1 Peter 4:10 ~ Gift

We live in the most controversial, strangest time.  

Pope John Paul II determined, by circumstance, he needed a Pope mobile.  And everyone LOVED John Paul II and was called Pappa. We all melt to hear of Pappa.  Now... Pope Francis was riding around in a convertible this last weekend with 80,000 people in front of the Vatican. Francis has been widely criticized for supporting the environment while speaking with President Clinton, and the only one who mentioned Scripture for their 2.5 hour interview was President Clinton. 

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is the local Catholic Cardinal. He is marvelous in deeds and Biblical in words. And he publically has said Francis could do better, when compared to the 3 Popes he personally knows, works with and spent time with. I think most of the world would agree. Francis has been worldwide called a heretic during his sermons that were not Biblical or doctrinal in the base.

Time will tell if Pope Francis is defined by inviting Nancy Pelosi the week she was booed in NYC for news of her daily, many different million dollar stock investments. And pushing a CHILD out of her photo op, in front of a running TV camera. The same time frame Pope Francis did not invite the USA Supreme Court, many Catholics, for removing Roe vs Wade. Will this define Pope Francis in history? Francis asked if Nancy Pelosi could be an Italian Ambassador upon her retirement during all this.

The President of the United States had a miltary 'picnic' in front of the White House, and you don't want your children to see the photos of nudity.  His employee said in the Halls of Congress that parents who would parent their children are, "Domestic Terrorists."

Biden greeted the largest Teacher's Union by speaking of falling in love with a 12-year-old when he was in his 30s and marrying her. This by the man who upheld the stock price of DISNEY falling far for having weird sex theories regarding children.  And DISNEY Lately had arrested executives for being part of porn and sex trafficking of ... children. All this, during the time frame when attacks of teachers on students is at a historic, unnewsworthy time. 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Everyone has had tragedies. 

CNN had their Atlanta offices burned down while saying the violent mob was peaceful protesters. Peaceful protesters. Peaceful Protesters. 

Alive for 6 decades. I miss seeing gift shops, toy shops, wedding registries and the absence of large weddings.  Radically miss college being given funding by the government and costing $12,000 to get a four-year degree from Texas A and M University.

Received phone calls during the Pandemic from a friend in her 70s who rescued her 90-year-old husband from poor medical care. She found information on which Hospital was doing well with Covid. This while watching Italy sing and NYC sing for the heroes of the Pandemic. Never thought I'd see this.

We did like so many have done, according to the Pew Report, and changed Churches. Our Pastor came in the Biden supports Disney week and did the sermon on his trip to ... Disney. When the other woman's minister was fired by saying she needed to retire, the same week, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was told he was going to retire. The Ukrainian war week was turned into gun control for everyone week.  I also changed my Church the week a small church of 110 people was given a Sermon on Darth Vader and asked for $13 million dollars to build a Cathedral for Bishops.  

All of these sermons were broadcast to the world, via relay, internet, the Sermon feed. And their criticisms of other ministers and Churches. Oh, I've heard my own father bashed at Church, Lee Strobel, invited to speak and bashed. Giving new meaning to the word Host. Ross Perot (during his elderly 90s, while having Leukemia). TD Jakes. Joel Olsteen. The Pope. Baptists. Catholics. Joyce Meyers and, and, and Billy Graham. Kerry Shook. All have fallen.  All have endured in Jesus Christ. You can see them in church and in the lane. We intend to be saints, too. All have virtues in the eyes of God. And all the saints of God have endured feeling criticized at Church, privately. It's called practice. 

I've seen the Revival Groups debunking Church going for the last month.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

I was thinking this week of the tragedies I have seen and experienced in these decades. And some would say you've had some appalling tragedies.  Yes, and I've tried to take every knock, and make life more wise, strong, compassionate, to the goal of Love without insincerity.  And in relying on the Lord, I have lived being a 39-year Episcopalian, 5 year Catholic. 5 year - other congregations and Biblically based. 23 years in the same house. 10 years in Youth Ministry. 37 year marriage to Edward and we dated 5 years. And 4 years in ProLife. 10 years with Club Corp, reconciling their refundable deposits and traveling across the United States. Written a blog since 2007, this one, and had reports of readers above 8 million unique readers, in 2015. Once told by a Bishop, with a huge congregation, this blog increased the readership of the Bible.  The Scripture for Today Blogspot maintains a Scripture Today search record on the 1st to 4th pages of Google, Brave and, again, of Bing. Yahoo and DuckDuck. This would make us a better rank, if we were one of the paid to sponsor spots, but rank well, thank God.

I've employed one landscape gardener for ten years. The next for fourteen years. Half of the work, I can do myself.  Asked the neighbors to employ them 12 months a year. And our block is the block who finds work 12 months a year.  I've worked with 3 contractors, 2 in Dallas, Dallas for 2 years, and here. Both to completion of good work. And one contractor here for 2 years, when other Church members quit. Our AC friend worked with for 23 years.

Argued with my mother, increasingly, who had fatal Alzheimer's, the Ronald Reagan variety. Found out from her Rector, during her knee surgery, when he reported.  My husband and I risked our lives during knee surgery recovery for Swine Flu and, later, Covid to nurse our family. Stayed as Mother's sole guardian for twenty-two long years and hired her live-in nursing for 4 years. Was my first cousin once removed's Texas Guardian of the Estate and Person for 12 Years. Gave Maxine the choice of her home or a facility, after her 23 strokes. Worked with the same Guardianship Attorney for 12 years, we had to go to Probate Court for every budget, medical plan, investment plan, employee for Maxine's extra help, and yearly audit, improvements before we sold Maxine's home and Estate Sale.  We had to propose a plan for her Estate.  I was Maxine's Executor of her Estate for 68 heirs. Was asked to be on our smaller Church Board, sometimes called Vestry, declined due to complete inheritance ideas and children. Argued with my own children, was told we were excellent parents, of all they had seen and know, but 30-year-olds don't need parents. And they prove it ? ! Well, God Bless us all. Please and Really. God Bless the adults and the children. Lord Jesus!

We should all experience the staying power of God.

It's so easy to recall the tragedies. But more amazing, wondrous, to remember the Blessings. The hard fights that have the most resilient of daily victories.  

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength.

 

1 Peter 4:10

Everyone has been given a gift. That includes you, too.

 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 

 Each has received a gift . . .not some have received gifts,

 or the most holy Christians receive gifts, 

or God’s brightest receive gifts. 

No, each has received a gift.

We need Church.

We need the Practice. To Hold up the ALL the WORD OF GOD

and find what the Holy Spirit is saying

to our Lives.

We need to be able to look at the 3,000 pages

of God's Eternal Word

and 

see how His Quiet Voice

inside us

who Believe 

Jesus Christ

came to

forgive

sinners,

us,

and find

the enduring

truthful

Hope

Of

Daily Salvation.

Thank You, Jesus Christ,

for 

dying 

for me

and for

us

for us ALL.

For Your Love

Your Mercy

to me

and

to

Your Church.

God Bless us

and

He does

we have

Jesus the Lord.

Abba, Father,

Listening to Ben Shapiro:

We pray for Israel.

For the children in captivity, crying, "Ima, Ima."

And the Israeli mothers who have died, Israel calling for 

Breast Milk donations.

For the families and parents.

We pray Peace for Israel.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Lord Jesus 

Zechariah 8:16,17 ~ These are the things that you shall do †

A Special Love Letter From Jesus Christ

We all want a Letter from Jesus

and can prove this Biblically. 

Hosea 6:1-3

“Come, let us return to the Lord

    for He has torn us, that He may heal us;

   He has struck us down, and He will bind us up.

After two days He will revive us;

    on the third day He will raise us up,

    that we may live before Him.

Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord

    His going out is sure as the dawn;

He will come to us as the showers,

    as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Micah 

is Good

and Good Enough

to explain

Pleasing The Lord

Micah 6:8

He has told you, 

O man, what is good

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice with mercy,

 and 

to love kindness, 

and 

to walk humbly with your God

If this life is to determine our soul's talents to Father God, we bring Him our soul. 

God made us in His image to create. Everything we should do is inspired by Father God.

And if we read God's Letters to us as uniquely personal; We believe Jesus gave His life for me by opening His Arms on the Cross for me. Then we believe, the Bible is written for me.

 



What would Father God tell me specifically to do?

Zechariah 8:16

These are the things that you shall do: 

Speak the truth to one another.

What is the value God places on truth?

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, 

“I am

the way,

and the truth,

and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

To what depth should we speak the truth.

To ourselves and God:

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, 

go into your room, close the door 

and pray to your Father, who is unseen. 

Then your Father, 

who sees what is done in secret, 

will reward you.

Speak the truth at home.


When conflict is arriving, even at home:

Galatians 4:16

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

To explain the story better and more quickly:

Exodus 20:16

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Zechariah 8 is about Heaven. A rare glimpse of life in Heaven. And starts here:

Zechariah 8

16 These are the things that you shall do: 

Speak the truth to one another; 

render in your gates [your own home] 

judgments that are true 

and make for peace.

Jesus brings mercy with His Truth. We live making decisions. Wisdom cries out, make wise choices. We can ask like the father, who had the child in need of Jesus, "I have faith, Help me, please, help me to have enough faith."






Matthew 3, Mark 1, John 1, Luke 3 Tell us to make Straight Paths for Father God. And in doing so ask for blessings on others. We need the rich mercy of Jesus for ourselves. Always.

Zechariah 8

16 These are the things that you shall do: 

Speak the truth to one another; 

render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, 

and love no false oath, 

for all these things I hate, 

declares the Lord.”

In true difficulties, we usually fuss. Resting our uptight concerns with God - a Blessing for us. God is for us. Rest.

Romans 12:19

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, 

but leave it to the wrath of God, 

for it is written, 

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Abba, Father God, 

When Your Great Mercy covers me 

in The Highest Name of Jesus, 

I am righteous before You 

and 

given the Highest Love

 and Help. 

Thank You for Jesus.

We pray Straight Paths in life when we do not understand, 

we lean upon You. 

Thank You for Your Protection. 

Let the Name of Jesus cover me always, always, always. 

Thank You, Father.

Let Your Great Name of Jesus 

King of Kings 

cover my loved ones, 

the people You give me 

and the Nations of People,

peace for Israel,

 calling upon Jesus 

to have more Holy Spirit 

by asking in the Name of Jesus.

 Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 122 ~ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”

 

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me,

    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

2 Our feet have been standing

    within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem—built as a city

    that is bound firmly together,

4 to which the tribes go up,

    the tribes of the Lord,

as was decreed for Israel,

    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 There thrones for judgment were set,

    the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

    “May they be secure who love you!

7 Peace be within your walls

    and security within your towers!”

8 For my brothers and companions' sake

    I will say, “Peace be within you!”

9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

    I will seek your good.

Abba, Father,

We pray for Israel.

For the Children of Israel who are terribly afraid

in their homes of violence.

Leviticus 26:6

And I will give peace to 

the land, 

and you will lie down with nothing to fear.

Job 11:18

You will be secure, 

because there is hope, 

and you will look around and lie down in safety.

Psalm 3

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

    my glory, and the lifter of my head.

4 I cried aloud to the Lord,

    and He answered me from His Holy Hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;

    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

    who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O Lord!

    Save me, O my God!

Psalm 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, 

O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 127:2

In vain you rise early and stay up late, 

toiling for bread to eat

--for He gives sleep to His beloved.

Proverbs 3:24

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 

when you rest,

 your sleep will be sweet.

Hosea 4:16

May the Lord 

now feed them 

like a lamb in a broad pasture

With God, all things are possible

Psalm 78:8

Then they will not be like their fathers, 

a stubborn and rebellious generation, 

whose heart was not loyal, 

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Isaiah 5:17

Lambs will graze as in their own pastures

Isaiah 7:21-25

And it shall come to pass in that day, 

that a man shall nourish a young cow, 

and two sheep

Mt Horeb becomes the Jordan River

Becomes the Sea of Galilee

Dwell in us, Father.

Help the ones we Love to have You dwelling in them.

Bless us with Your Love,

Help us to Seek You First.

And 

we will finish well in Jesus Christ.

Heal the hurting, uplift the families. 

Send Your vast blessings. Father God, 

You are truly are as vast as the Universe itself and as gentle as a breeze. 

Speak the Word, Father God, and we know Your healing. 

We ask You for healing:

In the Nation,

Nations and Israel,

mankind,

families

and the weather

Economics.

All the things we pray for diligently!

We pray 

to rise

 to shine for Your Glory.

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

Your Son.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Lord Jesus 

Romans 12:15-17 ~ Live

 

Romans 12:15-17

 Rejoice with those who rejoice, 

weep with those who weep. 

Live in harmony with one another. 

Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 

Never be wise in your own sight. 

Repay no one evil for evil, 

but give thought to do 

what is honorable 

in the sight of all. 

If possible, so far as it depends on you, 

live peaceably with all.

JRR Tolkien begins with the Shire. How beautiful, how peaceable. Amusing with preferences. Joy in the day. Gratitude.

Fear of change.

And then... old grudges, firm opinions. Hurt feelings. Insecurity. Reasons to find fault. And who is pleased? Insidious of generations, plotting

with dislike - evil.

Conversations become with honest openness are not encouraged. Blame  - blame them. Change a sentence to make an innuendo. Never find encouraging remarks. Find sides. Protect the flank, cover the rear. Give false news.  Change the facts. Delete necessary information. Make fun of efforts to be helpful.  Use the divide to dig in deeper to evil intent. Make a conversation look like this is healing, but leads to the abyss covered by the reeds.  It looks like jam, but no, it's more like tar.  Why? To create controversy. Avoid mercy and love. When it looks like muck, it probably is.

Why would anyone want to take a conversation, look innocent and lead into the ditch? Not for the way, the truth or the life. To avoid love. To avoid mercy. And if so - then the means explain the narrator.  

I've seen this recently with social media. Talk about amazing and wonderful, hopeful news. Then vere to helpful comments. Then complaints. Become stories of hurt and bewilderment. Then add in how to help. More complaints. If you comment, you are in - a side.  This is the division.

The Good News. God is a God of Love. The Gates of Heaven never close. This is Our God. This is the warmth of Healing, Love of Jesus Christ.  

1 Peter 4:8-10

 

Above all, love each other deeply, 

because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received 

to serve others,

 as faithful stewards of 

God's grace 

in its various forms.

 

 Rejoice with those who rejoice, 

weep with those who weep.

Concern for others, empathy, sincerity and interest. Love! Finding 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. 

I know of a Church that has given 40 Million Dollars to Missions. I know of so many Baptisms. We know Churches where people pray God will make the Path. We could rejoice in the Majority to pray and believe God hears them. We can, will, go and worship the Lord and be glad for what He is doing. Left, now, out of the parking lot, seeing the Mission Field, our everyday hearing of problems - here, there or the other. But we can go again to see part of what is good, loving, hopeful and be nourished each visit.

Keeping the Love of God first and pushing out the doldrums.  One of my favorite Sermons was saying, we are so pushed to remember this, solve that, have a running list of repeat situations. The Sermon declared - come back to the Sermon, rest, don't take up wandering guilt and clouds of dissatisfaction. Come back to the message, the sermon, God's open Gates.

Where we put our Hope is God.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Lord Jesus