I spend much of my time cleaning up things – but not as much as I spend leaving things around – it is a losing battle but also one that we wage everyday if we choose to – we’ve got lots of stuff here in our modern day – just don’t let it accumulate to trip you up.

I’ve been cleaning in my family farmhouse – I call it cleaning UP not cleaning out – no need to move stuff anywhere but the good stuff is buried in the not needed stuff. I try to clean up at home before the not-needed stuff encumbers and covers my good stuff that I DO want people to save one day. I was reminded of a task I did last month, cleaning a closet in the church basement, which I knew was next to the heater and safer that way plus just stuff was lost and tossed in there. I pulled out old Sunday school materials from 10 years prior, study guides, even an old film projector surely from the 60’s. It was important to clean up and condense, yet appreciate the past efforts to build community in the church. I just left the film projector – someone else can rediscover that treasure later.  The books I put up on a shelf of a lending library because the best shared part of the Word is when you lend an assist to another person. HOPE and LIFE freely given.

Of course one of my favorite finds this week was the little birthday book from my great aunt – with non-scriptural but witty proverbs and poems – plus important scriptures like finding Psalm 27 after reading and writing about Psalm 27, and to add the Hat Trick – I SHARED Psalm 27 – sometimes WE are the ones who create the “coincidences” that we long to see in the world. The CLEAN UP portion of cleaning is to decide what helps other get UP or stay UP – or believe UP – and turn their faith UP. That is our goal too – to “FAITH UP” each day – look up and look into HIS Ultimate CLEAN UP – Salvation.

The little book provided a proverb “It is far better to do well than to say well.” paired with the whole John 21 scripture statement by Peter: “Lord, Thou knowest all things.” – and that is a GREAT CLEAN UP scripture – because just before the risen Jesus had breakfast on the beach for the disciples who met Him at the sea of Galilee, Jesus had told them to “fish over on THAT side” – and wow did they “clean up” gathering so many many fish.  Jesus knew where to “clean up” – and He still does – His Salvation is a net of collection and wash – Jesus cleans us up with forgiveness – Grace and Mercy – and a clean of His Blood ransoming our sins. 

So let us clean up our HOPE – for Jesus cleansed and cleans and He calls us back to reinstate our clean slate – like He did for Peter in that John 21 chapter, also urging Peter to “feed my sheep”. Jesus also reminds us to HOPE – like the witty non-scriptural saying: “Hope is as cheap as despair” – true – might as well HOPE rather than despair.

Jesus is our CLEAN UP  – so let us FAITH UP!

AMEN

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Here is the scripture for Clean Up Clean Up – Faith UP!

John 21 NKJV
Breakfast by the Sea
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

Jesus Restores Peter
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”

And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

The Beloved Disciple and His Book
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.