Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."
Yesterday's Post I wrote I did not care for the solemnity of Religion.
The thought behind this was Jesus telling us not to just repeat phrases to God. We could compare this to a poultry farm where all the occupants endlessly chant, "Mask, Mask, Mask, Mask, Mask." We can't lean on the same words to stir God. The anger of mankind doesn't produce the compassion of God. Do what we can for each other to do our duty, and not squawk about what isn't the real issues.
Solemn Christmas is delightful. Easter is Joyful. Sincere repentance is Joyful. Good Friday is solemn and can be incredibly moving. And then again, consider the times and the seasons.
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.
If we live in a world, in Pandemic Reeling, with constant, upsetting news and new situations, we cannot just repeat our usual. One Good Friday, Edward and I attended the most solemn of all Church Days, Good Friday. 1993. Edward had a wonderful family member, who was always witty, amusing, fun, had the best food, knew cocktails, and rarely went to Church. One evening, she wanted her husband to mend his ways. She climbed a small tree outside of her driveway and waited. He just strolled past. So, she jumped on his back. Mission successful.
Suddenly, in mid life, she discovered she had not just breast cancer, but stage 4 breast cancer. The kind of cancer prayer and God will surely need to be asked by family, beloved friends for prayer. And as we sat in the Pew, in came Edward's family to support her and sat in the pew in front of us. After about half of the service was finished. She sat down. And just watched. Then weeping. Then left. Then returned. Then sighing. Then participation. And I was, quite, quite concerned.
As the Congregation was leaving in silence, she turned to me and said with emphasis, "That was the Worst Experience of My Life and That's Saying Something, Considering The Week I've Had." Hmm. "What Do You Have To Say, You Like Church."
I felt so very sorry and filled with compassion for her. I said, this is the saddest day in the Church calendar. It's really the funeral of Jesus to tell us of His Sacrifice. And it would be extremely difficult to hear this when you're shaken with the news you've had this week. I said Easter is Joy, you might find tremendous more comfort in the Life of Jesus.
I think God's Good Creation is... Here. Now. We face lava lamp hearts, shaken. Unsure.
What happened to our beloved Family? She didn't tell me, but she was a wiz at Tarot Cards. And she really didn't care for the Ministry or Church. God wasn't very interested in her, so why should she be interested in God? Our wonderful Family, unnamed Family member, said in the next five years, "Having cancer was the best thing God could have done for me. I never knew how prayer could heal me. I didn't know God would call me and make me know His Love, from this mess. I met so many people who would love me and pray for me."
I think God's Good Creation is... Here. Now. Hope will grow, we will heal. But this is a season
of bruised reeds.
Yes, absolutely, Good Friday stays exactly the same. As the Work and Compassion and Love Jesus gives us. Lent is the time Jesus was Brave and told of Joy.
Rick Warren did an astonishing Sermon on Truth and Lies. He said you find the Church has most of the identical problems the world has. Yes. God only works with sinners because we are all just sinners. Rick Warren went on to say, in his pastoral work, he finds this world lies. We don't honor each other, celebrate each other. Mothers want their children's support instead of good emotional health. Friendship over justice and a Way. And husband's. Husband's weakly honor their wife and ask for more service. Elderly parents cry wolf. Ignoring the duty of the elderly and respect. We aren't healthy enough to try to build each other up and believe a nourished person will give from their abundance. Not enough joy to believe a nourished person gives a hand up.
When I was about five years old, my family went on a car trip. My family always adored pets, animals, wildlife and nature. As we were a long way from home, Daddy hit an Egret. The face of the bird showed in our window shield, trying to understand, live, shock, death. It was over before my mother could stop screaming, "Pull OVER!" I cried like I had raised the wild bird myself. We found a rest stop and my 5-year-old self was just devastated. After about 15 minutes, my mother said, casually, "You know all the crying isn't going to help, I saw the bird fly off well." My father said, "WHAT?" She gently pinched him. He said, HUH. And marched back to the car.
The next day, my father asked me, "What do you want, the comfort in the lie or the truth of life and hope?" He continued, "You know the truth, you saw what I saw, what we all saw. And you have to really live in the truth. You are five years old and life is life. I leave you to know the truth." Even the bird's death had meaning. Our care for his comfort, the inability to help, but the memory of the bird's life created a reason to live each situation in honesty.
The world of Jesus Christ living as grace upon Grace.
Isaiah 7 and Luke 1, Mary's Song tell us, the rich and the wealthy, trade of luxury goods never seen before with class erosion in Israel. Mary's song tells us of the derision of the proud, the loss of status and cruel pride. History tells us of the bait, death and cruelty of Pontius Pilate, sending his soldiers disguised into religious festivities to beat down with hidden clubs. Death and injury instead of love, joy and hope.
The taxation laws caused Joseph to arrive in Bethlehem. Serious to report, do as instructed, physically. Even heavy with child. The taxation and weird marriage laws of Caesar Augustus went hand in hand, taxation on inheritance and marriage shelters. Slaves, children, usury: laws to enable neglect and poverty. Today, we have child castration, mutilation and eunuchs. When these children reach adulthood, being a eunuch is going to cause such misery and lawsuits. We have to be brave and speak for the children and their safety.
These are the days of swinging false allegations and hoping for shame. To talk about sin when sin is there and here and there and there, mostly falsely, real sin is ignored; we have to be careful to believe the Word of God and let Jesus shine the way, truth and life.
When we had a loss of infant formula and infant special needs formula, FDR faced coal miners wanting to be more comfortable and safe during World War II. He told them they had to work. We needed the 4 remaining infant food factories to work 24 hour shifts instead of the regular workday and have terrible nationwide infant need. We need response in emergency. For shipping in supply chains, for safe schools, for police to be working safely, for crime to be reduced. For the many sudden deaths. If it relates to Fentanyl, border security. Or Covid vaccines, the need for aspirin. We need to rejoice in our liberty and ask for Justice and Liberty for ALL. Public teacher assaults on students have dramatically risen. This isn't discussed. We need this to stop.
We are not to sanctify the world, instead believe the One He has sent - Jesus Christ.
His Word. And during the days of brutal Roman Empire, Jesus did not jump into taverns or cat houses and scream looking for sin like the Spanish Inquisition. Jesus established His Ministry on Truth, Mercy, Grace upon Grace and ... say this again... Truth. Jesus didn't stand on up and scream about sex and marriage laws. Instead, Jesus wanted His Children to be filled with Mercy, good to those reeds, bent and hurt. Jesus expected the Holy Spirit to speak the Truth and fill His Children to overflow with abundance of goodness, to be the Light never Overcome with Darkness.
Jesus looked at what whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Living Water.
Nourished with Jesus, eager to do the good works put before us to walk in. Love desiring to have a way to give life, way, truth.
When the world was blind, deaf, lame and leprous. Jesus did not ask them to announce their debility. Jesus said seek Jesus and find Jesus heals. Jesus asked to be asked, He never said wear a sign and announce your weakness. Nor did Jesus whitewash Truth. Jesus sought Mercy and Healing. This is the Ministry of God. Way, Truth and Life.
Lent.
Is Hard Work for the Church.
We have the same problems as the World.
I'm surprised to find people with massive decades long guilt. For divorce, for abortion. Lent is not the Great Reprisal of Guilt!!!! Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer forgive us our trespasses. God is God, He understands human frailty in the life of His Own Son.
Lent isn't the Lord frowning and saying, "You Worry." Lent is about the seriousness of Jesus Ministry. It is the Call to Come Home.
Consider how Jesus dealt with Sinners. He never said you are a drunk, so make sure you walk around town with a sign. He never said to the paralyzed, your fault, you were daydreaming. And lazy beforehand, too. He never said to the blind, you deserved it. He was asked this! He never said are you weary, toughen up. He never said to our Family unnamed, you never went to Church and I know about those Tarot Cards, no prayers, peace or healing to you.
Lent isn't about guilt. Lent is Jesus looking at Joy as He does tough work.
Lent is the Gratitude for Jesus.
Lent does not exist to muck up your past failures and create sadness. Jesus in John 14, 15, 16 and 17 said His Life and His Hope and His Prayers is for forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Church loses 2% a year in the last decades. We won't offer false hope. We offer Jesus the Real Hope. Lent is a time for massive communication of the Real Jesus. Jesus said Repent. Jesus said put your faith in God and Believe in the Power of His Love and Goodness.
Lent is a time for massive communication of the Real Jesus. This is the type of communication when Easter is remembered as Joy. Wanting to be together. Easter is a time for those apart to remember the Hope in the Lord of renewed hearts.
Even in Lent, Jesus found Joy. Jesus told these men, they would run and hide. They quarreled with Him at the shores of the Sea of Galilee after the miraculous Resurrection. God finds mankind filled with His Light and doesn't frown and condemn them. Jesus did tell Peter to mind his own business in John 21.
Miracles of Angels, Heavenly Hosts and God's Good Creation: God looks at all of us, knows us as we know ourselves and better and finds the world worthy of His Love and work of Salvation in finding the Glory of Jesus and His Goodness.
John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me”
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
Rise, let us go from here.
Abba, Blessed Father,
Bringing us Jesus - to be able to see You.
Let us have more of God.
Jesus our Wonder, Joy, Love and Savior. Amen.
Abba, Father,
Jesus was suddenly walking with the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus. And their hearts were strangely warmed,
they asked Jesus to stay to eat with them.
God, You are so Good,
You want us to Rejoice
and You give Paul
explaining he has troubles too.
How we can overcome.
You do not expect us to be God.
Thank You.
We pray for relief to help and reach Syria
and Turkey. 6.4 and 4.9 earthquakes this week.
We pray this will cease. Lord, Your mercy upon this land and
Your people.
We 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.
Your Words are Living and Active, when we long for Your Words,
You are there.
To Know Scripture is to Know the Power of God. For Your Glory, Father God.
We ask You, to walk with us and guide us and lead us from this time.
Help us and encourage us to see what this season teaches us.
With Your Spirit, we will be Brave, filled with Valor, and Diligent.
You have taught us, when we wander away and have fallen,
You will search for us.
Help us in those moments to be found by Jesus,
wonderful Jesus.
Help us to see the Blessings in each day and in finding Your Blessings,
the day is blessed.
The times of refreshing, more enduring.
Meaningful Life. Abundant Life to Look Up and Find
the benefits You daily give and load us with
. If we don't see our blessings, we cannot live our Blessings.
In Your Enduring and Prevailing Love,
Grace and Mercy we Live.
We are Blessed to seek You First.
Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today.
Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth.
Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread.
Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.
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.
We have had problems in our neighborhood,
theft of a mower, acts of violence. $2500
Pray for peace, please.
My mother's roof is in sudden need of
repairs and we want to find the best solutions for her house.
During the rainy season.
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 fight.
Thanks for Facebook and the Asbury Revival 2023
(Official Global Movement) The Voice of Revival
Group. Fabulous photos of today.
The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Lord, Amen.
In the Highest Name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
Yes Bless The Lord Jesus
Yes Jesus Bless Asbury
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