Zechariah 7:8-10 ~ true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another

Zechariah 7:8-10

 

8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah:

9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said:
‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

We all have ideas on the election, that so far, is not ending.

These are my ideas. And in saying so, I hope to have your compassion -  these are my opinions:

I have had a son at 28 weeks and watched premature babies in the ICU struggle looking like baby squirrels more than infants. I have had a stillborn daughter and was told four times to abort my daughter and instead carried Isabelle to term giving birth - where she died during birth. I am NEVER going to vote for a candidate who routinely says life of the innocent is a choice. Life is a Gift of God. Passionate about the innocent and life. A human bean in the works. Plan of God.



Now the Environment.

We face Zika. The world's first sexually transmitted illness initially acquired by mosquitoes. Where Zika stays in a sperm count for 6 months. 

What is the good side to this? Birth will not be left to the iffy of this then. Birth is going to become far more deliberated and anticipated. Conception highly guarded. Maybe, maybe, maybe we will have less chemical abortions by pill. Wouldn't that be Wonderful.

God always working to interweave goodness. God is Wonderful.

Incidentally - be aware of this change. Abortionists used to make very good money doing something frowned upon as a line of work. Today Abortionists are looking for work. Most pregnancies are killed by the Morning after pill or the RU-86 Plan B. This is a Major Change in the way of Pro Life and no one discusses this yet politically - this is Factual.

The recent Supreme Court Decision on permissions etc. is behind the times scientifically.  Now you are informed! So many lives are being lost by chemicals. So many little lives. Human beans. We will miss them. We will miss them in sterile, sterile plans of how it all should be planned.

And God - the Father - gathers these children to Him. Tenderly.





Creating this Wonder -

We are finding Zika  can mimic Polio in paralysis. It could well be Polio was always a mosquito illness and fixed by a fluke miracle by Jonas Salk's vaccine. While the cause of Polio is, still today, unknown. The sad wonder is - was this futuristic Jonas Salk Zika Vaccine Inventor done away with as an unborn baby by an abortionist or a pill? Value life. Value a human bean as the wonders the unborn could do.

Life is a gift of God.






Attitude of Gratitude. Finding Thanks in all circumstance.

I had a strong idea the election outcome was going to be a wonder of God. I had really no clue as to the result. God surely does. The Christian Monitor says this is a Wonder in the Survey World. For decades the survey was a leading and orchestrated way to form policy. This time rural and quiet America has created a political change. Let's be circumspect in this change. The media is blowing this change way out of proportion because this President to be will have to work with the same protocol of an aging system in need of technical updates to laws made. Rules will be followed. We can see the Truth and calm down, God is in Control.

Obama was seen as Spider Man the week of his first Inaugural. Bishop Desmond Tutu told President Obama, they will fry you at the end if they anticipate you are a super hero. True. So true.

All Presidents work within the system of checks and balances.





Laws and Lawlessness.

God puts us in a framework. Government is not Hollywood Hype. Regardless what dress the First Lady wears - the point of Government is one purpose - Laws. Laws offer us a framework to trust one another. Law in the Word of God is covered by Blessing. This is practical. The viewpoints of law, flexibility - rigidity - overly - poorly - and apply evenly - tell us information on that human being and our expectations of future actions, expectation of their justice and mercy - what we can expect from this person's treatment to us in the future. Especially when we are rendered unable and dependent. If we will be led to death by war. Like basketball and hips.



Fact. Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton. Her work must support her job seeking. Hillary Clinton was on the team of prosecutors for impeaching President Nixon for deleting his information with a just a few minutes illegally zapped.

Hillary Clinton made a business decision to delete and break laws she had worked to uphold. Suggesting - in my opinion - her work did not look like she made good decisions - to - Hillary Clinton. There are too many more discoveries of more erasing and erasing. She could have gone to jail for what she admits she has done on National Television. Admission of Law Breaking. Poor choices. Broken Laws.

Hillary Clinton has gone to make public speeches lasting 45 minutes saying the United States Police Departments are uneducated, cruel people who have not truly been properly trained. A sweeping viewpoint. Another view of law from a lawyer who is a law maker.

In my opinion,
a lawbreaker who has no respect to make sweeping statements of law enforcement - is not a good thing. Period.

Your opinion might differ. However, I will disclose my opinion and have not buttoned up to be vague.

I had no real idea for a long time who I would vote for. The news was as bad as we all agree.

I prayed and prayed for the Nation to have God put into people's hearts what they should do. I felt assurance and comfort God was going to act and act as GOD. I believed we would be helped as a Nation by God and rested. My husband and I went to vote on Election Tuesday. As we pulled up to Collin Intermediate School, the police were there. As we voted I saw the men in blue gesturing to the tops of the large trees. We live in an area where Bald Eagles live in 6" nests they create and use for years and years about 6 miles away. Inexplicably, a Bald Eagle had come to land in one of the trees and the police were there to guard the Bald Eagle. God is GOD. He is Good. All the time.

As we flipped channels that election evening, Fox News said again and again this is a miracle.

I believe if we all continue to pray and continue to email our elected officials - God has listened to His People say our Political Conventions look so good - surely God will have mercy upon us for voting the best we could.

I believe this as a cry of the heart and believe a loving God will continue to heed our prayers - regardless what side of the Political aisle you sit on.

Evangelism and the New Covenant - a little similar to Politics.


Ezekiel told us this about being the people who are so graciously favored to live after we know Jesus is Victorious eternally. God was explaining the New Covenant.

Ezekiel 11
19"And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

John 1 tells us the Light of the world exists in ALL of mankind. Romans 1 echoes this.

If we preach politics, we ignore this: The Body of Christ is diverse in talents, ideas, and background. God is as Vast as the Universe He creates and specific in the Word of God as to His Opinions. His Word explains His Will.

I know a story of failed evangelism. God specifically says. And this is in the New Testament many times. Telling us not to give up, do not despair. Jesus did not convert all the people He healed. Peter and Paul the same. And then again, planting a seed of faith is for God to do God's Work - His Salvation. This is the truth. Trying is what pleases God.

I know another story of a long term commitment to evangelize someone that failed. Why. There was so much tsk tsk tsk, not a believer, not in the box, not my opinion. Sad you are not in my box. Sad this - sad that. Not affirmation. We need to speak Life.

Tim Keller says, "Tell me about the God you don't like, I might agree with you". Tim Keller is suggesting - listening. Treating someone as if their thoughts might find common ground. Using the unique talents, opinions, gifts of the individual to connect them in a way God Who sent His Son to be seen as illegitimate and born not welcomed at the Inn. Waiting for heart. Sincere heart. God would speak to the gifts and the virtues and the 'talents' He has given. God would applaud as a Parent. God would see this Child of His and run from far away. God would Love this Person.

When we read 1 Corinthians 13, we are reading of God the Gentleman. Love is patient and kind. Tender Father. Not the tsk, tsk, tsk of Father God not appreciating the unique individual. God tells us not to provoke our children. Surely He meant children of the faith in our teaching about the God of Love.





 


If we know, know, know we can't tsk tsk tsk someone into Politics, why, why, why do we think we can do this for the Lord God Almighty's child to know the fullness of God Himself and His Son Jesus God of Love, Holy Spirit and Word?





Jesus is God. We can listen and find Scripture connecting each soul to our Father. The Gift of the Living Word of God. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is Love.



Abba,

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. There is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. We Live by the Power of His Word alone.

The LORD, exult and rejoice before Him. Our Good Father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows. Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity. If he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry!

Now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of Your Hand.

It is clear that no one is justified before God by the Law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Because of the Mercy and Love of our Father, we know and believe and declare, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory."

Upon Him in expectations, with delight we Lift up Life. We Lift up Loved Ones. Pray for health concerns of ourselves, parents, friends. We Lift up our Cares to the One Who is Love. We lift up our needs. We lift up Jobs, Neighborhoods, Churches, States, our Nation and the community of the saints who believe and offer prayer to Jesus together daily. And in Our God - we will be established in His Loving Word, His Good Plan, His Will and His Way. We delight in the Goodness and Love of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 71 ~ Rescue me, O my God

Psalm 71

1 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!

3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been as a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.

16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.

19 Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt.




Father God, Our nation has lived through an amazing barrage of opinion and events.

I believe we have gotten through this hip-deep trouble with the power of the Holy Spirit as the light of God in mankind helping us through the election and the days to arrive - unseen.

I believe as we look to God, the Nation will heal from this elections.

I believe as people saw in their candidates and the process, what they did not want to see, more qualified people will join to help - real help.

Instead of sinking us in all the troubled headlines, we are being given a chance to rise up.



We have arrived not in acceptance of what happened all during the election - we have arrived at a desire to see better. And there are people who were uncalled before now will feel called to participate in the Upbuilding of God, the laws, the culture and the Nation.

We will answer a Call within to be better ourselves.



Father God,

See our hopes of goodness for this culture, the people we love, the news and the headlines, our ability to help each other and the way we help ourselves. And the level of deep care we can Expect from Our Father.

Arise God, cover us in the Name of Jesus. Built us to be more loving, more merciful, more caring, more committed to the Goodness of God in our daily efforts and forgive us what we do wrong.

Establish us in such Loving Goodness, the world will change as we touch the people around us daily.

Let Your Goodness be Seen and let there be more Heaven on earth for our loved ones, our cares, our jobs, our neighborhoods, states and Nation.

Thank You God for accepting our prayers in Jesus the Lord. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Matthew 28:20 ~ Emmanuel - God with us +

Matthew 28:20

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.


Regardless of who won the Presidential Election:

The news headlines are just pain worrisome enough. Life has stress.

A wave pushes from one side strongly. A prime parable of stress in life. The disciples were in great wonder and discomfort and yet did not leave Jesus to find a comfortable life. They stayed until they thought it was death. Jesus held forth Love and Healing and Understanding and they were mesmorized.

This is a great study for stress in real life and the way to find peace. Hugely a display of the Grace of God Almighty of the Universe, with reality reaching very,very, very far down to comfort His Creation! His Beloved children adopted from the Branch of Jesus. People fail. Only God redeems. And the massive rewards the Disciple John contemplated ~ as God lavished love upon John ~ for keeping to Jesus. Go John. The 2nd century old age of John has the Church History reporting John stayed heavily involved in the many thoughts about John's Jesus. And ours'. Our Jesus.

So how do we get to the point Jesus calms the storm?

Know the storm, the triggers of stress. And hold tightly to Jesus  in Psalm 131 - feel the embrace of Jesus. Ask Him.

Ephesians 4:14
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful scheme

We cannot, shouldn't be like the man by the Pool of Bethesda. Ungrateful.

We cannot be the nine lepers who met God and shrugged like this leper crowd did for Healing from God. Be the one who goes back and won't forget Jesus. No regrets in being grateful to the Lord of All.

How did they hold on? Looking up. Not letting the waves, circumstances and the iffy ness of public opinion block out the Light of God. Gratitude at the Majesty of God. Who lives within. Jesus and Our Abba longs to run to us and be our Homecoming. Priority - God.

Joshua Heard from Father God, who said do not let go of your courage. Hold fast to the real truth of God. You are aware in dealing with the rebellious Children of Israel, as Moses did, Joshua probably reminded himself this Word of God daily. Probably wept with concerns  ~as he believed. And remembered. God did Not Promise Joshua a free ride, He said, like Jesus said again, the work God gives mankind is to believe.

Jesus met this head on. Jesus was not going to let go of the father who cried out for his son, "Help my faith, I do believe."



Nicodemus worried. He arrived at Night to See Jesus. Jesus spoke to him very bracingly, with stress Nicodemus had been given to generously with gifts from God and must rise to the responsibility. Jesus was again giving the Joshua talk.

Jesus met parents gasping about their children's dying. Jesus said don't listen to the crowd. Believe God. Follow Jesus. Jesus went so far as to put people aside to get to the heart of the matter. This is the - Heart - Jesus displays. Wonderful, amazing Jesus. Is. For you. Individually.

And when does Jesus shine? In the middle of a Bear Hunt. A 25 foot Grizzly barreling down hunt.



The man at the pool of Bethesda? This man did not even ask to be healed. He had gotten used to his days by "the pool". This walking man was only too vocal to give Jesus over to "The People Who Matter". Yay perks. Jesus told us The Temple wanted to sort out friendship with the world. Raise money. Form lines in the right places. We will constantly battle the "get ahead" mentality and even go so far as "call this God" and really take the profit line.


What does God say about the real work to please God and real work to prosper like Nehemiah? A very real balance effort.


Leviticus 26

26 “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will make my dwelling[a] among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
Punishment for Disobedience

14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, 19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

21 “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. 22 And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.

23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your supply[b] of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

27 “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. 

29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.


Divorce from the goodness of God.
Always for the comfort of self.
A fall... far down.

We, as Children of God, long to be tied to the vows we offer for Love. This framework makes safety. Where we trust each other. And God to do His2 promises He gives us to do. We are tied to the Goodness God would make a way for.


Matthew 28:20
And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.


Psalm 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

We see that God has shown our eyes salvation.

When we live to see the Goodness God - God will work God for those who Love God and He will interweave for goodness. We know that the wicked will fall. When you have lived long enough, you know this to be true, the wicked fall far.

And we will have our hearth to be our comfort. The soul where God does not leave, even when we stress or have difficulties and swim with turbulent life.

Psalm 122:7
Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!






Did Moses have difficult days? You know he did.

Did David have difficult days? You know he did.

Did Paul write of difficult days. You know he did.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1 John 3
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.


Romans 5:5
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.

Thank JESUS!!!


What truly keeps us with Jesus? The awe and wonder of His Overwhelming Love.


Abba, 
You Are God of Love. 

We lift up our faces to see the Light of Your Face. In God's Love, we find our the process to find Peace. Knowing we will not always dwell with peace. That peace is a process.

We thank God for His direction in His Word to find the process of finding a secure place. Know a process exists - God, You, are going to be the same today as Jesus praying for us in John 17. The way of God, You help when we Need God.

In all seasons, You, God never shunned us in the journey.

We give all our cares to You. You save us. We offer our loving gratitude for the Love You, Father, have for our Loved Ones. For our Churches, Jobs, Neighborhoods, we bless You for hearing our prayers and lifting us up to You. 

Bless the Name of Jesus this Presidential Election is OVER. We don't have to hear all the bickering and massively opinionated headlines. We are not being told what to think all over social media. We can look forward to more peace for holy days.

THANK JESUS!!! 

We can Trust in God to make His Will fulfilled. He is Working and will work for us all. Reconciling All Things to Jesus. Amen.

Jesus is GOD.

In this calm, this peace, this is where we can see Jesus making a path where no path is possible. This is where Jesus will walk and show us the Way.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

The Scriptures - Ask and you will receive. Jesus Christ came to save sinners.

We are living in a unique time. Something new to the earth and the history.

My grandmother's life began in 1898 and she and her six brothers and six daughters rode in two covered wagons to see grandparents. And Grandmother saw the landing on the moon with real joy. Mother saw the polio vaccine steady the planet and parents watching over children. I saw the internet in the early nineties unfold a story about Cardinal songbirds and the time to load up was 30 minutes. I said call me when the water warms up. And my children explained video games and computers to me that we use effortlessly now.

Will my great-grandchildren be married into the family? Will they share core values of mine, knowing Jesus Loves them and sustains them? Will they know who Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are?



My grandmother's era was vastly different even as our culture changed since 9/11.

The Donny Doberman says a lot about today's college indebted for 30 years generation. They don't count on company retirement. They are unsure of our government systems. They don't know if they will marry. And children? Hopefully after a marriage.





Suddenly the Headlines tell us we are in the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.

How are we similar?

Caesar Augustus wanted a census of the Empire. The first of it's kind. Results of this census have recently been located. Bam. Truth. Augustus wanted Knowledge of who we are and what did people do and age and marry and think. With the census he began to re-shape marriage and make inheriting much more difficult - which in turn endangered the family unit - all civilizations - people - need to rely upon.

How we are like Jesus' time ?

The disease of cutting was not in the Psychology books when we went to college. And there are a lot of cutter's out there. Even parent's of cutter's worry and stress about this.

We have 28 Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD and Zika mosquitoes make this the first STI illness.

The headlines read like the Roman Senate.

The Roman weather was so weird, people contemplated if it was the end of the world with earthquakes and weather that was just off.





Christianity has been changing since the end, or the duration, of World War II. Where the liturgy was just read and at the end of the war people said well, we survived and that ol' liturgy didn't help much. Leaving the congregations to be older people today.

The Hour of Power and the Crystal Cathedral fell- why - it's hard to be shiny and happy about all that 'it's all good" attitude. People have dramatic things in life. Like Alcoholism. 30% of Americans have an alcohol disorder. Huffington Post says Online Porn Statistics Porn Sites Get More Visitors Than Netflix, Amazon And Twitter Combined. The Editor got so upset with the story - the story was removed.

The Pew Report says we face a 2% loss of Church regular attendees - every year. Now, really, let's not get too fussed - 85% of Americans identify themselves as Christians who pray and go to Church. But we see changes.

50% of new births do not have marriage committed parents. We hear lots of screaming about the divorce rate and find men with a college degree face long, long term marriages of 2/3's .... SUCCESS RATES.

Churches report that people at age 50 60 return to Church.

The number of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention grew by 294 to 46,793, a 0.63 percent increase over 2014. This is the 17th year in a row the number of SBC churches has grown. We are seeing a trend in smaller Churches.

Bringing us... To Evangelism Today !!!

The challenges facing Youth Ministry for decades - are the Evangelism challenges of today. Meet the needs of a culture that, if honest, has problems. We have solutions to find and because the adults are less talkie about what they really think and need in their worship times. What faces them ... REALLY.

We knew a woman who had business with us and was lovely. She had a mutual friend. All was just dandy. And unknown the the upper middle class community - her son was in his late thirties - mentally ill, prison released, drug using and as she tried to help him - he shot her and killed her. Her family life was undisclosed to those fairly close to her. I found out a year later - the story on the news - was this gracious lady.

Why didn't she tell. We live in a world where the gentiles over you are much more admirable. We envy the sharp tongue and the sharp elbow. We envy the violent the Bible warns us not to.

In fact, when One Mission of the 30 local Churches get together to worship - The Pastors refrain is "All is Not Right Behind the Trees."


We get into Bible Studies and we do just like this post, complain the good old days are gone. We judge ex-Presidents on their souls - like we are informed. We expect us all to pony up to one opinion.

And... the result is evangelism of the newbies - has them exiting as soon as they can find people who want to know them as they are.

We aren't told that they are worried to death the spouse is an alcoholic porn watcher.
We aren't told the child is flunked out of 4 universities and likes cocaine with a pot chaser.

We aren't usually told the child has a prison record.
We can't share if there is a new car - the tithe machine might happen.

We can't say too much about cancer. It's depressing.
We don't share the child is mentally ill.

My kids are living with their significant other. And now, we say that and don't say, "Let's pray they get married."

We can't say the child is in-debt for college and will never own a home.

We can't say that the medical bills are eating us alive and bankruptcy is the largest case for medical bills.

Will we help someone at Church get a job? What if they bring in a host of tell the others who I really am stories.



Now my Bible Study has met together for about 16 years.

And if I have a problem with my Bible Study partner, I find a time to meet them face to face and explain the rest of the story.

I don't treat this group like they need all of my life handed on a plate.

I'm dealing with a mother who is ill and a husband with a terminal diagnosis of 3 damages brain lobes - with stories of my ability that could go on and on - he is 6/4" and is sometimes angry and a lot of cussing and cussing and I know in Bible Study to keep this succinct. Edward is my beloved one who houses the soul of Edward.  Even when all day there is not a kind word. And yet, if you ask for support and don't talk too much - Edward is loving. And now on loan to me. Edward worked harder for my mom to go home than anyone expects of a spouse.

We have learned not to engage into a culture of "I Am Over You." That is sheer death in bringing the culture
into Christ sharing times.




What the HECK IS EVANGELISM???

It is when you say, "I'm going to pray for you." And if they are delighted, you say "Let's pray Now." And generally you are going to get - "Please!"

What the Heck is EVANGELISM?

SO GLAD YOU ASKED, It's when your Grandmother says when the Uncle is a r a t - that she "is Never Going To Stop Praying for MY SON !!!" And unlike Eli and Samuel - My Grandmother got results when the R A T was in his 70s and Jesus told his heart "I Love You." And a heck of a lot of the trauma there - was solved.


My favorite Bible Study on the Planet is Bill Hybels' "Just Walk Across the Room." We give back our gratitude to God - who gives us Eternity. And we explain "I love Jesus because of ..."

For me this the ability to read three Chapters of the Bible and come away saying this for the rest of my life:

1. My eyes have seen Salvation. And no one is going to personally debunk my real dreams of seeing Heaven like Isaiah - but God had stepped out of the room - I am not Isaiah. Where I was asked to "sell chairs" and now realize these are Heaven's seats.

2. My eyes have seen the down fall of the wicked. Yes. I am in my 50s and see bad habits have shown me real and spiritual death. Living Parables.

3. My eyes have seen God goes before me. My Bible and my Church Going have taught me - I depend on God for my strength and my joy and my delight and my security and HE WILL. People - even the ones we love - come and go - but God beckons us to live in Love forever.



What is Salvation?

A Work of God the Father. Learning to single out one person you love. Salvation comes from love. When the heart is open. Surely pray for many. But we live in this Generation.


What is Evangelism?

We live in a world where God said this about this generation...

"I will put my covenant in their hearts to know I am God." Jesus says that the Light of God shines in all of mankind. If you talk down to someone who has opinions about God - you are shutting down the fact that the Body of Christ has many talents and functions and ideas.

Evangelism is LISTENING. And this is gentle. We find a thought of scripture and we share not a herd of cattle but one pearl. Because the Truth is - God Saves. We do one thing - WE PRAY.

If we are reciting Sunday School lessons of our youth. This is not going to work. Jesus never did this. Jesus said " Zacchaeus come down from that tree, I am coming to your house!"

And do you know that Acts 1 tells us the lot went to Mathias. The newly minted 12th disciple and some of the very early Church believes  this was the changed life and changed heart of one who is LOVED BY JESUS and actually is like Simon/Peter and is -  Zacchaeus/Mattias. Now did Zacchaeus/Mattias rock the planet and change the world for the lot falling on this loved heart? NO. Why? Because JESUS alone is God.

We have to quit yapping out the cereal box stories of "gotta believe this" and listen to what a soul sings who is created by God for God. What that Person's unique soul tells their Unique Father God Creator.

John the Disciple wandered around, like you and me, saying "What?"

And in the decades passing, he realized he did really well to support Jesus to the very end. Because John knew something we need to Sing Daily in our Hearts.

GOD IS LOVE.

And when we love GOD. We are seen as righteous in the Eyes of God.

And that ... is where we want to be. Eternally today the gates of Heaven are open to us in Prayer.
The very seat of Father God is available to us in Jesus.




Father God,

All sparrows are known to You. Every single one. Because in Your unlimited Creation and Ideas and Solutions and LOVE. You love all of Creation.

And just like the Doberman in the video - each Child of God relates and reacts to You in exactly the way a Vast God reacts to us.

You are the God of Love.

Unfurl and surround, uphold and uplift each loved one we have. Each prayer request we know. The desire of the Nation of  extreme worriers now. Bless the voting to Bless Your Name and Your Heaven.

We need You, We expect You, We will see You.  Thank You for Your Work. Amen Amen Amen
Alleluia Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †