Romans 5:3-5 ~ God's love has been poured into our hearts †

 

Romans 5:3-5

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts 

through the Holy Spirit 

Who has been given to us.

Suffering I thought about as a very young 16-year-old first time believer. I thought in the teenage group that patience sounded like a fine way to have a prayer request and not sound like you have given something away to be talked about during High School lunch.  And as the group got towards me, I had the lightning idea that if you pray for patience, God will Answer that prayer with Profound Opportunities for PATIENCE.  So, my first note to self in Christian Belief was NEVER Pray for Patience. And I explained this to our High School and College friend who became an Anglican Priest. In College. Of Course, he wanted to be a physical therapist. 

However, the Bible says Suffering is an opportunity to Rejoice. 

And? This one is more easily understood.

Romans 8

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

Now this is more like what I hope for Heaven on earth. Expectation of Glory.

However, this explains something that is a huge video take out from "The Chosen" about the Perfect and Glorious Reign of the long awaited Messiah bringing more Heaven on earth. The video when Jesus says, bones will still break and Hearts will break on this earth.

Romans 8

 

11 If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, 

to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of Adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Future Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

All well and Good

when

Suffering is a Chance to Rejoice

And when is that?  Let's be as real as St David, King of Israel, who claimed Jerusalem for the first time including the Exodus!

When Suffering as Rejoicing is mentioned to me, I feel like this:

God Knows this of me.  Suffering, is ok and finished suffering, when you score and see new and maturing Belief grown in the Holy Spirit, Who is the Light of ALL mankind.  Suffering when finished, and you dance like Hugh Grant in 10 Downing Street because Angels sang over the choice to talk about or live the High Road of God in Mercy. Or being loquacious.   Then, we have lived the adventure of Psalm 139.

Adventure

in

the Holy Spirit

Psalm 139

Before a Word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before,

    and You lay Your Hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I go up to the Heavens, You are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there Your Hand will guide me,

    Your Right Hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to You;

    the night will shine 

like the day,

    for darkness

 is as Light 

to You.

For those of us who really do not long to discuss or contemplate Suffering as Rejoicing; we have to look to understand because we Know God is not making light of any heartbreaking situation. God is Always Near to those with a Breaking Heart. 

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit.

    for darkness is as light to you.

The Lord will never leave nor forsake you.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your anxieties on Him,

 because 

He cares for you.

Suffering in Rejoicing is more like looking back on the good God interweaves in life from the hardship.  Suffering is something we bravely face knowing faith is the unseen journey towards God.  

How can we rejoice in something that is REALLY SUFFERING? Jesus answers,

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus, 

the author and finisher of our faith, 

Who for the joy that was set before Him 

endured the cross. 

Despising the shame 

and has sat down 

at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.

The Lord would never, never, ever call darkness light. In Rejoicing in suffering, I believe He is saying the adventure of living, the outrageousness of Oh My God, literal moments. He is finding the Victory instead of moaning. 

Jesus has a strong sense of humor. We have Posts on the humor of Jesus. And I believe we can look at rejoicing in suffering as this as an example:

There was a 1970 "Big Foot" movie filmed where we used to vacation in Arkansas. My dad went to Pulaski Height High School and loved Arkansas.  This is a quote we used to quote at outrageous life for decades and decades:  "Good God, George, what kinda place have you brung me to? Panthers on the porch. Bears on the back steps and Big Foot crashing thru the winder!"

Now, "Good God, George! Boys chopped off to be girls, Riots and Arson called Peaceful Protestes! Ice Riots in the Front by Paid Foreign Sources on Signal, Senate wants the Back Border OPEN!  And Space Aliens Fake News crashing thru the winder!"

That's rejoice with suffering.

Jesus is

the

Exact Nature of God

Ecclesiastes 3

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

Suffering and Rejoicing is taking all the trouble in with a strong steadfastness,

that this trouble will pass by like the first Passover. The Blood of Jesus Christ drives the trouble away.

Then we Rejoice in the Power of God and His Triumphant Word.

When we hear something like Suffering therefore Rejoice, it is not necessarily our favorite topic, yet in time we sort through the difficult to find the good. To see the working of God. God tells us we walk by faith. God has taken the worst and interweaving His Love to make the understanding of His Plan and His Love.

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

Matthew 28:20 

“Lo, I am with you

 always, 

to the end of the age” 

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

Abba, Father,

So many times

we all think and sometimes

pray

for more Heaven on earth

and God's good will be done.

And we must be the Heaven

and we must be the Light

Dwell in me

Dwell in those I love

Dwell in those I pray for 

To seek God first

Help us to see more Heaven on earth

Help us to be more Heaven on earth

And we will finish well

in Jesus Christ.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus

ALL

 

As part of the earth is the Lord's and ALL of Creation, we all get to define our lives as adding to the Light of mankind or being darkness. We all contribute.

Watching the worldwide news and events, one strikes me as absolutely endearing.

Jeremy Clarkson, Clarkson Farms, Top Gear

Fighting the Good Fight

Bringing Sustainable farming to the UK, despite all the efforts in Labour Government. Raucously, hilariously, Never giving up, really fumbling - to relate to this. Successfully. Heartbreakingly defeated. Finding a new method to win. Rising like a Phoenix.

And now a cancer diagnosis.  Yep. Get off the GLP-1.  The news publishes pancreatic C word cancer is rising.  Betcha, Jeremy, this paragraph above explains your victory over the diagnosis. 

Ask the Doctors, instead of bad GLP. Take this daily: Broken Cell Repair Supplements of NAD, Chlorella, Sulforaphane, And then Multi Vitamins double.  Resveratrol.  And avoid sugar.

Science tells us our bodies renew in 5 years. Down to bone replacement and making blood. In five years, dance the jig. All Better. Age 71. Years of cancer free.

I have a couple of questions. 

Your butcher didn't quite reach Heritage culinary and the Joy. Oxford Sandy and Black Pigs are like, a form of Wagyu beef. Heritage Culinary. Heritage fatty but delicious. In the culinary world, the bacon from Oxford Sandy and Blacks is supreme. The pork ribs, more expensive. Price this as a epicurean delight.

Have Oxford Sandy and Black Pigs. Really.

Your Fort. Your medieval Fort. 

        oh, a medieval fort?

YOU HAVE A MEDIEVAL FORT and you live near Oxford. 

Have a Dig, have students. Find the walls of the MEDIEVAL FORT!  

And then. Put in the Guinea Fowl and the hens and the lambs And the calves. Surrounded by patroling Donkeys. The Fort isn't a Folly it is a useful Fort.

A Medieval Fort. Dude. I want a medieval fort, everyone wants a medieval fort

with the family farm inside patrolled by the best bread of loyalty ever - DONKEYS!!!!!!!

Be Well. Go Far. And in Reverse because that's more interesting. Thanks Jeremy, for keeping

life INTERESTING for FARMERS and the we grow flowers and have a dog group!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Praying for Texas Flooding to end

 

Now 2:30 PM

As of June 2026, Lake Travis is sitting ≈ 84.6% capacity with an average elevation of ≈ 671.5 feet above mean sea level (msl). While its average historical depth is about 62 feet, recent heavy inflows and torrential rains have pushed levels roughly 432 to 33 feet higher compared to this same period last year. 84% capacity, June 15th. 

2 weeks ago the Trinity River in East Texas was a foot under the railroad trestle bridges.

Opportunity to gather Prayer

and prayer warriers

I love the old prayers in times

when people have fear.

These reliable, old prayers remind

us all

 trouble 

is overcome.

When people pray about the 

fear of the Lord

We are remembering the root word Yar

Reverence

To really see and understand

The Lord God Almighty

we remember

He is Ancient of Days

and

A thousand years is His day.

He upholds the Universe with

the Power of His Word.

His Works are both gentle

and Eternally Majestic.

O God Almighty, 

Upholds the Universe with the Power of His Word,

Hear the humble voices of your children.

The Sea of Galilee obeyed Your order and returned to its former quiet.

You are always the Master of land and sea.

We live in the shadow of a danger 

over which we have no control;

and 

You are the Almighty.

The Gulf 

spreads wind and rain like the Sea of Galilee

During this season we turn to You, O loving Father.

Spare us, as You have spared us from many calamities

and animate us with a true spirit of gratitude, 

we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son

Reaching the heavenly Jerusalem, where a stormless eternity awaits us. 

In Jesus Christ's Name. 

Amen.

O GOD, Heavenly Father, Who by thy Son Jesus Christ

promised to all them that seek thy kingdom, 

and 

the righteousness of God, all things necessary to their needs: 

Send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, 

such moderate rain and showers, 

that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, 

Yes, Lord.

and 

to thy honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

O most powerful and glorious Lord God, 

at Whose Command the winds blow and lift up the waves of the sea,

 and Who stillest the rage thereof

We, thy creatures,

 do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help. 

Save, Lord, or else we powerfully suffer. 

We confess when we have been safe and seen all things quiet about us, 

we have forgot thee our God, 

and refused to hearken to the still voice of Thy Word and to obey Thy Commandments. 

But now we see 

How powerful and majestic Thou art.

How Great Thou Art. 

In all thy works of wonder, 

You are the great and

 Almighty God to be feared above all. 

We adore Thy Divine Majesty, 

acknowledging Thy power and imploring Thy goodness. 

Help, Lord, 

and save us for thy mercy’s sake

 in Jesus Christ thy Son, 

our Lord.

 Amen!

A Thumping Good Prayer

O most glorious and gracious Lord God, 

Who dwellest in Heaven and beholdest all things below:

 Look down, we beseech thee, and hear us, 

calling out of the depth of misery, 

and out of the jaws of this Tropical Rain which is ready now to swallow us up. 

Save, Lord, or else we perish. 

The living, the living shall praise thee. 

O send thy word of command to rebuke the raging winds 

and the roaring sea, 

that we, being delivered from this distress, 

may live to serve Thee 

and 

to glorify Thy Name 

all the days of our life. 

Hear, Lord, and save us, 

for the infinite merits of our blessed Saviour, 

Thy Son, 

our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

Our Father in Heaven, 

through the intercession of Advocate Jesus, 

spare us during this hurricane season from all harm.

 Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature.

 Our Father, the Exact Nature of Jesus, 

hasten to help us. 

Through Christ our Lord.

 Amen. 

 Father, 

all the elements of nature obey your command. 

Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us 

and 

turn our fear of Your power 

into praise of your goodness. 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

Who lives and reigns with You 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God, 

forever and ever. 

Amen. 

 Loving God, 

Maker of Heaven and earth, 

Protect us in Your love and mercy. 

Send the Spirit of Jesus 

to be with us, 

to still our fears and give us confidence. 

 In the stormy waters, 

Jesus reassured His Disciples by His Presence, 

calmed the storm,

 and 

strengthened their faith. 

Guard us from harm during this storm 

and 

renew our faith to serve you faithfully. 

 Give us the courage to face all difficulties 

and 

the wisdom to see the ways your Spirit 

binds us together in mutual assistance. 

We pray for the safety

of all of our families.

With confidence 

we make our prayer 

through 

Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

And He Will.

Amen!

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus

Narnia Lamp

CS Lewis, Oxford