Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, not we ourselves and we are his
we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
When we put Scripture on Shirts, bumpers, photos and art, we have to stop and Capitalize the Words referring to God. Jesus told us He has humility and did the Father's Plan. As Easter approaches, I am again amazed at how willing God our Father is to have us near Him. He had Aaron throw blood around the Holy of Holies. Father God has an earnest and all-seeing understanding to the mess of humanity. John 21. I stand in perpetual awe Jesus is abandoned by the men who have seen what the Prophets and so very, very many longed to look. And His response is to make them breakfast. Where they promptly squabble and ask positions and favors and the taking of favors from others.
Solomon in all his Glory was praised for not wanting harm but blessing. Oh, the Glories of Spring Break and the work of being on a vacation with the ones you love. My Reverend Step-Grandfather would say, "Hell is going on vacation with the ones you love, in a small car."
Now let's step back and say - the Glory of Jesus. Not just anyone - Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Savior, making breakfast for errant people.
The Joy of getting up on Sundays and going to Church to praise God. For wellness. For people to love. For errant people. To experience the joy of messages many years old - Living - to experience and feel and be blessed by God our Father for His Lavish Love.
This week, I'd like your prayers, I have fever, rattling sinus, cough and intestines. A Virus. A small fever. And in this time, I am feeling some strong gratitude. This is just a virus. A passing thing. My back is on the mend and was painful. I've had allergies before and felt much more miserable. And headaches. Blessedly Free. Time to rest and see my backyard green up by the minute. The birds flying. The dog sitting happily next to my whooping cough. Ah, to live in the era of menthol cough drops. Doctor says 3 days - I am praying he is just exactly right. Rice is amazingly good when you are starved. And yogurt. I shun bananas, but today's banana is as good as banana bread.
I like Sermons and with this internet age, I am blessed to hear a Sermon any time I want one. Lent is a particularly good time to listen to Sermons. Sermons from the good believers I'm blessed to hear - are from the heart. And are like a good conversation around a table.
And as you listen to souls revealed - my heart is profoundly touched. My soul blessed. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Spring Break is not just little children. It's college and grad school. It's vacation while things are hopping. It's the solving of puzzles on how to connect. It's overcoming and overcoming and overcoming - Just Like the Gospels Jesus has given us. We can plod along or we can raise up our eyes deal with all the realities with vim and vigor and Jesus. We can Shine. Pivot - give, good measure running forward. Not indiscriminately, not unwisely. But with Love.
I heard a great and realistic Sermon on families and the joys and sorrows of being in family.
The Scriptures have this exact message with Paul and Peter getting good and glum. Mary is announced to have a baby and Matthew 2 tells us this is Said He will be a Nazarene - a strict look at diet and ways of God - named before Jesus arrived - of the town Jesus would live in. Nazareth. God has unique coincidences He calls a Plan. Remember with me - real life - real Scripture - Mary complained. The Bible is GOOD. And after Mary complained - she lived in Nazareth.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
Two of my college roommates moved as children to live in Hawaii. You know some grandparents were jim-dandy-thrilled. They had to move home, Hawaii was just too routine. Too lush. Too much of the same. One of our favorite and godly late 20s and early 30s told us he really, really, really did not like his parents from about age 20 to 30. Yada yada yada, tell me how I'm different than you. Explain my life. And he is the Prodigal Son.
My father and his mother did not get along. She tried excessively and he enjoyed being plain snotty. Her life consisted of listening to us and trying to solve a problem. Daddy moved on after 25 years of good marriage. Grandmother did not. 3 of 4 of her great-grandchildren are named after her. Daddy said some very, very unbecoming things about Grandmother. He did not win the argument in the long run.
Look at Psalm 100.
Rejoice. Glory to God for teaching us where we are Blessed and being Blessing Finders.
There are plenty of people who make life better for their participation.
Sometimes, like my "Grandmother", they are unsung. My father was her only child.
God assures us this.
Again
Again
Again
Again
Again
Again.
Troubles will arrive. Overcoming is a process just like the incredible amount of physical time and seasons in the Prodigal's Son Return.
Our Glory arrives from our Promises from God. Himself. Our Father who abundantly, lavishly, unendingly is going to arrive and fix breakfast while we moan at the Face of God in Victory of the Eternal Kingdom where we Live - today.
Our identity is fixed. Our salvation in belief is Secure. Our eternity is not our knee, our foot, our brain. Our Eternity is present today in our temporary body. Your Soul is a gift to you from our Father God the Almighty. Eternal property - I'd hazard a guess is shaped like this:
Our willing hands work and we will see the Blessings of God Himself.
God's Mercies Renew each day. It's grand when this is the early morning - but sometimes we find this Wind of the Holy Spirit any time of Day. It wouldn't surprise me - knowing Jesus - to know this Upsweep of Mercy - is always available in Jesus.
God is a Father, Himself. He tells us in Ephesians - families live together.
Take firm hold of Your Faith.
Cover any problem you have with the Rock the people carried around in Exodus for water. A Giant Rock being carried around in the desert. Get happy. We are the Easter People and God has allowed us the Extreme Mercy of placing our Rock by prayer. And upon this Rock, I will climb to pray. The rock has stairs and is open for all. Jesus Christ Living Water and Rock of our Foundation. Waters perpetually flowing. God Abundantly being God Almighty Father God - doing more than we could ask or even - - - imagine. These waters do not turn off. Our Prayers are welcomed by our Father - and yet - Expressly Written - God is the Spirit who Answers and has the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory to answer prayers better than we know. The Spirit gives Life.
Enter into prayer with Joy. I need eyesight prayers in my 5th decade. And upon my Prayer Rock with Jesus I pray the prayer of Jesus and the mud and blindness cured. I pray Jesus saliva in eyes. I pray eyes. And Edward is inexplicably getting renewed eyesight. God does exactly what God wants to do. And Praise God. Seeing God our Father Bless is a Blessing.
I had a dream about Communion. And in this dream, I dreamed having taken the Cup of Christ Jesus, my Lipoma was gone. And yes, the dream was a gift of God. A miracle. In January, I thought I'm going to watch that channel called Freestyle - they always have a good movie. And I was surprised to find it was the 700 Club. A woman caregiving for her husband needed knee replacement and this was not in the budget, there was great pain. She watched the 700 Club and her knee was called out to be healed. And because of Jesus - was healed. That night the 700 Club called out from Jesus that sinus headaches were being healed. Mine was. And in allergy season - I've taken two sets of Aspirin that never worked before and it was just gone after a very few minutes. This is important because sinus meds dry out my eyes. Damaged by tennis ball and by steroids.
If this hits you a little hard, remember all the good news you know around you. All the times people needed and needs were met. God only sounds a trumpet every now and then. I've only had one healing miracle dream and I give thanks to God because I know I need His Mercy and His Grace.
Abba, Our Father,
We ask the Blessing of Jesus and Your Great Word and Will in our prayers.
Going to You in Your Heaven, we are praying
Oh so very much for good health and not illness and fever.
We are lifting up all who are having and have had Spring Break.
Recalling the Blessings of Family and our Blessing from Billy Graham's ministries.
We are Blessed Graham ministries even travel to Houston in Hurricanes to help Local and Ongoing Church Ministries.
We are Thanking You for Our Blessings.
Seeing them with determined freshness each day.
Rejoicing in the woolly Plan and Path.
And on this Path, we say - "Father, Guide us and Love us.
Father, encourage us and strengthen us.
Father, protect us and direct us.
Father, keep us firmly in Your Will and Joy. We want to be there.
Father, give us the Wisdom You told Your Brother James is available.
Father, always nudge us to do the Goodness and Willingness You have for us each day.
Father, help us to be Blessing Finders and Blessing enjoyers.
Father, help us to be Blessing Keepers and Solution Diligent Finders.
We earnestly ask Your Blessing upon us:
On our Loved ones - Jesus Christ Himself
On the cares of the Churches
On the cares of the Nation
Covering God-Sized - His Creation - His Blessing.
We ask for Peace and all gifts of the Holy Spirit.
And in having Jesus - we have His Strength!!!
Amen Amen Amen
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