Merry Christmas in July!

Merry Christmas in July!

Don’t let this heat and humidity make you sigh!

We are not decorating like December, just adding a splash of red and green to the eye.

It is a moment to let our Christmas Spirit multiply.

Born a baby, grown a Savior, a lamb slain, yet Jesus forever IS young and spry.

And what’s the gift today I pray to encourage and spy?

Wider faith in all, Holy Spirit to touch us all, by and by.

Try moments to remember ‘God IS with us’ – ALREADY. Try hope, just try.

So let us be the JOY today, an inner and outward SMILE we will apply and re-apply.

Let us ring out Hope JOY Peace and LOVE, this MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!

AMEN

—

Titus 3:1-8 NKJV

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

HEALING FAITH – A SERMON

SCRIPTURE: Luke 8:40-56

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Sermon:

KNEE-D PRAYERS

My friend said her 2nd knee replacement surgery recovery seemed to have gone much better than the first. She told me she really believed it was the increased and incredible high number of prayers that she knew she had gotten. In addition to her family and regular friends, she felt more prayers (and heard of them) from her church community and our faith based community, especially with the increased communication and connections through our Facebook groups, etc.

Well wishes work.

Prayers petition God’s power.

And I’ve heard something like one prayer is a violin solo, but collective prayer, all together, is a symphony.

Don’t you love that saying: those who sing, pray twice. That double of praise!

Prayers are golden to God’s ears. It is both that we believe in God and that we believe God CAN intervene, bless a situation, and that He can fix some bad ones and move mountains, or smooth transitions that aren’t so easily understood, to bring peace and acceptance to a situation. God hears the prayers for Him to be present.

I heard the flip side of our role in prayer – sometimes when we aren’t hearing God – to remember that the teacher is silent during the test… Somehow I don’t always believe that one… because I do believe that God does remind us – He is here – and He does want us to excel in our own progress. He WILL give us the cheat lines – cheating sin and death.

One of the funniest memes/facebook images that I ever saw was: “God can move mountains but sometimes He hands you the shovel”… yeah get moving… I hear that one all the time. But we should know that when we go through something – and we are motivated to move – God is there. Jesus will always be with us.

HEALING FAITH

We just heard about Jesus in the flesh on His way to see someone very sick – so sick… (WELL that was Jesus’s whole SPIRITUAL mission for the sickness of being lost – us all to be found) and the person coming to Jesus, the leader of the synagogue had the faith and knew that Jesus was the One to make a difference – to heal his daughter.

TOUCH the Fabric – the make up of Jesus

THEN…………….. Jesus got “interrupted” by the sensation that someone in the crowd had just gotten healed in response to their faith – that we learned that a woman who was very sick found the hem of Jesus’s robe.

She had faith that if she just touched that fabric – not even him – that she would be healed… She had faith.

This woman was “unclean” from her illness –yet she KNEW what she had to do. She had pre-knowledge of His Power – faith in His Power – even before she met Him. What did Jesus do? He found her – not just so that He could meet her (Jesus knows everyone already) – Jesus found her so that she could know Him completely – not just the hem of his robe. Instead of just Jesus’s robe being what she touched – He wanted her to know the feeling of Jesus touching her heart.

Do we feel like our problems are that worth giving it to Jesus? Really am I worth it? Well Jesus says we are… Are things worth “interrupting Jesus” – ? Well – is it really an interruption? NO – Jesus came to serve – to have that face to face experience – that trust –that love and forgiveness and hope.. “I went to Jesus to just see what was possible and Jesus turned around and said I AM Possible.”

An EARTHLY INTERUPTION

Now – what about that first person who was bringing Jesus to the sick person – was he interrupted too! Yes – an interruption in earthly terms… The synagogue leader had to wait until Jesus was talking to the woman on the ground – Yes – that father had to wait however long to get Jesus back to HIS mission – to the original hope he had… that took COURAGE

Then when they were on the way, a messenger said oh no, your daughter has died. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore” – ugh – The man was upset but Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Don’t be afraid; just believe.” – isn’t that the best trust we can give to Jesus – that we believe.

RIGHT TIME – RIGHT PLACE

If we aren’t in the time to grab Jesus out of the crowd for a miracle – we DO have Him to grab onto in our hearts – the hem the whole the live and the love – what about those right place right time prayers? You can apply prayer first and foremost and then others might be praying for you to do something. Remembering that acronym from our friend – actually his neighbor – P.U.S.H. Pray until something happens… Sometimes you are the what happens… This happened to me Friday – I was leaving vacation bible school where we learned about Zacchaeus and Jesus as his friend – and that Jesus always loves us – Jesus is our friend. I had just taught about the Holy Spirit pushing Zacchaeus to do something in response to Jesus coming to him – and Zacchaeus decided to pay back those he cheated in taxes.

Zacchaeus was like the grinch whose heart grew three times that day. He realized he could and should do something.

So I was walking into the grocery store and this woman was conked out on the chair in front – like I was envious of a good power nap just then – but she was still there – same position – when I got out – and others had taken notice and the store people too. It was other people who mutually chatted with me included about doing something – and often we do walk away – and I first looked and wondered if she was dead – no – her color was great and she was breathing… but the people told me and others – store people too – that she would not awake. It was not anything but living in the moment and I capped her Gatorade bottle as that was held on her lap. The other woman next to me said: “I wouldn’t leave my mother like this” – and the ambulance came just in a little bit. THANK GOD for paramedics and fire and police people – they are the answers to prayers that we have.

It was weird but in the moment that The woman on the chair snapped awake – it was the result of a seizure she said – but she was out over 20 minutes – and the woman next to me who said: “my God would not let me not do something” said she got Holy Spirit goosebumps… I didn’t get the goosebumps but I was aware and believing that that woman did – urging us to join in the concern – it was a combination of prayer and action.

This is when life interrupts your “regularly scheduled program” – and the Lord calls you to action.

Isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing – a combination of prayer and action. Opportunities abound – like at the store or home – at work and at moments where we hear bad news… These “opportunities” seep into our life callings and making less barriers and more common spaces between situations… I remember being with a few scared kids on a girl scout camping trip – down at a revolutionary war fort by the airport – where we were staying overnight- and they did not want to go on the ghost tour – I ended up telling them that I did not believe in ghosts but I certainly believed in angels watching over them and us. AMEN TO THAT!!!!

CRUSHING

The 12 disciples that day when Jesus was in the crowd, were like ‘we got lots of people crushing and touching you Master – how can you even try to single out one – but He did and the woman herself came forward. Jesus wanted to have that woman meet Him!

That crush of people also probably one of the reasons He retreated to teach a close core of disciples who would then teach everyone. The disciples would have done that: “don’t cause the crowd to crush you because we have a mission – like Taylor Swift travels in a rolling case thru the backstages of her show, they say… Well Jesus did get out in a boat or top of a mountain – but rarely did He hide. Jesus had so many interactions with people, so many miracles that John tells us not enough pages in books could hold that info…

Jesus knew that the miracles were almost distracting from teaching – an important reason He came – to teach about how to get closer to God – how to recognize that the time was in the present to be with God on earth. Some saw the miracles and thought of an earthly king that God had ordained like David. And as some saw or heard of the miracles and thought of Jesus as evil – a magic man against God.

And yet, these miracles were always pointing back to the glory of God – of “knowing God’s Plan and Will for us:” – knowing we NEED Jesus – like that woman touching the hem of Him – Healing – And Jarius – knowing to bring Jesus to his daughter. Jesus wanted people to KNOW Him deep in the core and they became the witnesses to others. They both knew Him and knew they had been changed – and knew it was something the Lord needed them to tell others.

But what about that “don’t tell others” – is that more of a “don’t bring commotion because it distracts people from listening” – “don’t cause yourselves to create waves for yourself – just let yourself stand as a testament to faith. Imagine those laughing mourners who must have later saw the girl alive” – wow… Isn’t that us too – “Let your actions show you are a changed person”… “Live a risen life – and acknowledge that you had nothing to do with it – but your faith in Jesus did, does and will do …

There is a VBS video – of two twin young girls full of faith who learned their uncle did not believe in Jesus… They prayed and prayed and a year later – he came to Jesus – was baptized and how could he have known their impact – but God did…

Perhaps God is ‘Waiting on a prayer’ – as we are living on a prayer – it includes the Lord waiting to hear someone say: ‘I trust you Lord” –

AMEN and let us pray….

Lord – we know one soul already saved helps save another. You remind us that Iron sharpens iron – so prayers help praying. Saving Grace is to be embraced. “He who does the will of God abides forever.” – may we always abide and know Your LOVE.

AMEN AMEN

Hay Day One – VBS

Tis the month of summer and VBS is my favorite way to share the love of Jesus, to share what I know about God’s Word, and especially HIS LOVE! This is at my friend’s VBS – with great organizers and volunteers – oh the love of the Lord exudes from these folks! I love VBS and love to see my VBS friends.

If you have never volunteered for a VBS – I urge you to do so – the real real Holy Spirit in mega proportions shows up in the kids and volunteers – Jesus is there!

It’s also so much fun to do projects! This 2 day VBS is my chance to do science projects in Imagination Station – one day Zacchaes and Jesus and one day Peter and Jesus. Here is my write up (editted now) that I was able to share – along with “experiments” of planting seeds – and one last Holy Spirit experiment of yeast and hydrogen peroxide and dishsoap to show the change of heart that Zacchaes had was like a chemical reaction when he encountered Jesus – and Zacchaes’s heart overflowed.

From the handout with the seeds:We are all able to plant the seeds of friendship and faith at VBS and everywhere. We can share our knowledge of God and ask God to water the seeds of faith in each other. We can plant that seed of knowledge of: “Jesus loves me”, especially to our friends and family by letting them know that “Our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” Romans 5:11.

Seeds grow (both the physical seed and those of faith). Just like seeds growing and changing, we are also growing in friendship with Jesus, He helps us improve and be better friends with all others around us.

Talking intro (roughly) just before we planted seed (physically and of faith):

So we’re starting to learn about one of the great friends that Jesus made from a man named Zacchaeus. Jesus knew Zacchaeus would be up in the tree. Jesus certainly already knew everything about Zacchaeus and the crowd that day was surely busy, packed, and it’s not like today where young people and today young at heart climb trees for fun, that wasn’t really Zacchaeus’s expected behavior- not for a professional businessman. He must have been really excited.

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He had to reach up to get a bigger view- let me get our crew leaders here to help me make a tree from these tubes and long cardboard supports. Use your imagination to see Zacchaeus up in this tree but know that Jesus KNEW that tree would be there, KNEW the seed was planted many years before to make the tree available for Zacchaeus to decide to act when he got interested in Jesus.

This weekend at VBS, we are learning about Jesus being our friend, and how Jesus gets close to us, how Jesus recognizes us and meets us where we are. I have some beautiful plants here that are like miniature trees, Do you recognize them? (Start with seedlings then pots of sunflowers) This is Imagination Station so you might need to imagine how tall this was going to grow.It should get taller than me. Here are some more seeds of all sizes – they are all unique aren’t they – like us..

Well, we are HayDay farmers this weekend, aren’t we? And we are friends of Jesus too. And when we become friends with other people, it is like we are planting seeds of friendliness, of sharing, of love, of joy. And here’s a phrase we use all the time in talking about Jesus- that we plant seeds of faith. Then God sends the water to help those seeds sprout and grow. And we hope that people have good soil and the seeds take root, and are willing to hear how Jesus wants to be their friend.

So we are going to do an activity – and plant seeds of three sizes – sunflowers, radishes, and peas. I hope that you think about each seed and think of what it could represent – perhaps a radish seed is a smile you could give someone, perhaps a big seed is forgiveness you give someone – each seed a friendship action.

OK – let’s go plant!!!

Reprise Posts: Retackling my Writings and Church Family Cousins

Re-tackling My Writings, 22Aug2017

So I asked God if I could tackle my editing of my writings after VBS was done (or nearly done – I’m still cleaning, LOL)

James 1:17-18 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.”

It does not surprise me God did not give me time to edit what I have accumulated, He had me tasked with so many new things this year – I would be the first to tell you that I didn’t have time or an urge to write, but I felt so forced to do so and HE is the one Who woke me up early and created more time in my day, and I wrote.

Discussions with the Lord are the best done in my mind THRU my fingers… I’ll also will be the first to tell you I didn’t have time to exercise or eat healthy but God found that time too! All good things are from God, so He surely was the one who woke me up early, and gave me extreme intense focus for my health, and still does. He still focuses me… And I will also be the first to tell you I couldn’t sing, but felt addicted to the praise music and God said OH YEAH? Sing anyway, sing MY praises and I will help you thru… Sing MY praises and I will give you a support group that you could hardly ever imagine.

I can’t acclaim I had anything to do with all these things… but I am actively asking God to give me a chance to edit my blogs…

So, I have a whole 14 months to edit – over 150 “newer” writings much more mature then my initial ones – I’m going to do it slowly – I want to get them in my WordPress blog so that they are organized… I am NOT advertising but they are “on tap” for whenever I need to reread them, just like today, or if I want to share a particular one – but mostly for whenever God wants to use one anonymously in the Ethernet… It’s up to HIM…

I started writing in Dec 2014 but did not post until later on – and retro-posted my early writings. I came across this early one from June 2015 (which stuck with me a while) into us making a net with our arms at the VBS morning meeting on day 2 – when we talked about Jesus and Peter on the water…

I love being in my church families – something I will always cherish – I know that we are “not of this world but in this world” and the fact is that while we are here, we are tasked to create a family net that can grow the kingdom… it’s an awesome task… It’s so many layers of faith family I have – VBS, women’s retreat, band, UMW, visitations, committees, youth group activities, and that’s just scratching the surface of nets inside and outside the church too… so many layers… so much love… all LOVE is from the Lord – we get to share it by being vined with HIM.

Today I heard of a few tragic circumstances in other people’s lives and I am inspired by the LIGHT and LOVE of Jesus that was still shown thru each of those folks… I am grateful for each day and for being in the world in a wonderful time with such wonderful people.

Our faith families have been joined to us by God. They really have.

Here is a post of early thoughts – #192 from June 2015.

https://debbieupper.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/church-family-cousins-20jun-192/

192
Right now it is dawn in the mountains, camping with a great friend from church, helped her open her cabin for the season… It’s her and her kids tackling the big tasks and building new family memories…

Truly a prime example of church folks becoming my extended family (family away from family) and in turn I became extended family to them… Giving back as much love and time as I can, being part of a reciprocal family network… She needed the help, I love to work hard, I needed the retreat (no phone or data service), I needed to sit on a rock and unwind… after a great night’s sleep – this devotion came at dawn – about building Jesus’ net:

Church Family Cousins, 20Jun

Remembering how blessed I am for my blood family AND my blood family. My blood family extends deep and wide biologically, established in my parents generous LOVE, making every effort travel and to share with me a great multiplicity of extended love… cousins… “let’s go meet your cousins”… and I did… I have absorbed their love… I have given back love…

Most of the travel adventures I had as a child were on the way to see aunts, uncles, and cousins… Twice a year up and down the east coast – hitting all the big and little tourist and history hot spots and taking time to interact with the locals along the way.

Blood cousins, we are far apart now in a too busy lifestyle, society demands busyness, vacation for us now is less frequently cousin-hopping, and certainly less interacting with locals along the way…

Same in church… Blood relatives are there too, united in Christ’s blood. I came to church with a small baby, I came to establish roots, I moved away from my family, I came to church to grow more, I knew I needed them – but I needed them more than I knew… I found family anew. They then became my cousins in Christ.

My Roots, His Net…

In a new church I worked hard establishing deep roots, that fed me first in society love, but that grew into family love, that I was able to extend back to them… Love so deep that I don’t want to dig it up and transplant… And love so strong that I had to extend out extra roots into new space, into extra non-congregational lands to support my ever growing faith…

Faith family became blood family when, I accepted Jesus, took in His Flesh and Blood AND acknowledged a path that I must travel. “The path is narrow, but it is sure”… I don’t have a map for this path – A compass yes! and a firm sense of my skill set, and enough supplies to last a lifetime… Yes and direction – Jesus gives us direction – “He will show you the path to take Proverbs 3:6… Yes it’s travelling time.

Cousin-hopping feeds you love best when you reciprocate… When you are as much the giver of love as the recipient… When you provide the soil for your blood cousins to put down their roots.

When you look to your congregational family for support, it’s good to ask yourself if you have done the same for them… Feed them so much – and don’t worry if you get it directly back, hopefully we all realize that we are being fed cross-network and not back and forth…. Set up this network for others as you have enjoyed for yourself… Trust me, you will be fed… Just change the type of diet you long for…. Feed on JESUS’ LOVE and not individual human love and you will never go hungry. Look for the love of Jesus under stones, in the dark spaces, and plain as day in the open… But make sure you cousin-hop. Don’t over eat.

At first I went to church for the people. I needed and always will need people, that’s who I am, that will never change. Once in my church family, I followed God’s love in a unique path that I didn’t realize I was taking. God drew me near and I found Jesus along the way. In a long term plan, God was reeling me in… Slow but sure… Slow enough that my wriggling didn’t unhook me, God used a wide hook made even wider by my own extension of love into my church family, a network woven tight, built strong… A network that is GOD’S fishing net, the tighter the weave, the smaller the fish you can catch, the wider the net, the wider the range of fish you can catch, the stronger the safety net behind the first net, the more fish you won’t lose when things break…

See Jesus is a Fisher of men… Humans are the fish caught in the nets, but they must then become the nets themselves… They can be the builders of new nets, repairers of old nets, designers of new net styles, and then embed themselves into that net.

Anytime you network in Christ means you produce more nets for His work, for Him to draw upon…

See, after I accepted Jesus, I accepted being part of HIS net. I know my tool set, sometimes I build, sometimes I repair, sometimes I design, but all the time I network from within, by being part of that net… I am and we are called to work, as well as exist… we must be networked to work within and not outside God’s workshop.

I used to go to church – for the people…. Jesus caught me in His net… So, I now hunger NOT for people love but JESUS LOVE… And so I now go to be the church – for the people… same reason – new love – expanded reason: JESUS LOVE…

I am here for Jesus. I am blessed to be a member and a builder of His Net.

AMEN and AMEN

Scatterbrained

A poem from a position – I am in a mode of being scatterbrained.

Scatterbrained

I realized my problem, especially these past few weeks, I’m feeling totally SCATTERBRAINED!!!

Partially particularly feeling drained,

But partially ALSO being ENERGIZED by random thoughts in my brain’s new terrain.

My “to-do” thoughts are MANY, feeling broken up yet they SHOULD shine like a rainbow through the rain.

The light once white is clearly colorly fractured, and yet also fogged up from beaming nicely in my scatterbrain.

It’s like I’ve taken many a bend in the tracks of my thinking train.

I’m fine though, don’t mistake me, I’m fine even as I complain.

I know how to retrieve what’s missing in my scatter brain.

I have to remind myself to find that focused narrow lane.

It’s Jesus I need. JESUS, His Peace I RECLAIM.

He as WHOLE LIGHT completes any missing colors lost down my mental rainbow’s drain.

His blood recovers any missteps too, from which I should have known to refrain.

Jesus bring me back to less mental pain.

You Lord ARE the Promise to get us out of the rain.

There is nothing for which Jesus’s Forgiveness won’t pertain.

My loss is my gain if Jesus Hope I retain.

Remembering Lord, YOU LEAD, YOU REIGN.

Help me see Your clarity, I request this for my scatterbrain.

Amen

—-

Jesus said “to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke 9: 23-25

Envy

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30

This proverb should be examined deeply. Envy rots the bones.

Envy is big no-no commandment-wise. Envy can poison us – an evil egging us on in humanness. Envy from anything we want but don’t get. Envy happens for stuff we get yet not appreciate enough as sufficient, always wanting more. Envy keeping us from realizing complete life is not here on earth anyway. A want over a need, a get over a gift, a desire over a satisfaction.

Sometimes we then realize our eyes were bigger than our stomachs in life, and now that we can’t use the excess, it rots. Better a little and appreciate it, than too much and resent it. This goes for demanding attention, forcing an issue, and even purchasing too much easily spoiled food at the market. Rots…

A heart at peace, however, brings LIFE. Love is perfect, love does not envy because all needs are met in God, most importantly to be with Him. Life is forever, no envy, no boast except in Him. Live with Him within.

Love brings realization that we can live without, because we live with Him within.

Peace comes from love, and us living in peace, in the Lord’s peace, brings the life we would dream of, not the envy, because when you realize you have the love of God, the forgiveness through Jesus, you are in peace, nothing left will even come close.

Nothing but Love.

Peace of the soul.

Amen

“There was Jesus” sung by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton

LYRICS:

Every time I tried to make it on my own

Every time I tried to stand and start to fall

And all those lonely roads that I have travelled on

There was Jesus

When the life I built came crashing to the ground

When the friends I had were nowhere to be found

I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now

There was Jesus

In the waiting, in the searching

In the healing and the hurting

Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces

Every minute, every moment

Where I’ve been and where I’m going

Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it

There was Jesus

For this man who needs amazing kind of grace (Mmm)

For forgiveness at a price I couldn’t pay (Mmm)

I’m not perfect so I thank God every day

There was Jesus (There was Jesus)

In the waiting, in the searching

In the healing and the hurting

Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces

Every minute, every moment

Where I’ve been and where I’m going

Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it

There was Jesus

On the mountain, in the valleys (There was Jesus)

In the shadows of the alleys (There was Jesus)

In the fire, in the flood (There was Jesus)

Always is and always was

No I never walk alone (Never walk alone)

You are always there

In the waiting, in the searching

In the healing and the hurting

Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces

Every minute (Every minute), every moment (Every moment)

Where I’ve been and where I’m going

Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it

There was Jesus

1 Corinthians 13:4-12

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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Packing Pollen and Potential!

This fuzzy decent-sized bee guy was stuck in my tent, so I got him out. He lost one of his pollen packs from his legs, but I hope he’ll be okay. I put him on a flower away from the tent. He looked tired (how would I know?!), but he seemed to know it was a flower I put him on and he transferred easily there. I felt bad he was stuck – the net is confusing – he could not see the hole to freedom just a few inches away. at least he still had his pollen – he could have paused to eat. The potential was there to keep moving – he had to be patient. He is now on his way.

My tent doors are open all the time because I don’t want birds to get stuck in there as in past years – now I keep them open. I just close them sometimes if I am sitting there in the evening – but the mosquitos are low (I think) due to this dry weather. And any breeze is good – plus I started draping white landscaping fabric over my shoulders and legs – it may look silly but no one (except the cat) ever sees me in my tent – it is like NO ONE uses their backyards anymore – let alone their front yards… Me? I feel like I grew up outside in comparison to my kids and all kids these days. We were outside all the time – tents, shade trees, climbing trees, camping, picnicking, living life. Summer is my favorite for these outdoor-attitudes to inside activities. I may say that I love Fall the most, but honestly my body loves the summer and the freedom to NOT be cold. I hate that it is TOO COLD in the office and I sit outside at work too. I love the outside air. I walk in that cool dew-ed grass too.

The morning is the best… the coolness… the possibilities… the quiet… and watering and tending to things outside in PJs – on a Saturday where there are activities but there is also rest. How can you say that summer isn’t the best… I’m not digging ditches or doing heavy construction so I am not complaining of the heat although I know we need the rain almost desperately. Pray for my friend putting in pools all season long – he says the soil is rock hard (and yes I can attest to that in my vegetable garden – after 2 tomato plants, nothing else went in).

Saturday, this day is not 100 but warm and yet cool at 70 degrees – high will be 84. I am leasuring until I head out for lunch with friends – blessed as the calendar coordinated with the Lord. And in thinking of how we are blessed in the Lord, Psalm 5 comes to mind and I will always be humming it, as it was a praise song I sang in a band many years ago now.

A song from David: “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.”

David prays for the Lord’s Way as his highway – and to see it clearly. David states that he will pray and the Lord will hear his voice. David did continue in this Psalm 5 about wicked people – but he also called out how wonderful the Lord was and is and will be to direct his path – our paths: “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.”

David knew, even when he went off-plan, to come back to the Lord’s Path. Really – David like many of God’s favorite sons in the scriptures have stories of going off the path but then returning. The Lord WANTS us to come back – He wants us to pack the pollen of life onto our paths and keep moving – there is such potential in each day serving Him. He will pick us up – get us unstuck. God will make His way in front of our faces – we just need to keep praising – and looking up.

Thank you David for singing the sections that are on our minds: “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”

Let us take our days into your ways, Lord…

and Shout for JOY!

Amen

Psalm 5 KJV

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.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Morning has Broken, but God Hasn’t

“…praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day!…”

Some major storms last night, but I was not and am not usually afraid. Not going to endanger myself, but I’ll certainly look interestingly outside the windows at the lightning when I’m not charting the thunderstorms on the radar.

We do need the rain, and it IS summer.

If summer is July and August, for the main event, like it is us having a weekend Saturday and Sunday, in terms of weather. Then surely June to summer would be like the Friday night warm up. Praise for the new season of summer. It will get too cold too fast. Praise for summer and wet gardens to walk though. Love the lyrics of Morning Has Broken – God walking in the gardens.

We can take the weather and weather it. Really rarely does lightning actually strike us people – but I’ve seen a tree get hit only feet away from me, and wow the heat was intense !!! So I respect lightning. That day, we didn’t know the storm would open up so quickly. We didn’t have alarms or radar. We were in a pavilion at a BBQ. Now we have lots of warnings, especially glued to our phones. Then we watched the skies. Run to the car or not? I opted for the car. Probably not the right choice but I survived. No, I’m not extra fearful now, it was just something that one deals with and moves on.

Respect over fear. Smart over stupid. Living over cowering. Just accept summer is summer. Live it!

Maybe like thunderstorm radars, we ALREADY know each day will bring us CHALLENGES. But do we move out into the day anyway? Yes. and we should. This is why we have roofing and good tires and common sense.

If common sense is useful, then our sense of place is just as important – and our witness of knowledge of God as calming AND our witness of God as POWERFUL – these thoughts keep us moving in our day.

If we remember that God can overcome all that is dark by being LIGHT, and He can overcome hate by being LOVE, surely we can look past the night to see the dawn, and we can calm our fears to accept His peace.

It can be dark, but morning comes. The life we live can be broken, yet the heat can be broken and the morning will be broken in our favor, because our God will never be broken unable to help. Yes – broken in body as Jesus was – but God whole never broken in purpose or plan. And God has walked all these gardens before.

Amen

—-

Morning has Broken, hymn

Author: Eleanor Farjeon (1931)

1 Morning has broken

like the first morning,

blackbird has spoken

like the first bird.

Praise for the singing!

Praise for the morning!

Praise for them, springing

fresh from the Word!

2 Sweet the rain’s new fall

sunlit from heaven,

like the first dewfall

on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness

of the wet garden,

sprung in completeness

where God’s feet pass.

3 Mine is the sunlight!

Mine is the morning

born of the one light

Eden saw play!

Praise with elation,

praise every morning,

God’s recreation

of the new day!

Morning has Broken, Cat Stevens

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=qARB7XPfYjo&si=RLYyLQn8gFIcjYgU

Empathy, Ezekiel 24

Empathy is an experiential expression. Sympathy they say is from the brain, feeling sorry for a situation but EMPATHY is knowing it from the heart.

Dealing with death is one situation we all know, and how we feel it for others is either sympathy or empathy. It’s personal and we can let our hearts feel empathy at the same time we use our heads to demonstrate sympathy, without over-stating that we know exactly what the others are going through. Each person relates uniquely to their journeys. Our comfort to them is to say we know it is unique to you. Our ultimate comfort is to demonstrate that we know that the Lord is in control and we expect eternal life with Him – thus making this transition to death just an eyes closed, eyes opened event.

The Lord set up an extremely unique situation for his servant and prophet Ezekiel. The Lord sent an extreme example of demonstration of trust in the Lord, He asked Ezekiel to only groan quietly and muffle the customary rites of mourners. This was when the Lord stated Ezekiel would lose his wife, the sweetest thing in his life, “delight of your eyes”. This was understandably a tough loss, and the Lord understood the mourning, but outward-facing He wanted Ezekiel to demonstrate solidarity with the Lord’s teaching. And the equivalent response when he told his fellow Israelites that the area of Jerusalem would lose their sanctuary, it would be desecrated, a place where they had convened with Holy God, and had been a stronghold of pride. Ezekiel told the community to trust and know God’s actions were God’s – showing His power with purpose. Life would continue but not without judgement.

So first, Ezekiel demonstrated the demands of the Lord, to groan quietly for himself when his wife died, a witness to knowing God’s power and ability to act. God said: “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead.”

Then God said: “Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done.”

Ezekiel could only speak when directed, and that was a sign from the Lord too: “on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

It was an UNIQUE path of the judgment of God to cause the exile of 70 years and demand back the ongoing trust in the Lord – as these people of Jerusalem had drifted too far, and were to be carried away in exile. The Lord’s plan is unique to Him. He promises to provide a restoration and prophets prophesied of this for the future, but for this moment, this was judgement.

Final judgment will come to us all one day. The Lord will have gathered the found and the lost will be lost. We should have empathy for the Lord’s pain as well as partake in it for the loss is forever when people, His children, are going to lose in a second death, and not know eternal life. We also need empathy for the lost of this generation, for we too once were lost but now are found. We were blind but now we see.

So let us set aside sympathy and even apathy for our generation of lost, and have empathy for them and the Lord.Let us strengthen each other.

All children are God’s children, image-bearers, and held captive until they realize the freedom in Jesus. Pray chains to fall. Pray God’s knowledge comes to them all.

Amen

—

Ezekiel 24:15-24

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?”

So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of[a] your sins and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

“And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart’s desire, and their sons and daughters as well— on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

HOT as the Cooking Pot!

Whoa to the WHOA!

Boiling Hot – hot enough to cook the pot!

Well, that is not just how our weather has been, but that was the real big message to the people of Jerusalem – God’s serious business of telling the wayward people they were out of line – including “put her blood on the bare rock”…

“You will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.”

WOW! Really – our cooking pot of temperature is nothing to the wrath of God – we have the blood of Jesus to cover us and woe to those not accepting. We are not worthy but He is Worthy and His Righteousness will set us free – and we are covered…

Like a great break from the heat – today – or by anytime getting to a respite area – we need to get into God’s shade. We need to feel the breeze. We need to know that we are the blessed ones and live thankful to Him.

Remember the past. Honor the present. Hope for the future – I hope that the people of Jerusalem then would have – we certainly know Ezekiel was reminded to too!

Amen

—

Ezekiel 24:1-14

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Put on the cooking pot; put it on

and pour water into it.
Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;
take the pick of the flock.
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed,
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order it comes.

“‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.
To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.
It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.

“‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.

“‘I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

SPLASHZONE

Water will go anywhere. (Living Water has already been there too.)

There is no rain (yet), but there is HEAT, and the ACs are cranking. But at four AM, a wake up UNEXPECTED with a subtle water splash on my face. Subtle sounds of drip… drip… What? A splash of half drops but I feared a big leak. Lights on… No big leak, hmmmm. This was so subtle I am surprised it registered, surely God awoke me. I’m so glad He did – in all ways… water and living water.

I got the towels out, preserved my stuff on the windowsill and dresser with a blanket overlay, including moving 2 FROGS, a gift from a friend well before I knew FROG could stand for Faithfully Relying On God. Ribb-itt Live it!

The splashing was a bounce of the water drop which became the smallest of wake ups.

Water goes everywhere and the extra crazy level of heat is making the AC above me (in the wall) of my son’s room working overtime. He runs it in the winter too, keeping his hot gaming computer cooled. I’m not going to shut it off right now, the only thing worse than me being woke up, and worse than a few drips, is waking up a still teenager (for 2 more months) from their deepest sleep at 430AM just to explain you need to shut off their AC in a heat wave. IT CAN WAIT! Add an extra towel – go back to sleep.

What about our LIVING WATER? Want to be in God’s sight AND Jesus’s water splash? Catch His Wave instead of our WIPEOUT? He knows and provides a needed WAKE UP. Drip drip, and sometimes a flood, God knows. Let His spirit flow put us in the know. He will calm our storms and pull us back into the boat. Even Jesus could sleep thru a storm – we can rest in a mini moment…

This 4am wake up (5am now) was OK, I was able to recognize God’s intervention (saving my stuff) and God’s path (finding a repair) and God’s Grace (not waking up a teenager, yet). Plus God’s preparation (when I find a handyman to work on this). God’s got this – I just need to follow thru!

When I recognized what the situation, I was SO THANKFUL to be in the SPLASH. Catching the wave before it becomes a Wipeout. Like of all places that my face was facing – I am grateful for the moment to know.

The cat was not bothered and called for the front door open to peer through the screen door to listen to the world waking up, the birds (God takes care on them!), and the un-still stillness. I too will rest in aware awareness. God is in control!

The Holy Spirit will flow, Jesus is our know. Get the splash and go.

AN A.M. AMEN!

Amen for the Jesus Splashzone!

John 7:37-39 NKJV – The Promise of the Holy Spirit

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Freedom, Death, Life – A Beach Day Foray

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 KJV

I know not to be playing on the rocks, but I was free to sit on them, these massive piles in the ocean. I needed to warm up, in the sunshine. Yes! YES, I SAID WARM UP! Warm up as the beach ocean breeze brought 65 degrees water temp into the heatwave, and so it was NOT nearly 100 degrees like at home, 1 hour away, but perfect 75 to 80, except in the shade, chilly! The clerk at the store said enjoy yourself – we all need some time to ourselves – AMEN – and for me this was my reading day.

What a treat! BEAT THE HEAT! The pier brought cold air up channeling it like a cave wind – and people under it were wearing sweatshirts while reading – yes sweatshirts – I brought my books too – but I moved out a bit – to under my umbrella. I think this is my new favorite beach – instant shade with the pier – free parking – and signs of God everywhere.

The rock outcropping next to us did not move, but the people could and the waves did. The lifeguard came to warn a small boy to get away from the rocks. It is the crash that is dangerous – and this is in life too – the flip flop washyness – best we stand firm in our faith and trust in the Lord. Here is another translation of psalmist David’s scripture: Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22 NIV

Not shaken – Not moved – and we are cared for – that is what my scripture card said – and what a perfect day to bring my summer reading books – about the Rapture: the Great disappearance – interesting and so is the second coming of Jesus after the millennium. The Rapture – the time when the dead in Christ will rise to the Lord first and us (if we are still alive) will rise next. And it is said people will wonder where we went. SO, if we leave these books and our bibles around – perhaps people will realize what happened – and trust in the Lord Jesus too – ready for their opportunity to meet him and accept forgiveness.

Cared for! and yet we are people in this world not without debate, and thus the second book suggested to me I will read too – when AT THE BEACH for this summer. Yes imagine that – there are differing of opinions of God’s end times for the earth. All I can tell you right now is just be ready for any scenario – and know that we GO with Jesus and therefore we will OK in the forever-run.

The saying is: those who are born once, die twice. and those who are born twice – die once. yes – so with a born again spirit in Jesus, we won’t die the second death – and thus we WILL be OK in the forever – and so therefore don’t fear the first death – or the rocks to be bashed against – or fear much of anything.

So feel the righteousness of Jesus as the wind inside the empty sails – the anchor holding up the umbrella – that pure gift of perfect to cover our imperfect – better than sunscreen – and so at the beach DO wear sunscreen and a hat and stay in the shade if you can – but accept the foray into the world – the tough world – knowing Jesus is with us. And let us pick up our freedom live in His Grace.

Amen

His blessings are all around us!

Amen

—

The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2

Windows Open

It’s a small devotion book, very powerful, “Windows Towards God” 1950 Charles Schmitz. He explains it is from RADIO broadcasts captured on paper, hoping to continue to inspire. I found this book buried in a box, buried in a closet at my old church, in the early weeks of my awakening. I knew the Holy Spirit gave it to me to understand that even “vintage” Word is Perfect Word for new ears. Mine were NEW. Like the windows cleaned fresh! I pray for each of us to renew NEW.

This vintage Spirit of old is openly new, every day, as our Lord is a Living God. The author urges us to open the windows and let God in FRESH! I have no problem opening car windows, house windows, even found a great day off to clear my head here in the shade OUTSIDE. Yet we all could pray for some more openings for cleaning our faith, our temples, our lives. And not let it get OLD, NOR COLD.

The author reminds that Daniel in the midst of old testament oppression by being an exile from Judah, lived a tough existence on the outside but inside let his spirit be refreshed – he learned that it was illegal to pray to God, but “when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Chapter 6:10. HE WAS PROTECTED AND RENEWED

There are tough times, but nothing worse than stale-ness of faith. WE NEED FRESH AIR!

God is FOR us. Let us open up to Him to do His work… that never gets old!!!

Amen

PS – someday I would like to publish a tiny book (big too) but a tiny book easily tucked away, easily kept, easily shared. Place it forward. For now, the window of opportunity is open, wherever the Spirit takes me! It’s open for all of us – to make the most of Spirit refreshing ways! Amen

Tough Talk, Ezekiel 23

God presented through Ezekiel some TOUGH TALK about the terrible flawed status of His people. He lays it out flat again in chapter 23 – an analogy of a country, a land, a people gone rogue, this time described like an adulterous woman with no scruples. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Sisters in SIN.

Disgusted and defiled, the nasty life is just the beginning for these peoples, the Lord stirs up her (calling the countries as adulterous women) former lovers (being the neighboring warring countries and people) to bring her down even more. It is using the evil that was forged by the people to eventually take them down a notch. Ezekiel rails against this for the sake of God AND the people.

Of all people, people set aside by the Lord, they wandered again and again, with years of history of God showing His Power. Yet “They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children…” A horrifying practice but one that is not unheard of in certain cultures, including in the old testament. Terrible but thought to be “with the times” to please gods.

Terrible is any sacrifice or devotion to non-God gods. Granted that it was hundreds of years since Moses’s time – even David’s time, but God expected them to remember and recount the blessings of following God – and the lost wandering of not.

We too need to remember the times we have been blessed by God – and of all acts – we need to remember as being covered in the blood of Jesus to accept and repent our sinful ways and ask forgiveness and clean-up – ask for a way forward out of our lost ways. Ask Jesus to be OUR Way, Truth and Life.

Ezekiel called out the issues.

We know the issues.

We are to know our God as a God who has seen past all our people’s issues and given us a path forward.

Let us take Jesus’s Hand and keep walking – OUT of the valley of the shadow of death!

Amen

Ezekiel 23 NIV

Two Adulterous Sisters

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.

“Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.

“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.

“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.

“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side – the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You will drink your sister’s cup a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it dry and chew on its pieces— and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.

“They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewelry. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.

“The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.’ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.

“So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Prayer to Share

a prayer for service: after “Reckless Love” and before “Surrender” – in conjunction with our sermonist’s sermon on Zacchaeus in a Tree with Jesus walking through…

Good morning, and a glorious father’s day to all our dads, uncles, grandfathers, and especially to our heavenly Father Who gives us the wisdom to draw close to Him.

——————-

Won’t you please pray with me:
Lord there is no mountain You won’t climb up,
and that have not already climbed.

There’s no dark shadow You won’t light up,
and have not already overcome.

There’s no wall You won’t kick down,
Even the one’s we put up ourselves towards You.

And the biggest lies that you want torn down, is the lie that we tell ourselves that we are self sufficient – and the terrible lie that says we are not worthy. Well, Lord, we are worthy because You are worthy.

You know that we need You.

Therefore Lord, we DO need You to come find us – find us curious, up in our own trees – find us hungry for Your Voice to ring true – find us reaching for You when we are distant, because You are already there. Open our hearts to see You.

May we always try to find You Lord! May we climb down from exalting in our pride and Likewise, may we rise up from stumbling in our humanness to see You smiling at us. Encouraging us. May we surrender in glorious fear and humility, knowing both the Joy of Your presence and the AWE of You as Lord.

Now, as we listen deeply, the musicians AND THE LORD invite us to meditate upon the ultimate ASK that the Lord has for us, in the lyrics of the next song, the SURRENDER of our lives, in exchange for the Promise of NEW LIFE in You. Amen

—

PART 2

Help us Lord to surrender to You, to Your will, to accept You as a gift and then to listen to our calling – start and share our journey.

Remind us Lord that You have already won, so we just need to follow through.

May we stop hiding or watching from the sidelines, Sometimes our surrender means we need to shake up our priorities, to get on board, and sometimes it is that we need to change, stop clinging to old ways. May we embrace life now and forevermore. We wish and pray to turn fully toward You, Jesus, to listen to accept You as our Lord and Savior and then walk with You and Your Holy Spirit closer and closer to our Father – one day at a time – one moment at a time – one surrender and one success at a time.

Amen

42 – But What Was the Question?

42 is the answer, to the intersection of life, the universe, and everything – WOW- the god-like computer spit that out after millions of billions of computing power years – but what was the question? I appreciate old nerdy references. And this one is for the movie: “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. And even though I can visualize the scene of placing a fish in one’s ear to hear languages translated, I acknowledge this was not my nerdy obsession, it was my brother’s. Still it’s a cult classic funny intellectual film. I am glad I am old enough to know the references and pick it out in a set of stickers…

Nerds…

And the scene with the answer “42” really does come up with the god-like computer (a colorful spouting hole in a cave wall) saying: “well… you didn’t actually tell me the full question.” yeah…

RIGHT! We all have to be asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS and not just taking any answer without our own computing. SO how do we know what is the right question, let alone the right answer?

Here, at least for our faith, the Scriptures, the Lord, and the Lord’s people writing for the Lord, can give us truly a PATH to any question in our faith: “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.”

WE MUST MAKE SURE – Make sure we are FIRM IN FAITH. Read our bibles, double check people’s truth with God’s Truth, don’t ask cheap 70’s lighted cracks in rocks – but depend upon and stand upon The Rock.

How? Peter gives this advice too, from years of wisdom hyperspeed-taught to him by the Holy Spirit after years of walking, he is now knowing: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

WHY? “keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

WHY? “For if you do these things, you will never stumble”

BY BENEFIT OF? “having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

THEN WHAT? “you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Oh… The “answer” of life is continuing it in God’s Heavenly Kingdom… The “answer” to every question is Jesus (that is always the safe Sunday School answer)… The “question” to how to live life is following Jesus. He knows the Way – being the Way the Truth and the Life.

The expanded question is… Why wouldn’t we want all the God wants for us? I want this, and pray you do as well. Confirm one’s election sure. By God’s Divine Power, Peter surely did have this education, and so do we.

Amen to the Answer!

Thank You, Lord Jesus, Your Holy Spirit, and God Our Father Almighty! God, Three in One. (This would make a great sticker wouldn’t it?)

Amen

———–

2 Peter 1:3-11

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Son of Man, FULFILLED

Stand in the Gap – that’s a position no one would do in the time of rebellious Israelites about to be put away to Babylon for punishment, with Ezekiel speaking out the judgment from God against them. Then God said no one would stand in the GAP, but someone, a BIG Someone could and would. JESUS came to stand in the gap for all of us, for each of us.

And we know Jesus as forever present, forever God, not an afterthought of repair but a pre-positioned acceptance of purpose and plan. Jesus, a lamb slain before the foundation of the world, came to save it and knew how.

Jesus stood in the GAP to save. He stood on earth calling up to Zacchaeus who was in a tree – and Zacchaeus stood up to repent and give back what he stole in tax collecting. Jesus in Heaven was set to go to earth – and awaits the time now to come back from Heaven, awaiting His second coming. The Wall of strength we must stand on is Jesus. The Gap we must fill in ourselves is Jesus. The HOPE is that the SON OF MAN fulfilled the Gap in man – and we are saved in repent.

Repent – Intent – Heaven Sent

Amen

—

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God. Ezekiel 22:30-31

—

Luke 19:1-10 New King James Version

Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Lord Have Mercy, Ezekiel 21-22

Tough going – but tougher not going – that is both the readings and the writings about doomed Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s many many chapters – but the toughest is the Wrath of the Lord against this lot of sinners and ignorer-ers and armies raised for destruction – that is tougher to see than anything to read – and God means it!

A friend was watching the Hallmark Channel – loves that they all have happy endings – I don’t watch those shows – I know and understand the genre – but I am not going to watch them – and I am not going to sugar coat my readings of Ezekiel – it is TOUGH going reading – and yet I can look at it and say “not me” – WELL… We should not say that – because WE ARE the Ezekiels the Lord needs today. We should all say “maybe would have been me” – “maybe still me” – “maybe things that I hide and don’t let others see” – “BUT LORD FORGIVE ME!” – “Lord, I need You, Lord have Mercy. YES JESUS, THANKFULLY!”

Jesus is the Mercy we all make for in a plea.

In the writing of Ezekiel – handed down from the Lord – he talks about the sword coming against the nation of Jerusalem from Babylon – the king himself getting a false omen appearance that the Lord is putting into his hands – the Lord using evil for eventual good.

The Lord pouring wrath and yet making a path.

This path will restore their walk – but for now? Jerusalem must suffer and let Ezekiel talk.

Amen and here is talk of the Lord’s punishment (again).

Many chapters of the beginning of their end.

Lord have Mercy.

Amen

Ezekiel 21-22
New King James Version
Babylon, the Sword of God
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you. Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say:

‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.
And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of the slayer.’

“Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore strike your thigh.

“Because it is a testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
The scepter shall be no more,”

says the Lord God.

“You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And strike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their private chambers.
I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! It is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:

“Swords at the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your edge is ordered!

“I also will beat My fists together,
And I will cause My fury to rest;
I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.

‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, thus says the Lord God:

“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothing shall remain the same.
Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
Overthrown, overthrown,
I will make it overthrown!
It shall be no longer,
Until He comes whose right it is,
And I will give it to Him.” ’

A Sword Against the Ammonites
“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:

‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
While they see false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
Whose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.

‘Return it to its sheath.
I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
In the land of your nativity.
I will pour out My indignation on you;
I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy.
You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
You shall not be remembered,
For I the Lord have spoken.’ ”

Sins of Jerusalem
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.

“Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.

“Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Israel in the Furnace
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.’ ”

Israel’s Wicked Leaders
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

Isn’t He Just Telling Parables? Ezekiel 19-20, 11JUN

‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’ Well, yes and no – to God, parables are real – just a real way to explain things to people and make them think it thru – and remember it…

And we can say, ‘oh geez’ with the lost being lost – but the found being reminded to think of the efforts God put into finding. In the Old Testament, the lost bosses of the Babylon-bound lost Israelites, were not really wrapping their heads around the severity of the sentence God has for their judgement, exile, punishment. No one whole group could pull themselves completely out of sin. Ezekiel (God called him ‘Son of man’ as a prophet to speak to the people and their rulers) lays out God’s verdict in plain language in chapter 20, after a chapter 19 vivid portrayal of Israel as having a mother like a lioness rearing her cubs or as a vineyard bearing fruit plucked up and withering in dryness from disobedience.

The parables of the Bible (old testament and new) make people think, therefore the rough reality truth of chapter 20 should make people know!!! Perhaps the wayward rulers wanted to go back to parables instead of plain truth: “I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you”, declares the Sovereign Lord.” The consequences of the wandering in Moses’s time continued in the hearts of the people putting idols first, not listening to the prescribed remedy for obedience.

What about us? Ezekiel’s message reminds us of God’s Sovereignty and His Rule. We learn that God wants no one to worship falsely.

“‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” …. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. … I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.

We also learn of His Mercy!!! And He scattered the tribes of Israel rather than destroy them.

But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

Who can challenge the parables or the truth? No one. God’s lament over the lost becomes our lament too.

If we learn anything from the old testament, it is for us to listen to God and pray for those who aren’t. Amen to this – AND – I read the lyrics of a song in these scriptures – “With a Mighty Arm and an Outstretched Arm…” the song continues “His love with last forever” – the scripture mentions, however, His Wrath… Let us be remembering WHY God’s wrath was shown and stated – He want all to come to Him for this LOVE – God knows best – we best stick with God! Ezekiel said: Rebellious Israel Purged and the renewed. We know our Savior in Jesus – the renewal and the hope and the peace and the Way the Truth and the LIfe.

Amen Amen

—

Ezekiel 19-20 NIV

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

“Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother

among the lions!

She lay down among them

and reared her cubs.

She brought up one of her cubs,

and he became a strong lion.

He learned to tear the prey

and he became a man-eater.

The nations heard about him,

and he was trapped in their pit.

They led him with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,

her expectation gone,

she took another of her cubs

and made him a strong lion.

He prowled among the lions,

for he was now a strong lion.

He learned to tear the prey

and he became a man-eater.

He broke down their strongholds

and devastated their towns.

The land and all who were in it

were terrified by his roaring.

Then the nations came against him,

those from regions round about.

They spread their net for him,

and he was trapped in their pit.

With hooks they pulled him into a cage

and brought him to the king of Babylon.

They put him in prison,

so his roar was heard no longer

on the mountains of Israel.

“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard

planted by the water;

it was fruitful and full of branches

because of abundant water.

Its branches were strong,

fit for a ruler’s scepter.

It towered high

above the thick foliage,

conspicuous for its height

and for its many branches.

But it was uprooted in fury

and thrown to the ground.

The east wind made it shrivel,

it was stripped of its fruit;

its strong branches withered

and fire consumed them.

Now it is planted in the desert,

in a dry and thirsty land.

Fire spread from one of its main branches

and consumed its fruit.

No strong branch is left on it

fit for a ruler’s scepter.’

“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”

—

Rebellious Israel Purged

In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.

“‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

“‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’

“Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings. Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?’” (It is called Bamah to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.

“‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Prophecy Against the South

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. Say to the southern forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.’”

Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’”

Who is Worthy?

What changes in the Catholic church? The words in the responses – makes a 70’s Catholic journey tough – to stay up with the new things – like I tried at my friend’s mother’s services. I knew the routine – like the kneelers feel hard – still – and my knees got worse and worse – but the routineness of rout memorization is not routine for me any more – I can’t fake it…

And no way I was going to go up for that tasty wafer of communion – since they stated “no non-Catholics” – even if I was coveting the taste. I did not covet the routine anymore – but what did I LONG FOR? THE WORTHINESS.

The prayer is “Lord I am not worthy to receive you – but only say the Word and I shall be healed.” – They changed those words too – but really there is only One Worthy – Jesus. There are no other ways than the Way. The Word DOES heal – and the Word does Live. The Word of Jesus makes us worthy – and DOES NOT CHANGE.

So – don’t worry about the earthly worthiness of temporary – appreciate the worthiness of the Word – the Lord – and the Healing.

Who IS WORTHY? The One Who gives us His Worth!

Amen

Isaiah 57:1-2

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away, and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

You are My Planner, My Holy Planner

New song lyrics for ‘You are My Sunshine’ – based on the crazy volume of activities I have had this weekend – yesterday and Lord-Willing today. Disassembling and moving furniture, group activities, helping at a friend’s with recent knee surgery, outside and inside work, church and church meetings, shopping, baseball game, assembling furniture, laundry and more church stuff – and seeing how they all fell and will fall into place… it’s all good stuff, but hectic and yet the activities don’t fall, like a tetris pieces in a game, the weekend activities are a blessing of blessings, God fits them into place because He can see ahead. I even place my trust in Him to un-pick things not so fruitful. ‘Find out what pleases the Lord!’

For us it’s a crazy volume of intricate activities. Well ALL GOOD things are from God, right? (That includes sleep too!) So timing of life, people in our path, etc. So if things work out – it is all God, and listening to His suggestions before it becomes a mandate of crashing dates. Isn’t it better to watch Him fit things – and work at it – work at the listening!!!… ‘Find out what pleases the Lord!’

BE THANKFUL!!! (and be thankful for Monday too – some of us get to sit and work, whew!)

Here is my new lyrics Of “You are My Planner, My Holy Planner”… could write a lot of these verses!

You are the Planner, the Ultimate Scheduler.

You make things work out, un-busying fray.

You’ll ALWAYS know Lord, when I will need You.

Please don’t take my sanity away.

…

You are the Knower, the priority Sorter.

You weigh Your scales, Lord, upon my day.

You’ll make things GOOD Lord, Your knowing Way.

Please don’t take Your Light away.

Amen

—–

Ephesians 5:8-20

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

—

James 1, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

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

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

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

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

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

Listening and Doing
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Pop goes the Ease-ful Ear-ful

There are not enough hours in the day, but there ARE enough moments to ask God for directions.

My friend responded to a conversation about asking God to number our days. Here is her comment: “I have been working on asking the Lord about daily little things, like what to say before opening mouth, or what to take to the potluck supper. I spent more than 1/2 hour upon awakening trying to decide what to take basically because I really do not want to cook. I finally asked for forgiveness for wasting so much time thinking about it and asked Him. A little later, the best thing came into my mind. It was something I know my husband will love and not too hard to make. And it just popped into my head.”

Oh yeah… been there, experienced that… I totally appreciate God popping things in my head when I ask for not just the quick fix but also the means to make it all work. Even now, with less time in the morning to linger (with driving my daughter to her new job – a blessed time consumer as a mom), this email popped into my head to post… It’s like we struggle and struggle until we realize: God’s the One Who’s got THE answer and ALL the answers. Even especially for where we spend our time.

I finished up my 2 extra crabs outside last night, was it a waste of time? Probably not but it could have been a waste on Sunday because Sunday I was having lunch out with a 90yr old friend, scrubbing my daughter’s room for moving her back in, and driving someone somewhere (taking a breather from the moving chaos), then I got to have ice cream out, then back to last minute sorting. wHEw… (oh look there is HE in the wHEw – looks like Him coming out of water waves – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday? Work was the best pick and I finished up my experiments from a few extra hours back in my sabbatical lab. Happy to have that stuff done. Now just the presentation to finish.

So Saturday crabs was a best pre-pick, and Monday crabs was the best post pick. I picked crabs while decompressing the day, all while the cat was enjoying being outside anyway for over an hour and the bugs weren’t biting. I was checking in with God as I did all day – it was too hectic to not consult Him…

So we do wonder sometimes if that is OK, the time that we take for ourselves, whether making decisions or just relaxing. As long as we have not overdone it and indulge too much in leisure. Walk with Him as much, even more than sitting with Him.

Sometimes where we are, in holding places, is better than being where we are NOT supposed to be…

And like picking through these crabs. It’s not just the time for the tasty meat, it is the acknowledgement of processing time – like you have to use your mouth to figure out if there’s any shell pieces, right? It’s best not to rush that. Processing time – like vacation travel, it’s like beach time, it’s appreciated and appropriate if you put in your work time too.

One of the beautiful things about Heaven is that we will have plenty of time…

A little poem about time (living on God’s dime):

Taking this much time for eating food (especially crabs) is PICKY and TRICKY.

It’s like making decisions that could be STICKY.

But best to take the time, plenty of time, so things don’t get ICKY.

Life is not always flowing and breezy.

So God knows that ‘be still’ TIME is His Gift, a chance to talk easy.

His ideas, over our unknowns that make us queasy.

Pop goes the Ease-ful Ear-ful.

God’s Sovereign and Powerful.

His direction makes us THANKFUL!

Amen

wHEw…

God Fronts our Blessings

The Lord goes in FRONT of us, not just behind… He covers us where we are going BEFORE we get there or even start to go there, and I’m not JUST talking about Salvation, which is the MOST important coverage we have, and which gives one HOPE. On our most harried days, may we continue to remember He has thankfully already GONE AHEAD and has covered us with His Blood.

In addition, He went ahead FOR us and FOR all BEFORE the world was even begun. He went ahead to get us to see the proper path. And He went ahead so we could see the LIGHT that He IS.

So my EARTHLY EXAMPLE of a witness to “GOD KNOWS BEST”, is of God going in FRONT of my finances (we all need this): I SAVED instead of spending my tax refund – not knowing what for, but knowing maybe I needed it set aside. Maybe that’s not unusual for you folks, but it IS unusual for me!!! Especially as I WAS going to get some things fixed around the house and had the quote even. But/and then I just had this INTERESTING weird but PEACEFUL feeling that I should wait… WAIT… not for something bad but for something SHIFTED IN PRIORITIES… Not the want but the need… Oh to always remember we must follow by faith not sight. (Sometimes I do wonder if we prepare more for something bad then we prep for something GOOD… Yet, GOD HAS MORE GOOD PLANNED FOR US THAN BAD).

Anyway, I remember and say that the Lord does NOT drop the other shoe on us, and EVERY DAY with Him by our sides and all around and ESPECIALLY in FRONT, we are told NOT to worry… so I tucked the tax return away and waited.

Well, my tax return spending plan got a changed focus for sure… especially as my daughter’s graduation dinner approached, then to my car’s new tires $ and what-not$… and that normal $tuff, not bad, but $$$ little and big. Like sneaker$ for my son and then grocery $hopping for the returned graduate. And THEN, OH LORD, $omething not terrible, but $till an issue: the “UH-OH” of my paycheck being shorted… WOW… oops… oop$… Shorted monie$… this is the 1ST TIME IN OVER 25 YEARS for me! $hoot! It must have been a glitch – not specifically the sabbatical hours as they got entered, but something glitchy and forgotten coming back from the sabbatical. Ugh…

Yes, I got not paid for the regular hours, over half of them not paid… BIG OOPS… How unusual for me to see this on a Saturday too, but NOT unusual for us to feel this gut feeling that God put a wait on my actions months ago, holding onto the tax return. How could I know, but God was in the know and flow, God is the good and the go… oh…

God FRONTED me the money I needed and before I knew I needed it. The tax return (where I have always put in extra each paycheck as my house-fix savings for the last 20 years) is an earthly way where I have seen my prayers of COVERAGE yield fruit. The tax return became a cover of my back and front… happy earns!

I know they will fix this. I am not worried, I am thankful. Even HR and my boss were emailing on the weekend. I made no stink but just an “uh-oh” email, in which I actually wrote (a work email) of this witness of the Lord. If there’s anything we can do while waiting it is is PRAISE.

I know that not every foible, mine or others, will get fixed in this lifetime. I’m just grateful that the Lord could be giving us a heads up before we’re even looking… If there’s a fronting of blessings, why not be listening to the God who made it all happen.

Well… I will walk in faith today I pray, and watch things go His Way. It’s all going to be OK.

I thank God for bills which means life is happening. I thank God for work which means I can do stuff. I thank God for family I can take care of. And I thank God for Him, for His FRONT COVERAGE of LOVE.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

Amen

—

2nd CHRONICLES 20:14-22

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Detestable, Desperate, Despicable but Deliverable

It shows the depth of deception and indecent activities of the land of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16 – easier to listen to than to read (link below) – a land of people who forgot the blessings and guidance from Abraham to Jacob to Moses to Joshua to Judges to Kings David, Solomon, and kings/kingdoms divided – a land of people following God who forgot to keep following Him, now living with their scathing condemned condition for the adulterous prostitution of life that they carried out, there’s no sweet coating these accusations as the Lord, calling out the building sinfulness of Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s time.

Condemnable but Coverable by Covenant. The people would feel the shame of their bad shape, God saved anyway because God stays His same sane Love in a land of chaos life.

Finely adorned and adored became detestable, broken covenant, broken commands, broken attention, all seen by God, bringing God’s Wrath, Fury, and Anger – but God delivers a Deliverer, as Promised, in a New Covenant, Whom we know will come in Jesus. Jesus Won. It was Done.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed…”

Ashamed but Saved.

Detestable, Desperate, Despicable but Deliverable.

Done.

Amen

Listenable Link

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Ezek.16

Ezekiel 16

New International Version – UK

Jerusalem as an adulterous wife

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

‘“Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.

‘“Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

‘“I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace round your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.

‘“But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favours on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty. You also took the fine jewellery I gave you, the jewellery made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. Also the food I provided for you – the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat – you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.

‘“And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.

‘“Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbours with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.

‘“I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

‘“You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favours. So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favours. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

‘“Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood, therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked. I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery and leave you stark naked. They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.

‘“Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?

‘“Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Your elder sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

‘“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

‘“However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbours and the daughters of the Philistines – all those around you who despise you. You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’

Vine Us Back Lord, Ezekiel 15

This is like a short analogy, shortest to the point chapter. Jerusalem is worthless without God, we all are. At first I read this chapter of Ezekiel’s chastisement of wandering Idolaters of Jacob’s flock as ‘oh there’s a connection to Jesus as the Vine’ in the new testament. Then I read the chapter 15 (below) and realized it’s deep and pertains to today too, it’s that without God, the people are lost!!! Lost, and it’s that the vine, especially broken up, or used as a fire starter or anything else is going to burn them all – and life away from God is not working out for them – so God’s going to turn His face away and they will suffer even more…

So, I add thoughts of the ‘Vine and branches’ scripture from Jesus (John 15, also below) as contrast in growth and usefulness. Jesus as FORGIVENESS power revives and re-vines the fruitfulness of the people who follow Him. There were wandering people but made clean by the Word, Jesus, instilled in them. People and disciples then and now, made clean by Jesus. Jesus restores the usefulness of the vine.

Jesus even calls Himself the Son of Man like God called Ezekiel, and it’s a true moniker for being among the people. Jesus protects (think of Daniel’s description of Jesus in the fire with the three standing against King Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship him falsely), AND Jesus restores (a King, a true King, on David’s throne), AND Jesus is the inner fruitfulness to be expressed in each of us (I am the Vine, You are the branches, remain in Me)…

Jesus restores unfaithfulness, unfruitfulness, unrealized life.

Vine us back Lord.

Keep us growing for Your Work.

In Your Name, in Your Word, in Your Power, we pray.

Amen

—

Ezekiel Chapter 15 – Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

—

John 15 – The Vine and the Branches

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Local Flair – more parades and paintings and fresh air

I love the local parades. The old cars and old fire trucks and the old time feeling of people enjoying themselves – being outside of course… Yes, I love the neighborhood-ness with the friendliness of neighbors and even people whom you have never met… I try to get in the first parade, Saturday morning, to then have Sunday and Monday for parades too, weather and schedule permitting. So, I continued to sit after the parade yesterday morning for a good 10 minutes after it was done so that I could simply soak in the neighborhood feel a little more, take the moment while making my facebook post of all the cool photos – the emails etc. I send my photos to my friend who is a online local newspaper editor… Local-ness, I appreciate it here, I appreciate being local wherever you are. And today, a woman was happy to chat with me about her brother, a Vietnam Vet, in the parade. I don’t worry about going alone to parades, God always finds me someone to talk to! Yesterday after that extra stretch of time sitting, people came by with chairs and asked if the parade was about to start – but I sadly had to tell them it was already done – sad look on the young tween-age kids faces, so I am glad the Lord gave me the notion to hand them all the candy I collected (not needing any of it) – and saw the smile in the young lads face. nice. I handed the young lady the flag given to me and a few pieces of the candy too – and I thought: God must have delayed me on purpose… cool… (and as I walked back to my car I collected some more roadside candy – saw my favorite blue vanilla tootsie roll – yum… Satisfied!

In the afternoon I made it to my friend’s art gallery show where it was a showing of all “plein air” – painted outside – paintings of local buildings. And this local Patterson farmstead, now owned by a local conservatory art project group, where they host summer camps, there were all the old farm buildings and fields – oh, I felt like I was up home. Was so nice to have farmland less than five minutes from the hustle and bustle of this area. The trees that must be near two hundred years old, including a heritage magnolia twenty-one feet around. Fabulous. I hung around the farm a little bit longer after seeing the art and my friend, thinking that I would do some writing – but instead I found myself attending to their outdoor flowers, taking the dried blooms off of the pansies and petunias, which entices new blooms to grow. I took an opportunity to water the plants too. I enjoyed helping an obvious need. I love the flowers – especially pertaining to memorial day – flowers. Flowers are the personal delight for you in sight and in the giving. Memories are the personal touching moments that are natural to each of us. God made us soft-hearted on purpose – God gave us emotions to care and love – to feel and smile – to laugh and cry…

In my memory of the fallen, I know I have many just from this past year who have “gone ahead” – many. I also heard and saw the new-ness of a little baby yesterday – age 3 and a half weeks, out at that farm – and held a 6 month old baby today – bursting with energy… New life abounds in these times – new life comes always with blessings and gives us focus to keep going. We don’t always see our relatives who are distant – but often we are given new life moments HERE – locally – in our sights. We can share our love locally for distant hearts.

And this brings me to my devotion for this Memorial Day Sunday – that God went LOCAL… He moved not a distant love but ALL His love to local. Yes – God sent Jesus here – local on earth and even in our hearts – for our hustle and bustle and for our limitedness of local. Jesus came to us. Came to save and not condemn – came to our place – which is His place to be in our hearts. Jesus came to simply be with us and in all complexity to save us. God went local, still does.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17

I hope to return to this farm, if not today then soon. And I do plan on more local parades – in between the raindrops we hope. I love my tourist in my own town” feeling too. I saw a little boy in the latest parade and as young as he was, he greeted the crowds with enthusiasm – knowing his ability to wave from a firetruck was just as cool as to wave to a firetruck. Sometimes we are in our own parades of fun too – and Jesus, He is holding the banner of LOVE while we wave.

Amen and God Bless local living – local flair and fresh air…

Memorial Day prayers – Life and all that…

Ah – Memorial Day weekend – oh how I feel like resting not working, but I know that my yard calls to me – will do that first and then later – maybe – will tackle the garden – but not yet – that bug has not quite bit me – but the flower beds do… Flowers are traditionally planted on Memorial Day weekend – for the living and for the fallen.

Oh how unbelievable war is – and this Memorial Day we honor those who have fallen in war – we remember all of our loved ones no longer with us – it is time for flowers and parades. Parties and picnics too… And even my old friends camping in Gettysburg this weekend are doing civil war reenactments… We have a nostalgia for the past. However we have failing memories of the present, we really do. If our news cycle is spinning somewhere else, we forget about the current challenges – I certainly do…

A friend asked me, at work, to help with making a thank you for some children in the Ukraine to boost their spirits – to thank them for gifts that they made our site which were their way to say thank you for some donations – including cleaned up equipment donated to a school. These children are the future and we forget the hardships there and practically everywhere – not everyone forgets but if I forget then others must forget too… So for me to be the “photographer”, this was the smallest slice of my energy to send prayers and well wishes to those kids in war. Lest we forget that EVERYONE needs our encouragement.

And it IS easy to forget far away places when it is so beautiful and peaceful in our pockets of peace here. Just like last week, when in the center of the city, when I helped with a community garden, the peace was punctuated with birds chirping – having the airspace and trees to roam. Our children too need these places, places like schools and clubs, neighborhoods and church activities… We raise our kids and then we forget about the other kids… I don’t know the answer to this but to keep praying… We can’t fix the world but we can fix-up the small places we live in. We can pray-forth the people we can’t touch.

Another prayer would be for those times that we must put distance and not closeness into our lives – for people whom we purposefully don’t have contact with – and know it is for the best – everyone has long stories of these times. And this “healthy” separation of life brokeness can only be placed into God’s Hands. Thanking God for the buffer and asking His forgiveness for the fracture – and knowing there is good space in buffer of space and time and moving on… Another reason that we need God Himself to be our healing force – we can’t do it ourselves and there are times we don’t want to do it – but one day – if not today – and often it is not today – God’s forgiveness will reign. We can try to tap into that if we can’t muster it ourselves.

And a last prayer (for this blessed quiet morning) is for the acknowledgement of the challenges that the Lord has gotten us over in the past and therefore we must remember He will get us through the ones in our future – near future and distant future. He will heal wounds, He will preserve peace with a restoration and not a quick fix, He will rule and reign and return. All knees will bow.

Let us bow our hearts in praise, hurt, humility, and hope. Where we can only fathom peace, God IS Peace.

God bless ALL!

Amen

I Will Save My People, Ezekiel 13-14 and now

“Don’t go with the crowd” – it’s good to go the Way of the Lord in your unique way with Him. If you know that it’s a bad way, don’t go along, stop and pray it out, listen to your gut, and ask forgiveness for where and when life gets confusing. GOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF A JAM, and be whole FRUITFUL once again.

Ezekiel was the educator example teacher prophet for Jerusalem sons and daughters of Jacob who lost their way, being ignorant of God’s commands. Ezekiel reminded: Don’t be a false prophet or an idolator listening to them… The one who goes astray is just as guilty as the one who pulls them astray. Ezekiel was tasked: Tell the people to LISTEN to God – God says “I will save My people”…

Ezekiel also reminded the people that they could not be saved by associations – even the holy people of Noah, Job and Daniel were to be saved but their sons and daughters could not be saved by just being offspring and associated to the holy men. Each person needs their OWN relationship with our saving God.

Repentance is Real. Wash CLEAN white instead of whitewashing false.

WE HAPPILY AND JOYFULLY HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS. Instead of whitewash to cover unsightly things (like Ezekiel spoke of), we have His ability to wash us, as sinful people, WHITE AS SNOW.

God said He would spread the word through Ezekiel “to recapture the hearts of the people” – we now have the Word, Jesus, to regather us.

Let us rejoice and be glad – our Repent opportunity is Heaven sent!

Amen

Audio:

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Ezek.13

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Ezek.14

Ezekiel 13-14

False prophets condemned
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, ‘The Lord declares’, and expect him to fulfil their words. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, ‘The Lord declares’, though I have not spoken?

‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

‘“Because they lead my people astray, saying, ‘Peace’, when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, ‘Where is the whitewash you covered it with?’

‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: in my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

‘Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.

‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practise divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.”’

Chapter 14 – Idolaters Condemned
Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

“‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

“‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.

“Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.

“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Exile Yourself Ezekiel – Ezekiel 12

Do you ever feel like you’re living as an example to others? To aware of others watching us in normal life and to know we are Christians by our love. It’s our living out an exile here on earth, apart from complete reconciliation with the Lord which will complete us one day. Showing not signs of the times but LOVE. God is love, so to show love, mercy, kindness is to show God. We can show the future of reconciliation even if the world is not there yet.

In Ezekiel’s time, He also had to show the future – but a harsh one for disobedient Jerusalem-living Israelites bound for Babylon. He had to work his calling as an example. Ezekiel play acted out the prophecies, not just speak them.

‘They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

Interestingly, as God calls Ezekiel ‘Son of man’, Jesus calls Himself that when He came. Jesus demonstrated the love as well as the authority as well as chosen exile into a broken world, until the time God appointed the fulfillment of the Scriptures and Jesus being raised from the dead. It is forgiveness fulfillment’s finest hour.

The fulfillment of a Savior came, and Jesus will come again and fulfill the rest of the prophecies – all in God’s Timing. The remnants are in place, the gathered are gatherable. Let us live out our time as knowing we are LOVED… and keep moving too.

Amen

—

Again, love David Suchet, who was a TV actor in BBC dramas, a good way to listen to the scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Ezek.12

Ezekiel 12

The exile symbolised
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

‘Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people. During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites.’

So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, “What are you doing?”

‘Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: this prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.” Say to them, “I am a sign to you.”

‘As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.

‘The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. I will scatter to the winds all those around him – his staff and all his troops – and I will pursue them with drawn sword.

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. Say to the people of the land: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: they will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’

There will be no delay
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: “The days go by and every vision comes to nothing”? Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.” Say to them, “The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfil whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’

The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, the Israelites are saying, “The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.” ‘Therefore say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: none of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’

Now What? A Sermon for the Holy Spirit Help

Here is the sermon I was blessed to preach yesterday – thank you for reading and absorbing.

Scriptures:

John 21:15-19 Jesus Reinstates Peter

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven (early chapter written by Luke)

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

I thought starting this sermon – WOW – just like my sermon last time – WOW asks: What’s my Witness???!!! And WOW “What a busy week!”, I thought: “how am I going to find time to focus on a sermon?” – well thankfully God found my nooks and crannies of time – to work on witnessing His Word… and WOW – I surely have a witness of His goodness in letting me march thru this week and keep marching…

Well of course there are many who are in tough spots – so we count our blessings – and there are plenty of down times that I am not going to dwell on now – the truth is that we MUST keep marching thru life – the good and the bad – that is Truth – and the sermon is going to be about continuing our Journey with Jesus – this time speaking about OUR WALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT = and talk about a KICKSTART – WOW – it is the Holy Spirit which fuels our WOW.

Yes, I can say that if it seems that I am running on Holy Spirit fumes – it’s because I am… And so to fuel myself and us, I want to start with this scripture from James – knowing that James too was able to experience the grace and mercy and Holy Spirit of his brother Jesus – realizing it after being sent the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s Advocate forever.

James wrote that: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18

Yes – every gift – especially for us to remember today when we celebrate the beginning of Pentecost – the birth of the church – the impetus to go out and share the Word – that the HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF is our GIFT – a gift to the disciples and gift to us. Now everyday is a journey with Jesus because we have the Holy Spirit in our midst.

And SO a sermon about Jesus after resurrection and about the Holy Spirit is not “hard” – even if I am running on ‘Holy Spirit fumes’ – because it is the Holy Spirit Himself feeding lines and the time to write them… it’s a flow, it’s a flow WE NEED TO TAP INTO: we are blessed “to be in the know”. This sermon is called “NOW WHAT?” – because we do have to figure out what to do as we follow Jesus. And I should have named the sermon “Guess What?” because we don’t know what God has around the corner for us to work on – but we DO know that He goes with us and He equips us with our tools and gifts to work in the world. Even Jesus said: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses – … to the ends of the earth.”

So the song that triggered my refocus over the course of the last week was from Godspell – “All good things around us – are sent from heaven above”… YES!!! And how can we not also praise the rain getting us all this green and the soon to be fruits of the summer – and our lives – and praise getting over those bad allergies this year – which of course showed how our bodies are working but ugh! So we will praise getting over the allergies and moving onto BEAUTIFUL spring weather, flowers and leaves abound… All good things … The song goes:

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land..
But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand..
He sends us snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain…
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain…

All good gifts around us – Are sent from Heaven above – So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love…

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life our health our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!

All good gifts around us – Are sent from Heaven above – So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love…

It’s paramount that we thank the Holy Spirit – thank Jesus – thank God – and as we are thinking of Jesus post Easter, we are to still think always of HOW He demonstrated the greatest gift of laying down His life – yes His actions expressed and completed God’s Grace Plan. When we are appreciating this great gift of GRACE, it is of FORGIVENESS – this is the WHY that Jesus came – because we can become closest to God in all His Almighty Love in the forgiveness of His GRACE brought by His Love. It is a costly grace, freedom is not without cost to God Himself, making this choice to sacrifice BEFORE the world began – and JESUS was in on the plan – not some pawn in the plan but JESUS AND the HOLY SPIRIT and GOD the Father – all three in our Holy Trinity – put this plan into play – knowing how it wins our relationships back to God – that is why we needed and need the Holy Spirit today – to get us individually to that reconciliation point and then keep marching forward. Jesus post resurrection walked the earth to teach and reconcile – He still does it today in our witness of the Holy Spirit God moving – in us and in others around us.

Reconciliation is real and active and participatory and necessary.

Reconciliation is Holy Spirit Conviction without the condemnation.

Reconciliation is a GIFT of Mercy and Grace.

Think about Peter’s reconciliation, Peter denying Jesus, three times that we know of… Peter impetuous and rash – he sank not only in his walking on the water, but sank deep into denial, fear, self-justification, and pride on that night of betrayal. “Oh not me! I didn’t mingle with him, I didn’t follow him!” – yeah… how fear overcomes us too, even when we DO know that we KNOW the Lord. Peter’s denial is 3 times but now hear the Reconciliation of Jesus also 3 times: Do you love me Peter? Oh yes Lord… Feed my sheep. Peter was not just reconciled to feel better, to get back into fellowship, “aww, it’s OK” but PETER specifically was reconciled for a mission: Feed my sheep. Jesus does tells many of us to “FEED MY SHEEP” – a spiritual feeding of knowledge of Jesus – to WITNESS.

I ALSO appreciate in this beach breakfast scene – a segment which moves the conversation from why to how and especially WHO – When Peter saw John, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

In this. Jesus has a conversation with Peter about John which indicates that Jesus is clearly saying to Peter: “[STAY IN YOUR LANE]” – “[What is it to you how he lives or dies early or late – what is it to you about his mission – YOU HAVE YOUR OWN]” – and Peter was even told by Jesus the method by which He would die – In other words the message to us all is “[Do what God has picked for you to do and don’t worry about the others]” !!! A job (jobs) given by the Holy Spirit to each of us is/are unique and God directed, our lives can be spent in giving Him Praise – and of course what we are blessedly tasked with is not just a job but a mission…

And our mission is to follow Jesus. Not necessarily to make it all 100% better in the world, although we are blessed to share and help best we can, the mission that we are being tasked with is to follow Jesus…

But without Jesus in flesh, how??? – He ascended – so are we now going to go it alone? NO…. WOW…. NO !!!

WOW – not alone – How about that Holy Spirit? Yeah – WOW – Holy Spirit is the Jesus Advocate for us in the world of people – and we do know the image of fire and tongues when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples – but we must remember that the Holy Spirit comes again and again for us to have a fresh filling – to fall onto others too – to help us when we ask that questions “Now What?!”

I had a moment about 9 years ago now – crucial to my understanding of the Holy Trinity, 3 in One, in a continual awakening to ask: WHY? WHY Jesus Why Holy Spirit, Why? What is that we need to know from Jesus’s time on the earth” – on our ground. Well, there was something that I found “on the ground” – I found a piece of paper, likely from a Bible class, on the ground in a front pew (and weird as no one ever sits in a front pew at my old church) –that day I was being an usher and cleaning up. Well it was reference to a scripture in John 16 which has totally changed me and I how I thought about Jesus and His mission and the Holy Spirit – this paper (from the ground) taught me, led me… Found me where I was – on the ground – and I am certain that I was led to find it. THIS IS HOLY SPIRIT at work – this is the leading that we are following – the Word that God is leaving out for us to find, ingest, remember, live by – and not return to God void. We are living out our lives WITH the Holy Spirit to fill that void that is the life on earth today.

SO Jesus spoke to His disciples three parts in John 16:

First:

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

OOOOHHHHHH… THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR… SO it wasn’t just “sad that the people killed Jesus before His time – wasn’t just “bad luck” of bad people in the world – it was PART of the PLAN – to use even evil for good… AND WOW “unless I go away – the advocate – meaning the Holy Spirit – won’t come”… it was a path and a plan…

Second. Verses 8-10: When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

SATAN IS CONDEMNED!!!

Third – found in verse 12-15: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Holy Spirit points to Jesus, advocates, brings us back to Him, it’s good… all good things around us, are sent from heaven above…

Jesus says:

1) I have to go.

2) The world has people who need to understand Who I am and Why I came. And now Satan is condemned

3) The Holy Spirit will help you, tell you what to say when time is come, SO YOU even in your brokenness can hear from God, FROM Jesus, from Holy Spirit directly TO you – to move you – to witness and encourage – to help and hope.

It’s NOT about fixing the world – It’s about FEEDING the world – feeding the world with Living Water, the Bread of Life, it is not necessarily about fixing the world but about leading the world to Jesus. Jesus will not fix the world without first bringing human beings to God first and asking us to be pouring our fruits of the spirit to the world to share – all in order to point back to Him.

And here is just one more interesting thing about the Holy Spirit – demonstrating power – John was an old old man when he wrote down his gospels – he lived until his 90s – John also must have told stories in many age groups and throughout his long life – John ALSO took Mary under his household and therefore her stories were also recorded by the likes of Luke the physician. And John was exiled on Patmos – and he had visions come to him all about heaven and the vividness of his writing is amazing is in the Book of Revelation – of how Jesus returns and how the world ends and how we are taken to a new Jerusalem – new life – amazing life reconnected with God – without us showing blemish thanks to Jesus forgiveness. JOHN was on that unique path of what Jesus was talking out – the Holy Spirit led following of Jesus even after He is gone from earth – the “[what is it to you, Peter, in how he lives and dies?]” –“[Stay in your lane, Peter]” moment on that beach eating fish.

Yes – in Acts 1 first verses, Luke, the physician, writing from eyewitness accounts of everyone from Peter to Paul and unnamed people, wrote to his mentor Theophilus about so many moments about Jesus interacting with regular people as well as His disciples. That knowledge of Jesus ALSO came thru the Holy Spirit… How else would we know what Jesus did and taught – Holy Spirit remined what happened the day Jesus was taken up to heaven – because imagine that you would need some Holy Spirit help too in writing any of the gospels details after you are completely in awe of a resurrection and then ascension!

Also in Acts 1, Luke wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. [YES JESUS ALSO GOT HOLY SPIRIT HELP] After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

And here is another way of how the apostles, including Peter, were so human – just like us – and can we blame the apostles for asking human questions? The disciples asked in Acts – JUST before Jesus was taken up to heaven – that age old question – a fall back into to the old vision of a savior king – a Christ – a Messiah? Fix fix fix… “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

SO here is THEIR ASK: time “to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [THAT IS US TOO!] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

WOW – there was some understanding for Jesus’s mission and even yet – after all this time – it was not just a restoration of a kingdom – it was a restoration of a RELATIONSHIP between Jesus and PEOPLE – between Jesus and the Jews yes but also Jesus and the Gentiles – and to the Gentiles and to the rest of the world… Jesus and everyone – how is that knowledge going to get out? US – we are His Hands and Feet.

We also need to be the eyes of the Holy Spirit – and look for Jesus to come back – as we have hope in His return – we also have work to do here on earth – on the ground… If one continued to read the book of Acts – you would hear about the Acts of the Apostles and the people they meet and the places they went. We are the recipients of these travels – that is how the Word of Jesus got to us – because the HOLY SPIRIT is moving the Word with continued sharings… Holy Spirit action is in the re-pointing back to Jesus.

Now think of these opportunities!!! Think how God is placing opportunities right in front of you to both help and specially to witness!!! We CAN think about these things in JOY – even sometimes hardship times. I think about those times that we see people who have lost everything in a tornado or flood or fire and are just thankful to be alive – they see the losses but better than that they see the gains! And we are to think back to the many tough situations that our brothers and sisters in Christ are in – some under persecution even now against living their true faith, brought to them by the Holy Spirit – think how they could be martyred killed and how yet they still witness to Jesus.

In closing – which is a new beginning, I offer thought and action – I think of these little cards that you can get with scripture verses as Holy Spirit miniatures like those chocolate miniatures – bite sized– and even thankful for big handouts like we got at our prayer gathering – BIG handouts from the Lord… Ready to be placed in the right hands by the Holy Spirit… we will continue to be the boots on the ground as Jesus was risen up. A little card itself helped me find the end of this long-winded but hopefully Holy Spirited sermon: From David, Psalm 143:10 –

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Amen – and please pray with me: May we know Lord, You ARE with us always – advocating for us – leading us – working the WOWs of Your Work – may we see the paths ahead of us – one step at a time – without our worry – just our willingness to be led and fed – to now feed and lead. AMEN

Fearfully and Wonderfully – Ezekiel 6

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. PSALM 139:14

I KNOW THAT FULL WELL!!!!

My knees still creak but my tennis elbow? Hmmmm. 6 months later I can saw WOW, it’s tremendously improved, noting this after I grabbed laundry without fear of pain. I powered through life, but the underlying healing powers were powered by God in God’s Timing.

Yes, I wore my brace faithfully after the doctor said “you really have to do that, for A MONTH!” Yeah, not just now and then – so I wore it for nearly 2 months… and last few weeks I have misplaced it now, I realized the HEALING… it was a process. I had to plug into the process and not remain idle just watching. I was an active participant in God’s Plan. And I’m JUST talking about my elbow!

So life? Well, wow! This spring day, as my allergies have abated and pollen has petered out, I praise. Next week, I won’t even remember the bother, like not remembering the elbow. BOTH were the worst ever and are now almost afterthoughts… That’s the wonderful in wonderfully made. The sheer intricacies of life and activities are miracles of God. Wonderfully made, orchestrated and tweaked.

Fearfully made too, what does that mean? Fear as in AWE, like how my daughter and I are spitting images to some but I see all the contrasting traits, from the hair to the other aspects… Fear as in Ouch, like how things can go down so fast in health or be taken in a moment. Fear as in placing ourselves and our loved ones out into a dangerous world as well as into a dangerous peer pressure internally. Fearfully as God controls it all, as in the readings from Elijah 6, God has power!!!

I know FULL WELL, to appreciate not the leniency of God, but the MERCY. The ability to approach Jesus for forgiveness is to know GRACE. To remember that the AWESOME power of God can change life because He created it, is a stance we all drift from. We forget but God doesn’t change. HE IS STILL ALL POWERFUL and ALMIGHTY… just as Ezekiel for an unrepentant and unruly Israel of the day… just believe God’s correction in His Reasoning… remember even Jesus came out of a flawed human line of people saved for this purpose, there were saved few. Jesus brought Heaven to Earth, as Earth, also wonderfully made, could not rise back to God’s level… God’s Goodness is Heaven sent, we partake THANKFULLY.

Amen (and thank you Lord for the Blessings and MERCY of today).

Ezekiel 6 New King James Version

Judgment on Idolatrous Israel

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. “Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. Thus will I spend My fury upon them. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. So I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

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 fast. 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.

God in the Love of Mothers

Here is my more serious devotion about God’s love – even in a broken world… Keep sharing the love my friends!!!

I passed a church sign this week and even heard somebody else say this recently: ‘there is no greater gift than that of our mother’ hmmm…. And although I appreciate the sentiment, I cringed at the church’s rephrase of a scripture so crucial – the scripture actually is: “there’s no better gift than to lay down One’s Life for One’s friends”, Jesus speaking about His role as Jesus, a mission in God’s Plan… this really was Jesus speaking, recorded in the gospel of John 15:12 and 13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Mother’s love is immense – and yet God is even Bigger… Imagine that – wow…

So Jesus commands us to LOVE and accept LOVE and be LOVE and give LOVE. Love is sacrificial and a whole, given as love willing to be sliced into pieces to spread out… Love is a whole delivered in pieces.

Well love, being God, never changes, so it becomes shared or not. God shared it to the max. We decide how much to give. Jesus wants us to give love until it hurts. Mothers do understand this. And we can never give as much love back as our mothers gave us, so instead we all should pay it forward, love it forward…

I feel this love and hurt too as a mom, blessed by my kids for sure and by my mom too – and in this life, don’t we also always feel the brokenness of human love, the human-stretched cracked broken chunks of love separated and scattered in this world? Knowing brokenness too well, we long for the gamut of wondering for our own children’s expressions of love back towards us, but perhaps we could instead just know our love was never wasted. Perhaps we are people who wanted to mother but never had the opportunity, or we are mothers who have had hard times showing the love because something broke in relationships somewhere. There are children growing in love but unable to bridge the original gap of a parenting relationships, either on purpose for good-enough reasons or things not under their control. Best to let it rest…. With brokenness, the hurt is there. The hurt we collectively could ache for those going through the hurt. Imagine new losses, Imagine old.

But Imagine healing in our forever hopeful futures.

The love of God is always there, God loves for restoration with restorative love. Jesus loves and His Holy Spirit allows us new mercies each morning to love more, better, well, whole. And to accept His love too.

Perhaps today if we cultivate love in whomever we meet, whether with our kids or mother or not, and cultivate love and share love to share God’s Love, we can create the healing over any hate. If anything a mother could give, it would be to give into love.

God is in the love of mothers whose love is great, let us remembering GREATER WHOLENESS in the love of God, for us, for everyone, for bearing fruit, for healing of the people and nations, for ever.

Love forever is seeing in a Mother’s love for her children and in God’s love for ALL HIS CHILDREN – a love willing to share…

Amen

Happy Mother’s Day, today.

Happy God Love Day, everyday !!!

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” Jesus speaking to apostles and to us, in John 15:11-18

Confess the Bless

I must CONFESS the BLESS.

God got me through and God got me all the rest… it’s Him I profess.

4 week work professional development sabbatical, days 1-8 were learning and watching, 2 days off for a 4day weekend of a blessed retreat, then days 9 to 18 were 10 days of amazing lab time. I set up a chair in the corner of lab A, later moved to labs C and D, and thought through math math math… and worked and recorded and loved every minute of it!

It was the best of times it was the worst of times… The best was unstructured time, no pressure but planning to be as busy as possible in the lab for the last two weeks of this sabbatical – I wanted to work and I know how to work and I love to dig down and work – and learn learn learn learn. The worst of times was the terrible allergies, but with the grace of God I powered through sneezes with tissues tissues medicine coughing hacking and now – after the many days of rain – today, I can breathe FINE. Whew… rested so well too.

It’s keeping going in the mix, and finding God’s strength FIX.

There’s so much I could obsess about the mess and STRESS… But today 2 weeks later, I MUST CONFESS THE BLESS!!!

I got there because God is helping me number my days and pushing me when I dilly dally.

I worked long hours, because God gave me the strength.

I structured my unstructured time, because God gave me the platform.

I asked because God gave me this brain.

I waited because God gave me this heart.

I worked because God gave me this body.

I prayed because God gave me this soul.

I smiled because God gave me reason, joy, and a vision to enjoy.

I must CONFESS the BLESS!

Now to enjoy each day as it comes for the rest….

Rest…

Treasure the Light of His Way

This is not simply a diamond in the rough story, not so simple because diamonds have to be cut and polished anyway AND because not everyone is filled with flawless beauty, well NO ONE is, so don’t condemn yourself for not being so…

So, I have been thinking about this geode filled with quartz that was a gift from a new friend, a seasoned geologist, who gave it to me today. Yes, this geode rock is filled with shimmery quartz, and she hammered this piece open to reveal the treasure in the light of day. I had really never talked to her before this – it was just sort of the polite smiles in church when we saw each other. So, I found it interesting timing and a God-for-sure-intervention that last week, when after I gave my sermon (about witness and if we didn’t praise that the rocks would cry out – and told the story of my friend who prayed while wandering to find home as her guide dog was not in harness, and she ran into some familiar rocks which signaled to her the way to go) that this polite smiling person HAD to speak to me – that she EXCITEDLY told me that she was a geologist and she had been bringing rocks to our friend’s son each week at church – SO COOL… And then this week, again so cool, that she was all talkative and showed me lots of rocks she had tumbled to shiny-ness, and then gave me the geode. Sweet. This broke-open rock was and is beautiful – but what was MORE beautiful was the SHINE I felt and heard in her smile and friendliness and openness. BEAUTIFUL!

Isn’t that the blessing of finding new friends – of finding out new things about people, about finding common interests, and about just seeing the SHINE in their souls to be shared. I find this to be the case over and over again – and with so many. I avow that as my mom says: “There are nice people everywhere!” – TRUE!

One other nice person that brings me joy when I see him, is our local homeless institution of a fellow: Mike. I often was seeing him before the weather got cold and last fall promised him I would bring him a lawn chair – but never saw him all winter. So, as a friend told me she saw him, I kept an eye out and sure enough he was at a local place along our main road this afternoon. So, after I ate my lunch, I packed a little extra for him and headed out with the chair – and best yet, I sat in the chair to chat with him for about 15 minutes. Mike knows me by sight – calls me the ‘singing church lady’ – and always has a smile… Mike is unique and never seems to ask for anything – unless you ask and then he does share the certain things that would help him – like the chair. Not that there is any room in the shelters (there really isn’t as they are filled with kids and moms), but we know Mike is a loner. Social, but a loner, not into living under a house with house rules – he just wants to stay out of the rain if possible. So, of course because of his friendliness, people shower Mike with gifts. It is both our wanting to help and make it all good, but it is also fitting Mike into cultural norms that don’t always work for everyone… Well, I do appreciate Mike as a role model of joy in perserverence. As I was sitting there, among his couple grocery carts worth of stuff, a man named Al came by and brought Mike a big bag of deli food and drinks. Mike does share with others he sees in the homeless camps. He believes in the “pass it on” mentality. Me too.

And Mike’s smiles and openness are the TREASURE in interacting with him – good encouragement, good affirmation of ideas, plans, and excitement in life. He is also a man of faith and we have intriguing interesting conversations there too… I know that the lawn chair (which I picked up from a neighbor’s trash in decent working order) – and the other items Mike has – will likely not last and may be removed by a yet-again move of his living corner in this region. These possessions are functional and temporary – just like everything we have too.

So – treasure – Jesus said don’t store up worldly treasures – but put your hope on treasure in Heaven. Treasure is found in the Spirit of the person brought to the light of day – God-polished rather than world-bruised. Treasure is the Shine that you may not have seen before. Treasure is in the ample hope given to us that we should share. Treasure is the moment that is placed in front of you to live in. Treasure is the JOY in your heart – and that of the Lord breaking through you to shine His Glory to the world.

Treasure is the Light of Day – the Light of His Way. Let us share the Joy of life and love. And no matter what, keep smiling!

Amen

Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Be Authentic

What a wonderful piece of advice – a meme I copied – “You have never been in this exact moment so you don’t have to pretend like you know exactly what to do.”

TRUE

And often when I feel awkward or look silly or whatever – I wonder “Why Lord?” – “What Lord?” – and “How do I get out of this, Lord?”

That is what I felt like when I knocked something down at the dinner table – the FANCY dinner table – with new-to-me colleagues – and just that crazy inkling that I was supposed to be more FANCY than myself… Well….. NO…. and at least I didn’t knock over a drink or anything – maybe it was just my phone or something like silverware – see I don’t even remember – but no harm no foul except for 2 seconds of embarrassment.

You know what? God did NOT make us wonderful in His Image to stay embarrassed and worry about 2 seconds of embarrassment compared to a LIFETIME of just being ourselves… BE AUTHENTIC in everything you do…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

YES – If we can’t be ourselves (of course trying to be our best selves) then who should we be? Let us just be ourselves! It is our flaws that leads us to follows of Him, which God uses – AND it is our leaning on Him that God appreciates.

One thing that always interested me was that I was born to not be this person or that person – but born to be me!!! God is in charge of personalities – but we are in charge of SHINE best we can (and closing our mouth when we best)…

Well, I am not always that person of shying away from talking – hardly never – but I have learned to lean in – to listen out – to pray purposefully. I thank the Lord for any new experience – and especially for ones that He leads me to…

Amen

“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.” Psalm 139:14-18

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10

WOW – What’s Our Witness? SERMON OF TRUST AND WITNESS OF JESUS!

So Very blessed to share my sermon today which was well received – and a miracle happened – both Liane and I showed up to church EARLY – probably because I was preaching about Liane and she had to make sure I did OK!

BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John 20:19-31 NIV

Jesus Appears to His Disciples – On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas – Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel – Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Sermon 14APR – “WOW – What’s Our Witness?”

I had all the parts of this sermon swirling in my head and also sorta on paper for there were stories I knew would go great with the scriptures – and then also when writing last night I was thinking “well, news is posting about drones coming from Iran to Israel – and how much little impact that was having on me at the moment where I was – and yet has great impact in many lives – in lives we will never meet – and yet how usual for these days but unusual in times past would one have “pre-knowledge” of not just what kind of weapons folks had – but of when they were launched – and would have thought there would be the ability to intercept the missiles and shoot them down (hopefully) – and they DID shoot then down last night – they have like a GPS tracking and GPS zoning in – and so, after that one attack was done, I flipped back to my “regularly scheduled programs” which was the other browser tab on the laptop and I restarted watching the TV shows I was watching… I thought how funny that I got to sit there and both know it and ignore it at the same time and “check back later”… even go to bed… even do frivolous things plus important things too, like pull together this sermon… Really isn’t it funny the known that we “get” to ignore wars because they are not close by… Well, forgive me for not delving into world issues that I can’t solve – at least not solve in an hour – and allow me to step aside from the tragedies of the day to look at and expound upon these most important scriptures from John about “Journeying with Jesus” for the next few minutes because in this, I pray that we realize that we are really really really blessed in His guidance and His blessings seen – and especially blessings unseen… We are created to praise God – even in unknown times.

I have called this sermon “What’s Our Witness” “WOW” – because we should be filled with the WOWs of our experiences and understandings on this “Journey with Jesus” and then even more wow-ed by faith in things that we will never be able to understand in this lifetime and here – hoping to understand more when we are face to face with God. And yet – I know that we are experiencing God ALL THE TIME without seeing Him… aren’t we?… We are experiencing Him thru the Holy Spirit Who helps us understand. We do and should witness AMAZING things – big and small –

Unseen – sometimes the unknown scares us – we should rely on God to help understand Him better – understand He lives for the LOVE that He is and wants to give… Certainly the ancients, people of Moses’s time would have thought seeing the face of God would make them die… Well, some ancients DID see God in various forms – the burning bush for Moses – he believed didn’t he? The cloud filling the temple Solomon built – they knew that was God. And Jacob wrestled with God – ouch my hip hurts too – I wrestle with God too much.

I was returning to the book of Lamentations in the old testament – about the exile that people were forced into by the hands of the Babylonians – and here people were forced to look to God to plea: “I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life….”

So – we also can call in this manner and we DO know this redemption – for eternal life – because we have learned and experienced this great day of Easter – of Jesus rising to save us -and from the scriptures we have just heard, we are to remember our redemption and believe – even without seeing…

Collectively we can remember God’s faithfulness – especially because Jesus came – and like the poet in Lamentations, we too can reflect that we too are saved:

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lam 3:19-26

How AMAZING now for Jesus Himself to come to earth to be seen and for those that Easter day like on the Walk to Emmaus disciples to see the scriptures come to fruition? They did not know it was Jesus – all the while the walked and talked – all the while the scriptures were opened up to them – they did not know even though they saw HIM – and walked with Him for 3 years – they ONLY knew Jesus when He broke the bread – to remember HIM…

Amazing for the ancients before and for us now to believe – there were lots of people who believed in God without seeing Him… There is a GREAT set of scriptures that my friend Patti brought to my attention when I was dilly dallying and looking at facebook and not writing my sermon – yeah – then I called her about her garage door and discussed the lawnmower and my procrastination too for mowing my grass – well I digress – and so I explained my sermon bits and pieces floating in my head and she gave me these great scriptures –

—- Hebrews 11:1-2, 7Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for…⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. – So Noah really had to trust God, didn’t he? before he saw any raindrops… The Lord rescued Him—- Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Meaning that God made everything not from a drawing or a model in existence – it was made from nothing seen – something which is not nothing and yet nothing to our mind – we can’t wrap our heads around this something or nothing… We are so human and therefore we must have this faith – faith for faiths sake – for our sake and for God’s… Just like our money says: In God we Trust – we trust and know how God is amazing… So even God Himself knew what He could make and why He was going to make it… We must praise a God who can handle it all and love it all and want to share it all with us – and even saw and knew and loved us before we were even “knit in our mother’s wombs”. God was Love before the beginning of time… Faith-living, for faith with faith is to know that God is looking out for us and wanting us to Praise Him in return….

I want to share an amazing story of faith – of struggling to keep all the faith and the benefits praying and calming down and trusting in God… We do have to keep the praise going – having it remind us that we need to count our blessings and calm down – and put God first – and we need to understand that God is in control… this is a great story of seeing what is unseen – that God is for us… My friend Liane wrote me – this was almost 10 years ago now – Liane has been relying EVEN more on God since an accident took her sight in her early teens. She is so amazing – my sister in Christ – so capable – filled with PRAISE. This is her email, she is addicted to her phone and a computer whiz and facebook fanatic like me:

“Hi Debbie,
When Pastor John (we called him PJ) asked in church today if anyone had a praise offering, it was silent. Then a few people spoke up. I was thinking about saying I was thankful for being at church since I haven’t been there in a while and also wanted to thank God for rocks and trees and of course, I thought to myself, people are probably going to think I’m crazy.

“So PJ’s message was about how we do not praise God enough and for the simple things. He went on to say how God created nature and the things in it to sing his praises – like the rocks and trees – we who were created in his image don’t realize how important it is to give thanks and praise.

“So this is why I wanted to say praise for rocks and trees, you’ll understand how it all connected for me. Friday morning after putting my son on the bus, I stupidly decided to go across the street to a very familiar corner to walk my dog without his harness on. I wasn’t feeling that great but I go there often and besides that, I had my trusty I-phone. So Basil (that’s her previous guide dog) and I walk across the street and then I realize we are not where I wanted to go. I felt around with my foot and was trying to get oriented by listening to the traffic but the more frustrated I got, the more disoriented I became.,
Lightbulb moment, use your I-phone to call someone or use GPS. Well, my phone was not working because before the boys went to school they told me to update my phone but they neglected to tell me I need to go through setting up my phone after that. I was getting upset with myself since I haven’t grasped this technology and [yet] have become so dependent on it. So, I stopped and prayed asking God to send me someone or something to get me back home. I was already lost for about a half an hour and was panicking because I left my house open and Mom was going to be coming over but she always calls first to see where I’m at and of course, she wouldn’t be able to get hold of me. So I waited a little longer for a sign but no one or nothing clued me in so I calmed myself down, prayed again and decided to walk towards the sound of traffic in hopes I would figure out which intersection I was at.

“I told Basil to go home and he started pulling the leash a little but then stopped and he seemed confused as well then I felt the sun. I started thinking about where I am when I can feel the sun when I go for my regular walks. I decided to turn around and walk the opposite direction and I started getting closer to traffic. Then, a tree branch brushes across the top of my head – [ah] – this branch feels like the one I always bump my head on while passing my neighbor’s house who lives across the street from me. So I keep walking and find a driveway and decide to cross the street and if I’m correct, it will take me to my driveway. Well, it didn’t. So, I step up on the curb and decide to still head toward the traffic but use my foot to trail the grass line hoping for a clue. I didn’t have to walk too far before my foot bumps into a pile of rocks which I immediately recognize as the river rocks my husband placed around the sump pump pipe sticking out of our yard. I say out loud, “Thank You God!!!!” and I immediately get this message from God, God is my rock. He is there no matter what I’m going through and as long as I believe and have faith and hope, he will take care of me. I found my way back to my house and went inside and cried tears of joy. God is awesome!

“So when PJ said about the rocks singing praises and then he mentioned the trees, it just confirmed my belief. I know you will understand what I mean.”

AMEN and for sure, Liane, I understand – yes, I understood what she meant – and what a beautiful testimony of trusting God… gave me tears of joy because I in those days had also just started to understand this amazing world of God we were in. … The rocks will cry out if you don’t praise God, and sometimes the trees will knock you in the head until YOU praise!

This was a WOW – and in my response to Liane – I thought these rocks were an emergency GPS – “God Positioning Stones”. I have those GPS letters from our VBS days – and I want us now to have WOW cards – to think about and write some items of WOW – of our witness – presence – believing – and GPS – where God positionings/blessing or God-winks some would call them, occurred – for us to remember when we have been blessed.

SO – these WOW cards are actually stickers, and perhaps you can take a moment to write down a real witness you have – we are not collecting them – they are for you – and perhaps we can share some or our experiences later – so with this in mind – let us return to our scriptures of WOW today – that keep us thinking…

And so – WOW – A Risen Jesus walks into the disciples’ room and says: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” WOW and now we learn the HOW – How did Jesus give his disciples (and us) this ability to praise and witness? With what did fill these disciples (and us) with ? “He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” WOW!

Here is more of that verse: If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” WOW !!!! the peace and ability and greatest gift of love and mercy is forgiveness! WOW !!!!

I love how my friend Liane felt for the sun to orient herself that day she was lost – and she still does that – but in that situation – she found the best reliance was on God, and Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit to help.

Did you enjoy the eclipse? I know that Liane enjoyed the eclipse and I did too – even if I didn’t see the sun (or feel it) – I was in western NY near where I went to college up on a golf course (and bar and grill) – with lots of university people – 180 plus – and it was cloudy but that was OK because I was still on vacation and still blessed -and so out of the blue – there was someone who eclipsed my eclipse – I got to see my p-chem professor and his wife from like 30 years ago… WOW! – I could care less that it was cloudy now that I was positioned to talk to them for well over an hour – and it was cool – an astronomy professor answered questions and then a little boy – asked simply: ‘what IS an eclipse?’ – and the professor says: you have a sibling? Well his sister was of course there – and the professor said – you ever watch one of your favorite tv shows and then your sister stands right in front of the TV? – well THAT’S an eclipse – so funny – yes …

And I will share how my friend Liane enjoyed the eclipse – she sent me a text: she listened to a zoom call of blind people from Texas and sequentially all up the path of the eclipse where the people were listening and then describing these light measuring devices – making decreased noise when the moon moved in partially and then totally and then moved back out increasing the noises measuring the light.. so cool – and Liane said it was like experiencing the travel around the world of New Years celebrations one after another – and it was such an excitement for these folks to collectively enjoy that phenomenon – as a community – over zoom but collective in appreciation… so cool… I have told dozens of people this week that Liane and her description – that she appreciated and enjoyed the eclipse more than most sighted people I know – she experienced the excitement and the community without seeing the light but by KNOWING the LIGHT – that is the love of God – we walk by faith not sight…

Jesus Appears to Thomas – Now Thomas, ‘doubting Thomas’ said to the others: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later Thomas was with them and Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Are we not the blessed ones to believe without seeing – and yet have our WOW moments – our witness of His Love? This is my segue transition to avow what is something like an eclipse but much more severe than the moon getting in front of the sun (or the sister in front of the tv) – Sin is between us and God and ends up with us living in the darkness and the cold – like the eclipse day I had – and it is more frighteningly easy to get lost. All that stuff that gets in the way between us and God – yes this is an eclipse from being close to Him – an eclipse of us experiencing and feeling God less – God is still there [like the sun is still there but behind clouds etc] and yet the LOVE does not dim but we feel it less because we are clouded and eclipsed by sin. and how is that removed? By forgiveness… and Jesus comes to forgive – forgiveness is more easily given (and commanded to be given) by Jesus and felt by the presence of the Holy Spirit Who gives you that ‘Jesus Peace’ so that we can and may forgive others… If you have not yet accepted the forgiveness that Jesus has been giving out then please consider coming out of the cold – please consider coming into the warm loving light – you yourself have not been sharing in a gift given by Jesus to be in the full capacity of total love that we could be in. Likewise, if we hold grudges and we don’t forgive then we are in risk of being stuck in an eclipse between that gift and us… I have heard it said that Peace is already given and if we don’t feel peaceful, it is because we have given away that ability to feel the peace – we need to hold onto it – feel it – and give it –

WOW – what is our witness? Like did we forget all the times that God saved us and we forgot to praise Him and also bad that we get ourselves so worried at another time and forget we can call upon His Name to help us?

Lastly we listened to the end scriptures of “The Purpose of John’s Gospel” :

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Jesus was and is not a side show – an attraction of God’s power to impress… sure they as disciples had seen impressive miracles in person – but John wrote this down for us to believe… Likely those gathered at his feet, would have been among the first earliest Christians who would have not seen Jesus alive directly – at least one and two generations after Jesus … Jesus provided continuity in people who witnessed and shared – with John, the only disciple to live until old age – He provided an overlap in generations – and knowledge to the real stories of I was there… God knows what time after time after time, really did witness those who were listening to the stories and to us. But it is not JUST the listening to a trusted soul – like a nice salesman at the car dealer – there is more to it – Yes there is – we the people listening must open their faith by letting God open our hearts… Yes, God’s intention in sharing THESE miracles is so that we believe who have not seen them first hand – INN GOD WE TRUST – and God would know not too little or too much info – and God knows that the witness in the person would develop to see God in their own miracles and WOWs -and be able to explain how each section touched their hearts…

If you wrote on your WOW cards, What’s Our Witness – or just have a short thought from this past week that would be good to share – please let us share – these WOW statements or experiences – and if you did just write it or just thought it out – maybe now you can use this as a book mark or put it in your car or on your fridge – then remember that we DO have our own WOWs – our moments that we praise – and we DO remind ourselves of how faithful He is, so that in the future when we doubt we can look back at these.

You are free to share with us or keep it a secret – there are such good secrets to keep between us and God – but before a tree hits you in the head or rocks cry out – well – you best call it out in PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!

And we can be God’s WOW – a Walk of Wonder – and Witness of Whew … Maybe you have understanding and witness – Like seeing spring rebirth – or an old friend or mentor – or held a baby like I did recently, experiencing the trust of the mom to let me hold her – maybe you have a WOW of Jesus forgiveness when you were distant – maybe you have a WOW of simply being alive today.

I will pause and wait a moment…

WOW – let us end with a WOW – What’s Our Witness – knowing types of witness are physical and spiritual – how we see things working in our lives, like Jesus showing up in the flesh; physical like Thomas needing to actually touch and see. Maybe we are not wanting to believe either – but I must urge you to try. Look for your WOWs:

Spiritual like the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of forgiveness to share. Spiritual in us understanding salvation.

Wisdom-filled – experience-derived – understanding the stories like John is giving

And Trust: All the miracles and happenings of Jesus would be more than too many books could contain – given what we need to know was on a “needs to know” basis ONLY.

TRUST the REST.

Let us Pray……….

AMEN!

TILT (and Recovery)

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Yesterday we had an earthquake and an aftershock. Everybody is fine which is great. My phone exploded. A friend texted from Florida, Facebook was crazy, but my favorite event was that my daughter CALLED ME seeing if I was okay. Yay, my daughter was worried about me and reached out. I loved that. God tilted the system just enough for the slide of rocks to worry us and stir up LOVE.

TILT.

Now, a full-blown tilt of a pinball machine is what I have experienced growing up. I rarely have done it, but it’s from shaking it too much and you have to unplug the machine and plug It back in. But in the old days you really had to wait for the manager of the pinball arcade to do that unplugging and plugging back in, AND for them to give you your quarter back. You then could restart. Another example, sometimes bowling alley situations had to get restarted, because the ball would get stuck or the pins just froze. I remember that button often worked, but sometimes the manager had to go back to the back. RESET THE TILT.

Now, personally, sometimes my dreams early in the morning will get stuck. Resetting fruitless dream threads bring God to wake me up to say ‘ick’… reset… TILT the system and restart. Go back to sleep or stay awake, either way it’s the Mastermind of God restarting your system, clearing your mind, and saying ‘whew’ that craziness can stop. TILT, because Love has no evil in mind. God instructs angels, I’m sure, to send a cat to wake you, sometimes lately with a cough or a hot flash I readjust and reset. I’m glad sleep is set for restoration. Naps too. REST THROUGH THE TILT.

One last interesting personal thing about the earthquake, I did not notice until I got home, but Mastermind the game box must have been jostled out of my cabinet, pushing the door open, or more open, slid onto the floor and spilled a couple pieces. That is my only explanation of why it was out. Yes, normal gravity would do that too… Precarious stacking gives way, like sliding plates… ah, where is this in the scripture? NOT this minor inconvenience but a warning of times to come? The whole interesting thing about our world is that the Lord Himself is holding it together and the ‘loosing’ of the forces holding it together is natural prophetic fulfillment… Things are going to get worse – things don’t slip by accident but by design. TILT is prophetic but done in love, and Jesus pretold to us to not let it worry us, but for us to keep working to the last minute that the BIG reset of the system goes on. MORE THAN JUST A TILT.

Did I feel the earthquake yesterday? Nope. I was driving both during the earthquake AND during the aftershock… What timing!!! So I was doing my normal thing and kept going… That’s what our Mastermind Lord wants us to do in life: keep going, keep working… We can keep asking our Manager Lord to reset the system and help us in restoration.

He has. He can. He Will.

God is our All in All. Mastermind yes, but always with LOVE in mind. Don’t let the world distract you – shaken or not shaken – keep working for the Lord.

Amen

Daniel 7 NIV – in a dream

“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Collosians 1:9-23 a letter from Paul to the Collosians

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of the Son of God

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Matthew 24 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times NIV

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ – “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 4-5 NKJV – The Throne Room of Heaven

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

The Lamb Takes the Scroll
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb
Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

Time to SHINE Your Light! Easter Monday

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5 KJV

The artwork on the projection screen portrayed to be a tomb, opened for Easter, ALSO looked like an eye shining! No fooling! I saw both!

So fitting for now IS our time to SHINE OUT the LOVE of Jesus, SPEAK out the HOPE of Salvation, and BEAM for all to see…

The stone rolled away by God opens the possibilities for us to see and to know that the Miracle of Jesus Rising is a New Day in this New Covenant. Our eyes opened to see – a morning of HOPE after darkness made us linger in our fears. Now the blessed hope of Jesus is beaming the beaming light to come out from us – to come from the place within. Jesus motivates us to LIGHT up the world. He sends us!

Let us go out and SHINE His Light to overcome all darkness. Let us love boldly and humbly. The darkness won’t comprehend this light, but it won’t be able to deny it either.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 NIV

Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is Risen! Peace IS with us. Go SHINE. Go Be His Beam. Go with God.

Amen

Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:19-21

Lord of All, The Green Tree cut down on Good Friday

Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

I can’t find my own words for Good Friday – and I don’t need to – but I can find the walk and the witness – the work and the wailing – the wounded and the whatnot… And that is all in the WORD… I need to hear from Jesus this Good Friday – gratefully He has much to say – including how it had to go down this way… Fulfillment and Forevers – planned forever ago for the forever in our future.

Jesus said: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:53-54

It HAS to go down this way.

I have (below) cut and paste (from the benefit of Bible Gateway . com) from all the four gospel sets of scriptures in that day – but not necessarily all the words that were shared. The succinct few paragraphs glued here mean a LifeLine of a LifeTime. And the answer to the question of WHY – is that God Rescues. A mocking man may have said: “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:43) But in the answer truly of this question is YES – GOD RESCUES BECAUSE HE WANTS TO – HE DOES WANT TO – GOD WANTS US – God rescues US – and God does that by sending Jesus to the death instead of us. And Jesus accepts this in love.

In this season of love and day of remembrance – let us keep the green life of Jesus alive and share of the Lord – because the days are coming when people will have darkness and cold and DRY… For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Presented below are the best words to know – bind to our hearts – and share. Keep hydrafed in His Love. Let us this Good Friday hare what is so good inside and because of what is so bad from this day. That God so loved us that He sent His only Son to SAVE.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Amen – and please read below:

—

Matthew 26:47-56 Jesus Arrested

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

—

Matthew 27: 32-61 The Crucifixion of Jesus

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus – From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus – As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

—-

Mark 15:16-47 The Soldiers Mock Jesus

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. (So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”) Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus – At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus – It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

—-

Luke 23:28-56

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus – It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus – Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

—

John 19 16-42 – The Crucifixion of Jesus

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

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

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

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

Gather the Ingredients for a Holy Thursday

I’m making soup for Holy Thursday church meal – a simple meal – not a huge feast. I’m making 2 kinds of soup: 16 bean and tomato. I’ve never made these kinds of soup, but I’m OK, grateful, because I am following roughly to recipe, and it’s not gonna be SO bad, right? Just add more garlic…

Like I said, I’m not really perfect on recipe, making some substitutions. It’s even an unknown if I bring it hot or cold and heat it up there… I’ll figure it out along the way, it’s a journey right? It’s just soup. It’s going to be alright, croutons or no croutons.

Jesus didn’t live life so flippantly and spur of the moment… He was preparing for the Passover meal, Holy Thursday, the Last Supper… He had it planned down to the hair of the head of everybody who was there. He had it planned down to the ear of everybody who would hear about it forever. He had the room, the table seats, the cushions, the captive audience and even the betrayal planned. He knew what was in the soup and how it would go down.

Another thing Jesus did not leave the chance, Jesus knew the crew. Jesus knew who they were that day and so importantly that he knew whom they would become, how they would touch lives, how they would spread the church and knowledge of His Good News. But of course He also cautioned them to not go it alone because He knew how they would need and accept the Holy Spirit and be moved by it. He knew whom they would become FOR HIM – us too.

These disciples were not perfect but they were PERFECT FOR JESUS. These bumbling seemingly clueless disciples would become spirit-filled and so noticeably changed that people would take notice. These disciples would become the beginners of the church and so effective beyond their understanding, but all within the knowledge and the plan of Jesus. Wow.

What about us? What do we bring to the soup? Do we fear to tread because we don’t realize we are being led? Do we hesitate to open our mouths for fear of retaliation? We are Thursday night disciples and we need to cook a bit more in maturation – feel the heat and even the burn of Friday- simmer on Saturday – rest then realize that the Sunday Soup is Ready! Hallelujah! Easter Sunday awaits our praise!!!… Now, don’t put the soup into the back of the fridge now that it is made and raised, but keep ladling it out, with a Holy Spirit pour… keep it going… pass it on...

We probably never think that we are ready. But Jesus didn’t pick us only to simmer, instead He picked us to Shine. Like soup that seemed so hard to make before gathering ingredients, it’s easier when we read His Recipe, settle down and look at our abilities and our tools (I mean I do own 2 crockpots and like 17 ladles, I might as well use them), and then get busy to feed the hungry, share the love.

I am truly talking not about soup but sharing the LOVE of JESUS with all whom we meet – and then when they are surprised and complementary to us – tell them that it was God Who cooked up this moment – not us – if you are to boast then boast in the Lord.

I’m sure this evening I will be surprised when people say (if they say) this is good soup. I am certainly surprised when people see spiritual hope in me. But I am to remember that the One who cooks up this whole life is the Lord Himself. Who am I to not know Him as good and know His protection to keep stirring up life in Him for Him. Who am I to know now growth and maturity and go with it for He Himself is the One who cooks up this life for us to keep sharing Him – one ladle or a whole pot at a time.

Let’s keep stirring the pot.

Let’s listen to the Lord.

Let us taste and know that He is good.

Amen

—

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from telling lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 34:8-14 of David

You Have to Play the Cards Life Gives You.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

I enjoyed the day yesterday, even if I didn’t understand it all. I stepped through it one BINGO number at a time, one moment at a time, one step at a time. I had many moments to think, all day. I had work, worked from home, but first wrote my devotions. Then hit the news of a bridge collapse, BIG one, and videos plus speculation, news conferences etc. Then I shut the news off. I worked on what I could work on. I thought about it occasionally as I stepped through my day, which was blessed ordinary and extraordinary but far from an ordinary day. I worked, laughed, ate, pondered, prodded, purposed, planned, put aside my schedule (which honestly I saw how God cleared curiously for me to be in new places), and pondered again. I had much time to meet up with God moment by moment, which is unusual, and yet always wonder where I misstep. I did feel blessed by my company and moments, even if I didn’t understand them all. Jesus wants us to walk through the day in His Way – listening to Him. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

At lunch I was talking about a bridge between Jesus and us – independent from the earthly bridge that fell down but will be rebuilt – but isn’t that what Jesus experienced? a knock down for the lift up… A fitting Holy Week thought… Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Wrapped up work and took some time off to get the cat to the vet (an ordinary thing on an unordinary day). In the evening it was interesting playing BINGO with my friend at the fire company, just plain fun as a fundraiser, but wow it is WORK! Fast paced and mega boards given. I’ve been here only once before. I mixed myself up a few times. Accidentally, I called BINGO once (it was a coverall nor regular, oops), and I enjoyed the time with my friend. I was an observer of people and their routines, who they knew as regulars and what little things made this a regular scene for many. I enjoyed thinking about my Dad and Mom in our BINGO days growing up catholic and the required work at the fundraiser if you had kids in the school. REQUIRED. My Dad called the numbers maybe once a month and mom sold cards, and I hung out to work the concessions – with those candy bars and glass soda bottles. Fun but yes a true reflection of how money influences the world. It is a tool – may we always use it wisely. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

It was my Dad’s birthday yesterday too, was I tickled when his birthday showed up? Yes. But was it proving some connections in the universe? Nah, because I already know connectiveness for the universe. I already know life pops up like BINGO numbers, but you don’t always have them on your card and you just try again. I know that with God there are no coincidences. There are some games you sit out, to take a ‘bio-break’ or stretch or take a concession visit. There are some hecklers in fun. There are rules and rituals that are invented and confusing, but most people here understood them. There was lots of money spent and lots of money won. I bought a dollar snack and thought – this is enough. My cards were enough (too much actually). My time was enough. My moment was enough. I felt not stuck in time but sitting inside it and outside it at the same time. I didn’t win BINGO but I didn’t care – I already won life with a good family and with the Good Lord. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

In life – we have ordinary non-ordinary days. Like BINGO, you have to play the cards that life gives you – you have to make the most of it – you have to know Who (God) makes life livable in good and bad – and God is also good at the same time reminding you that life on earth is temporary and worldly. Oh how we bridge to the real life in Heaven? Oh, Jesus. Yes… One day at a time, one number at a time, one step at a time. One Savior always. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Play the cards the Lord gives – and call out to Him for numbering your days… Enjoy Life…

AMEN

Paul to the Colossians 3:1-17

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

A Palm Sunday Services Prayer to Share

Lord we are entering Holy Week.

Greater Love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Today Palm Sunday, we are waving our palms and saying Hosanna, seeing You Jesus as a great king. May we see You Jesus as OUR King, a Heavenly king and not just an earthly king. May we be walking with You this whole week, still saying Hosanna as we want to grow – grow from the sheep being fed – to disciples being led.

May our Hosannas come with hope everlasting and a willingness to believe. Oh Jesus, Lord, please keep us from becoming that crowd that scorns You, denies You, and leaves You hanging by Friday. We ask Lord to remain walking step by step and be a witness as we all get to Thursday, Your last supper on earth, Your Passover feast, to break bread with You. We want to try to stay awake with You in the garden. We WANT to be Your friend, but our sleepiness is shown in Your tears. And please console us on Friday, Lord, open our eyes to see why such darkness was necessary in death and then truly allow us to see the Light overcoming darkness, by GLORIOUS Sunday. Let us not remain those wondering Saturday people, lost and hopeless. Bring us Lord to Easter and understanding, Jesus let us taste in Your resurrection and Life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who-so-ever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So today Lord, we are Your people who lay down their coats and palms, may we continue all week and for all of our days to lay down our plans for Yours, lay down our expectations for Your enrichment. Kneel at Your cross and tomb then keep walking and share your Good News:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Please Lord send your Holy Spirit. As we receive Your Word today may we be filled with Your Spirit to open our ears and hearts to hear Your Voice as Shephard, know You as Prince of Peace, and to understand You and Your plan for us.

And Sweet Jesus, may we continue this Holy Week being led in praise and in measured steps, one day at a time.

We love You Lord because You loved us first.

Amen

Numbering Our Days

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – That is a great reminder of scripture, Psalm 90, which urges us to learn and watch the Lord put us into focusing upon the importance of life, of listening to the Lord’s Will for us. Number our days and be productive, yes. Number our days and pay attention, 100%. AND numbering our days gives us something to do while we are waiting – YES. Number our days and keep moving through them making the most of every opportunity.

I have often said that Jesus gives us pause where the devil gives up panic. We have an agenda and if disrupted, many might curse the Lord – but it is our worldliness which is a curse – and we must apply trust – we also must remember when we DO see something that the Lord has led us too – like people and events – to give Him the Glory.

Yesterday I was tired of hearing the wind howling, as it had been for 2 whole days – silly thing to be upset about – but the noise was bothering me – I just wanted the quiet and the change. Whom am I to be annoyed by the wind – that is not my call – there are much worse things in the world. the wind is done now. I also was debating yesterday – was I OK to drive – now that my back is subsiding in pain (still with ice and ibuprofen) – I was – and I both MUST appreciate when I was told and made to BE STILL and now when I am able to move, MOVE. My craving for chicken made me move – and when I got to the store I met an old friend who was now working there. Cool Lord! I was looking at the pile of dishes and of laundry and then when I was able to do them – I thanked the Lord. Just the other day – my bad back made me alter plans and I was able to accept some big balloons for a neighbor who had not yet gotten home from shopping for a party. Interesting timing. And of course my biggest squeal to be sitting quietly and all of a sudden I got the call to go see that wienermobile – wow! Do number my moments Lord and let me know that I am paying attention to the right things. One more crucial moment on friday (before my back went out), I was telling my friends about something I had done, helping people, and my friend said (with others listening) – “wow, you are definitely going to heaven” – and I was able to correct gently and excitedly that I was giving a sermon about that exact thing – that it is not our good works that bring us to Heaven – because with man it is impossible – but with Jesus – with God – it is POSSIBLE! and this was a teaching to three listeners, cool. AH – see trusting the Lord to put us in the right place and right time. He does.

Lord, teach me to number my days and find those ways to glorify and teach about YOU!

Amen

Psalm 90:1-12

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death – they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Our Jesus Calling devotional book for today is so fitting – as God is – Written by Sarah Young for March 12th – written as if Jesus is speaking this: “Waiting, trusting, and hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response from My children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, to evidence that you really do trust Me. If you mouth the words, “I trust You” while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present. Because you are Mine, you don’t just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust. Keep your “antennae” out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1 ESV

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14 ESV

Led to JOY – Riding the Oscar Mayer WIENERMOBILE!

What a crazy blessing – after my Sunday Sermon which was sharing that we need to be ready to meet whomever God wants us to meet this day – to Follow Jesus – I was home icing my sore back when my friends called me up “out of the blue” and say they couldn’t believe it – but the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was actually in our neck of the woods! WOW – And so they picked me up – and we all swooped up into the fun for the surreal flow of the day. It was so good, it was like the Lord was leading the Way – HE IS!

Our fun was also our amazement – and the 2 Hotdoggers crew were as nice as nice could be – and bonded immediately with my friend whose dream it was to do that job – travel around – and spread JOY! YES! Meat-ing the two Hotdoggers was the best and experiencing the rest was wrapping the “BUN of FUN” around the real amazeMEAT of the moment. May the special sauce of Love surround these young HotDoggers in their travels – for them to remain safe!

YES, ALWAYS an amazing story for my friend of my same age, a partner in silly fun, who has been blind since being a teenager but always wanted to drive this Wienermobile! Well at least she got to ride in it! The connection she made with the two Hotdoggers crew was fabulous, and she went back to bring me to meet them because there’s a funny history of me confusing the Peanutmobile and Wienermobile, oops. ANYWAY, this was FUN! And certainly only a very few people get to ride!!! Aren’t we blessed! One of the last people was Drew Barrymore – and she was in tears to see it.

I knew this was a divine incident of JOY – I KNEW God orchestrated this – because when Jesus says: FOLLOW ME – He walks us into the good times just as much (actually much more) than the tough days. THIS WAS A GREAT DAY – JOY IS IMMEASURABLE AND APPRECIATED!

They named us ‘Little Links’ and ‘Tailgate’ and our dear mom-mom ‘Sizzlin’ and even ‘Ketchup’ for her guide dog, plus me ‘Hot Diggity Debbie’, we were blessedly connected with our new adopted daughter drivers, hotdoggers ‘Chlo-Wienie’ and ‘ChilliCheeseMC’!!! Sweetest of college graduates, in marketing, picked from thousands of applicants, now in their one year stint as JOY ambassadors! WOW, 9 months so far. Blessed beyond Wienerwords! RELISHED THE FUN!!!

They spread JOY. People love this. I felt amazed to be a small part of riding along – like earlier that day I gave a sermon to Follow Jesus, with a benediction to go out and meet the people He would want us to meet, but I COULD NEVER HAVE ENVISIONED THIS! The connection was so easily fostered by my fun and loving friend, and after we heard that we would ride at the end of the shift – we went into the grocery store and got them gift bags of snacks and coffee gift cards, it brought them nearly to tears. They enjoy this opportunity but rarely get home. I am glad we were able to share this love – but it is really all my friend’s enthusiastic love – which of course is from the Lord – because God IS Love and Life.

Loved the people’s faces with lots of car horns honking and that great jingle as their horn! “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener!” Started in 1936, oh how the people loved looking at this sweet ride. Well – I can only say that every day may we hop on the sweet ride of excitement – one step at a time. Keep on rolling!

Blessed on this Jesus Journey to share in the JOY!!!

Hot Diggity Dog!

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.

—

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.

—-

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

—

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

—

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.”

—

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.”

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.

YES – THE WORD IS LOVE!

Word !

Rock icon Pat Benatar may sing that ‘Love is a Battlefield’ – but YES, the band YES, sings that LOVE will help us get it together! Spread the news and help the world go round!

I love music to my ears about love, it’s 50 years old that is new!

And cool to feel the love. And humbled to know the LOVE is from the Lord. And BLESSED to be driven, commanded, and able to Share the LOVE.

Human love falls into a world imperfect but divine love is perfect. A broken system that is fixable only by the One Whom didn’t break it but Whom did create the fix for it. LOVE is LOVE’S answer.

Let us look for the perfect in the healing and in the hope.

Let us LOVE with what’s right in the world – LOVE.

Amen

—

Full lyrics of YES’s song ‘The Word is Love’:

In the morning when you rise

Do you open up your eyes, see what I see?

Do you see the same things every day?

Do you think of a way to start the day

Getting things in proportion?

Spread the news and help the world go round

Have you heard of a time that will help us get it together again?

Have you heard of the word that will stop us going wrong?

Well, the time is near, the word you’ll hear

When you get things in perspective

Spread the news and help the world go round

There’s a time and the time is now and it’s right for me

It’s right for me, and the time is now

There’s a word and the word is love and it’s right for me

It’s right for me, and the word is love

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=wkAubcZoNuo&si=hUbcDK-rNz9PE6zX

Dust to Dust, but THINK, God’s Word is ETERNAL, Jeremiah 36

Good God, God’s got His Word Written Well !!! Makes us THINK! I love a good Living Water DRINK!

Jeremiah (chapter 36) has a writing about writing and rewriting God’s message, God was and is serious, especially then to the Israelites in the days they WILL be taken into a 70 year exile!

Jeremiah got the INKling (from God) to engage a helper, Baruch, to do dictation writing and delivery. They then sent the warnings to the officials. No, the King didn’t like what it said and had each section sliced off with a knife and burned it in the fire. But God had it rewritten. God re-showed His unchanging nature, mission, message. “Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

Baruch wrote in INK,

God’s Word, which wouldn’t SINK.

He read outloud God’s Word and Warning to make people THINK.

Except this time Judah’s King and advisors didn’t BLINK.

They didn’t tear their clothes repent-ly, they chose to hide the truth that Babylon would take them to the BRINK.

However God’s Word is made alive to be RE-INKed and re-THINKed.

Jeremiah and Baruch were to be detained, but the Lord hid them.

Later, years and years, this reminds of a time there was another fire set to kill 3 followers of the Lord of the Israelites. And in this furnace, a Divine Figure (Jesus) appeared to show up as a 4th man unburned in the fire, this certainly made Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar BLINK.

After that he was forced to take in God’s Sovereignty and His power as truth and proof – that the Lord’s Word is fireproof!

Yes, we continue to know the Word of God and God Himself remains untouched, reinforced. His Word is written for rewriting and it is God’s Right to Extend His Word. God’s Word lasts forever!

Amen

—

Jeremiah 36 NIV

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn from their wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, he went down to the secretary’s room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

“Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.

After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast?” Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’”

So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

—

Daniel 3:24-26 International Standard Version

The Fourth Man in the Furnace

Astonished, King Nebuchadnezzar stood up in terror, and asked his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire, bound firmly with ropes?” In reply they told the king, “Yes, your majesty.”

“Look!” he told them, “I see four men walking untied and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the appearance of the fourth resembles a divine being.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fire furnace. He shouted out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

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.

Jeremiah, Show Us the Hope

If you think your life is busy, oh my, look at Jeremiah… prophet, public prophet, even got published with a God-sent scribe to help him. I took a screen shot of the Bible Project’s story board, it’s intense. So much for so many years! (Video link below).

I don’t race through reading these chapters and I sometimes feel stuck in so much of the deep narrative, but if God can keep His wandering workers working, I can keep keeping on learning… so these 7 minutes of video cliff notes are a Godsend, we now understand where God is placing Jeremiah in time (siege by king Nebuchadnezzar, towards the 70 yr Babylon exile), and yet we understand the timelessness of the prose (lessons for them and us now), and we learn the definitive process to God taking His Own Time to bring about His Word, to teach and work among His people, and to prepare us all for our Savior and His Restoration. Yes, there is a definitive answer, the Messiah, coming, came, and will come again. This is a truth all throughout the scriptures and in life.

“For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel…

“I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; …

“This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”

Jeremiah is the writer of HOPE and judgment, and of course of timetables for Israelites in exile to Babylon AND for their return. Jeremiah is the poster child of prophets. He has got a lot going on (and I didn’t even get to his section of his Egypt imprisonment yet).

But oh, to stop and absorb this chapter Jeremiah 33 – it makes my slow progress reading take a moment to say ‘Ahhhhh…’ just like climbing a summit and looking across the landscape… Jeremiah 33 speaks of past, present, future – and especially about the Messiah… it brings old testament connections to Jesus in both introduction to them of great hope and continually explaining intricacies of the journey.

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.”

Life is a journey. I’m glad to say God, in Love Everlasting, is taking us on ours.

Let’s keep reading, walking, believing.

(And hitting those summit times of understanding God’s promised Forever).

Amen

Here’s the video:

Here’s the chapter of 33’s HOPE! It’s not just 33 and a third, it’s a record for forever. (thanks Bible Gateway for the text)

Promise of Restoration – Jeremiah 33 NIV

While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

“This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

“‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

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

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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”….

—-

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.”…

It’s All a Blur

I wanted a photo of a sign that said “No horses on bridge”, but I moved my arm and it’s all a blur photo-wise. Trust me LIFE is all a BLUR too.

I would know, being old enough and yet young enough that there’s many things that have changed in my mere few decades. To me, my young age sounds like a lot, but it doesn’t feel like a lot. You too? So I say it’s like a blur, but with crisp moments that seem like yesterday and wish would return like tomorrow. (Then again glad others are gone, water under the bridge.)

The bridge. Can you imagine a time someone would have walked a team of horses across this rennovated but once 1800’s metropolitan country-ish bridge, between cities now, or be tempted to cross even with car traffic because this bridge was then and now convenient? Can you imagine a time someone would have owned horses for transportation and work let alone pleasure, or would have even had a place to go on a horse, would have even had enough time to ride a horse???… I can imagine that for THEN but not for now. Time is a blur.

Look, I didn’t even have time for a proper photo as traffic stopped and then decided to go. Another time I had plenty of time stuck in the middle of the bridge for a day photo of the awesome trusses. Every rush hour this FREE (once toll) bridge is packed. Trust me the horses would have had a faster crossing on foot on the sidewalk! No, no one walks across on the sidewalk anymore either! And I’m old enough and young enough to say “Remember when people walked to work, school, groceries?”… yeah life’s a blur.

Bumpy rides seem smoother in hindsight.

I crossed the bridge driving my daughter to and from her internship. I loved the time chatting in the car, backed up traffic or not. I appreciated the time making the most out of Christmas, open and closed in a short month, I’m holding onto it longer, to appreciate one day at a time because that’s all I could handle and because we ALL don’t know about tomorrow let alone next year. Lord willing yes or no, just go with the flow.

So, also this week I was picking up my outside knocked-over neon nativity decorations after a windy wet storm. There was a ten dollar bill blown up the hill, sitting in front of a king! Wow, a king that delivers! And I thought what would Jesus’s family have used those gifts for, of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? Were they symbolic gifts? Practical gifts? Both? And what should I spend this 10 dollars on?! It’s cool, but 10 dollar 50 years ago would have bought a lot more! What would it be in Jesus’s time? Things change. Jesus doesn’t, but times do. I will think about this ten dollars – perhaps it like taxes and toll bridges are needed to be paid and the Lord provides that too (just ask Peter and that fish). Isn’t it good that Jesus paid the price for our toll toiling life bridge to Heaven too?

What doesn’t change? That time moves fast. What shouldn’t change? Our opportunities to say thank You Lord, whether in pain or in peace, it’s JOY in the Journey which fills our praise.

If we take it one day at a time, we can lock in and focus on the One True Sure LIGHT that is Jesus! We won’t have a blur but will see Him clearly, leading us!

Keep Shining Lord.

Be unblurred.

Amen

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

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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.’ ”

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.

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

Praise Be to the Lord – Christmas JOY to KNOW

So many scriptures to touch our hearts before Christmas – David knew the Lord – and heard God’s Promise to bring salvation to all who would turn to Him. David did turn to the Lord – in asking mercy and in JOY. May we also do this always. For JOY, PROTECTION, SALVATION, STRENGTH, may we look for our Shepherd now and Christmas and always.

Amen and please read of the JOY to KNOW: Psalm 28 Of David.

To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve. Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.

*** Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

*** The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

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

—

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

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Re-tackling My Writings, 22Aug2017

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Amen (and thank you Lord for the Blessings and MERCY of today).

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