Give Up – but Take In – a Sermon about Following Jesus

My Sunday Sermon for Lenten season = based on Mark 10:7-31

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” – “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” – Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” – The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[^e^] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” – Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” – “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

You may have heard or seen those cool hip new “let’s give this up for lent” lists – Instead of chocolate, give up x y z. – like gossiping and judging, give up negativity, give up fear, etc etc… it is a reminder to NOT focus on what we physically give up but mentally and culturally and emotionally where we can be better – work on traits we desire to have – And I was thinking that in our scripture today, Jesus asked this Rich man to give up the money yes – give to the poor – but to GIVE UP CONTROL – give up our time – and to follow Him most closely – yes – He also uses these scriptures to remind us that with Jesus, we are able to TRY to give up complaining, and our worldly-focus – and to be more able to live the abundant life that He gifts us… And isn’t the strength that we gain from following Jesus that allows us to do x y z. Like – being less self-focused and be more Jesus focused. We give up – but we take in – we take in Jesus.

What about time, if we trust the Lord and live our time more wisely, does it make a difference? Yes. Of course = you folks may have experienced what I have experienced these last couple days – the generosity of friends. They have blessed me. And this reminds me that the moments when the Lord says “follow me and use ourselves in our good health to be active and mobile and do things – DO THEM! (a secular example is when I saw the huge line at the drive thru at chik fila during the pandemic and even now – and just said I should use my good legs and walk in – and walk out – order on the app and keep moving!) AND THEN – in our days of NOT MOVING – also to find opportunity in any times of bad health, to BE STILL – which of course I always need that reminder. TO BE STILL and know that He is God… and to keep praying. My friend who has a near 100 year old mother on hospice, she reminds that the people in the worst of health still have STRONG PRAYER as their MOST important job…

So – in this Following Jesus scripture about the rich man and the disciples – the continuation of this Lenten journey of learning about Jesus and the interactions with individual people – which Barb and Jen have preached about – the point that struck me also strikes us: This rich man followed rules that he was told, but Jesus also asked: follow me. Jesus says FOLLOW ME.

In the section of the book which was given to me, “Lent for Everyone”, the author uses this funny story to convey the deeper and deeper images of Jesus that we see in this passage – the story involves selling three different types of binoculars – that one basic type can see only just so far and the next level up purchase sees further and further. The seller says to the customer: “with these binoculars you can see the church clock half a mile away” – and with these binoculars you can read the lips of what the vicar is saying to the people – but with THIS set – and he takes out the biggest monstrous pair – ‘well these bring you SO close that you can hear the choir singing.’ – yeah – THAT CLOSE. The author was trying to convey a deeper and deeper understanding of what Jesus was saying when He talked to the rich man and the disciples – and to us as we are journeying with Jesus – it is so crucial for us looking at all three parts of this scripture to bring us closer to what He wants to teach us to draw us closer to God and to Himself. We not only want to hear the choir but sing in His Choir. So, let’s look at the journey of understanding the three conversations. The first revealed conversation is with the rich man himself – to more than simply “follow all the rules” – even if they are not so simple to follow. The second conversation is just a bit deeper – with the disciples, and the author of the book passage stating that the disciples jaws must have dropped when Jesus spoke to the rich man in that way – wondering why He didn’t “close the deal” and invite the man to come “as he was”… It WAS an interesting statement by Jesus – ‘it is tougher for an CAMEL to go thru the EYE of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven’ (FYI – The “Eye of the Needle” was a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.)… Geeze, wow… but Jesus also blesses the disciples later by telling them that they will gain more and more family and more and more abundant life of the promises of Heaven… and the third conversation – who can be saved – those lenses of the binoculars which are so strong that we can hear the choir singing – which you know is impossible – is the statement that Jesus tells Peter – that with man it IS impossible – but with Jesus – with God – all things are possible…

I actually heard an amazing opportunity to share this message just this week – but it was from hearing a misleading statement from a person of faith – she found out of the good deeds of another and said “wow – they are DEFINITELY going to Heaven!” – wow but not wow – I have heard that statement so many times and people believe it – yet it isn’t our good deeds – our goodie two shoes – our rule following – but our JESUS following – with man it is IMPOSSIBLE – but with Jesus – it is ALL POSSIBLE!

Have you ever seen those cartoons where the person is so close to the object that they can’t see it? I saw a cartoon and these people were against an elephant and extremely curious but giving their own evaluation – and said things about the elephant “it’s a rope” (it was the tail) – “it’s a spear” (it was the tusk) – “it’s a wall – “it’s a fan – it’s a tree” etc – people look at only the small things in front of them and they can’t always grasp the big picture – this sometimes prevents them from going further – from making a life changing response when they only see a limited view – So in our story, could this rich man NOT see far enough ahead – was that the problem? – or simply could he NOT see that the teacher right in front of him was more than just the rabbi – that He, Jesus, was and is God? The disciples sort of saw it – God actually had not opened the eyes of everyone’s hearts yet. And even when God opens the hearts of many – including us – we STILL won’t be able to see the whole journey – we are told the end destination but these ups and down along the way? We need trust – Jesus says take one day at a time – let tomorrow worry about itself.

This rich man stood there, face to face with His God. Most likely he was thinking Jesus was a teacher, a healer, an advice giver – and yet when he and we say “master”, we then still have to decide to be a follower. Maybe the man thought that Jesus would give Him an easy answer. Well, for Jesus this answer WAS EASY – it was and is FOLLOW ME – I not only know the way – I am the way the truth and the life. Was this man ready to believe that – could he do that? We know that he went away sad. But (forgive me Lord for dreaming) we don’t actually know if He came back. We don’t know if years later he re-blessed others with His wealth. Jesus didn’t say the man couldn’t be involved in knowing how he was blessing. Maybe after seeing Jesus raised from the dead the rich man was able to re-decide to follow Jesus. It’s a process to get enough courage to trust Jesus. So, I’m hopeful for Him. I know that we are only looking at a snapshot – so wouldn’t you love to run into this man in Heaven and hear him say: YES – Jesus IS the Way.

We do know he was very sad was shocked and he was so close to the real answer of salvation, so close he didn’t know it. Part but not whole. One of my favorite scriptures these days is “when completeness comes, what is in part disappears” – “Now I know only in part – then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

What did the rich man tell Jesus that he successfully did? From childhood? Followed the commandments – yes. There’s a stained-glass window in the back of our church which has the beautiful image of 2 tablets. In Exodus and Deuteronomy we know from Moses’s time the scriptures of the 10 commandments and from Jesus the greatest commandments to love – we can hear this imploring ASK: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

When I remember the great Charlton Heston scenes in Ten Commandments movie about Moses saying ‘Let my people go’ – and the parting of the Red Sea, and of the tablets but recently now – every time I see this image of the commandments for the last month, I am reminded of this little Itty bitty scroll craft that I got from a girl scout event called “Thinking Day”. It was from a table of Girl Scouts representing the country of Israel. It is two Smarties rolls of candy which are covered in a paper to look like a Torah – and the two tablets image is printed on the front. Isn’t that cool? And I love how they MAYBE took (before gobbling up the sweetest candy) that they took a short moment to realize that these represent – the 10 commandments, the basis of the law given by God – shared by Moses – to the future descendants and to all of us as Gentiles, are God’s instructions to follow Him. The commandments are of God’s advice to help those folks stay holy. And perhaps this rich man DID keep to the commandments best he could – and I am sure he, like in Moses’s time, make the sacrificial offerings that were pleasing to God – but what about us? Where is our sacrifice – well – is it JUST in giving up many things – and we know that we should – but God knew and knows our humanness, it is SO hard to give up as well as satisfy all the commandments, especially the one about jealousy. Apostle Paul the prolific writer said that commandment was the near impossible one for him to follow.

The rich man WAS dismayed when Jesus told him to give up everything and “Follow Me”. Jesus told the disciples that they, who did give up their day to day lives, would recover their losses many-fold. God would cover it and cover them in the present and the future.

All throughout the old testament, the prophets do tell us that the Lord’s Promise Covenant will RESTORE His faithful. Restore if not in the present then in the forever future. We know of Jesus Himself being the Promise, come to earth for that FULFILLMENT in the New Covenant when the old was broken by the people – and Jesus came Himself be that Sacrifice – to satisfy the law and the prophets, Jesus Himself was able to explain how He came to teach and preach but especially to reach. Jesus also taught that we have FULFILLMENT yet to come.

So – from this craft – and from our own knowledge – where is the sweetness here? – of following the rules – or of giving of ourselves – where is the inner POSSIBLE to the impossible in following all the commandments and more – well Jesus IS the possible – the sweetness to the core – the hope and the promise. The MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER. We HAVE to unwrap this sweetness – HIS SWEETNESS – open the door for Jesus – listen – and FOLLOW. Like this GIANT roll of candy [ show the giant tube of Smarties candy ] He is our BIG SWEET !

The zoom lenses: Let’s rehear what Jesus says to Peter (knowing that the others also would hear), it is verse 27 of that gospel of Mark: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” – “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “[no one who has left home or family for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.]”

The phrase ‘along with persecutions’ tells us that Jesus did not sugarcoat it. But Jesus told them of the gain. The sweetness that comes along with any sorrow.

It’s not a new concept for us. Came into this world with nothing. We are going to leave and we can’t take anything with us. Dust to dust ashes to ashes we remember in this Lenten season. So as “your treasures are in heaven”, these material things are just going to get eaten by moths. We are reminded that items and money is a tool.

Let’s think back to that loaves and fishes scene – The disciples said ‘[send them away. Lord, we don’t have enough. We don’t have the money to buy stuff for everybody on this hill]’… Isn’t that what we say when we look at the problems of the world? We don’t have enough for all, let alone me and my family and it makes us less likely to give…. But we can imagine that Jesus wants to take care of His family – of us – of all – and when we give of ourselves to Jesus – he multiplies what we give. Another example, how about the woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive oil. Which Jesus said was in preparation for his burial. She didn’t mind how precious and expensive it was. But here was her Lord. How about the widow who gave her last 2 mites. Jesus said she gave out of her faith.

So doesn’t he make money into a tool just like everything else that can be used for good works. We certainly know that we get blessed when we share for God’s Glory.

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We get hung up on the money part of the story – because we live in a society that is fearful of not having enough money – or losing money that you worked hard to get. But think most closely to this conversation between the man and Jesus –when we take any road where Jesus says “Follow Me” – know that He is THAT CLOSE – we are so close that we realize He is the possible to get us thru anything. – He is the known.

Jesus is asking this man and us not merely for willingness to give up, but to go – to listen and go. Jesus is calling and yet sometimes we put him on hold. Some even hang up the phone. We instead need Jesus on speed dial. When the going goes tough, the tough get going to Jesus.

Best yet, we need to remember that He is walking with us. We should follow Him because He’s following us. And because He called us first. This is why we are walking in this Lenten season with Him to give up those things that prevents us from seeing Him clearly, seeing His mission for us here on earth. He gave up Heaven to come to earth – surely we can give up a little earth…

Yes, sure, we might as well give up our treasures on earth (we aren’t taking them with us are we), remember what Jesus asked – give to the poor – well that doesn’t mean we give until we are poor – but give until we are RICH – rich in JOY – rich in seeing – and rich in Jesus shared. The poor don’t have to be poor moneywise but what about poor in spirit – like friends who are lonely – we could “spend” some of our precious time with them. Give away your time. What about poor in faith – poor in understanding they are loved – poor in hope. Give away Hope and God will make more for you and all. Jesus wants us to follow His lead and love one another. Jesus says Follow me – do what I do – and be blessed for it in Heaven.

It is the strength and commitment that we get from following Jesus that give us fruits of His Spirit to share. It is also the love and joy we get from following Jesus that it gives us the ability to see HIM as the Gain over any of the lost.

I often talk about Christmas the hermit crab, He gives up, naturally and routinely lots of parts of his body – parts that he could fend off attacker with – what a crazy thing – but he will make more – he has to find a safe space to do so. And so he NEVER gives up his shell. He never gives up the protection which really is SO STRONG. He gives up the time to molt (he has lots of time, do we?). He gives up strength to molt, do we? Can we allow ourselves and forgive ourselves to be weak, and let the Lord be strong? Maybe we are easily weak, but can we even give up the pride of faking it thru life? Can we simply say, “I need You Jesus?!” and will we recognize that He is more than just a shell of protection – He is our sweetest we never have to give up. Jesus – we never have to give up His protection – His shell – and His new life in us and us in Him.

The last and MOST important part of this rich man’s interaction with Jesus = Jesus looked at him and loved him – Jesus is GOD and GOD IS LOVE. Jesus could only love him. Jesus was filled with love – Jesus knows the love that saves. With man – impossible – but with God everything is possible. What a marvel to know that He loved and loves us so much that He gave up His life for us, His friends.

Amen and let us follow Jesus.

Jesus Walking Way

Well, my agenda is just that: ‘my agenda’ and we need to check our agendas more, sometimes at the door but sometimes at the floor, when kneeling at the feet of Jesus.

My experience will tell you, His plan is what we should explore.

We need to check the plan against His plan of the day, against His say, along The Way.

I am sad to say – my back kinda went out today.

No i didn’t’ throw it out and away – it walked then just RAN away.

I have been here before, I know I will be OK.

But for now, I just have to say “Hey!

I understand Lord, when you say You wish for me to have plans to go YOUR WAY.

So at Your feet I now pray.

OK
I appreciated yesterday –

I read the Jesus Calling later in the day –

when I was checking with the Lord – “am I being too ambitious today?”

Well, I kept moving as I waited for Him to enter His opinions and His Say.

And I am glad I was ‘allowed’ to finish my work and call it a day.

I was still allowed to move my moves throughout the day.

I even got in a quick walk – because I am way out of shape – WAY!

When my back goes out – or any day,

The Jesus Walking Way is Best Medicine, OK and Hurray!

So, yesterday, as I finished a project late in the day,

I slid into the car knowing there would be much pain today.

And now? Well – close to home is where I will stay.

I did sleep last night but a few times yelled “HEY!”

So what did Jesus Calling blog say yesterday?

To get out of your own way.

Seek My Face in your day.

I will turn your attention to My Way.

Amen – and thanks Lord – everyday.

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Jesus Calling – March 8th

Save your best striving for seeking My Face. I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it. Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart. Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.

1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

By Faith

By Faith,

Let me take a moment to explain Christian faith – which I know ‘By Faith’. So, I will not be able to explain all of Christianity religions, as there are hundreds of denominations – yet I can speak to the understanding that our Christian faith is to be understood as a relationship over a ritualistic religion. A defining of deity for Christians would certainly be that we follow Christ, Jesus Christ, and that we respect and understand a Divine Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit, three in One. The Holy Spirit in the world today and inside each Christian who is ‘moved by the Spirit’ always is to point back to Jesus as our Lord and our Savior. Jesus came into the world 2000 years ago in the flesh (Emmanuel – God with us). Jesus Himself walked the earth for approximately 33 years and is recorded in the New Testament for His teachings and also for His miracles and His mercy. The New Testament also includes the Acts of the Apostles (those who followed Jesus closely in Jesus’s time), the early church, the spreading of the teachings to make disciples of Jesus, and the revelation of Jesus coming again. One of the understandings of Christianity is that Jesus did miracles to point back to ‘the Word’ – which means that Jesus wanted to show that He came to do His Father’s Will – and to fulfill the prophesies of His coming – of His death and resurrection – and of Him coming again. Jesus ALWAYS pointed back to God the Father as the ultimate One in control – Jesus spoke of His short time on earth – but also of His sending the Holy Spirit to help each of us in the world.

By Faith, a known of Christianity is that we are ‘not of this world’ but of Heaven. Jesus came to allow us to gain access back to heaven and to eternity with God our Father, but covering all our sins – by ‘covering us with His blood’ to be white as snow and forgiven of sin. The key aspect of Christianity is that we are to understand that with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible. And thus Jesus came to earth to fulfill both those prophesies of His coming and of His journey – as well as be the ‘fulfillment of the Law’ which means that the Old Testament requirement for adherence to the laws handed down by God to Moses in the 10 commandments. Because we refer to the lack of adherence to the 10 Commandments as the brokenness of the people, God put in a system of sacrificial rituals, in Old Testament times. Because of this broken system – with broken people ever since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden broke the original sin – ate of the tree that was forbidden for them to eat from – thus distancing themselves from God’s closest companionship – a system of sacrifice was allowed and required to repair the rift. The Plan from the beginning (we say even before the beginning of time) is that God was planning this ‘New Covenant’ – defined and achieved as ‘redemption’ by Jesus entering the world and then being sacrificed as the ultimate sacrificial lamb – a ransom for all sins of all people. Jesus as fulfilment of now both the laws and the prophesies. What does Jesus ask and require of people to receive this redemption? That we love God and that we love one another. The redemption is from Him, the response is the request of forgiveness of sins (old and current), and the relationship is restored between God and us.

Where do we learn this? We are asked to read the Holy Bible – both Old and New Testaments – and we are asked to look for the relationship – as Jesus lives now in our hearts. God is love – and we love because He first loved us.

By Faith – we believe and experience that when Jesus calls to us as our Shepherd, we hear and understand His Voice – because we all know that the world has so many conflicting noisy distractions clamoring for our attention. By faith we also know in Christianity that the evil in the world is created and fostered by the opposite of the Love of God – by a fallen angel named Satan. By faith, we know from the first readings in the book of Genesis, that Jesus as Messiah would come to crush the head and the power of the devil, and the win over sin and death is already accomplished by the ransom of Jesus for our sins. We also know that Jesus will come again into the world, at any time, to complete the purpose of silencing the devil in all ways. We await that day now, just as the devoted in the old testament times awaited the first coming of Christ. We await that second coming.

By Faith – we are in this world and we make the best of this world and we bring God’s best to it by sharing His Love. “Love Wins” may be a catchy phrase – and it is scriptural: ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.’

By faith – they are to know we are Christians by our Love.

Amen

Pausing to Process God’s Power, Jeremiah 47-49

Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the Lord.

You might think that’s a headline of the day, but it’s thousands of years ago. God preserves His remnant of Israel, always. It may be a long road – winding and wandering – but God’s people are preserved by God’s Power

And others are condemned by God too: Your fierceness has deceived you, The pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.

God means business – this scripture is but one meaning business for the these village areas and peoples around the scattered areas of Israelites are but a few of the wrath-recipients from a God, Who means business. He destroys and He builds up too, but chapters 47, 48, 49 of Jeremiah are pretty harsh. Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa – Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam – Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa.

“I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the Lord. “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord.

SO, God destroys what He warns He will be against – there’s no stopping God’s Plan.

The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the Lord has spoken.

I can’t give you much of my own wisdom as to why, scholars (I am not) could trace all these lineages I know. There’s a reference to Esau, and we do know that God divided the brothers, Jacob and Esau, and their offspring to be in coexistence but against each other.

We could look at all this as ANCIENT history, buy it’s not. Conflict arises always. Remember the parable of the grain and the weeds, Jesus told, the evil is planted in the fields by the devil from the times of Adam. Evil and conflict is nothing new under the Sun. We just have to be our Shining best despite the challenges of the day.

God builds up too.

Pausing to Process God’s Power, we should remember God’s got this, God’s got a plan, God will send help in a Messiah. God uses evil even for His Advantage. It will all finish at one point – and peace will reign when Jesus comes again.

Go God Go! But Mercy please Lord, rescue Your people and protect all the innocents in the crossfire – yes Lord, protect me and protect all, please, under Your Wings.

Amen

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All of Jeremiah 47 to 49, link to scripture:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2047-49&version=NIV;NKJV

Jesus parables of how heaven is being revealed:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013&version=NKJV;NIV

Recovery and Fulfillment, Jeremiah 46 and Jesus

I’ve come back to the old testament, major prophet, Jeremiah, chapter 46, and he’s telling us of the conflict and win of Babylon over Egypt, of the warnings and rescues. There are descendants of Jacob that the Lord is attending to, correcting and protecting, and they have scattered.

“Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure;…”

And the Lord’s Promise Covenant will RESTORE His faithful. Restore if not in the present then in the forever future. Jesus Himself being the Promise came to earth for FULFILLMENT of the Promise and was able to explain this as He taught. He then explained that we have FULFILLMENT yet to come.

Think of the rich man who was dismayed when Jesus told him to give up everything and “Follow Me”. Jesus told the disciples that they, who did give up their day to day lives, would recover their losses 100-fold. God would cover it and them in the present and the future.

Isaiah wrote in His Prophecy, that the Messiah, the Christ, would come. A new book, also for beach reading, will be “Be Comforted” by teacher William Wiersbe, based on Isaiah. The whole Bible has one-fourth of its writing devoted to prophesy. The Light shining is that of truth and hope. How hard it is to remember to be strong and courageous in today’s troubles – well Jesus has left us many a legacy to learn and trust and look for Him.

The Lord gives us, the past, the present, the future, AND the FULFILLMENT.

Let us start our day, our week, our moment with knowing the Promise fulfilled. These are temporary times, so keep keepin’ on. And keep moving forward.

Amen

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Jeremiah 46:25-28

The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

“Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord. “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not.completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

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Mark 10:24-31

Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

A Shell of Self, a Rebuild for Reconciliation

I stood in a shell of a room, at my neighbor’s house, being redone, stripped down and tons of fresh drywall, fresh extra insulation too, awaiting plaster and paint. After post-chimney-fire renovations, that wall and the whole room gets a fresh start in a near 70yr old house. I loved the big window. I want that type of window in my house (custom made, they said) as I want to redo a few spaces, including that window, but they are not really super pressing. But yeah maybe just that window with the tax return…. Hmmmm…

Why does God rebuild us into “A NEW CREATION“? To update us to the latest model? No. He simply wants to strip down our characters to the beams and frame that He made us with, inspect them, and reduce the decay, He wants to increase the heating and cooling efficiency, and put in a workable window into our souls. He can vent us better that way, because He can let our steam out. God can see in and see throughout because He is the only Light illumination needed. We can be seen increased in glow, for HIS Shine goes through the window of our hearts. We can also close our windows (and walls) like Armor of God, and know we are safe inside. He puts in the anchor points for tethering our extra new siding. We are blessed to ask for these improvements and for the extra layers of Him. “to be further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life”… These things to keep us marching through the world. To SHINE!

Maybe I will replace that window of mine this spring. That window leaks and maybe because the whole wall needs to be redone, it might be the right time to work on it. Not a dream of upgrading just to upgrade – but in actuality improve function, to stop the losses and to gain the warmth. Yes, my old room model just improved, because I already know God bought me new insulation, HIM.

Praise God for the fix-me-up.

Amen

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5 NKJV – Assurance of the Resurrection

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The Judgment Seat of Christ – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God – For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him

Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV – The Armor of God – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Carried Away, including Stones, Jeremiah 43-44

Ok, I get carried away and don’t get back to my reading and writing about Jeremiah – but I am – and oh, how blessed to know that there are certain pieces of advice that God gives over and over and over again… ‘Don’t get carried away’ and ‘Get carried away’….

Yes, we say “don’t want to get carried away” – but Jeremiah the prophet was carried away to Egypt against his will – against God’s advice – and yet they found there were bigger consequences in Egypt than if they stayed in the land of Judah. God said they would not get out of there alive unless they escaped back to the land of Judah. It was going to be a doomsday end. Stick with God and be OK.

What is WORSE is that certain folk got carried away and even worshiped the foreign gods – forgot about their One True God – their God of Abraham and of Moses and of David. You would think that there are stories and stories and stories that would both warn them of going rouge – and stories and stories – psalms and proverbs and plain good advice to keep with the One True God. Well, they got carried away… (and God noticed)…

One more thing carried out – was what Jeremiah was to carry in – rather than carry away – Jeremiah was instructed by God to carry in stones: Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard. God had Jeremiah “hide them in sight” – to mark where eventually they would be captive to the invaders which they were told to just go with in the first place. Babylon would take over anyway. God had promised a sustaining life in captivity for 70 years but no, they went to Egypt anyway. They would suffer these consequences for not listening.

And Jeremiah brought in the rocks as commanded by God – and told them so. Isn’t that strange but classic God – like let me call out the obvious to you so that you would know – and maybe/probably the others who eventually would land here wouldn’t know that God knew and you knew – and would take over this exact spot. Like God wanted to say let Me let you in on the plan – and this plan ain’t so good… These rocks will call out my plan.

These days were foreshadowing others who would not listen. Jesus had a conversation of not so good things to come that also involved stones being toppled – that even a restored Jerusalem would fall again. And as for the coming of the True King in the here and now, Jesus was able to see that not everyone would believe even Him, the Son of God. Not all believed – not all could see: he wept over [Jerusalem] 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. “

We need to be on God’s ROCK CARRYING DETAIL – AND SHARE THAT JESUS HAS COME AND WILL COME AGAIN.

Jeremiah warned the self-exiled Israelites to know that God meant business – and that God WAS speaking truth thru His Prophet – and marked the place (with stones) where God WOULD bring His Plan to fruition. God told Jeremiah to “mark my words” (write them down and proclaim them). Nothing would interfere with God’s plan, even calling the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar “my servant”. Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. If God says: “Don’t go there” then don’t… Don’t get carried away… Stick with God.

If the rocks called out to the people that the king Nebuchadnezzar was going to build his kingdom there. Then imagine the level of rocks calling out for when God does build His Kingdom of PRAISE – that the praises that will be heard – the people rejoicing. Jesus said to the Pharisees, who wanted Him to rebuke the praising disciples: “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

So, God is secure in His Plan to keep His Plan going – and so let us not get carried away with worry – not with lost hope – not with fear – not with sadness.

Let us get Carried Away with Love – with HOPE – with following God who does control the whole situation – Who even causes the rocks to cry out.

Let us ROCK OUT our praise. Know that Peace is NOT to be hidden from our eyes. LET US SHARE THAT JESUS IS OUR ROCK – AND THE KINGDOM IS GOD’S.

Amen

—

Jeremiah 43-44 NKJV Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven – men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.” ’ ”

Israelites Will Be Punished in Egypt

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods. So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.’

“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach! For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’ ”

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”

The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying: “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind? So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day. Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day.”

Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’ ”

—

Luke 9:28-44 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he 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. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Unroll Sweet Jesus!

Sweet Jesus.

I didn’t unroll the Smarties – the candy – but I unrolled my SMILE – how adorable – it’s a Torah scroll from a girl scout event, Thinking Day, and an older troop representing Israel as their country to study and present, made up these mini Torah from the sweet Smarties wrapped in a paper showing the Ten Commandments as two tablets. I quickly paid my quarter and thought so deeply of both the meaning but also that a church faith item was shown and shared at a secular event. Good to open an opportunity to think at “Thinking day”.

This was no sugar rush, this is God-gifted goodness in thought, and I pondered the deepest of meanings here:: Jesus IS the sweet core of the tablets and the fulfillment of the LAW AND THE PROPHETS. Good God!

Then the next day a church window caught my attention, what beautiful light shone through the stained glass window of the tablets portrayed. The windows so beautiful in the church building and isn’t that so appropriate of our beautiful LIGHT of the world, Jesus, illuminating His Plan to satisfy what man can not achieve, total coherence and coverage with all the laws. Jesus is our Light to elucidate our wrongs and fill the spaces of darkness with LIGHT, a LIGHT that eliminates the sting of death and illuminates a forgiveness which brings LIFE.

This is probably easy for us to now see, but be ever so closer to the events of Jesus’s day and Jesus, in His hometown, was shunned, shocking the people who remained sure He was being blasphemous in self by speaking eloquently from the Torah scroll, from Isaiah, that He Himself was filled with the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim freedom and healing. That He was the Healer. That they needed Him.

We need Him too – and pray we know it. And that we feel it. And that we follow Him. And we love Jesus even more for Him gifting Hope. And thank God for we can’t make this journey by ourselves. Jesus must fulfill our lives with forgiveness to bring us to the everlasting life. Like the man who puzzled at the keeping of the laws of Moses, Jesus looks at us and loves us and knows we are in need of His completion to make us from part to whole.

And while He already accomplished this, we know that this is unrolled to each of us in a journey that takes our whole lives – it takes one sweet candy at a time – it takes one step in front of the other – and sometimes we are simply carried. We know that we must wait and watch the unveiling of Jesus in our lives, just as the spring unveils itself – like the first flowers and the progression further into later flowers and then fruits. Let us savor the spring that comes from the winter.

Unroll Sweet Jesus into your life.

And start smiling.

Amen

—

Luke 4:14-30

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

—

Mark 10:17-31 The Rich and the Kingdom of God
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Drink Fluids

It is not uncommon for little phrases to hit my ears just at the RIGHT time – and if it is at the same time when I am thinking of God or reading a scripture, well, let’s say that God has a Word for everything we need… His Word IS Himself, and we need Him!

Instead of the many noises we hear being bounced off sounds – we can catch small little phrases – small whispers. Let us let the whisper work – yes, we REALLY should listen when God speaks, and yeah He hopes it sinks in. Let it sink in. Give Him one of those double sinks to double flow to you.

So, for example, as I was looking up all these suggested scriptures for a talk I am going to give at a later date, I was thinking that it was SO IMPORTANT to read them and digest them prior to the final text version of my talk – that naturally it will modify and solidify my talk because God’s Word changes lives. So, what was the phrase that the TV commercial (for whatever malady medicine advertisement at the moment) used just then while I was cutting and pasting? “Drink Plenty of Fluids” – Ahhhhh… Amen to that!!!

If we are open to listen and then make our journey feasting on His Truth, the Word is HYDRATED and so palatable to us. It delights us and often gives us peace. Now, if it’s hard to swallow advice, when it’s God’s Word that corrects, well take that too, take just a moment to ask for that LOVING LIVING hydration help. “Drink Plenty of Fluids” with the medication of the Great Physician.

Drink Fluids – meaning Living Water fluids – which is the Word – which IS JESUS. Jesus IS God – Who along with the Holy Spirit and God the Father will guide us towards Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Yes, God is paving the way and then filling the souls with Living Water.

If we don’t read the Word and live the Word and share the Word – then how can we ourselves understand why the Word IS the Word? – The Word IS the change that is so needed in the world. In other words, there are no other words – because it is THE WORD which and Who IS the ONLY WORD – Jesus.

Jesus – Alpha and Omega – all the letters in and in between – it is what Jesus said – what Jesus IS – what Jesus wants us to know. Let it SINK in.

Drink Fluids and Live Life

Jesus knows the Way.

Amen

1John 4:9-16 (a recently replicated scripture (again) to me these past few days)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

Ephesians 4:11-16, 21-24 NIV

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

– … you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

It’s LIVING Tears Springing Forth

It’s 2 months since Christmas today, that was like ancient history, dried up memories too. (Except I just realized my Christmas lights are still up, oops). Everyone is now looking towards SPRING. My recent lunch with friends was next to a beautiful garden center, teeming with life. What isn’t joyfully teaming and fresh with life is in the phase of gearing up waiting to bud. It was filled with hydrated living greens and pinks and yellows as well as carefully preserved dried mosses and grasses. The garden center embraced us in a sweet garden hug just like our friendship does with each other.

Yesterday I had a great church gathering, also with new and cherished old friends, we are God’s family even if we just met. So yesterday it was not lost on me that I had a few duplicated seeings of scriptures. Hmmm… I could say that’s so cute ‘by coincidence’, but I know better. God is a LIVING Moving God. God is speaking His Word, but not just for crafting a goosebumps response, but causing a listening in the moment of His motivating and His buffering Way. GOD’S GOT A POINT TO WHERE HE IS POINTING US. He both hugs us with life, like that garden store did, AND He leads us in ways unknown but steady and sure, like the water that flows through the plants. His Living Water flows through us. Where we bud is up to Him. Sometimes we even bud out in Living tears. Living Tears Springing Forth. The right moving Spirit moves us too. God’s Timing. God’s Hydration. If we prefer to stay silent, even the rocks will cry out. We shouldn’t stay silent. We should not be cold when God’s warming us. (We also shouldn’t put a light under a basket to hide it).

Both these duplicated scriptures from yesterday (replication for God to give me a theme day) speak volumes about WHOLENESS and LOVE, about seeing in part now but in whole later. Sometimes, like the garden shop needs water, our Living Water knows to soak us in Spirit, and give us excess for later: excess to spill out in tears if called upon. Even succulent plants know to store up their water, so we soak in these scriptures:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12 NIV

Expression in part can be in tears – Jesus had them, why wouldn’t we?

Now God’s Love is not always a path of cushy ease, there are tough times. There’s pruning in our lives, like the winter vinedresser of the Lord knowing best, to make us stronger and more fruitful come spring. Sometimes we feel the JOY, but also feel the uneasiness of doing what we feel is His calling over ours. God says: Stay being led. Stay in the moment. Stay on the path. Keep walking. LOOK UP, not at the world. Understand there’s a mission bigger than just for you, but through you. Go there…

A song that a friend shared speaks volumes for this. From the band FFH “What it feels like” – the lyrics: “To find out that if I accept my brokenness, I get more of me, I get all of You” – Amen to that! – “This is what it feels like to be led.”

Yes! It’s not always, nor should it be for us to do God’s work for favor or affirmation by people. It is an embrace of fellowship yes, but a path of His calling not ours. And so we walk the path. Flow the Living Tears in Hydration. Accept that “in part” is all we get to see now, but someday we will see and know IN WHOLE.

If Spring is anticipated just around the corner, imagine how AMAZING God’s Kingdom will come… Let us keep blooming and budding forward!

Let us share our Living God Love with the world who is desperately parched and in need.

Amen

“What It Feels Like” – lyrics – FFH

So this is what it feels like to walk the wilderness

This is what it feels like to come undone

This is what it feels like to lose my confidence

Unsure of anything or anyone

–

So this is what it feels like to walk the desert sand

This is what it feels like to hear my name

To be scared to death ’cause I’m all alone

But feel love and peace just the same

–

This may not be the road I would choose for me

But it still feels right somehow

‘Cause I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now

So this is what it feels like to be led

–

So this is what it feels like to just fall apart

To be totally unglued

To find out that if I accept my brokenness

I get more of me, I get all of You

–

And this may not be the road I would choose for me

But it still feels right somehow

I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now

So this is what it feels like to be led

–

So this is what it feels like to just walk away

From everything I thought kept me safe

To depend just on You for every meal

And find that it’s better this way

Oh, it’s better this way

–

This may not be the road I would choose for me

But it still feels right somehow

‘Cause I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now Like I do right now

This may not be the road I would choose for me

But it still feels right somehow

And I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now

–

So this is what it feels like to be led

This is what it feels like to be led

Cover the World in Love

It’s fresh mornings after sleep which are dark on the outside, but bright inside the zone of our connection with the Lord. There’s a wholeness in His Presence, a help in His Word, a healing in His Hope.

It’s also, according to John, the discipline whom Jesus loved, a time in the world (then and now) where the spirit of the antichrist still lingers and peddles darkness, unknown, fragility, fear, basic confusion and isolationism. Don’t forget that Jesus overcame all that, overcame the world, overcame the darkness. God won and wins.

The times of our lives that see fracture, also mean that God can SHINE through those small fissures and bring us a rainbow of beautiful colors and HOPE. The diamonds of life are MORE beautiful when they are cut, where they reflect LIGHT in interesting looking facets. The snowflakes of life are uniquely made into fluffy looking ice, oh so beautiful to catch our eye and both cover dark gloomy mud and be white in a cleansing of our views. God glistens through His people sharing love too. He covers all offenses with LOVE. He wants us to be ourselves imagined made in LOVE (His image of us is of His Love), and we are always to be of Him, not of the World.

Cover the world in LOVE.

Like snowflakes, light, nourishing rain, cover the world in LOVE.

There’s importance in testing the system of darkness to see if it WILL be willing to accept LIGHT. That’s evident for any situation where you inquire against the confusion with cautious OPTIMISM and discern actual evil intent vs simple ignorance or dramatic fearfulness. In other words, in times of strife, don’t let your nose get bent out of shape, don’t stop trying, apply GRACE and try to understand where the other person is coming from. But DO be careful to call out evil intentions, even in ourselves, and shine light on situations. Put in the work to work the world away from itself. Refocus Light in Love.

Be Yourself and bring His Love. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

If WE bring anything to this lenten Easter season, let’s bring the LOVE, let’s hone the skills He has instilled in us for shining His Light, and let US open up His Hope to the World through a Word that states over and over again of His Love for all.

GOD LOVES YOU TO SHARE THE LOVE.

Cover the World in LOVE.

Amen

—

1st John 4

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

God’s Love and Ours

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Oh – the Trails Trials and Tough Spots – Gedaliah – the Book of Kings – Jeremiah 40-42

Wait – who are these people? The Bible has so many TOUGH names to pronounce but their spelling is so unique and lives unique enough for me to read along and to say – “wait, I heard this name before.” Yes, Zedekiah, Gedaliah, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzer… And yes – read along and say: “I’ve heard this story before.”

Ah – 2nd Kings brings the back stories from where my memory rings. And in 2nd Kings – the Lord brings clear details in brief: like for Zedekiah: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord.” OK, got it. And the Lord gives the back stories for the people – like those who were poor were allowed to stay in the land and be the vinedressers – but then in the turmoil, they were led by fear to want to exile themselves to Egypt. God wanted them instead to be with the Babylon invaders. He wanted to keep them, give them hope, even if it took a generation or more.

Ah yes, remember that these kingdoms of Jerusalem and Judah were split in this era – ever since the offspring of Solomon’s time – and both were going downhill (with a few bright spots of people) – but so many kings and the people who did evil in the sight of the Lord. But there was a hope kept alive in Judah – and always told that a Savior King would come out of David’s line. Well, that line was like a string of back and forth, wanderings and walkings and capturedness, and exile. For this section told by Jeremiah’s chronicles, Babylon took the people for 70 years as pretold by the Lord to Jeremiah. Plus, there were also remnants of people scattered about – and especially the poor who were left to (actually called back to) harvest the fields.

And those poor folks – who were already being displaced – were at least being productive in the fields and under the authority of this Gedaliah – appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. Gedaliah didn’t believe that others had a plot to kill him and it seemed OK at the moment. But wouldn’t you know it, Gedaliah was being hunted down by folks that wanted to kill him – and they did – and THREW him into the bottom of (you guessed it) a CISTERN. Ah, the carnage and the loss, the men who were with Gedaliah and those who came to honor him – all in the cistern – except a few who had gifts of grain and olive oil. Ah the sacrifice of a ransom to live…. OH, THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR…

I can not say that I will remember many of these names or these times – but I can see themes here – God calls for people to listen to Him; people rebel for power and goods and status and are simply lost; God calls them back to repent – there are sacrifices to be made – but God keeps the kingdom line alive for a Great King – Savior – the Christ – JESUS – to be HIS PLAN for saving all the people – a ransom – a sacrifice – then and now. Yes, Jesus also would be squirrelled away in Egypt for a time but that was of a different time (because in Jeremiah’s time, God said go to Babylon and live there and don’t go to Egypt, see chapter 42 of Jeremiah). In all this, we see times to WAIT -and times to do more – to act. Jesus also had to “lay low” and not start his active ministry until He was 30 years old and the time was right. We must also know when to lay low and when to move – our movements are to teach and witness and to live. Our faith allows us to move when we are not sure – but God is. God IS.

Jesus as an ultimate harvest of the best of the best – God’s son – was given up to be a sacrifice to sin and death so that we would not have to be banned, exiled eternally from God. Yes, our poor, our harvesters of the gleanings of the field, were still rich in the HOPE of this best life – and they did travel to keep their HOPE alive – scattered but not lost – hidden but not unknown – bruised but not dead – and then add the new testament references to this as well: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Oh yes, there are trails and trials and tough spots for us as there were for the faithful (and non-faithful too) – but don’t lose HOPE – there are reasons – there are ransoms – there are sacrifices – there are times of despair. But let us not lose HOPE – we are in a season of watching for Jesus – the ultimate realization of His Victory. We must pray for ALL the remnants of the lost and the scattered. As Jeremiah was attuned to God’s workings, so must we – keep working keep waiting keep hoping keep productive. KEEP FAITH!

Let us keep keeping on!

Amen

2nd Kings 24:17-20 – Zedekiah Reigns in Judah
Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

—-

Jeremiah ch40:7-ch42 – Gedaliah Assassinated
When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah[b] the son of the Maakathite, and their men. Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”

When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

—

In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt
Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

—

Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”

“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”

Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’

“However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’

“Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”

—

2nd Kings 25

And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.

So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.

The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

—

2nd Corinthians 4 – a letter from Paul – Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Puzzle my crab, my world, my life

Oh… they say if you don’t smell a smelly foul smell, then the hermit crab is still alive. Scary to see body parts strewn about, but he will eat them later. Crazy. Crazy to watch a molt of a hermit crab, especially not so hidden this time as apparently I don’t have deep enough cover, but the crab this time chose the underneath gap between water dishes. Freaky weird. (and I never know how the crab is going to pull itself out of this one – but so far he always has….)

One of my puzzles in life is wondering how God pieces it all together. I don’t believe we are to know or need to know everything, so don’t worry about what is not our job to worry about. One can marvel, yes!!! Think if God just populated a world with done items (people, animals, plants, places) is inconceivable enough, but we have a living moving system, and growth, new creations, aging situations and spiritual life and growth independent of physical. It’s a marvel, it’s a puzzle of life, especially when someone only sees loose pieces. (and we never know how the Lord is going to put ourselves as a civilization or people or individuals together forever – but so far we are still here – He has and always will have it ‘together’…)

My mom’s jigsaw puzzles from her birthday were printed by Walgreens on these nifty sticky-backed frames. They looked great pieced together, even from the backside, but that’s not the point. The puzzles were and are to be taken apart to reassemble and that’s the fun part in itself, plus the time to sit and do them. It’s a favorite activity of many, and one that others don’t even want to think about. I like them, but don’t have time nor make time for puzzles when I feel that I am already puzzling life. There’s nothing wrong with a good puzzle, and the addictive nature leads to sharing and lending puzzles with each other. Instead of “let me see what’s on TV” (junk) – it’s “let me work 10 minutes on the puzzle.”

God’s puzzle for our lives is both vibrantly beautifully shown and then other aspects are hidden to us sometimes when we need to find new light to illuminate it – and other times pieces are hidden until looked for – some pieces may be withheld for years – some puzzles seem too easy but that is the Lord’s way too. Nothing is too hard for God and nothing is impossible – if He says it fits (or fits good enough for now) then He can make it work.

IN OTHER WORDS – LOOK HOW GOD CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE WORK – IN THE HERE AND NOW AND IN THE FUTURE – IN THIS SMALL SECTION OF THE SMALLEST TIMEFRAME OF THE LARGEST PUZZLE OF THE LARGEST LIFE ETERNAL.

GOD puzzles us with His world but in whole, He wants us to know He has everything under control – no puzzle for Him – all answers – all known. Let us depend upon God for the KNOWN. And work on the puzzle too – in His Time.

Can we just wait until He puts the pieces together? (the crab and the world and our lives?) I hope so.

Praise You Lord for having it all!

Amen

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Matthew 19:25-26 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Well, Wait and KNOW – Jeremiah 37-40

A cute puppy was running around at my friend’s apartment complex, they said to let it run, but I thought maybe we should have held onto it and called someone, or if there was a neighborhood association… hmmm… they said let the puppy run. I pray the puppy got home, he was not there when we left the apartment, someone must have taken him in. And we saw the animal control van driving around. But that was tough for me, I wish I could say I’ll wait and see, but I will never know this outcome. Except for this assurance in my heart that the puppy is alright. I have to trust in the system and in the Lord.

It’s like when we don’t feel well, after surgery, in therapy, we wait and see. When we await news at times, we wait and see. But for us waiting on the Lord, we wait and KNOW, plus that wait and see, because we have to KNOW God means what He says. He has rescued us before! And for us, we are to KNOW it will be OK, eventually, BECAUSE GOD SAID SO… Even if it seems like forever from now.

(And if God warns of consequences, steer away from His Wrath please).

I’m reading an intriguing section of Jeremiah’s story – not a soap opera because it’s got REAL abrupt events and real consequences for the people of Jerusalem that don’t listen to God. The king of Judah didn’t listen but he did ask Jeremiah to pray and he did tell the officials of the Babylonian plan God had. Jeremiah went to take care of business locally, but was arrested, imprisoned. He was freed by the king but watched and fed, but then others who heard his prophecy about Babylon wanted him done away with. The king took his hands off the situation. The annoyed officials threw him into a cistern well…. WELL, I never would want to wait and see in a well, but Jeremiah had to. A stuck situation. That same king allowed the rescue of Jeremiah, people who sent merciful pieces of old clothes to give support and comfort under the arms over the ropes. He was pulled back into a semi-safe situation, not free, but not stuck in the well.

Then the king started to listen to Jeremiah, who continued to hear from God, and be protected by God. But the king was not so fortunate and a horrible capture by the Babylonians was terrible for his family and the king gruesomely was blinded.

Jeremiah was protected, not harmed by Babylonians. The one who was also protected was the Cushite, Ebed-Melek, official in the royal palace, the person who pulled Jeremiah out of that cistern well. The lift-er and the lifted both survived captivity. “But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah’s story continues, including being allowed to live with his people for a time. He had to show trust in the system and in the Lord.

What about our wait? Do we wait and see or wait and know? God blesses the lifted and also the lift-er. We can endure not a prison on earth but a wait until the new kingdom. There will be others, at a certain day post rapture, who will need to hear and know about God who protects, and rescues after a tortured life. We will have to wait and see at that time… Not a soap opera but a prophetic fulfillment of God’s Plan. We have to trust in the system and in the Lord.

Well, We will Wait and Know. (meanwhile, keep asking the Lord for the mini-rescues too. Know He provides. Amen)

Amen

—

Jeremiah 37-40:6 NIV

Jeremiah in Prison

Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’

“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”

“That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.” Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”

King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

“He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.” So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”

Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’”

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: “‘They misled you and overcame you – those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.’

“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.”

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ then tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’”

All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem – Chapter 39

This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.

But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Chapter 40

The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.” However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Jesus Scored our Eternal Victory!

You would have never known looking at the celebrations and the accolades that the team that won the Super Bowl didn’t play up to par in the first half. I watched it and the turnovers etc – no one mentions that now – only that THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS.

It was a game of foibles and slow starts and not too exciting for the team that was “supposed” to be spectacular – not too exciting for either team (although the method of running the ball and keeping a steady game going – eating up time is certainly a strategy that was working for a while) – really the first half was a slow game with low score – AND THEN….

And the second half found the teams really finding their grove – and things got tied and the nail biter was all the way up to the end – and either team could have pulled it out.

WOW.

OK – what about that first half that no one now cares about – what about becoming “Spectacular” – “Flawless” and “Amazing” – well isn’t that just like us in Heaven???? YES – our game on earth is beset with bad plays, foibles, missteps, fumbles even. Our lives are marred with humanness – and understandably so as broken people. We just ain’t perfect – we are sinners in the need of a Savior. AND THEN…

Heaven and God sees us PERFECT – SPECTACULAR – AMAZING – FLAWLESS – all because of JESUS – because He sees our faults no more – our sin is taken away as far as the east is from the west.

HEAVEN MUST BE THE ULTIMATE – ‘NOW THAT JESUS HAS RANSOMED YOU – WHERE ARE YOU GOING?’ – ‘I’M GOING TO JESUS’S RENEWED WORLD – HEAVEN BOUND!’

Do we deserve this championship? No. Do we expect to be called such marvelous things by our own doing? No. This is what GRACE is. GRACE is the unmerited gift of God.

Dead in the game no more – we are alive in HOPE and DRIVE and LIFE – and when we ask Jesus to be Our Lord and Savior – we ‘cross’ into the afterlife WHOLE, because HE CROSSED us past that evil of sin and death.

THANK YOU JESUS – for scoring our Eternal Victory.

AMEN

Made Alive in Christ – Ephesians 2:1-10

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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 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. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For 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.

Wing it, but on a Prayer

I looked up “winging it”, a phrase I often use as in “I will just wing it” – yeah I say that, but one only feels comfortable doing that if you prepped somewhat. And we often open our mouths when we could never know enough about a situation. If we “catch wind” of something – we could pray on it, right?

I didn’t know the origins of “winging it”, so I googled it, which brings many reputable references: It comes from the theater, “to wing it”, it is to prep in the wings of the stage, study up, but not quite prepared. The wings themselves are named for the winged stage panels that were stored there (Italian origin hundreds of years ago)… and of course it’s about the hiddenness of the theater wings… off stage and unseen. (Who likes to hide in the wings huh? Even if much work is done there.)

What about us, do we stay off-scene? How do we venture into life? Is it a play over and over again like “Groundhog Day”? But remember that Bill Murray’s character was allowed to or ended up changing the pattern, if ever so slightly, each time. He was brought to learn something – even if it was that the weather was unpredictable but life was not. We could do that too – change it up a little each time. And “winging it” is the option to rely on what we DID learn in the wings, and praying on it all for the rest of the way. I will “Wing it” on a Prayer.

I think when we pray, it’s like the warmth of our hearts and the movement of the Spirit that lifts the whole situation. You could request a prayer time and time again to be lifted up, it starts its own turbine. Recently a friend, just out of surgery, asked me to throw up some prayers for her, and I immediately humorously thought of NOT the baseball type of throw, after surgery… Well, prayers all around. And it’s always that the currents of prayers are from those that are formulating from the depth of the Spirit in us, a feeling placed in us to bring up and to bring us up. It’s God’s Way to start His own air/prayer currents – for lift – for reaching – for catching. I know that the Lord isn’t waiting lofty on high for the prayers, He is on the ground, starting to blow them around.

“Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi sings. I think that could be true every day when we step out that door, or even hide in our PJs under the covers. We are asking for help, as we should. There is no wrong in asking God for His Right Way to deal with a situation. In other words, God knows the best way for us to approach the current day (haha funny, current day and current blowing Way). We would never leave the wings of the stage without the lift of God – Yes, let those angel wings move like the army they are intended to be. We would never get to stay in the wings hidden, because those situtaions themselves are scenes that are movable on a temporary stage of earth. And God sees everything.

So keep moving today, on a wing AND on a Prayer. “Rise on the wings of the dawn.” You will always have God’s Lift. God knows where to go, blow, flow.

Amen

—

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me close.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Her Life Was a Sermon

(One of many processing writings for my friend’s passing and her services)

For my friend’s funeral mass, the priest’s sermon was heartfelt, we could tell. The section of the sermon when my tears started, was when he essentially said: “[How can you give a sermon at a time like this. Our words are not as important compared to the sermon that her life taught us – taught us as an example of an authentic Christian – we have so many excuses for not coming to church – the weather, too busy, etc. But she attended even if she DID have the proper excuse of I’m not feeling well [because she was SO sick failing in health for years], she totally had the right excuse for not making it to church, or had the right for asking for help – but she was here – she came to explore her faith.]” He continued, “[she teaches us how to love Christ – believe in Christ – how to go towards eternal life. That should be our goal in life – how to save our souls – embrace “the One Whom God has sent” as Christ states in the Gospel]”

He continued: “[Brothers and sisters, pray for her to pray for us to have the strength in life that she had even thought she was weaker than us.]” – [“She never gave up- use her as an example – to remember the most important thing in our life, the salvation of our souls”] – “[may God bless her soul, may her memory be eternal]”

Tears and goosebumps for she surely did live a life working hard in love. I spoke to the priest at the luncheon (warm and inviting and soothing in smiles and laughter) after the solemn service (filled with singing, incense, prayer and traditions) and the cemetery internment (crisp cold with true sunshine and blue skies, the earth uncovered from the precious layer of snow). The priest recounted of the many times offered to come to her, but she came to church… “[She asked ‘how can I help you?’… when it was us that should have been helping her…]” I was blessed to see the admiration of her faith by him. I was and am so appreciative of the church family to bring their traditions to the families, support the family, the people around our luncheon table so gracious in sharing. The luncheon meal of pork, rice, soup, homemade desserts, which was as delicious as it was heartfelt, and prepared by the classic wonderful older women of the church, well it was a wonderful experience for gathering.

I’m so thankful for the example of my friend. I’m truly touched by her life of faith… Some have sent me sympathy cards even but don’t worry about me, I’m hearing her (in my head) of her sighs of relief, of her enthusiastic voice cheering me on, and so please pray for her family – their loss is great – a mom, an organizer, a love. She was a witness and lived her life as a sermon. She had trouble in this world – but she believed that Jesus has overcome it – and He had and He has – and especially for her, I surmise her now perfected faith, which was an ongoing process, now being 100% in Jesus – no more condemnation in Heaven when Jesus has done all that He has.

None of us are perfect, but when we are perfecting life, Jesus handles the perfection, we handle the life of believing… This I truly beautifully believe.

Amen Amen Amen

Dimming Your Headlights – a Sermon – MLK Jr and me

So – here is my blessing of being able to share the sermon this morning:

Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV – Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:13-14 NKJV – Believers Are Salt and Light

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit

—————————————————————————————————-

I love digging into Lots of Scriptures today – and start with this advice from Paul: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

I realized a while ago that I was never satisfied with how I approached MLK Jr day, which we just had last Monday, because I didn’t think about it or about him much – it often just blends in with regular days, our crazy busy days within a crazy busy season of life. I revisit today for learning about something I didn’t know – that MLK Jr was a preacher – a man of God – and so was his father and his grandfather – MLK JR also comes from Irish stock as well as African stock – and his father MLK Sr put MLK Jr into a seminary……

By revisiting a 1957 sermon by Dr King Jr about LOVING YOUR ENEMIES, I am thankful to know that he was a preacher and that we get to talk about Jesus and how He advises us to live. Thanks to modern technology we have wonderful websites, we have transcripts and audio of many sermons and speeches from MLK Jr’s life philosophy. But of course, thanks to Jesus, we have a Word that endures forever.

What a great excerpt I was led to find from this 1957 MLK Jr sermon – that Jesus says we are to love our enemies because love is redemptive goodwill, because God loves everyone and because you have agape in your soul. As hate only brings hate, the redemptive strength of LOVE means that when you are presented with the opportunity to defeat your enemy, that you DON’T do it. When we love, we see God’s image in each person – in our enemies too. … If we remember that God is behind all the drive to love, that God IS Love, we also will remember that love will not, and can never fail.

Especially I like the analogy MLK Jr gives about dimming the car headlights – that we are all driving thru life – and so often we will encounter strife and people who might even be against us or maybe will just ignore us in disrespect – this is where we need to dim the car headlights of retaliation and be courteous and BE THE LOVE… Love has a redemptive power because God is Love. We should all be NOT satisfied with the hate in the world when we are commanded to LOVE.

These are excerpts from one MLK Jr. sermon:

“Loving Your Enemies.” – it’s so basic to me – because it is a part of my basic philosophical and theological orientation—the whole idea of love, the whole philosophy of love. In the gospel as recorded by Saint Matthew, we read these very arresting words flowing from the lips of our Lord and Master: [Jesus said] Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”

MLK Jr continues – these are great words, words lifted to cosmic proportions. And over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go so far as to say that it just isn’t possible to move out into the actual practice of this glorious command. They would go on to say that this is just additional proof that Jesus was an impractical idealist who never quite came down to earth. So the arguments abound. But far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist. The words of this text glitter in our eyes with a new urgency. Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this command is an absolute necessity...]

“[Now let me hasten to say that Jesus was very serious when he gave this command; he wasn’t playing. He realized that it’s hard to love your enemies – difficult to love those persons who seek to defeat you, those persons who say evil things about you. – painfully hard, pressingly hard. – But We have the Christian and moral responsibility to seek how we can live out this command, . Agape – a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; the love of God – And when you rise to love on this level, you begin to love men, not because they are likeable, but because God loves them. You look at every man, and you love him because you know God loves him. And he might be the worst person you’ve ever seen.]

“[And this is what Jesus means, … You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. – you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does. ]

“[why?. … I think this was at the very center of Jesus’ thinking: that hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hit me back – that goes on ad infinitum – It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that’s the strong person. The strong person is the person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil… and inject into the universe that strong and powerful element of LOVE.]

MLK Jr continues: [I think I mentioned before that sometime ago my brother and I were driving one evening to Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Atlanta. He was driving the car. And for some reason the drivers were very discourteous that night. They didn’t dim their lights; hardly any driver that passed by dimmed his lights. And I remember very vividly, my brother A.D. looked over and in a tone of anger said: “I know what I’m going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I’m going to fail to dim mine and pour them on in all of their power.” And I looked at him right quick and said: “[Oh no, don’t do that. There’d be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody[‘s] got to have some sense on this highway.”]

“[Somebody must have sense enough to dim the lights – Somebody must have morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. You do that by LOVE.]

“[There’s another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. …. Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” – that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. – LOVE builds up and is creative – hate tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies…”]

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Ah – I love that analogy – thank you Dr King – Dimming our headlights – and demonstrating this action too – it is portraying LOVE to those who watch us. This doesn’t mean we don’t stand up for peace and for awareness and for justice – but it means we extend mercy and grace – and act like the person Jesus wants us to be, best we can.

It also takes the burden off our shoulders and onto Jesus who wants to accept our burdens – I was even thinking it is like a flare up of tendonitis – tennis elbow – it is OK but annoying – but you put the strap just above where the tendons attach to the elbow and it takes the pressure off – yes dimming the headlights…

Can we dim our headlights (me included) towards Drama? Self-pity?

What about dimming our headlights towards Anger? or Pain? Even the fear of D e a t h ,? Can we accept it while trying to avoid it? And because of it, can we work it into our consciousness of making the most of every day

How about dimming our headlights towards reacting against rough or annoying people? – What if your gentleness satiated or reduces strife of a situation, takes the boiling pot off the stove.

Are we scared seeing someone approach us (having that I better cross the street fear – Fear? Adrenaline kicks in, fight or flight – wouldn’t it be best if we let God decide – think positive thoughts, stay ready for the interaction and even SMILE at the stranger. Jesus said, recorded in Matthew: “You are the salt of the earth; – “You are the light of the world. – Let your light so shine before men”….

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I’m going to tell you of a time when God preserved my life – forgive me for using me as an example – but it fits here I believe – Jesus made me dim my retaliatory reactionary “want to answer back” mode that I could have slipped into. I’m going to tell you about a road rage incident – yes I was partially in the wrong, but if it had happened it would have been pure accident – IF it was raining – dusk darkness – merging roads – by the mall – everyone has to navigate weird lane changes – I had sense of a car and quickly unmerged – but he was a grey car – no headlights – i could not see him – I did not hit him – sped up to merge and turn – but he followed me RAGED – cut me off – passed me- stopped his car blocking me – screaming at me – i locked my door – I saw his bumper sticker “—local gun club” – just kept saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.- he went away- he was more made because he couldn’t get a rise out of me… I survived because God gave me the gifted words of “I’m sorry” – Whether I was in the wrong or not – it was what flew out of my mouth over and over. He made it much worse but I had the gift of those words: “I’m sorry”

His response of Flying off the handle? I forgave him on the spot looking him in the face, looking at him – BIG – it was probably what they call “roid rage”… And God made me DIM MY HEADLIGHTS OF RESPONSE… thank You Lord. Lived for another day.

I lived to tell that this is a true Scripture – a Proverb: A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The non-gentleman but still a child of God – his anger burnt out at that moment when he returned to his car. When I recounted this story in hindsight, my lunch-bunch at work started saying “oh you should have X, Y, Z” in escalation… (it’s like all those public comments on a facebook post of people saying something they themselves would not have done)…

Well, I am glad I simply backed down, locked up, moved on. You had to be there – his self-rage and BROKENNESS lit up my eyes of pain, we need to see and sadly work with the brokenness in people that we see. I saw his brokenness. I thank God the Light of Jesus is even brighter and discerning and gave me protection that day by simply me saying ‘I’m Sorry” as the defusing of the situation… A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

And there are so many more of the Proverbs that bring peace into our ears: wise words and observations mostly written from Solomon – gifts from God totally – we don’t have to be the retaliation if God gets the final word and He does. And we don’t have to say “haha karma”, as we are often tempted to say – because God IS really teaching us all – and God wants all to come to His love – He does not want anyone to perish. So these proverbs can help us live with things – and dim our headlights in life:

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. A cheerful heart is good medicine

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

I want to close with A great devotion we read at our Jesus Calling group last week – of Jesus’s saying: Remember, I am with you- – now and always. Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your suffering in this way! Instead, come to Me, and relax in My peace. I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident TRUST.

Yes Jesus is ALWAYS saying: “I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I am thankful that knowing God takes care of our battles, We CAN dim our own headlights and follow His Light instead.

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Amen and let us pray:

Lord – thank You – thank You for guidance – thank you for living each day in the present – thank you for energy and for leaders who remind us to look to you and your advice – your saves – your hope.

Thank you for Your Grace and forgiveness that we may extend it to others. We don’t know where the others are coming from but we know they are Your children. Love is Redemptive – Love will Win all – Love is You Lord and You are Love. Lord we love You.

Lord, we praise your True and Almighty Name.

Amen.

Seems my original link won’t work now,

But specifically, the loving your enemies – dim the headlights sermon is here (i had to search it again):

Here is the text and the audio:

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/loving-your-enemies-sermon-delivered-dexter-avenue-baptist-church

The practical part of the dimming headlights is here:

. .”I think I mentioned before that sometime ago my brother and I were driving one evening to Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Atlanta. He was driving the car. And for some reason the drivers were very discourteous that night. They didn’t dim their lights; hardly any driver that passed by dimmed his lights. And I remember very vividly, my brother A. D. looked over and in a tone of anger said: “I know what I’m going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I’m going to fail to dim mine and pour them on in all of their power.” And I looked at him right quick and said: “Oh no, don’t do that. There’d be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody got to have some sense on this highway.”

Somebody must have sense enough to dim the lights, and that is the trouble, isn’t it? That as all of the civilizations of the world move up the highway of history, so many civilizations, having looked at other civilizations that refused to dim the lights, and they decided to refuse to dim theirs. And Toynbee tells that out of the twenty-two civilizations that have risen up, all but about seven have found themselves in the junkheap of destruction. It is because civilizations fail to have sense enough to dim the lights.8 And if somebody doesn’t have sense enough to turn on the dim and beautiful and powerful lights of love in this world, the whole of our civilization will be plunged into the abyss of destruction. And we will all end up destroyed because nobody had any sense on the highway of history. Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral, ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love.”…

Eclipse-mode, Can We See Jesus’s Crown?

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

Something that bugs me healthwise is this bout of tennis elbow, bleh… not bad enough to stop my activities but not good. It’s minor painful sometimes, but annoying mostly. But I shouldn’t complain if I don’t do anything about it. I’ll survive. There are much worse illnesses suffered all the time. Someone always has it worse.

It’s an opportunity moment that I’ve been thinking about “crowns”. The coronavirus (still rearing its ugly head) has a ‘crown’, the sun has a corona too, fire licks on the surface. And there’s a total eclipse coming in April, the NASA website says: “We can’t normally see the corona – the Sun’s outer atmosphere – because the Sun’s surface below it is so much brighter. But during a total solar eclipse, the corona becomes visible, offering unique opportunities to study it.”

Hmmm…. the crown visible… unique opportunity to study... hmmm… let us think about Jesus.

Maybe our pain and suffering feels like an eclipse, but it is an opportunity to praise. Paul (in Romans) spoke about present day suffering,…. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”…. YES, in our suffering we can focus our vision to see the crown of Jesus, SAVING US, healing our souls now and our bodies one day. . . And if we aren’t in eclipse mode, the brightness of the sun (and all earthly bling of brightness) will overshadow (opposite of a shadow) our sight of the Crown. we need to see that Crown of Jesus. Perhaps we forget in our earthly life of HOW glorious Jesus is as Lord and Savior. Perhaps in our dark clouds, our pain and suffering, it is an opportunity to block all the sun and just see the GLORY. GLORY that is coming and realized now. Perhaps we need clear cold nights in life to remind us to pull closer to the One Shining life in us. Life now and Life Forever.

Jeremiah was on a mission, a job, to share God’s Word with wayward Israelites. He needed God’s protection and promise. He ached for the people who didn’t hear. Jesus did too… ached tears and called out to save us from our sin. A crown of thorns chosen to bring the Crown of Glory to save us. We need to see this Glory and share this HOPE. And with hope is healing, awareness, perseverance.

And we should never forget that God, in His Plan, will bring forth the day of the second coming of Christ, and we best be ready, with eclipse glasses and hearts afire, for we will see the Glory of the brightness of Jesus coming. That crown of Him as our King will ring and angels sing.

We will be healed too…

Let us Persevere!

Keep an eye to the sky!

Amen

—

Jeremiah 17:14-17

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

Indeed they say to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!” As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You, Nor have I desired the woeful day; You know what came out of my lips; It was right there before You. Do not be a terror to me; You are my hope in the day of doom.

Wise to Follow Too – Epiphany – the Pull of the Spirit

I had to turn the car around, park, and go take a photo. First in the morning and then another in the evening. These were beautiful nativity scenes that drew me close. The Lord and the craftsmanship and the fleeting last bits of Christmas, barely started getting in the Christmas spirit then boom, it’s over. Christmas day faded so fast, I barely even look at my tree anymore, let alone water it. The Spirit however stays ready to be held again, Jesus in us. Living Water gives REPLENISHMENT OF SPIRIT, let us pray for a fresh filling.

I have to say that while driving around (which I do a lot), and when being still too, nothing never brings me closer to anything like when I am approaching the pull of the Spirit. The great awesome Mystery, the Wonder of the Savior, His coming heralded by Star not for show but for direction. That following causes the DRIVE in me, in us, it is SPIRIT-GIVEN for eternity-loving-living. Jesus pulls us close.

And this sign of a star to the Maji was a draw to begin and continue a LONG journey, for which they knew would be for the birth of the King of the Jews, a ruler to shepherd, a Christ to Save Jews AND Gentiles. So the Star was a guiding light, a source of focus, we would be wise to follow too: “the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.” The Wisemen followed prophesy and we best too. The Wisemen had a long trip to see the baby Jesus, but not as far as Jesus came to come to them and to us.

Jesus would to be killed with the innocents, as foretold by Jeremiah the prophet, except God’s Plan extended His stay for such a mission fulfilling prophecy and Jesus, the lamb already slain to perform this mission, was taken safely away to Egypt and His life preserved and mission reserved. Joseph and Mary followed God’s direction to where to go, save the Savior from Herod’s fear-caused killing spree. Jesus was spared.

The scripture pretold the “how”, the “when”, the “where” and the “why”, and surely Joseph and Mary appreciated how they were to follow directions for returning to the land set aside by God, to readjust their direction (not Judea), find a home (now Nazareth), and begin a life. They had to trust. We best follow the faith placed in us that is shining through our dark nights, guiding us too on God’s Path for us, directing and redirecting to find a home in God, and to begin a life in God. We are God’s Why, for His Love is for us, forever. Let us trust in Him.

We would be wise to follow too.

Amen

—

The Wisemen Kings – Matthew 2 – Wise Men from the East

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

“A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted,.because they are no more.”

The Home in Nazareth

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

And God can break the clay pot too

Oh out of the pan and into the fire – Jeremiah had to walk into the battleground of telling WHY Judah (Southern Kingdom of Israelites) were in trouble with their false God worship. He had to do it – God told him that He would protect him while delivering this news – and told Jeremiah to not get attached to these people. They devised plans to hurt him – especially with words – “attacks of the tongue” – and especially by not listening – “not give heed to any of his words”. I’ve been in that situation too – haven’t you? Where the people’s words are sent to hurt you – but you realize that God is bigger than all this… We are NOT prophets like Jeremiah (at least 99.9% of us aren’t) but we do know to listen to God.

The clay pot can be broken – and that is God choosing to show Himself in fierce mode towards these sinners and complete deniers of Him that they flaunt their attraction to the false gods like baal. God is the Potter and we know Him as He sends His Spirit – and we pray for good space filling by the Holy Spirit . In this case, when punishment is prophesized, God tells Jeremiah to go to the elders of the priests and of the people and show them an example by breaking the flask – show them that God is serious. God tells Jeremiah to go tell certain people of their upcoming exile to Babylon.

God will restore Israel and keep His line going thru this fragment of people – but now it is a fragment and scattered shards of clay generation. God gave warning – God can and did break up those people but kept the shards to gather.

God would restore in His Way. Jeremiah has to keep keeping on to deliver the news… and then redeliver the HOPE. The clay must be reformed by God and God only.

(and don’t worry – God did protect His messenger… God does protect us too. And our ultimate warrior protector in the fire with us is Jesus.)

Amen

Jeremiah 18:18-23

Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”

Give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me! Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, To turn away Your wrath from them. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, And pour out their blood By the force of the sword; Let their wives become widows And bereaved of their children. Let their men be put to death, Their young men be slain By the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard from their houses, When You bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take me, And hidden snares for my feet. Yet, Lord, You know all their counsel Which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them in the time of Your anger.

Jeremiah 19

The Sign of the Broken Flask

Thus says the Lord: “Go and get a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. And go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that I will tell you, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears of it, his ears will tingle.

“Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents (they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind), therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that this place shall no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives; their corpses I will give as meat for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair.” ’

“Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there is no place to bury. Thus I will do to this place,” says the Lord, “and to its inhabitants, and make this city like Tophet. And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’ ”

Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ”

Jeremiah 20:1-6

The Word of God to Pashhur – Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord. And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword. Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, and be buried there, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied lies.’ ”

Clay Pots needing to be filled – Jeremiah 18

Even angels long to look into these things.

Oh Holy Spirit – I love the Lord’s Word – it is meaty and solid and yet leaves plenty of room for a space in the middle of you to be open and receiving and movable and fresh – yes – a jar of clay that has that space for the Holy Spirit to be in us – a fresh filling! The Holy Spirit brings us the Glory of God in our midst – we are to call upon Him and ask for a fresh filling. While discussing the Holy Spirit in my bible study class and how we are made of clay by our Father the Potter, I find today here in Old Testament book of Jeremiah, where he instructs the people based on the messages directly given to Him by God, that God says “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. This was God’s message to have Israel repent. Jeremiah was watching a potter at his wheel reworking old clay into a new vessel, “shaping it as seemed best to him.”

We are formed and remain His, He forms us as He sees best. As Isaiah (chapter 64:8) teaches: But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!

In the New Testament, Paul writes a letter to the Corinthians that we are jars of clay, hard pressed by the world – the stress and the circumstances – but honestly that makes us stronger and able to be filled. STRONG and able to hold something! We are shaped by the inside and the outside to be functional and fillable. We are to ask for this fresh filling of the Holy Spirit – a baptism of Spirit.

Oh to be re-filled and re-filled and movable and ready to be poured out into a situation. Oh Lord, we ARE clay pots needing to be filled. Even angels long to look into these things – the Spirit pointing us to Jesus.

Thank You Lord for the work of Your Hands and the Life of Your Son and the Spirit of Yourself bringing us always to see Your Majesty and Plan.

Amen

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At the Potter’s House (Jeremiah 18:1-11)

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’

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Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ Acts 11:16

2 Corinthians 4:6-18 NKJV

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. * And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. * Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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1Peter 1:8-12

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Grace Gifts – We are only human after all

I bummed myself out last weekend oh how STUPID I felt when I went through the automatic car wash with my winter decorations (plastic blue snowflakes) still zip-tied to my roof and they all half broke. Bummer… bleh… STUPID… I’ll get past it… snow melts, right?! yes it does…

I often get embarrassed because of my humanness. (and that feels worse than losing the snowflakes). I sometimes get embarrassed because of my lack of remembering. And yet I never want to feel embarrassed to ask questions and learn more – I would rather look uninformed than remain uninformed….

So, no, I didn’t get in trouble from the carwash place. And really importantly they DID break off easily and no damage incurred to the car either, nor to my wallet (cheap things), only to my pride. Pride however is a sin in itself, if we can’t forgive ourselves or if we ignore too freely without remorse, it’s prideful. Like I did this – or I didn’t. Pride can be sin brushed aside.

While vacuuming the car with the free vacuums, which is actually why I went to get a wash anyway, I thought to myself about my own vanity getting myself into this, but you know, it’s normal to wash a car. It was dirty. I like to support this shop. So all in my sorry-ness, Lord, for vanity and pride too, I can justify my actions even my forgetfulness… HUMAN!!!

Now, I could certainly hide my mistake (or not write about it to process) OR rebuild 2 flakes out of one to seem like nothing happened OR whine forever on something so unimportant (which I know I shouldn’t). So I thought of how trivial this was and me making a big deal out of it was pridefully trivial too. It’s not right for me to whine because infinitely worse things are occurring in the world, like war, disease, hunger, etc.

But anyway, while cleaning I found the scripture card that means a lot, “For by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of work, so that no one may boast.” EPHESIANS 2:8-9

YES!

Although I can’t fully wrap my head around “Saved by Grace” – as I haven’t made it up to Heaven yet, I am starting to appreciate that it is forever that has started NOW because Jesus already Saved me. WOW – saved. and wow, I can appreciate “Forgiveness, by Grace” – and “your oops is no big deal, by Grace” – and “cut yourself some slack, by Grace”. (Because yeah grave stuff is also forgiven by a forgiving Father when we repent)… Grace by the blood of Jesus.

I also found a few lost things while cleaning, like money that fell out of my pocket, and I did achieve a cleaner car inside and out. There are some things that are necessary even if trivial. And I decompressed some more by reattaching a couple of snowflakes back up – in pairs this time to mask the lost sticks, and it looks fine, it will make due to use these last bit of their usefulness, which is to make people smile. I achieved a compromise of my guilt and frustration. And I smile too. God however IS the One Whom achieved that “the show must go on” feeling in me.

“I achieved” is not a term we use for Grace, however, that IS a gift. Grace is a gift by God’s grace for God’s grace. And if we can’t achieve it, then no one else can lay down rules for it. God can, yes, and His forgiveness through Jesus satisfied all His Law. So we must hold onto Jesus. God waits and wants our love. We love that He loved us first. Great God.

Jesus – because we are only human after all.

Grace. “For by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of work, so that no one may boast.” EPHESIANS 2:8-9

Thank You Lord for Your Grace and for Your gifting…

We do need it (I do) because we are only human after all…

Amen

Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord, Jeremiah 17:5-10

When God says what He does not like, He is also saying what He DOES LIKE, what He blesses and blooms, and allows to grow in well-being like a tree near water. The tree reaches the water easily as it is near the stream. We, likewise, will be blessed by staying close to God. Blessed are those who trust in Him.

And a reminder, again through the prophets, that we are fallible humans, so trusting in human beings and corruptible notions will get us in trouble, we will live a dry existence, not lush. God keeps calling us back to Him, He wants us totally to trust in Him. Many times we are warned to guard our hearts and don’t let them be swayed away, don’t let our hearts convince our heads to follow in, guard the emotions, and trust deeper, God deeper, to the roots of our being.

Jeremiah reminds us, as he instructed the Israelites:

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

“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.”

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:5-10

Amen

One Way – the New Way

Always doesn’t mean always anymore – maybe it never did – maybe all ways are not human ways but God does ALL WAYS none of the time and ONE WAY – thru HIM – ALL the time. His ONE WAY is HIS WAY is our New Way, today.

Always is for human daze days – our memories are short – and things like “always do this – always do that” are dreams because maybe we can’t always do this and do that. And then we don’t do what we always do, we are sad. Maybe we complain about things that we thought that were burdens and then became sad to not do them anymore. Human life is funny isn’t it.

But Life in God is a march and a progressive stepwise motion into NEW – even if it is reliving old. Then again maybe old is not old – it is new in a traditional way. Each time we approach things we “always do”, there might be new situations and new people. God does not change but His intentions are new for our new moments to see His direction in a new way. In other words, we got nothing on our ways as God’s Ways are higher – and yet we are allowed to explore our way.

In Jeremiah 13, God equates the Israelites that are supposed to be His pride and people to a linen belt that is not taken care of and becomes useless. God had set aside this set of people – Jeremiah has to go and warn them what is going wrong, and they will be swept to exile again. We see this as a pattern in this old covenant. We are to be grateful – jew and gentile – when Jesus comes to separate us from our sin in the eyes of God – our merciful God does want us to be with Him – listen to Him – and especially acknowledge that HIS WAY is the only way and the best way and why wouldn’t we go the way of the Way…

God’s Way is to bring us back to Him – it may take us a long way humanly – but with turning to God – we are there instantly and with Him – and He does find a WAY to bring us – He makes new ways to get us into His Direction.

I’m going with God – He is my Hope.

Amen

A Linen Belt = told to Jeremiah 13:1-11
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist. Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me. Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’

Paul in 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.“

The Lasting Word

It’s not unusual to give books away, or find writing in used ones, but when one buys a used copy, like I did last month, it WAS unusual for a greeting card and paper insert to come with it. This is a Jesus Calling devotional book gift re-gifted back to a thrift store which made its way into my hands thru used book selling on ebay, and along with it this card and paper insert, which has God’s Word re-stated for a new audience, me and you. God’s Word is a LASTING WORD.

The first scripture on the paper is Psalm 24:5 “they will receive a blessing from the Lord. “ …. YEAH! On the card, it says on the front cover: “In life we may not know which battles we have to fight.” And inside a reminder that God goes with us. (Fitting for this card went to a couple whose husband was recovering from a bad fall) And inside: the scripture is Deuteronomy 3:22 “The Lord God himself will fight for you“… YES! The paper insert is a set of devotions from Guideposts shared at a Sunday school class, especially fitting about a missed Thanksgiving dinner from illness which yielded unexpected blessings the following year that came about BECAUSE of the missed event and the backup plans that got good things going in motion. God works in mysterious ways, YES!!!

So I don’t know why I was the recipient of this card stuck inside the book, that made it all the way to me, but surely someone needs to hear the message, so I will repeat the scripture sentiment: God has this. God has you!!! God has a plan and God will make His Plan – in His Time.

If we cannot see a blessing, it doesn’t mean God can’t make something beautiful, even out of a tragedy. God can and God does… in His Time…

I will count on God – and His Lasting Word.

Amen

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Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Christmas Joy and ForGIVEness

You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.

It’s Christmas JOY plus some jolly-ness that touches us, makes us smile. My mom blessed me with not just gifts but the fact that she PREprepared gifts that she PREwrapped before thanksgiving, when I visited her last, and handed me the bag to save on mailing. I truly felt blessed to still have my mom – and surely blessed when I unwrapped a smiling snowman dish from my mom, that I truly know I am blessed to feel that love. It’s a trinket thing but given in real love. (and it is a serving plate too – to serve up some love and joy and jollyness too)I am holding quite a few people in my prayers these days who recently lost their moms. I also know other strained family relationships which are broken down in strife and tears, which adds to blue Christmas times. Truthfully, it’s a hard Christmas for many. Forgetting feels easier than forgiving. And so with humbleness we are to appreciate our family moments that do actually come together. We also cherish peace and cherish those family-to-us friends and neighbors whom God has blessed into our lives. We appreciate relationships that don’t become “needs” but are appreciated as “gifts”.

And when we do have strife, remember that “Tis the season” to please do give forgiveness – especially as Grace comes from on high, “Tis the season” to actually put aside any pride. Life is too short to hold onto anything remotely snide.

“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me…” rings as song against worldly wrong.

Sounds easier to say than do, but to actually give the gift of forgiveness, even if it is for the benefit of others, to “make nice” especially as the new year rings in, is a healthy partnership with the Lord in making peace. We also can realize that the human disappointment we feel IS from the human side of us, humanness which is ingrained into us by our brokenness. So in sharing and resharing DIVINE forgiveness, we could emotionally feel more free and be the children God is preparing us to be…

I pray us peaceful moments and time to reflect this season. Better to be in God’s Courts where He fills them with righteousness and love than anywhere else.

It is DIVINE to re-gift the best gift from God – forGIVEness. FORGIVENESS.

Amen

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Psalm 65 NKJV – To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the vow shall be performed.
O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
.
Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
.
By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
.
You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
.
You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.

Name Above All Games

I’m glad my children are both home for Christmas. That’s my gift, having them home… Time goes fast. Grown up kids grow up even faster…

Time to prepare for Christmas day is becoming shorter and shorter, as there are Christmas gifts to organize, wrap, and still to buy. The tree is beautiful, this year my friend came to help decorate, 4 hours it took us, yeah! Crazy amount of ornaments! The village is also done. The cookies were baked and consumed a while ago. Now nearly all that’s left is “just” Christmas morning prep in that last push. Enjoy a blessing of a weekend before Christmas – whew – because now it’s on… !!!

The cat is in on it all, even saw her presents ahead of time, geez, digging in the closet. But the most amazing sight? She posed – poised picturesque under the tree, surely to get our attention. And that cat has an opinion on everything. The Christmas cards, hmmm, I’ve started them but will work on them next week, after Christmas, good for me to send in decompression mode when I will rest in the appreciation of the Christmas rush ended and the Christmas lush feeling just started. I will enjoy the doneness of achieving living thru one more christmas-prep-game and pressure off… whew…

God gives us this lush feeling in resting in Him. It’s not a game to Him. He is Name above all names, and above all games. He also is NOT still, His HolySpirit hyperspeed is unfathomable to us. My mind is blown by the attention to detail He gives to our daily lives, from before eternity.

So in this Christmas time, God is giving an ongoing theme of the real meaning of Christmas – I’m so grateful – it is in “stop the insanity” moments – just like portrayed by the Peanuts gang, in a Charlie Brown Christmas. I’ve started with a little book of the story, then over and over the same Luke scripture has been showing up, then my eye catches anything Peanuts gang – to my eventual Christmas cards going to get Peanuts stamps, and yet I got them 6 months ago… crazy… God knows to stop the games of life and remind us of Him.

What I do know in these last bits of prep time, it’s to take the praise time! Take the down time to regain uptime with the Lord. Christmas prep might feel like a marathon rat race game, but let us bow down at the NAME above all names and over of all games, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. He wants us to remember Him, always. Remember the JOY in the Lord because everything else will fade away.

Amen

Oh Messiah

Always brings warmth to my heart – to know of Simeon and Anna in the temple and how they knew Jesus – as a babe – both that they knew to wait on the Lord – studied and believed the scriptures and prophets – and that they were able to see the fulfilment of the birth of the Christ Child – the Messiah in Jesus – for the world.

But in Simeon’s truth telling – he clearly knew and said how Jesus would be a stumbling block to many who may have spoke of him as a potential – an earthly king – but could not understand him – or open their hearts to Him as Heavenly king, Messiah. Simeon told us the known future that Jesus would be a dividing force between people who knew and did not want to know. “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 Anna spoke of the redemption brought by this child, Jesus – who is Immanuel, God with us.

Oh – that we would always tell of Who gives our HOPE – that we would always be watching and working for Jesus through the Holy Spirit to open hearts – to tell of the redemption to so many who may hear – oh that they would hear! Oh Jesus – fill us with YOUR WISDOM – become real IN us to serve You and Love You – and share your HOPE.

Oh Messiah – won’t you open eyes and hearts – this Christmas and always.

Amen

Luke 2:25-40

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.

When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Jesus – If You Know Him, Let it SHOW

Oh – Zachariah was “in the know”.

He sang sweetly and wanted to let it show.

Jesus was coming – salvation – mercy – blessed to really know.

Zachariah’s son John, pre-prophet like Elijah, was ready to go!.

God’ was bringing TRUE the Kingdom’s Promise of long ago.

Jesus, Immanuel, God with us – forgiveness and peace to flow.

If you know, serve Him, let it SHOW!

Jesus – our Christmas baby – in us may He grow.

Amen

The hope in Zachariah (father of John the Baptist) singing that the Savior was coming1!!

Luke 1:67-79 – Zechariah’s Song

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us – to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Back to God’s Word Preparing Us, Jeremiah 11-12

And the Lord will return…

If life is like the weather report, predictions of events, seasons, living conditions, then we should prepare. And when God is going to move, He often prewarns us and let’s us prepare. We pray more people turn towards Him. We now get weather foreknowledge down to the hour when the rain drops will start, so we can choose to freakout or breakout the fun rain slicker and boots. We prepare by getting to safe places with supplies in the worst weather. Now tornadoes? To me that’s something different, yet pinpoint accuracy is amazing. Simply take cover and pray, know your safest place. Tis the season of bad weather, it’s something you just can’t totally prepare for but you can try.

We especially can prepare by knowing that God will get us through this weather of our world. So how about life? Prepare by steadying ourselves in Him. God called to even the furthest wanderers: “if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ …. then they shall be established in the midst of My people.“

What would you do if God told you that your life was threatened? Would you freak out? Or would you pray it out… In the case of Jeremiah, he had to TRUST the Lord and just keep doing HIS work, which was to warn the people into compliance. And Jeremiah’s enemies? God said: “I’ve got this. – keep going… (and those people not listening to God in Jeremiah’s time – God said listen to me or you will certainly be threatened not just by your situation but by your non-compliance to return to me).

We don’t seem to have that level of enemies in people, like Jeremiah did, certainly we now witness evils in modern distractions and dangers, especially trying to go it alone. We should surely prepare by trusting God to take care of us. And keep going. Worship over wandering our eyes.

Jeremiah said he did not know he was like a lamb headed into schemes he didn’t know. But he did know there were many walking away from God. Now, think of what a BIG contrast this is because Jesus KNEW that He was the lamb to be slaughtered. SACRIFICED. And He walked that Way anyway, He even told people why, He was the compassion God the Father sent to heal the people from broken living. Jesus faced the enemy down, said “I’ve got this”, crushed the head of the snake (even if his tail is still wriggling). Jesus wins. In marching forward keeping His mission, Jesus complied the ultimate compliance. Satan knows God wins, he’s just trying to spoil the last bits of time before he is banished forever. Revelations tells of the times he will be gone then gone forever.

If you see evil in this world, or in your next steps, remember God has got that accounted for in His Plan. He will comfort us by calling for complete trust in Him.

Stand up to enemies of distractions with the power of God’s Might and the enemy will flee. God will walk you through the shadows and into the Light.

It’s a lesson from this prophet Jeremiah to keep shining the Light of God on all the evil, and keep living.

Amen

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Jeremiah’s Life Threatened. Jeremiah 11:18-23, 12

Now the Lord gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.” But, O Lord of hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause.

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’ – therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will punish them. The young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; and there shall be no remnant of them, for I will bring catastrophe on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their punishment.’ ”

Jeremiah 12 NKJV

Jeremiah’s Question

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind.

But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

The Lord Answers Jeremiah

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.

“I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies. My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; it cries out against Me; Therefore I have hated it. My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture; The vultures all around are against her. Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, bring them to devour!

“Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, because no one takes it to heart. The plunderers have come on all the desolate heights in the wilderness, for the sword of the Lord shall devour from one end of the land to the other end of the land; No flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people. But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – in My Heart

People always ask: “Are you ready for Christmas” – ??? – Well, is it best to answer them with my fumbling list of people’s presents not yet purchased let alone conceived? – or say “Well, at least I got my tree! No decorations but at least I am still watering it. “…. HMMM… I think I will try to answer spiritually next time, “I’m ready in my heart. “… I’m ready for the true meaning of Christmas in my heart. Amen on that.

“I’ll be Home for Christmas” – “you can count on me. ” – Oh the song resonates with me and the longing too. But I realized one could sing it in reverse thought – to receive people home for Christmas, like “I’ll be the Home for your Christmas, come Home here.”… Yes, please have all the meaningful Christmas token things here with me at my house… And yes, since my daughter (I hope) will be returning from college (I hope) at least on that overnight and day, to be here (I hope and pray), instead of her independent-apartment-grown-up-lifestyle these days, I’m praying that she comes home for Christmas. I’m blessed she’s independent but I want her to know, both my kids to know, they have a Home with me for Christmas and ALWAYS. SO, “I’ll be home for Christmas” – “you can count on me” – count on Mom, I will pray they know that, I’m sure they do.

And what about that real meaning of Christmas? Are we standing yearning like Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there anyone who understands what Christmas is all about?” Remember the classic pause in the Peanuts Christmas practice musical for Linus to recite the scripture from Luke 2:8-14, and let us absorb that and keep walking towards that real reason, Jesus IS the One Who beckons us: I’ll be your HOME for Christmas, I will receive you, let Me be your Home inside your heart. Know Me inside you and know My Peace.

Through Jesus, as Christ the Lord God and Savior, we are welcomed Home forever with God. May we also be Home with Him in our hearts everyday. Making a good welcome for Him in JOY.

Amen

—

Linus Van Pelt quoting scripture: “And there were in the same country. shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of GREAT JOY, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE. For unto you is born this day in the City of David A SAVIOR, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, Goodwill toward men.’ “

(Photos from an adorable 2 inch book version of Peanuts Christmas.)

I’ll Be Home for EVER, a new Christmas Song

To the tune of: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

I’ll be home for EVER,

God prepared for me.

White as snow, our robes will glow,

Praising Him under His Tree.

Christmas, Easter, All Days will find me

Where the love light gleams.

I’ll be home for EVER,

Jesus, Savior, Mine…

I’ll be home for EVER,

To be on Jesus’s Team.

Amen

Debbie Upper

A Child of God Awakening to His Love

god

Give Up – but Take In – a Sermon about Following Jesus

Jesus Walking Way

By Faith

Pausing to Process God’s Power, Jeremiah 47-49

Recovery and Fulfillment, Jeremiah 46 and Jesus

A Shell of Self, a Rebuild for Reconciliation

Carried Away, including Stones, Jeremiah 43-44

Unroll Sweet Jesus!

Drink Fluids

It’s LIVING Tears Springing Forth

Cover the World in Love

Oh – the Trails Trials and Tough Spots – Gedaliah – the Book of Kings – Jeremiah 40-42

Puzzle my crab, my world, my life

Well, Wait and KNOW – Jeremiah 37-40

Jesus Scored our Eternal Victory!

Wing it, but on a Prayer

Her Life Was a Sermon

Dimming Your Headlights – a Sermon – MLK Jr and me

Eclipse-mode, Can We See Jesus’s Crown?

Wise to Follow Too – Epiphany – the Pull of the Spirit

And God can break the clay pot too

Clay Pots needing to be filled – Jeremiah 18

Grace Gifts – We are only human after all

Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord, Jeremiah 17:5-10

One Way – the New Way

The Lasting Word

Christmas Joy and ForGIVEness

Name Above All Games

Oh Messiah

Jesus – If You Know Him, Let it SHOW

Back to God’s Word Preparing Us, Jeremiah 11-12

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – in My Heart

I’ll Be Home for EVER, a new Christmas Song

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