Seeing the Forest through the Trees. Trees meet Forest. Forest meet trees.
Right.
Right.
My phone rings more at the end of the Pandemic, than before. And, you know, I don't always, usually, get the Believers want to Discuss the Bride of Jesus. Oh no no no. I'm a rocket man. Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone. And I used to think it's gonna be a long long time 'Till touch down brings me round again to find... Oh My Dear Lord, Oh God, I used to talk about Jesus like William Shatner did in 1978.
I know I did. When I heard Billy Graham say, 'I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.' I remember hearing that the first time and realized this is what I wanted to convey. Struck to the Core.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed and the opportunities to grow the seeds in the difficult soil don't have spring training. And happen the day you have a crushing sinus infection. The day the washing machine has been leaking and you find out what the smell is - oh no. The day the CPA is telling you, you aren't paying attention. The day your child decides to tell you who they are. The day you have all these things happen and you realize your neighbor who was crying her dad died and you suddenly didn't know what to say and then the next day you realize... Hopefully God was giving you a day of spring training. And the relief is - God is in charge of Salvation. Salvation is a GIFT of GOD. However, it's fairly important to realize we can't bring Heaven to someone until we find Heaven on earth. We have to have glimpses of Heaven to be able to say The River Jordan runs warm.
Bill Hybels had a visitor one Sunday who was annoyed and challenged Bill to ask him how difficult it is to bring the Gospel to those in the world. Without a collar, without the building of a Church. And he asked Bill Hybels, what have you done for Jesus lately? And in an angry tone. And Bill decided he'd better find out. Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith - Hybels, Bill.
St. Patrick is probably the first one who ever thought this. There was no exact manual for his part of the world. Or maybe he had to use the one 5 Centuries out of date and adapt it. And like Bill Hybels, Patrick found out, you have to put all of you there and it takes years. That's probably why The Books of John at the end of the Bible are so remarkable. This is a life growing and walking with Jesus - by Faith. John's Books are like Patrick's life, you have to overcome the snakes. Instead of becoming one to blend in.
In fact, when you consider the History of Faith, you find one Generation has faith and the next is rowing its own boat.
Matthew 11:8-10
8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?
Behold,
those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
Behold,
those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
The manual is living and breathing Word of God. Jesus is God's Word made manifest. If we insist how we each will unfold to God, we have not understood The Message of Jimmy Swaggart's Life. We have missed the profound Mercy those who donated to Jimmy then - found - what they wanted Jimmy to have was Jesus. And the Love and Mercy the people gave to Jimmy was the message the world largely didn't find reported. The Dallas Morning News did a very fine job finding this Mercy and reporting the tenderness. In fact, when people referred to the article, frequently there was a mist or some tears. The Mercy was Huge. Like the one where God said He wants to save the world.
1 Timothy 2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
To live in the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Luke 4:14-44
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 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, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 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. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 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.
23 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.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 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. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 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.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 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. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
Jesus Heals Many
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
The Most Wonderful Part of Scripture, I will tell you what I thought - and you just might see something else that helped you tremendously. Or we will walk the Road to Emmaus - Together - and find Jesus Warms our Heart.
Either way, we have found God, our Father, and He is with us. Emmanuel.
This is what I see today. Give us the Day.
set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
Raise the warm heart, hear our prayer - we really want this.
Jesus goes to His home. This would be where we all have a place we understand as home. So many aspects of Jesus are 'immediately'. Jesus even teaches us the Theory of Relativity in John's Gospel Chapter 6. Immediately, the boat is on the other side. And we find out - home is not where all things solve quickly.
And in the Beautiful Day - many things did solve quickly. In fact, home is where the most amount of upset came to Jesus quickly. Many, many, many understood and Loved Jesus. Even on Good Friday we find Jesus has multitudes turning out for Him on Good Friday. And what did Jesus do with the Beauty and the harm and the tragedy and the hope?
And He kept on preaching
The Gospels say the starting point is the wilderness. Making a straight path keeps us in the Way, Truth and Life. Blessed are the Merciful they will obtain Mercy. Jesus had seen the last pages of the Book, He knew it was going to turn out just fine.
Abba, We are this in Your Son Jesus,
Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
Father, The Old Testament is sad for the sons of Eli, Samuel and Hezekiah.
The New Covenant is Hope for the Brothers of Jesus. John 21, Acts 1, Acts 2 and
All the Word of God.
What we do the least of us, we do to Jesus Christ.
And this whole Post and all the prayer points to us, ourselves, individually.
Peter might be the Rock of the Church, and given the Keys to the Gates of Heaven,
but Father God tells us the 12 Gates of Heaven and the Giant Pearl, never close!
Thank You God for Your Love, Salvation and Mercy. Always.
Abba, Father God,
Help us to continually see Your Good.
Live assured daily of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus.
Opening our doors with expectation of Your Continued Goodness in ourselves,
in the ones we Love,
in the ones we Love,
Jesus Christ in the people You bring us.
Blessing our Nation, blessing us.
Ending our Divisions. Lord Jesus Christ.
Remembering the Love God brings us Home yesterday, today and tomorrow.
His Steadfast Love we bring in our lives.
Drawing His Love forth to enrich our lives.
May Father God bless us all in Jesus.
Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.
Covered in God's Love,
President Donald Trump, the First Lady and Their Family
Vice President Mike Pence, the Second Lady and Their Family.
The Presidential Team.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx
Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.
Senator Tim Scott,
The end of trouble surrounding this Virus.
For Elliott and Harby.
We believe Elliott is healed.
Father, the Truth, the Way and the Life for our Nation we pray.
We continue to pray for the Safety of All the Nations.
Thank You all the Willing Help You'd Give us with the end of Hurricanes, Wildfires, Riots,
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.
Please continue to bless us.
Amen in Jesus
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