, so I also brought the message outside this day, meet the people where they are – even in the car… And we have great company, as Jesus took sermons and serving on the road too… out to meet the people… even on the cross, Jesus was still all powerful in giving PEACE. In the middle of pain, Jesus knew paradise was awaiting for all who believed. Peace – don’t give it up – don’t give it back – don’t forget to grab onto it.

God says: I gave you MY peace, now USE IT.

God IS guiding us, in thick and thin.

God’s got this…

Take it…

Amen

.

.

.

A sermon I was blessed to share on Psalm Sunday. And scriptures below. A sermon on how prophesy was given and still is given to us today – we can get to know “The Rest of the Story”…

I love to start with Psalm 95 because it has so much JOY in it – I have so much JOY share God’s Word – what an opportunity – THANK YOU!!!!! JOY because it IS God’s Word – Who is Jesus – the Living Word – who changes Hearts…

from Psalm 95: For the Lord is the Great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear HIS voice…

AH – that is where I stop to be reminded – it is NOT my voice that I hope you hear – but the LORD’s Voice in His Word – because HIS WORD changes hearts.

And why do WE SHARE HIS WORD? Why? Because there are SO MANY who haven’t  heard – whose ears are not YET opened by the Lord – they don’t know Jesus – or at least (like until Jesus awoke me), they don’t His Spirit WITHIN them…  So – I pray we call upon the Holy Spirit in our midst to move us – and to make us ponder – ponder Jesus – ESPECIALLY this pre-Easter Holy Week ahead. And I pray for anyone who is itching at the ears to understand Jesus more, to let God open them – and they will hunger even more… The great writer of Hebrews reminds us:  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

AND SO – this is Easter week coming up – we must take the opportunity to walk thru it – not by ourselves but with Jesus – we can think of it as the tough and humbling week – it IS a reminder that we MUST ALSO pick up our crosses like Jesus did and have less of us and more of Jesus.  Yes, Jesus knew He was walking into death – a PAINFUL death – and yet worse, look at all those tears shed for seeing people then and now who did not know Him. 

Jesus knew loss in advance – He only had 3 years in His ministry on earth with His disciples and Jesus knew He would have to leave His friends behind who needed Him – He felt that loss as He feels our losses and He has compassion…  YES Jesus willing chose this path, He knew the WHOLE story – He knew that He had to fulfil Prophesy – then He had leave earth so that the Holy Spirit could come – Jesus walked the walked and talked the talk – Oh can you even imagine His tears… Even more can you imagine His DETERMINATION.

Palm Sunday today – the excited people did NOT know how prophesy would come to fullness – they thought an earthly King sanctioned by God had come to restore their local Kingdom of the Jews – after King David their history had endured bad kings, a split into divided kingdoms and EXILE – they saw Jesus for the restoration but they could not yet see the whole mission – the whole prophesy – the whole Kingdom of FOREVER – and even by the end of the week they couldn’t even see Him as Heaven sent – Hosanna traded for Crucify Him. They didn’t know  – Jesus said they didn’t know, forgive them…

For them and for us HE GAVE and GIVES Prophesy…  There was prophesy of how He was born – of his works – of His death on the Cross – and of His raising up . Ah, IF ONLY THE EARS and the EYES of the PEOPLE WOULD OPEN to see that He came as Jesus – God with us – King and Lord of ALL.

We best not forget that God is mysterious, but He is also an OPEN BOOK – Jesus IS the LIVING WORD – and wants us to share in this GOOD NEWS of HIM.  We DO have what the disciples did not (yet) – a knowing in our hearts because of the Holy Spirit. In Hindsight, can you imagine that time of healing and the learning in hyperspeed that those disciples had, that Easter morning when the risen Jesus came to walk the earth – remember the disciples didn’t fully understand Jesus until after Jesus came back… and they still had more to learn – they needed the Holy Spirit like we do.

The disciples surely knew in part but did not know in full this prophesy until they had their mental gaps filled in with eyes opened and ears opened – they learned “THE REST OF THE STORY – just like old time radio journalist Paul Harvey always said…

Imagine the days Jesus was in the tomb, imagine old friends Mary and Martha had lost their brother Lazarus – regained him but then lost their Lord – puzzling –  look at the disciples – life was going so good – and then wow Jesus is arrested and crucified – and betrayed by someone they thought they knew as a brother. Shock disbelief unknown – what would they do now? and were they next for being arrested? Perhaps we need this model of uncertainty to make us really think – are we feeling separate from Jesus? is He really there… HE IS… 

In our uncertainties – the unknowns of how life takes turns – surely we have experienced them – maybe we even know of people suffering worse: you lose your home to an invasion of war, maybe a school shooter catches all of you off guard, maybe a tornado comes, maybe your perceived future disappears in front of your eyes…    we experience unknowns…  and yet – we can we  and must we have JOY even if we don’t have understanding everything of what is going on around us…  We need to take a long view of life here on earth and in Heaven – these trials today are nothing compared of the JOY of eternal life.

Why JOY??? WE KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY –  we know PAST Good Friday – we know Easter already and we even know past present day (and trust me we know how Broken this world is – but what does Jesus ask of us? WALK WITH HIM…  We know at least a fraction of the LONGVIEW – THE REST OF THE STORY – Jesus has not kept it hidden from us – there are chapters of the Living Word – STILL prophesy yet to come…   He has written in the gospels and has written to us (thru beloved apostle John’s recording) a whole section called: REVELATION… Not only is Jesus risen from the dead on Easter – we learn in all these prophesies that Jesus IS coming again  – He states to His disciples and to all of us from the book of Mark:  “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come…  KEEP WATCH…

James the brother of Jesus reminds new believers of the time and us: 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.!”

---

Endless times I have been reminded to not to get too comfortable in life that I start to grumble, we need to shine JESUS JOY and let that be our jumping pads from which we go out and share the love of God – to the broken people out there – that famous saying that for some people, our actions are the only Bible that they will ever read… 

With the Holy Spirit’s help we can understand these prophesies –    I love this quote from a book I am reading:    “An important perspective to have on the book of Revelation is that it is not a game of theological Rubik’s Cube. It was not written as an intellectual puzzle for a group of people who enjoyed solving mathematical problems. Not for a moment. Its first readers were in too much of a life-and-death situation to enjoy that kind of relaxation.” (from Name above all names)

To understand more, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us learn. God is willing to lead us. Three examples:

* Take Simeon called by the Holy Spirit to the temple at the time of Jesus’s dedication at a week old – Simeon studied prophesy – Simeon knew The Messiah was coming: AND was praying and praying to see Him before he died – and guess what? the spirit of God was there to help Simeon know that THIS baby was His savior – the Light of the World to both Jews and Gentiles…, Jesus did not speak as an 8 day old infant, yet Simeon knew He was the One. The Spirit made Him known.

* Take John the Baptist who lept for joy in his mother’s womb as pregnant Mary came to them, Jesus was known by Spirit – NOT known by sight. Older Jesus was said to be not remarkable compared to the rest of the population – He essentially showed up as a normal looking guy. Even John the Baptist later in life had to ask Jesus, his own cousin, are You He?  Well that Spirit of God coming out of the sky was a pretty awesome sign to see I believe – God even saying how pleased He was in Jesus – whom to that point had not even performed a miracle… The Spirit made Him known.

* Take the faith of that last one man, a criminal, to ask Jesus for entering the kingdom, Jesus was unrecognizable, beard pulled out, beaten, bloody, hung… but out of this taunting, this fellow cross hanging man, a thief, knew that even He, dead man hanging, was Lord… He saw Jesus for who He really was…   and asked Jesus so importantly: Remember me… Jesus said: today you will be with me in paradise.

---

We have the Holy Spirit to walk in faith not sight, like these people did. Knowing “the Rest of the Story” – not the “END of the story” BECAUSE THE STORY DOES NOT END, but knowing the Spirit – How blessed we get to learn the future and how Mighty God is – listen to these amazing sights we WILL see – our future:

• Revelation 19 excerpts Jesus defeating the prince of darkness:   I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  – He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God…  On his robe and on his thigh, He has this Name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.

• How about the Millennium? Anyone up for a thousand years of peace??, ONLY by Jesus the Prince of Peace –  Revelation 20 *And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up….

• And a new city… to forever be WITH GOD…!!   Revelation 21 * Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” … “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. –  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

• Revelation 22 NIV Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. – . The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.

I hope we are JOY FILLED to know at least SOME of the new FOREVER story – a CLEAN PAGE every day.

We are broken people, but Jesus has given us each MANY forever new pages of life.  

Jesus NOW and in our future says: Now you know, the Rest of the Story…

---

Won’t you please pray with me:

Lord, we are blessed that not only have you shared your story with us but you also include us, one by one into your story. Jesus you bring us salvation and we experience your mercy and grace. We know God that you call us your children, please help us spread this great Good news, especially this Lenten season as Your Easter people, we know Lord so many out there need to be introduced to you and hear the rest of the story,  Your continuing story has new blank pages for each of us. Let us worship you in joy. Lord, let us praise you forever because you are worthy… Hosanna, Halleluiah and Amen 

---

Selected scriptures for Palm Sunday  and  “The Rest of the Story”:

Psalm 95: 1-7    Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear HIS voice…

Luke 19:37-42 NIV When Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” – “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” – Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” – “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it  and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

James 5:7-11 NIV   “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!”

Hebrews 4:12   For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

John 11: 21-27   Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Luke 2:22-38  Jesus Presented in the Temple  When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”   The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,  so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.  Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke 23:32-43  The criminal on the Cross is Saved by asking Jesus Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him.  When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.  Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”  And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”  But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”  And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus is coming again   Matthew 24:30-39 Jesus said: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.  But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 

Mark 13:32-37    “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Revelation 4:1-11 to John  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 19:11-16    I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God…”

Revelation 20:1-6    And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (And that’s when Jesus destroys His influence forever).

Revelation 21:1-5    Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

Revelation 22:1-5   Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 22:12-13  “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Snow? No… Relooking at last months photos the pool was perfect, people perfect, pretty penny cost levels were COVERED instead by FREE POINTS to provide patio-like shade in a cabana…. ahhhhh…. not a day at the spa, but yes at the pool with my friend hosting us… We had easy breakfast, delivered lunch, and late dinner with our family… LOVE… You could say this was a Sunny day filled with PROVISIONS.. 

How much MORE our God will continue to provide for us… . Oh yes, God’s provisions are not any less than us getting to spend the whole rest of our lives Heavenly on HIS POINTS, under HIS CABANA. 

“PROVISIONS”… that’s the name on the placard of the little store in the resort. Earthly provisions were granted for us to be there, warm 85 degrees sunny, was this Heaven? Hmmmmm…. Heavenly yes,  but Heaven no. This is earth, and yet I wondered what would make Heaven Heaven… How to fill in the missing parts of earth… Look for GOD first and GOD’S PROVISIONS… 

I read an important book page, my beach book of “Name above all Names“, and it reminded me to think how we shouldn’t preach for people believe in God because God gives financial security or perfection in human terms, lucky strikes or good looks, no… But that we should be preaching that God does give purpose to life, help to the lost, saving to the sinners…  yes… His perfection to give us is HIMSELF.

On earth we count our blessings AND here is what we ALSO get in Heaven: fulfilled love; knowledge of God’s closeness and worship of His Sovereignty over us; and a witness of His immense Love for giving His Son, a Lamb slain…

I had a WELL DONE burger at the restaurant one night out at a tourist opportunity for appreciating wildlife seen in captivity: gators, parrots and more. A Well Done burger for food safety, and yet how even more SAFE we are in Heaven because there we will say: “Well done, Lord!” Driving through rain and traffic back from dinner, I was appreciative of the safe landing at our home away from home… Even now I am grateful for a safe plane landing back home… And in between (the trip and home as well as earth and Home in Heaven) let me be grateful for everything…

Forever let us be worshipful grateful for God’s Provisions… WELL DONE LORD!!!

AMEN 

.

Dear Dear,

One less tear,

Jesus IS Here.

Much less fear,

Jesus is Here.

Slow your gear, do not veer,

Jesus is Here. 

Leading AND holding up the rear,

Jesus is HERE.

.

Jesus holds you so so very DEAR.

.

Light in the darkness we peer,

Jesus is Here. 

Ultimate all-knowing Seer,

Jesus is Here.

Drawing to us so ever near,

Jesus is Here. 

Listen, Give Him your ear,

Jesus is HERE. 

.

Be attentive and be sincere.

.

Today, let us all HEAR.

Give Jesus one less shedding tear.

BELIEVE, BELIEVE, Jesus IS Here. 

.

Amen

—

Zechariah 9:9,16

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

    righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

.

The Lord their God will save his people

on that day as a shepherd saves his flock.

They will sparkle in his land

    like jewels in a crown.