Hebrews 12:28-29
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio BibleTherefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Sometimes my gratitude levels are just limp like overcooked sphaghetti. Other days, like today, gratitude bursts from me like the sun. I once heard a sermon on my minister's favorite minister - who continued to be fruitful well into old age. He believed having gratitude was the key to being open to God.
Our blog is a bit late to publish post - I've been clearing out the dregs of my college sons home leftovers. Cleaning like a tornado. Most people have spring cleaning, but if you have sons college aged, you understand fall cleaning. So clean, clean, clean and we are hosting one of the Baylor Parents League prayer groups yesterday. Please give us the favor of your prayers, it seems our area has been trying to put together a prayer group like this with limited success.
And... the revised seasonal forecasts for Texas, LA, OK, NM looks very bad for drought. We discussed this last night at prayer group. Central Texas looks like the desert now. We didn't understand why news casters aren't standing in the fields showing the pictures. One lady at our Church is 78 years old and she says she has never seen the like.
Back to the gratitude.... Heaven is the unshakable kingdom. What a great God we serve.
I received an email from a loved one, family member, who has recently been starting to examine his faith. He's found an part of Scripture:
Mark 8:22-26
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
He is very excited about this. Because the men of Jesus' day wouldn't know about the brain needing to be healed as well as the eyes and my loved one is touched by this. So... he sent an email for an answer to prayer that promised if you forward this email prayer about needing God... to 12 people.... it is a sure thing. Guaranteed. So he did. Of course he was joking. Of course he was hoping that the door was opening.
And my loved one can be pretty brusque. So I, a little tentatively, explained to him, that prayer really does matter. All the studies prove it. Especially in prayer groups where people care for one another and God's love flows freely where He is called. I wrote of the no-doubt miracles I've seen 5 of in all my life. But I told him. If your wife backed out of the driveway and ran over his 2 dogs and his best rifle, he'd be angry. But I know how much he loves his wife and he would still love her.
You cannot put your faith in one prayer and ask God for one answer, as a test. Edward and I lost our daughter, Isabelle, at birth. I couldn't answer why it happened, but I can say, I believe in God - who is Love. I know we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. I will love God and be grateful for His steadfast love. In death. In drought. But really, in His goodness, mercy and love and His eternal, steadfast love and promises.
Blessed be the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come. Amen.
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