Let's all be Disciples!
Gallup Poll says Christians participating in Church believe they have ALL the prayers answered. The Doors of the Church are Open. Put your right toe in and shake it all about.
That's what it's all about.
Ephesians 4: 10-12
10 He who descended is the very One who Ascended above all the Heavens, in order to fill all things. 11And it was He who gave some to be apostles (disciples), some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for works of ministry
and
to
build up the body of Christ
There is just one itsybitsy, little thing about being Disciples. Jesus knew His People!
Matthew 10:2-4
2
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
So ya got: 2 Rich boys living with da Mamma. More brothers from sons of Thunder. Probably some abuse there. Philip - you most likely heard, stepped up to do some ministry work to a rich person in a chariot, and wasn't heard from again. Bartholomew left his Bible to be found in India - years and years and years and years Later. James. Well, they call him the Lesser. Lesser known the better, right. Thaddaeus - nice man, really. Simon is always going on about politics and activism. Tone it down, man. And Judas, in promotion and PR, has connections with the influential and worries about the poor. He hangs in there, really spills his guts.
Jesus knows His People. He does. We know Jesus knows.
Mark 2:17
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Jesus, pal, wasn't talking about the toe in crowd. Jesus was talking about Peter to Simon and on down. All of us. Pal, He speaks of us.
So, you might try Church! Gallup Poll just roughly announced Church Goers have more Miracles and Prayers Answered. Is this for real? Yes, my friend, this IS for real.
Matthew 18:20-22
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
God is Love.
The French almost always end their Facebook comments with things like, "Bon Journee" and "Joyeux mardi". Americans tend to ask themselves, "What's the Catch?" And you'd wonder, wouldn't you? Sure.
The Church has been losing people for two decades. Bible Studies tend to dwindle and end. Why? They don't have you. Wot. The Church has been losing people for a reason, not recently discussed. In the past, people went to Church to worship, yet a lot of this was to make friends, receive comfort and participate. This is the Pandemic recovery culture. We all need to Shine the Light of Jesus Christ. And pull on the Blessing of Jabez. Jabez places in 1 Chronicles 4. The Chapter after 3, discussing the Sons of David. Flawed and putting the Blessing of not having pain. Moving past pain. 'Jabez' means being born in pain. (Wow, Mom?)
The people who didn't like Church didn't seek the Catch.
The Catch is, God wants you to work the Garden of Eden. His Garden of Eden with you. Not necessarily to be anointed with the blessing of easy friends made during Pandemic culture. Sure, you are going to see more prayers answered. The Catch is - God wants you to be the one who has an amazingly rich life.
Gathering together in the Name of God. God is... Love. Gather in your love for the Lord. Gather in His Love. Be His Love. You are the Church. You you you are the Church. You gather in the building to ... build up... the Body of Christ.
You gather to be ~ the Helper. To be the Comforter. To be Comfort. You are a Child of God.
The real Catch, the win, the depth and glory of Church is the Love God has for you. A great crowd of witnesses knows this. And the Blessing is this, and could be the people and situations you pray for. Your blessings and thoughts and life expand.
Now, if this is a new thing for you to contemplate, going to Church, let's talk about the woes.
Rise above it, Jesus said several times.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Son of God, you will need to rise above it. You might have to sit next to Peter. And he might tell you about his wife and his mother-in-law. Or you might have political put downs from Simon. Bartholomew has this cousin named John Mark, run.
That's ok. You have girded your loins with Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, you have put on the Helmet of Salvation, taken up the Sword of the Spirit, which the Word of God. You're Protected by the Shield of Faith. And your feet are beautiful in the Gospel of Peace.
You have the Garden of Eden with the Lord. Be the Comfort. Be the Comforter, be the Helper. Build up the Body of Christ.
Woes. Whoa. One of the reasons Church populations has fallen, we have to have the same ideas, we have to dislike the same dislikable things.
Well, to this idea. Yes and No. Yes, Jesus knew He was followed by a great multitude. A great crowd in the Bible is the size of Capernaum, about 3 thousand people. A great multitude could be 2 million and on up, Josephus records in the History of the Jews. Jesus did get annoyed with the crowd merely seeking Him for a miracle and a meal. But Jesus did not regularly say if there was a great multitude - this was unwashed.
If you go to Church, virtue signalling bounces around. And gets like the Bible says, I was baptized by Apollo or Titus and not Joel Olsteen, therefore etc., etc., etc. That's 1 Corinthian 1:10-17. I like most sermons. People get like this and that with virtue signalling. Jesus says at one point, He does not entrust Himself to the people, He knows what is in them. John 2:24
This is not new. In the 1970s, the Virgin Birth was the lithium dial. Then this lifted with joy in the idea of Messenger Angels for the Lord. Then the Jabez Promise for financial Blessings. Followed by the idea that prosperity and happiness was like ham on Christmas Day for Puritans. We have to believe in the downward spiral of mankind to believe God sees His Creation is bad?
God says the world needs salvation, today, He sees His Creation as good.
Being Happy in Church is being in Love with the Lord.
But there is a caveat, and in time and space, this would be as large as the Universe upheld by His Word. Salvation is only a Gift of God. No one could earn Salvation. Because: God wants to save ..... THE WORLD... in Jesus Christ.
The point about Jabez Blessings, sometimes you go to Antioch instead of delving into the controversy. Why Bible Studies dwindle. A virtue signal might have a polite nod and then the feet vote. When we see signs in the Church parking lot saying we are heading to the Mission Field, no. We are in the Mission Field.
If you are going to Church for your time to Love the Lord, you can remind yourself to Shine with His Love and skip the controversies.
Is this worth the gain to have some of the pain?
My mother was healed completely of her Thyroid Tumor in a day.
I've seen a woman violently suffering from scars from a dog bite fully recover miraculously.
Dee, Cindy and I prayed over our trees in Hurricane Ike. And even if huge trees suddenly fell over, the prayer held from 2008 to today.
A prayer group prayed for suffering elderly parents and all were healed from suffering.
Prayer for items stolen recovered. Items to be kept were kept.
One art group I attended, had ladies really bond. We discovered, later, all 11 of us had had mother abuse. And we fully understood each other. And prayed for relief from abuse from elderly mothers. Prayers were heard.
A priest asked for prayers from heart failure and lived from critical demise another 8 full years. A man asked for prayer as an atheist/agnostic and our prayer group prayed and MD Anderson jaw cancer was cancelled due to complete healing.
Financial prayers were upheld. Children were healed from brain trauma and death. A child recovered from brain failure after a car accident. Full recovery. Bladder cancer healed. A child pre-born was found to be without vital internal organs, and the Organs grew in.
What did these Prayer Groups have in common? The willingness to find the New Commandment of Jesus - Love One Another!!!!
For the joy of the Lord
is your strength.
By You all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
Jesus brings many sons to glory.
For Jesus is come to our Father's glory with His angels,
and He will reward each person according to what he has done.
Today:
We are remembering Good Prayer Blessed to God.
Thank God, Himself, I had my third eye surgery
please pray all heals well and my eyesight continues to improve, thank you!
This has been THANK YOU LORD JESUS.
Jesus has been hearing us pray in Amazing and Wondrous Ways.
We ask Jesus today for those suffering,
who need His Help. His Love and Mercy.
Lord Jesus please heal, love, forgive, and heal them all
in Your Love and Mercy. Amen.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among
those with whom He is pleased!”
Father God, help us to do the Good Works You have prepared us to walk in.
For the ones we Love and the People You have given us.
For our Churches, places of work, our states and Nation.
Ukraine and their valiant bravery. Poland the breadth and depth of Mercy.
The People who are Your Beloved, to ALL
cover them with Your Name in strength and mercy.
We live abundantly on the Word of God, You have provided.
We Pray for the Republic.
We the People all have Family and Loved Ones
we have fought and lived and died
for our Freedoms.
One Nation Under God
with
Liberty and Justice for All.
We pray for Truth.
Knowing in the Truth is where Peace and Integrity
with Love and Courtesy Dwell.
Jesus, please dwell in us.
Jesus, please dwell in those we Love.
We ask to seek You first.
In Jesus, we will finish well.
Favor our Nation, dwell in us. Please.
We ask to know to seek You first in all aspects of Life.
Knowing we will see and be more of Heaven on earth.
Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Abba, Father God,
You have told us to always pray with Hope.
We pray for the 73 Million Children
in the USA to have Your Blessing
and Protection.
Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.
Covered in God's Love,
The end of Trouble.
Help this Virus end quickly, safely
We rest in the Hands of Our Good Father.
In Jesus Christ. Amen.
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