1 John 1:1-10 ~ that our joy may be complete †

John, the Beloved Disciple, living in his cave

Patmos Island, Greece

 1 John 1:1-10

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, 

concerning the word of life— 

The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

6 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

My mother-in-law came to see us a lot in 2005 and 2006. She had dated my father-in-law off and on, since they had been in fifth grade together. One of their memories was the silver bracelet he gave her when they went steady that year. 

The DISD, Dallas, Texas Schools canceled Spring Break during World War II. These little children went into the surrounding cotton fields and picked cotton for an entire week, Victory Cotton. Almost all the cotton was being made into uniforms and supplies for the American Troops in the war. I asked my father-in-law about 20 years ago if he still knew his school age friends. And he said, probably about twenty or thirty of them, sure. I said, Ok, then round them up and get a good attorney and tell them that you all are demoralized by this action, and you all are suing the DISD for all their worth. And I watched. My father-in-law was stunned. And then he was upset. And said: NO, this was for freedom. For freedom from Hitler and fascism. Freedom for the Jews. Freedom for Brave Poland and Brave Belgium. For all the Freedom Fighters in France. The Allies.

I said, I know. But can't you see, this lawsuit happen today, if we asked Spring Break to be canceled?  My father-in-law, Bless him, was upset, he said, only if this much evil broke out again. He was an excellent man. Lost his uncle in WWII and named his son for his uncle, who had died without children.

That was indeed the time of Fellowship. And how I loved and enjoyed my father-in-law and mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law came to visit us, quite a lot, after wonderful Buddy passed on. We talked about the stages of grief, and one is isolation. At first, no one knows what to say to grief. Raw grief. And then, friends change as the emotions come in like an unbelievable tide. And to heal, one's circle becomes small. Fellowship is very limited. And eventually, spring came again in her life, not a full spring, but she began to have a new pattern of life.

And then in 2008, we lost our daughter Isabelle, as she passed on as she was being born. And my mother-in-law came to visit us again. Words of real comfort. She said one of her friends, in elementary school, might have been classed with the handicapped and put in a more specialized place. Her friend's name was Birdie, her mother said, she watches and looks and says little. But she had a dear, good heart, and my mother-in-law said, and the children had been very kind to a quiet and loving, little girl. My mother-in-law said, she wished our own Birdie, Isabelle, had not flown away. We would have loved her and nurtured her.

And the years became hushed. Grieving. Sons went to college. Changes happen. And I wanted more fellowship, but child loss is not a bonus in discussions. It doesn't, Thankfully, relate in the modern world. Birdie had a flu or an illness, Judy's childhood friend, and did not arrive one year in elementary school because her mother said she had flown to Heaven. Baby Isabelle had several loved ones, who would miss her. 

Then, this year. Life has suddenly been like a Very Merry Christmas Season. All things began to happen so fast. My mother's roof. The work on her house.  Working on our own house, trying to restore, repair and buff up our own house. All the situations from so many things. The phone sometimes, suddenly, rings so much Edward asks me to turn off the phone. My brother, the attorney, is dealing with the insurance that gave ... RIDICULOUS... non-logical reasons to fob us off. I love to see my adult brother doing what he really does so well. I just have such enjoyment of seeing him work to and for justice. We may all say, "He's sitting too far on my side, make him move over."  Especially when he ucksay s. Yet, we love to see our family run like a wild horse, set free in a beautiful field. Getting Justice.

And then there are the tragedies this year has seen. That if I repeat the story again, we may all have our ears just fall off. Skip the tragedy that continues.  Just look to Joy. But never forget to complain. Otherwise, it's just repression and leads to gloom. 

Edward won 2nd Place in Texas State Doubles, with Alex H, no age divisions. Just Amazing.  And they do this a lot, yay. Edward won Texas State Championship, in his age division in 2017.  And this set him on fire to travel to Tournaments. Especially during Lent. And again as fall begins cool weather, but how do you tell someone given a terminal medical notice, not to stretch as high and far as he can. You don't, you say Go for The Win. And suddenly, this was fun again.

Every day some bizarre event happens. Something is missing. The event is: Hate and full rears up an ugly, unwell desire for harm. Something is broken. Being fed a lie, that doesn't even try. Some thing is to be cleaned or fixed again. Willingness to let love die through ease and boring comfort. Some Terrible Comment is made. Anger and despair. And a bizarre shock. Of rolling injustice. Of dislike when affection was expected. Disappointment. Revulsion at the misuse of Heaven and goodness. Hopelessness at the pattern of decay. Concern with seeing aging around us and in us. Culture decay. Hope. Sorrow around us.

Our neighborhood has a family that doesn't live within anything of splendor and instead tries sadism. Violence has occurred around them 3 times, once in front of local government, they invited themselves and broke into violence. In front of the neighbors --- because they were screaming confessions at the top of their lungs, drawing a crowd, in their outrageous anger. Hate and disbelief of Christianity as fiction. Imagine fighting every day for 6 feet of land, that doesn't belong to them. On both sides, both neighbors have been warred against. Sadism doesn't make sense.

This week, our iron 4-foot gate had the spokes splayed and the post pulled sideways. As we called for quotes, the men who arrived to weld the gate. They just hung their head, one at a time. And one man told me, during the Pandemic, his neighbor had lost his mind, with his wife. He knew what it was to see people disintegrate. 

We have choices to make.

About 2012, I went to Sam's one day, I felt blue.  I was in Sam's with my son, Cal. It was a day I was trying to decide if I was upset enough to cry. Just about all of it, all the time. And the clerk in the check-out line said to me, Very Cheerfully, "Today is sufficient. God gives you JUST what you need today. Learn to be grateful and trust HIM." 

You know I was leaving the store, I had to go back and tell her - "God Bless YOU. You are just what I needed to hear." And being a person of faith - she smiled as bright as the sun at noontime.

You have to really appreciate the Light. Especially when He speaks to you so clearly. You know you have heard from Him. The words spoken to me have radically changed my life. Speak up, even if your voice squeaks. Hold on - with gratitude - when you hear from HIM. 

Always look to HIM with awe and wonder.

Numbers 23

19 God is not a man, that He should lie, 

or a son of man, that He should change His mind. 

Does He speak and not act? 

Does He promise and not fulfill? 

20 I have indeed received a command to bless; 

He has blessed, and I cannot change it

Romans 9:6

It is not as though God's word has failed. 

For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

2 Timothy 2:13

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

The Lord

has His Heart, His ear

and our prayers are heard

because the gates of Heaven never close.

Jesus is the exact nature of God

and ALL

are welcomed

to The Goodness of God.

Hebrews 6:18

Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, 

we who have fled to take hold 

of the hope set before us 

may be strongly encouraged.

Hebrews 7:21

Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: 

"The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: 

'You are a priest forever.'"

Micah 7:20

Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob,

 and the mercy to Abraham, 

which thou hast sworn unto our fathers 

from the days of old.

John, believed Jesus, like few others did. And John could see Jesus really is The Messiah. Loyalty. Belief.  What does John record about prayer?

The Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as the St John's fragment. The front is lines from the Gospel of John 18:31–33, and the back contains lines from verses 37–38. The papyrus was found in Egypt. Recently dated again, the oldest date is 125 AD, not the late part of the 2nd century, as previously thought. During the apostle John's lifetime. Housed at John Rylands University Library, Manchester, UK.

Papyrus 46, 85 intact Chapters of the Bible. Until this season of history, this was considered to be in existence, during the life of Disciple John. Now, suddenly, the question is about verb usage formerly categorized as late First Century for Decades to 100s of years.

Abba, Father,

Dwell in us, Father

Dwell in those we Love

Help us to seek You first.

In Jesus Christ, we will finish well!

John 17:1

When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to Heaven, and said, 

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son 

that the Son may glorify you

John 17:9

I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world 

but for those whom you have given me, 

for they are yours.

John records Jesus as being

giving, rewarding seeking hearts of His Goodness,

Continued Prayer for us.

1 John 5:16

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, 

he shall ask, and God will give him life—

to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. 

There is sin that leads to death; 

I do not say that one should pray for that.

Look to what is good,

pleasant and true,

praise, think upon

what is excellent.

You are my God,

I give thanks to You.

Proverbs 11:27

Whoever looks for good

will find Kindness

but

whoever looks for evil

will find trouble

John records Jesus

as being for all of us

and for us to be immersed 

in Goodness

Thank You, God,

for reminding us

to simply

pray for the needs

of others.

Father God 

You weep with those who weep

Let us remember that in faith, we can laugh at the time to come. 

Our future is in Your hands. 

We hope to have Your face, Father God, to shine upon us.

 In Jesus Christ, let us put real hope 

in the revealing of His purpose for us. 

Lenten opportunity to give:

We pray for relief to help and reach Syria

and Turkey. 4.8, March 10th and 3.8, 2 hours ago, earthquakes this week.

We pray this will cease. Lord, 

Your mercy upon this land and 

Your people.

Pray Amazon puts back Amazon Smile,

philanthropy is needed today and this program

was wonderful. 

Many will feel the clip if Amazon Smile doesn't

continue. 

Please Lord.

Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness. 

Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week, 

we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory 

working to heal the fullness of the earth, Yours.

Neighborhood,

 Pray for peace, please. 

My mother's roof is in sudden need of

repairs and the best solutions.

During the rainy season.

Thankful for Edward's

wins in DG. For us both to be clear

and communicate well.

In Jesus, we Live and ask this for those we Love. 

We pray for our own strength, 

Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation 

and all other nations in this good fight. 

The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Lord, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Jesus Bless Asbury

† †