resurrection

I Know the Plans, Says the Lord, INCLUDE the Lord and Us

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I look at this bookmark a bit differently today – it is Jeremiah 29:11 scripture “I know the plans for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you and give you a hope and a future.” – this is from the Lord to Jeremiah in the times that Israel as a people were dashed away in exile – after many years in divided kingdoms after Solomon’s time where there were many bad kings who didn’t listen to God as well as some good kings – and well the israelites were dashed away in exile and told by God that they had to be in exile for a number of years before they would return – well – that is then and it is for us now.

I know that this bookmark does not state that I (the Lord) will give you all sunshine and unicorns and rainbows and that fancy type of life with no problems – the Lord really means that “I will be with you” – and we don’t need much more than that – to know that God is with us – but also that we should remember that the Lord promised to prosper them as a nation – which He did – and that the Lord will keep you going – which He does.

So – the bookmark scripture reminder also means that we have to wait sometimes for that full fulfillment of Him in us for it all to come together – in the meantime we must acknowledge that the Lord Himself DOES provide – provide us with meals and homes – and provides us with friends and family and places to be and things to do – and the Lord provides the ultimate help – that He is with us…  It is not on occasion that He stops by but that He is here always – until the end of the age says Jesus in Matthew 28.

And it is natural for us to doubt and wonder – even those who saw the risen Christ doubted – but we have to remember that if Jesus could be risen from the dead – then His words – the Words of God – should be believable. It was no magic trick and it is not an empty promise.

Perhaps that is the great conclusion of this study – that Jesus will be with us so that we see Him working. It is human nature to doubt other people saying that they trust the Lord – that the Lord worked something out for them – and so we too must be in wait and watch and see the Lord for ourselves. In Mark 16, Jesus appears to Mary after He arose – and then to the disciples themselves:Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 

Perhaps we need to trust more – that is a certainty – and in our work, we must expect to see the Lord working – working our hands and feet. “The Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. “

Let us keep working His Plans to use us.

Amen

Matthew 28:16-20 NKJV

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mark 16:9-20 NKJV

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Sermon 12APR – Walk to Emmaus – Ressurected HOPE

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Blessed to share a sermon today at my church on the scripture of Walk to Emmaus, Luke 24.

I found it a bit classic comic Lord funny as the slides were not uploaded as they thought they were – so I had to give my sermon “a Capela – ah without slides eh?” – it was fine – and I had to laugh because in my new foray into learning a little AI – I asked copilot to see what images for slides were available for the walk to Emmaus scripture – and it came up with a whole slide deck and not surprising that the text was so textbook – not personalized and our journey’s are so personalized with the Lord – and so I didn’t use the text of course – added my own – I have no problem adding words – LOL – but took some of the images which were nice and thought-provoking…. and well – with no slides and not really wanting to read my text – it was a good opportunity to simply speak through my thoughts… “It’s a Process” – and I had some good P words in my sermon (a tribute to a friend) – and giving the sermon in a personalized nature was more in the Lord’s plans today (apparently) – having the change to ad-lib and speak off the cuff – yet with notes – it is a bit like holding the hem of the robe – always trusting in Jesus…

Here is the text with slides – the slides add the punch of the points – that our journey is individualized…  It really is…

Thank God for this journey we are all on – our walk and certainly our run – always with HIM…  And we did have blessed participation from members of the congregation and I appreciate that we are in community!!!

Scripture Reading 1 (Luke 24:13-27)

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Scripture Reading 2 (Luke 24:28-35)

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

So – we are a week out from Easter – and in the Orthodox church they celebrate Easter today – and we hope that we remember that we are Easter people – and therefore ALL THINGS ARE NEW – every day is a new day with new people and new situations and a renewed HOPE – mercies are fresh each morning…

The new flowers are amazing – the new babies – I know we are keeping a church family in prayer with their new little ones…  We also have new hope – and new life.

Today in our sermon series I am blessed to have us think through and talk through the NEWNESS – by studying the Gospel of Luke 24 – and I hope we can find a renewed personal connection in this story – WE HAVE RESURRECTED HOPE and I hope that we can find Jesus finding us on a Personal walk to Emmaus – and well – FROM EMMAUS – we have to wonder how FAST those disciples RAN back to their other friends – WOW – can you even imagine????

So, let us start travelling On the Road to Emmaus – from the Gospel of Luke 24 – Luke was a person who interviewed everyone – he must have learned so much from these two.

Let’s think:

Jesus Tells of the Fulfillment of Prophecy – Jesus can give the “Low Down” – He’s got the revelation – they must have thought him a good study of the scriptures – a rabbi perhaps –

Jesus IS the fulfillment of the Prophecy – He IS the Promise – it seems laid out to us now – if we too study the scriptures and get it pieced together from Genesis on… but wow at that moment – even with 3 years with Jesus it still – WOW had to be connected for those folks – Jesus is very personal – very individual…

Jesus shows and tells God’s Plan – and in this – unknown to known – we can see a transition from despair to HOPE

But why would Jesus need to be in DISQUISE before He was revealed – is it to remind us of our own Spiritual Blindness? Or perhaps we listen better when we are hearing from one of us – a equal who speaks our language – and certainly Jesus, although not equal, humbled Himself to come down to be poor – to be raised by poor folks – to be amongst the people who would learn from Him and no one could dispute that these people would not have learned this information or be transformed by some non-Holy entity.  And remember that Jesus gave this information in parts – His Revelation was in parts – not to overwhelm – not to lose them with too much info – not to go “Over their heads” – but instead engage them in conversations and let the info soak deeper into their understanding. Actually they may have had all the information but it wasn’t put together in their heads.

*** And OH – wouldn’t you have loved to have heard Jesus directly making these connections between the prophecies – from Moses and the Law to Him in the Flesh – wouldn’t that have been amazing??? Well, isn’t it true that we can read the scriptures ourselves and be walking with Jesus – the old testament is not easy to get through – but when it is thought of in the context of lining up all the paths to Jesus coming – and the people too – and the promises and prophecies – well, we can understand (if we understand) that Jesus came on purpose and His suffering and death were on purpose and God’s Plan is above our plan.

Jesus on that road must have helped immensely with the PROCESSING – another P – Plan – Promise – Prophecy – Purpose – It’s a Process… The scripture says: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” – So interesting to think that the “How?” and “Why?” are answered but not revealed to one’s heart and head at the right time until JESUS does that – until GOD waters the seeds planted – until the Time is Right to understand…

Who did the disciples think would be the Messiah – who did the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees – and who today do Jews think will be the Messiah? Surely the “data” is there – it is certainly compacted tightly into the scriptures and Jesus Himself had to come to explain it – in other words Jesus is an open book – but He Himself has to open this book!!! 

A Walk to Emmaus is a personal revelation so that we ourselves can say and can witness that it wasn’t “a people” or “a religion” – but it was God and is God HIMSELF who opens these sections of our brain and Who brings our hearts into connection.

And so, the story tips here – turns – in the second part of the scripture that was read – we see a turn don’t we? Do you remember what the disciples did when they got to Emmaus – to their village and houses? ???  (wait for answers) did they say ‘see ya thanks!’ – no, they invited Jesus in.

We too – we have to INVITE JESUS into our lives – we have to walk with Him but then say – “um, can you stay with me?” – Yes we are to be hospitable like those disciples, but also to say “can you tell me more?”

Next slide….

What about us? Are we disciples wanting to know more? Are we at least walking and talking to someone else about our faith – questioning and also confirming?

READ FROM SLIDE: These are all good things to take a Walk with Jesus with…

Experience – have we taken the time even to walk through our thoughts – perhaps walked through a scripture and then applied it to our lives – I always am thinking that the story of Joseph and his brothers (sons of Jacob) pertains so much to lives – and then what about the forgiveness of Jesus mirrored in it?

Struggle or Pain? Can we share these with Jesus – “He always listens” my friend recently told me – tell God first because He already knows – ask Jesus where is the HOPE – trust in the Lord and depend upon and look for the Holy Spirit for bringing the right remedies…

Sorrow or Disbelief – can we hash out these things by taking a physical walk – getting out when things get heated to clear our heads? – what about same thing but walking with Jesus?

And Who defines our Identity? – Are we remembering that we are children of God – that we are sons and daughters of the King – that God loved us before we were created – before the beginning of time – even sent Jesus to die for us…  BE HIS…

Isn’t this a fabulous image – I will admit that I got these images off of the internet – the words are my own (well Spirit led I pray) – but the images were placed by another Spirit led – I don’t know who to give credit to – but perhaps some day in heaven I will know – and perhaps they were praying for someone to use them… And that is forever community…  

I appreciate that Jesus was together in community with the 2 of them as they walked – in community – and then broke bread – it was a communion moment – but also a community moment – where there were likely more there to eat as well – and that is where it all got put together… 

The illustrations of prophecy burned their hearts but their heads when AHA!!!!! And more than that – when they were removed from spiritual blindness to see…

Communion he revealed himself in communion. That’s where he wants us to know him best in community. THAT IS SOMETHING THE EARLY CHURCH DID – STAY IN COMMUNITY. SUPPORT EACH OTHER – DISCUSS LIVING AND THRIVING TO CONTINUE HIS MISSION – THOSE DISCIPLES WERE NEVER THE SAME AFTER THAT…

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE – And oh the running – how fast could they have run? How much their eyes were opened – and their hearts burning? When have you felt your heart burning – do a couple of people want to share a burning heart experience? Or some say holy spirit goosebumps?

TELL ME WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID TO EACH OTHER ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS, ANY FRUSTRATIONS? ANY HOPES?

 AND COMPARE TO WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE SAID ON THE WAY BACK?

 AND WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT HAVE TOLD THE OTHERS? WHERE IN YOUR LIFE COULD YOU HAVE SAID – I SAW – I BELIEVED – THIS IS A REAL EXPERIENCE! ???

AND WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US – WHERE DID IT LEAVE THE DISCIPLES? INSTEAD OF AN END OF THE ROAD – LIKE THEIR HOPES WERE DASHED THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH – IN STEAD IT OPENS UP? DO WE ALSO KNOW THAT?

DOES IT MEAN THE ROAD IS EASY ? NO – DOES IT MEAN THE JOURNEY BEGINS?

AND WHERE IS OUR HOPE???  WE ARE EASTER CHRISTIANS – AND YET WE ARE NOT LEFT ALONE ON THIS NEW ROAD – WE HAVE JESUS ALONGSIDE – WE HAVE JESUS IN COMMUNNION – WE HAVE JESUS TO BE TO EACH OTHER – AND HOPE

THE CLASSIC SPRITUAL SONG – Just A Closer Walk With Thee – THE LYRICS ARE SO GOOD HERE – AND I WILL CLOSE WITH THESE LYRICS and then a prayer:

I am weak but thou art strong,

Jesus keep me from all wrong.

I’ll be satisfied as long,

As I walk, let me walk, close with thee.

[chorus]

Just a closer walk with thee;

Grant it, Jesus, this my plea.

Daily walking close with thee;

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through the world of toils and snares;

If I flatter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me, my burden shares?

None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more.

Guide me gently, safely home,

To thy kingdom’s shore, to thy shore.

[chorus]

Just a closer walk with thee;

Grant it, Jesus, this my plea.

Daily walking close with thee;

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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

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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… 7 By 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!