Judges 6:1-24 ~ Favor

 

St. Patrick's bell is one of the most well-known and dates from 500 A.D.,(tongue may be a later addition) Known as the "Clog-Phadruig", "Clog an Edachta", or the "Bell of Armagh", The Irish patron saint Patrick is reported to have been buried with him. The Annals of Ulster record, 552 A.D., Colmcille recovered three relics from Patrick's grave.  Listed as Patrick's chalice, manuscript, staff and his bell.

Size Bell: Height: 20 cm (7.9 in) Shrine: height: 23 cm (9.1 in)

When we look at Scripture, we see the first Chapter placement is significant, essential as well as the close of the Chapter in importance. Emphasizing, the relationship with our Father and their understanding and training regarding God the Almighty, Who has vast attributes and understanding. All the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ, the exact nature of the Lord. 

The timing of History explains in Isaiah, Chapter 7, the culture and timing of the birth of Jesus Christ in the events of the world.  As the Gospels explain events far from Bethlehem. 

And when we want to see what Lent has surrounding Easter, we find the most beloved and well-known saint for a millennium and a half.  Unity. Patrick brings Joy.  And the day of celebration, is in Lent, almost every year. 

In Patrick, we find the qualities he has left for us to understand this Saint in the middle of an important season of Church history, present and future. Two Latin works survive, generally accepted as having actually been written by St. Patrick. These are the Declaration (Latin: Confessio) and the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus (Latin: Epistola).

Confessio is Patrick's own biography.

If we look for a parallel in this Saint's life, we could look at William Wilberforce (b 1780 - d 1825). William Wilberforce was a sickly child, not expected to be all he became.  And although William's family had some prominence, William's sudden inheritances propelled him forward. He spent his youth, not as a believer, but of one doing as he pleased. And in time spent away from his nation, he began a time of reflection. Ultimately, using his placement and the people he knew as a Member of Parliament to find a tax detail, which would unravel the slave trade, eventually around the world.

This is parallel with the Saint we appreciate so much for the joy he found in life, St. Patrick.  Creating Joy from hardships and in time away from what was familiar, becoming the Child of God who changed the world. 

Both of these men, who ended slavery, struggled and changed the world, began as children without any of the clues or indications of some of the great in the history of mankind.

Judges 6:1-24

  

  

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, 

and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.  2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian.

 And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, 

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

The Call of Gideon

  

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 

12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 

“The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 

13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 

14 And the Lord turned to him and said, 

“Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 

15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” 

16 And the Lord said to him, 

“But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 

17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 

20 And the angel of God said to him, 

“Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 

23 But the Lord said to him, 

“Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.  

Gideon is not the only one who left a place in the world.  

St. Patrick's Church

Croagh Patrick (Irish: Cruach Phádraig, meaning 'Saint Patrick's stack'), is on a 2,507 ft. mountain, an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Ireland. The mountain is a pyramid-shaped peak. Considered to be a holy mountain. Saint Patrick is said to have spent forty days fasting on the summit. There has been a Church on the summit since the 5th century (during St. Patrick's time in Ireland). The current church dates to the early 20th century. Croagh Patrick is climbed by thousands of pilgrims every year, a custom going back to the Middle Ages.

On the 50th anniversary of William Wilberforth's death. Wilberforce's Life: Wilberforce was born in Hull in 1759 and became a Member of Parliament for Hull in 1780. He was a leading figure in the anti-slavery movement, regularly introducing anti-slavery motions in parliament for 18 years. (The Statue was not created by a Café or any person named Jack, Wilberforce had given funds to. This statue was not toppled during peaceful, peaceful, peaceful, peaceful protests.)

The Wilberforce Monument is a monument honoring English politician and abolitionist William Wilberforce in Kingston Upon Hull, Queen's Gardens, England. The ashlar structure consists of a Doric column topped by a statue of Wilberforce. The monument began in 1834.

Patrick had an unusual conversion.

Patrick's Confession explains. 

The time he spent in captivity was critical to his spiritual development. He writes the Lord had mercy on his youth and ignorance, and granted him the opportunity of forgiveness from his sins and to grow in his faith through prayer. While in his slavery captivity, he worked as a shepherd and strengthened his relationship with God through prayer, eventually leading him to deepen his faith. After six years of captivity, he heard a Voice telling him he would soon go home, and then his ship was ready. 

Fleeing his master, Patrick travelled to a port two hundred miles away, in unknown Ireland, he found a ship and, with difficulty, persuaded the captain to take him. The ship's captain became eager to leave, slave traders were often murdered for more profit on small excuses.  After three days' sailing, they landed, in small 5th century Roman Britain, unknown to slave traders, and apparently left the ship, walking for 28 days in the wilderness, becoming faint from hunger. Patrick's account of his escape from slavery and return home to Britain is recounted in his Declaration. After Patrick prayed for sustenance, they encountered a herd of wild boar; since this was shortly after Patrick had urged them to put their faith in God.

Patrick and Wilberforce encountered opposition for most of their lives, in their work.  Pressing on to continue the work.

In Lent, times of spiritual opportunities: 

Romans 10:9-10

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord

 and believe in your heart 

that God raised Him from the dead, 

you will be saved. 

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, 

and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

A small opportunity? Yes, probably.

Patrick used the opportunity of strife over hunger and the answered prayer to bolster the starving and, more than likely, feeling hopeless.  It was an opportunity and Patrick spoke his faith.

ALL

All of these histories, they all have the basic thread of discomfort found in the odd circumstances life gives us all. Making the best of things. 

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

 So we are always of good courage. 

We know that while we are at home in the body

 we are away from the Lord, 

For we walk by faith, 

not by sight. 

Yes, we are of good courage, 

and we would rather be away from the body 

and 

at home

 with the Lord.

Abba, Father!

WE PRAY 

BLESSINGS 

And

REMEMBER
WHY 

Do ALL the Good put forth for you to do

in His Good Will

and

GIVE THANKS

FOR YOUR BLESSINGS

THANK YOU

The safety 

of those

helping the earth 

to heal.

Let evil 

and practicing evil

depart 

far 

from us

and our children.

Alleluia!

GRATITUDE

for so many answered prayers.

We pray for the United States

not to have

another 

Massive Immigration.

White, brown, red

rich or poor

massive immigration 

is not an answer.

Giving THANKS

to

Our President

Donald Trump

and His Cabinet

for securing a 

PEACE

and

NOT WORLD WAR.

ISRAEL

GAZA

UKRAINE

RUSSIA

And ask You for appropriate leadership

in

THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL.

Worldwide leaders condemned the erratic and unfaithful Sermon given by Bishop Budde. Who previously condemned President Trump for saving St. John's Church from arson, saying President Trump wasn't kind to the homeless during arson,

and not a person to hold up the Bible.

Then condemning him for following the vote

the Vote of the People

for The Laws of the Land

and ceasing gender mutation on children,

as the Catholic Church Condemns

as a failure to provide Dignity to each Person.

We Pray

for the departure

of what is not good.

The Anglican Church of The United States blessed outreach of the 

Worldwide Anglican Communion

GAFCON

HELP

us

to

be

More Heaven on earth

and LIFE

For the recovery

of fraudulently

spent

tax

dollars

for 

the Nation.

For the recent 

news

a High School offered up

the Alphabet for Teenagers:

A is for Abortion

H is for Healthcare

but B

was not even Birth Control

M was not Marriage

D is not Dignity

W is not

Women's Rights

Not even 

S for Safety

For the children

forced to change clothes

in front of men

who say they are women.

THIS IS WRONG.

SO WRONG.

With

GOD

We will act JUSTLY

 and to love mercy

 and to walk humbly with You, our God.

For the health

of Pope Francis.

Appreciating Pope Francis

Asking his physicians

to tell the truth about his 

serious lung condition.

Healing in Jesus.

We Pray.

And Thank You, Lord.

The Joy

of the Lord

Our Strength!

Dwell 

in me,

Dwell 

in us,

Dwell 

in those we Love.

Please

Strengthen

our

Families

and Relationships

worldwide

Help us to seek You first.

And 

we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Help us seek 

find 

bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

on 

this earth.

Los Angeles

has more water in the canals

Thanks, President Trump.

Lord God,

Help for California

Help for Detroit,

Help for Virginia's floods

Help for North Carolina

THE GRAHAM MINISTRY

SAMARITAN'S PURSE

IS 

DOING INCREDIBLE

Love and Mercy and Work.

GIVE TO

 SAMARITAN'S PURSE

Please.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

One of our sons

has had his office announce

they are moving cities.

We pray 

Blessings on the changes 

and ask your prayers.

One of our sons called today

and we had a good visit 

for an hour and a quarter.

Your prayers are

so appreciated.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes 

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You Jesus