What did Mary Ponder

Luke 1:28 “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

This is the time for us to go back and read Luke 2. Start at the annunciation in Luke 1:28. I have always wondered what did Mary ponder. When you read, you can see that she trusted God’s word. She was favored, but for us we look at favor as all good things working for us. No, All things work together for the good   For those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. 

Mary was called, she accepted and trusted God’s word, she submitted to God’s will, and she believed that with God nothing is impossible. And there in Bethlehem, the house of bread, she gave birth to the bread of life.there in Bethlehem, the place where the sacrificial lambs were cared for- for the temple sacrifices, the ultimate sacrificial lamb was born. She gazed into the face of her precious baby and herSavior. All because she trusted, submitted, believed. And we must followed that- to trust God, submit to his will, Believe that with him birthing is impossible. Merry Christmas! 

Surely

Isaiah 53:4-6 NiV

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, 

smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, 

and by his wounds we are healed.”

Go back and reread this. See the power between the affirmation and the end. Surely is an adverb which modifies verbs. Infirmities - our pain. Sorrows - our suffering. He took up our pain and carried our suffering. 

He was wounded for our transgressions - violations of law, command, sins. He was crushed for our iniquities - gross injustices or wickedness, violations of a right or duty, sins. 

In the “Lion, Witch, Wardrobe,” the white witch (the personification of Satan) demanded hardheaded Edward’s life, the one she had enticed to follow her. Aslan the lion (personification of Jesus) said, “No, I will go.” He volunteered to take the Edward’s place in dying. That was all the white witch wanted, as she was forever trying to set Aslan up, and she had finally succeeded (or so she thought). Edward was no longer important to her. 

Aslan allowed himself to be bound, sacrificed, and placed on the altar to die. Ahhh but . . . love. 

The very thing that allowed Aslan to be sacrificed was the thing that kept him. The one thing the white witch could not understand was love. And so the ropes that had bound Aslan were broken. Love, the one thing that Satan just cannot understand. Love. 

Hear the verbs in Isaiah, Carried, smitten, afflicted, pierced, crushed. Jesus did that for our nouns, our sins. They are all past tense, it’s already done. We are already released from things that bind us because of God’s love for us. 

We have hope today because of the verbs between the affirmation and the end

Surely . . . We are healed. And we celebrate his birth because of God’s love for us. enough for now

Hope

Matthew 3:3 NRSV

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

We are to prepare the way of the Lord. It is a call for repentance. That word ‘prepare’ is an aorist active imperative in Greek. It’s a command to the hearer, the reader “You prepare and keep on preparing.”  At that time they prepared for royalty by fixing the roads, so the original hearer would have understood this. This is more than just receiving Jesus. We repair the broken places in our hearts to receive him. We repair and keep on repairing. We remove the clutter of negativity, we keep it out through our constant communication. 

The path is made straight because of our vertical connection. When everything is coming at us (and it will) we call out to him and hold on. There are times that even when we can’t hold on-we know that he has us. 

This is the first Sunday of Advent- we have hope in him. He is who we look to. Enjoy this day in him. more later.

Know Your Name

Daniel 1:3-7

King Nebuchadnezzar tried unsuccessfully to assimilate the four Hebrew young men. He offered delectable food, taught them the history, the culture, and hanged their name. That’s the one. You must know your name, who you are,l and you won’t answer to anything else. Society has tried to change your name but you have held strong by knowing who you are. Continue that. Go back and read Daniel 1:1-17. Know who you are, and watch what God does. enough for now

No Doubt

Matthew 28:16–17 (NRSV)

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”

Spend some time with this today. The disciples had walked with Jesus, witnessed miracles, yet some doubted- not just one. So when the disciples worshipped Jesus what were the others doing? We’re they “fake worshipping” so as not to be found out? Doubt blocks worship, doubt hinders us from receiving what God has for us.

The thing about it is we can change now. Let us examine ourselves to see where there is any dark of doubt. Look back at what God has already done in your life, look at how he has kept you, see now how he is keeping you, know that he will keep you. I’m so grateful that even if he doesn’t do another thing, he’s already done enough, and I trust him with my life. I trust him with my being. 

And when little pockets of doubt pop up. You know the kind that cause you to try to figure it yourself instead of checking with God- just pause and remember - he has you. He has you, in spite of your misgivings. Listen, Jesus commissioned all the disciples- the worshippers and the doubters. We have work to do. enough for now

Be It

1 Cor. 13:4-8 NRSV

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.”

This week has been a week of endings and a week of growth. A week of celebrations in both. Funerals and birthdays. Closings and going on with a birthday. Yesterday after a large funeral I eulogized some of my members that usually keep stuff going said that “we have got to do better.” We meaning our church. She said, “Rev. Life is too short.” I smiled and thought about something that My mentor always says “I thought you knew.” 

I am so thankful that we know just how important love is. It holds on when nothing is left. Let’s continue to celebrate the life God has given us as family. Let us love and allow ourselves to be loved. We first loveGod and allow ourselves to be loved by him. That set us up right there. Then we love one another as his love fills us and overflows. Let us continue not just saying it, but being it. Being the love that God has poured in. enough for now.

Pray

Ephesians 6:18 NRSV

“Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.”

The key word is pray. Prayer is the most powerful tool in our chest of spiritual weaponry. There are so many more types of prayers that we have. 

Different situations call for different prayers. There are prayers that aid in our spiritual transformation.

If we need to grow inwardly, seeking the transformation we need for self. We can with:

Simple Prayer, the Prayers of the Forsaken, of Examen, of Tears, of Relinquishment. With Formation Prayer, and Covenant Prayer?

If we need to be strengthened upwardly, seeking the intimacy we need with God. We can with:

The Prayers of Adoration, of Rest, of the Heart. Through Sacramental Prayer, Unceasing Prayer, Meditative Prayer, Contemplative Prayer.

Since we are not in this world alone, we need to grow more outwardly, seeking the ministry we need. And we can by:

Praying the Ordinary. With Prayers of Petition, Intercession, Healing, Suffering, Authoritative Prayer, and Radical Prayer

We have them all at our disposal. We can use them all. And even with that we can always call “Jesus”. The point is to pray. Stay alert as the enemy seeks to distract us at all levels. And then always watch what God is doing. more later.

Your Will

Luke 22:42-43 NRSV

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.”

There are so many times in our lives that what we think we want, or what we think we need may not be what God has for us. It’s hard, but he has a plan. What we learn is that - yes, we can tell him what we want, but submit our will to him. That little major bit right there. When Jesus submitted his will, and angel strengthened him. When we say, “not my will but yours” hmm. It lightens our load-whatever it is. 

Today, Lord- you know what is happening. You know what we need. Your will Lord . . .Your will. Let that be our prayer. enough for now.

Know Who You Are

Exodus 3:1-6 NRSV

“Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

Just a thought. “You must know who you are.” Moses was ‘wooed’ to the burning bush, by God.  It was a phenomena- a bush burning but not burning up. And God called to him . . .from the bush that was burning but not burning up. And Moses answered. That’s enough right there. Moses answered. We could stop there, but no. 

Moses answered. And God told him to take off his shoes because where he was standing is holy ground. In the presence of the Lord is holy ground. 

You must know who you are. You start by allowing yourself to be wooed by God, by being receptive. And then by

And then by answering when he calls. He does call. He does woo. And know that when you answer, you are positions to know who you are. Who you are as his beloved. Who you are as being connected to him. Who you are in his presence. Who you grounded in him. And it goes deeper and deeper. Take off anything that comes between you and God and watch what he is doing. Watch and follow. It gets better and better. enough for now.

Hope

 

Watch Trust

Exodus 14:13 NRSV

“But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”

This is just before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Go back and reread Exodus 14. Moses assured the people that those who troubled them would not be seen again- and they weren’t. 

For us now, when we look to God, those that trouble us cannot affect us. In this case, we may see them but they have no power, they have nothing that can harm us. The key is to follow God’s instructions and he moves us though dangers seen and unseen, enemies we know and those we don’t. Moses watched for the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to move safely toward what was promised. We watch what God is doing as we move safely to our promise, our hope. Enough for now.

Finally

Ephesians 6:10 NRSV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.” 

 ‘Finally’ is the conclusion of instructions Paul gave. Go back to Ephesians 5:21 and read. It is the treating of those who had no cultural rights or power - children, wives, slaves. It is how we submit to one another, how we treat one another. 

That is the battle- how we treat one another. We submit to one another through submitting to God. He handles it.  All of that is before the ‘finally’. Then after we have done that we can be strong in the Lord. Not of our own strength or ability, but in him. That’s power. We build up to it. 

My daughter in love will have us work with less weight at first and as we are strengthened we take on more weight. We take each day at a time growing in God and in his power. The more we grow, the more we trust in his power, and not our own. Blessings of his strength and power! enough for now.

His Voice

John 10:1-5 NRSV

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

The four shepherds had their flock in a sheepfold.  An assistant would lie across the opening, as the gate keeper. No one entered but the shepherds. When it was time the shepherd would call their sheep, and they would follow by the shepherds song. It was a melodic song, a chant, the sheep knew - and they followed. 

They knew that voice among the other voices. They knew that voice in spite of whatever was going on around them. Sheep have no sense of direction and can get lost easily, but the voice as their rescuer. They can’t smell water and can be close to water and not know it, but the voice who leds to water. They will eat whatever is in front of them, but the voice who watches over and leads in places of nourishment. They can’t even clean themselves, but the voice, who cleans them off, sets them on their way.

We, like sheep, go astray, but the voice. The good shepherd rescues us, guides us, nourishes us, cleans us up, and sets us on our way. But we must listen for his voice. It’s our relationship with him. enough for now.

Have to Go

Numbers 14:1-4 NRSV

“Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become booty; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.”

I found it so interesting that even after Moses had led the people out, and that the spies brought back a good report of a land fertile, but a bad report of the size of the inhabitants, that the people grumbled again. They listened to the wrong report. Momma used to say “You don’t change horses in the middle of the stream.”  The Israelites wanted to go back into captivity. Come on. But sometimes what is familiar feels safer than the unknown. The thing about it is that we can’t stay captive to our own fears, our own trials. We can’t stay, can’t go back, we must go forward. That is where our freedom is. Have you seen the movie “Harriet”? You saw her, “Moses” freeing the slaves. They couldn’t stay, couldn’t go back, had to go forward. Even now, whatever is binding us -we can move forward, we must move forward. Why would we want to be held down? We must keep on keeping on. enough for now.

One More Night

Exodus 8:8-11 NRSV

“Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” Moses said to Pharaoh, “Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God, the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.”

Pharaoh bad decisions caused pain for his people. Yet, he was given a chance for relief for the Egyptians by releasing the Israelites. His relief would be from the frogs everywhere- but he chose to spend one more night with the frogs. 

The frogs, those things that keep us in a constant state of flux trying to deal with them. Too often we lash out at anything and everything, not realizing that the problem is the frogs in our mind. Pharaoh chose to spend one more night. We don’t have to. We can give those issues that cause us pain and misery to God right now, and watch what he does. He has ways of handling things that we can not imagine. What do you chose? enough for now.

Do You Love Me

John 21:15-17 NRSV

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

“Do you love me?” Peter had to get real with himself. The first time Peter was flippant, how he think he could love Jesus more than the disciples did? The second time he was concerned. The third time grief and remorse set in. Now he’s getting real. But each time Jesus gave him a mission to care for the lambs- the babes in Christ, nurture and teach them the way to go. Pasture the sheep- show them safe places to rest. Feed the sheep, give them what will nourish their souls.

When we get real with ourselves, we can get real with God. When we get real with God, we get real with self. That strengthens the vertical connection with God. And then we are ready for our mission. 

I can relate to Peter. A deacon at my home church in Detroit used to ask me, “Rev, is Jesus in your heart?”The first time he asked, I answered rather flippantly, “Well yes.” 

He shook his head and walked off. The next Sunday when he saw me, he asked me that same question again. I wasn’t so flippant that time. I couldn’t understand why he was asking me.

He was a very nice deacon but what was he doing?

And again, he shook his head, but said, “Don’t tell me, show me.”And again, he walked off.

And then I begin to wonder what was wrong. Why would he ask me that? Why couldn’t he see it? After all, I was a preacher. And why was he singling me out? 

I had to think. I had to get still. I had to hear from God. Then I got it. 

And after that, the next time he asked, and the times after that, “Is Jesus in your heart?” I just smiled, and he nodded and smiled back. He taught me a lot with that simple question. 

It wasn’t about what I said or did, but what he saw from within. And when you have Jesus, there is something that causes you to smile from within. You don’t have to say a word, you don’t have to prove anything. enough for now.

Can You Drink This Cup

Matthew 20:20-23 (NRSV)

“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

James and John answered to what they didn’t know. No, they could not drink the same cup. Sometimes we want the fame, but we don’t want the work. We get so confused at times what we think we should be or how we should be, but the bottom line is that we each have a particular role to play. We have a cup but not his cup. And we work hard to stay on the journey that is ours. We have to be clear of our role, and go for it. We watch what God is doing and we follow Holy Spirit’s guide. Enough for now.

What Are You Afraid Of

 Mark 4:40

Mark 4:35–41 (NRSV): “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you afraid?” They had been with Jesus and had witnessed miracles, but now they are afraid of the storm. They missed Jesus cues that he was resting. He didn’t speak to their fear, but to what frightened them. 

He rebuked the wind and told the sea “Peace! be Still!”That rebuke in the Greek refers to exorcism and suggests that the wind was demonic. That’s powerful. Again, he speaks to what frightened us. We are frightened by one thing but it may be something totally different. 

Yes, there are times that we forget our ‘befores’, what he has done for us before. But if we remember we can live in our ‘now’.  We have to know that he has us in anything and everything. There is no fear. enough for now

Who?

Matthew 16:13-18 (NRSV)

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

Our actions show what we believe. The disciples shared what others had said. Then Jesus asked, “what do you say?” And Peter spoke up. That’s two different things. We may hear one thing, but we must know what we believe. When Peter spoke up Jesus knew that Peter  was connected, that he had received such knowledge from God. 

This is actually the first recorded time that Jesus is acknowledged as Christ.  This was the one of two times that Jesus travelled north of Galilee. Caesarea Philippi or Banias was rich in paganism as the temples to Pan and Zeus were there. Out from the cave of Pan flowed water from an underground spring that was fed by the Jordan. This was thought to be the entrance to Hades. The cave is still there, but earthquakes have shifted the stream to flowing beside the cave and not out from the cave. The water flows at 4000 gallons per second.

There in the backdrop of paganism Jesus pronounced “Against this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” All on Peter’s revelation of who Jesus was.Who do you say? We have to be clear. Watch him use you. The church still stands, we must stand in our love, in our faith of what we believe. enough for now.

Do You Want To Be Healed

John 5:1-9 NRSV

“After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 

The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.”

In the KJV there is a verse four and explains why the water was stirred. “From time to time an angel came to stir the waters and the first one in after the stirring was healed.” In dynamic versions (NIV, NRSV, etc) it added as a scribal note. So the man, and others would have been trying to get in the water after it was stirred because he saw that it his others were healed. 

There were five covered colonnades at the Pool of Bethesda. And everyone there has some form of disability. People of status actually avoided that area. But Jesus went right there to those who needed him. He went to that man who had been disabled for 38 years. 

All that man knew was to get into the water. When Jesus asked him did he want to be healed - he explained why he couldn’t get Into the water. He didn’t answer Jesus question. All he knew was what he had seen and heard and he was trying to do what others did-get into the water. Sometimes when we have been in such a state of trauma we may not think as clearly, because all we are trying to do is get better- from whatever the trauma may be.

Even in the man making an excuse - Jesus said “Get Up. Pick up your mat and walk.”

That was that man. This is us. Jesus asks us - “Do you want to be healed?” We can give excuse on why we are not where we think we should be or why we have been as we are. But we can answer “yes.” That is all it. Takes.

many times we find ourselves trying to get something done the way others have it. Jesus asks us this question time and time and time again. It’s time to get up, and walk. enough for now.

What Do You a want

What Do You Want?

John 1:32-39 NIV

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” 

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” 

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.”

 Jesus asks us the question, “What do we want?”

Many times we know what we don’t want but we are unsure of what we do want.  Too often we run after the wrongs things and find ourselves not fulfilled- still empty. The disciples recognized Jesus as the teacher(Rabbi) and followed him. After spending time with him they knew him as Messiah (the deliverer). 

When we can answer that we want Jesus, everything else falls into place. 

We learn more and more of him as our teacher through Holy Spirit, our deliverer who brings us out of traumatic situations. We seek him first and all these things are added. The key here is to want him. Spend time just basking in his presence of peace as you hear from him. enough for now.

We Ca Do It

Psalm 86:11 NRSV

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.”

We are all students of God’s love. Each day we grow more into who we are and what he has for us. There are so many things demanding our attention, but this is priority. To hear from God, to settle in his way. To unlearn the striving for everything else that society has taught us. 

Yes, we want to be successful in our endeavors, and God wants that for us. But we want to hear from him, and work out of what we hear, not what everyone else says. 

That’s that undivided heart- a heart that desires to please God in all we do. No, we are not perfect, but we try each day to move in a spirit of excellence, in all we do. How does it happen? By listening and following Holy Spirit’s lead. enough for now.

Trust

Matthew 18:2-4 NRSV

“He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.””

Watch a child who is loved. You will notice a few things. They have a surety in who they are because of that love. We too must have a surety  in ourselves because of our faith in God. As with a child’s trust, we must hold on to that child’s faith, that Jesus has us. Sometimes, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ We can rely on Jesus, now that means in all things. Not just the ‘Sunday’ things but in all things. We trust that he has us, we trust that he guides, we trust that he is making our way. Even when we lose the way- he guides us back. 

Watch what God is doing! Trust what God is doing. enough for now.

You Are My Friend

James 2:23 (NRSV)

“Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.”

Patti Belle has a song “You Are MyFriend.” I love the song, more than that I love knowing that God is my friend.

You see, have that same intimacy with God now as Abraham. My my, a friend of God. We sometimes miss that we are that close to him, that he hears and answers. We are special to him, we are his beloved. Let us not miss how he loves us, and how he lifts our cares as we commune with him. Too often we tell others about our struggles and never tell him. Yes he knows, but he wants us to have conversation with him. 

Society will say it is about who you know. Yes, it is about who you know, and we know God and we are known by God. That is special. Let that rest in your spirit today. Walk in that knowledge. more later.

Praise Him

Prov. 13:14 (NIV)

“From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.”

Good morning. There is something about giving God thanks. About praising God. We don’t do it to get something back, but we do it because he is worthy. And when we focus on the positive that comes out of our mouths, we see what can happen. Thanking God, and working to his glory makes a difference- in whatever we do. 

Happy Father’s Day! 

Not Our Talk but Our Walk

Mark 11:12-14 NRSV

“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”

We to say that Jesus cursed the fig tree. He withdrew the blessing of life. If the leaves were there, the fruit should have been there. But The tree was out of season for leafing or bearing fruit. It was early.  The tree was a many people,”Talking loud, saying nothing.” The fig tree represented Israel and they were not producing as they should have. 

We too are to produce in season - not running ahead of what God wants. But in season- when he says and how he says. And then we will fruitful for him. Everything we do should point back to him. God has blessed us in so many ways, and yes all we must do is be ready - by our walk and our talk. Love you all.

Bless His Name

Psalm 34:1-3 NRSV

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

Blessings on this day of Pentecost! The birth of the church. You can go back and read Acts 2 for the powerful move of Holy Spirit. But I want us to hold on to a different passage- Psalm 34:1. “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” 

Just that right there. If we are continually praising him the there will be no room for any negativity. And the more we stay there - the more we bless the Lord and the more we are blessed. Just as the disciples and believers were gathered in that place together, let us be gathered together in this psalm of praise. Let us continually praise his name. Let us continually bless the Lord. enough for now.

God Knows

1 Samuel 16:6-7 NRSV

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

God has rejected Saul as king and as his anointed. He sent Samuel to anoint one from the house of Jesse. Go back and read that whole passage. Samuel learned a extremely valuable lesson- We don’t see as God sees, God looks at our heart. 

We must check our heart to make sure it is beating- “yes Lord, your will.” It doesn’t mean we won’t act crazy or go through things. It does mean that we know how to get to God - how to get to ground. He grounds us. He keeps us in spite.

And when we check our heart we are clear not to judge, because we don’t know- but God does. enough for now.

Determination

2 Samuel 21:10 NRSV

“Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens; she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodies by day, or the wild animals.”

Go back and read this story. This a story of a mother’s determination, her fight, her voice. We understand that all actions have consequences. We see a formula in her story her love + her pain - her status = her voice. We all can be encouraged by her determination. Happy Mother’s Day!

Keep On

Hebrews 12:1-3 NRSV

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.” 

That is it right there. To see what the ‘therefore’ is there for, Go back and read chapter 11, the hall of faith😎. And even consider those who have gone before us showing us the way. Don’t give up, don’t give in, continue on, and watch what God is doing. enough for now.

Abide

John 15:4&5 NRSV

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” 

This . . . This is how we live. This is how we make it from day to day. This is how we are nurtured, nourished, protected.  This is how we breathe. Let it all sink in. Feel his arms holding you, listen as Holy Spirit guides you. Rest that God has you, you are connected to him. Live with him, watch what God is doing. enough for now.

See and Invite

Luke 24:32

“They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Go back and read Luke 24:13-32. This was the two disciples on the road home to Emmaus after the crucifixion. They were walking with Jesus and did not know it. It was not until they invited Jesus in that things changed. When Jesus broke bread, then they realized who he was, and then he was gone. We must open our eyes to see, and invite him in. When they invited him in that was the key to their recognition. Everyday should be our invitation to invite him in. And we receive more than we can imagine. enough for now.

Easter People

Matthew 28:5-7 NRSV

“But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”

We are to come and see and go and tell it. Jesus is not dead. The only things in the tomb are dead things. Too many times we have searched in the tombs for life - we found death. The tombs hold our sin issues, this things that keep us bound. But only our resurrected Savior brings life as he has conquered all things dead.

When we understand what Jesus has done for us we can rejoice. We can tell our story that what helps another. Each one of us has a rejoicing. Each one of us has gone through something that we have now left in the tomb. And some may be moving through now. but God!

Because he loves us so much we don’t stay with the dead stuff, we shrug off our grave clothes to rejoice! Hallelujah! We are Easter People. People resurrected from our sin issues. All because of Jesus! Happy Resurrection Day! enough for now

Don’t be the One

“Then Satan entered into Judas called Is afoot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them” (Luke 22:3-4 NRSV)

Blessings on this Palm Sunday! As we celebrate this day let us consider how just a few short days later Judas betrayed Jesus. We know the story, but I want us to hold to look at ourselves. Let make sure we are not betraying Jesus. He says to love one another. Let’s not betray him.  Sometimes we do with our actions, our thought. Let’s be very careful. 

Judas could not have betrayed Jesus unless he was fertile ground for Satan to enter.  We don’t want to be fertile ground. The cool part is that we can ask for forgiveness, now. When confronted by Jesus Judas had a chance to repent, but he didn’t. We can. That’s what this week is about. Blessings on your day, your week! Enough for now

Call Statement

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”( Micah 6:8 NRSV)

Everyone  should have a mission statement. It keeps you focused on your mission. Every believer should have a call statement- on what your purpose is. We can start with Micah. We are to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. That’s what we are to do. We must check ourselves to make sure that’s our foundation.  And then everything else is added. enough for now.

You

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9NRSV)

We have our identity as chosen, we are united as a holy nation, and our purpose is to proclaim what God has done for us. 

I found something in Black Panther and in Wakanda Forever. I hear Queen Ramonda whispering to us as she did her children. 

When T’Challa fought M’Baku for the crown and the position of Black Panther. 

And again when Shuri fought Namor for her life from the position of Black Panther.

Both were fighting for their lives, both had a reason to destroy the one they were fighting, but Queen Ramonda reminded them, “Show him who you are.”

“Show him who you are.” 

That should be our battle cry every day, to show the enemy who we are. As a people of God, chosen by God, to tell our redemption story through God. That’s who we are. Enough for now.

Calm Yourself

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” John 14:1 NRSV 

We usually hear this at funerals, and we miss the great significance of the passage. Don’t let your heart be troubled -period. Don’t get yourself all upset about anything. God handles it all. God is our way. No worries, no troubling of the heart, the mind. Trust that God can do it. Trust that God will do it. Believe that, and rest your heart. enough for now

Tell It

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24 NRSV).

Go back and read John 4:1-26, then read 26-38, 39-42. See the progression of the woman at the well and what her belief did. She met Jesus, heard him, received him, and then went to tell others about him, in spite of her own issues. She shared his truth and many believed. God seeks true worshippers, and the time is now. We all have our story to tell. We tell it in spite of where we are, how we are, who we are. We tell it because of whose we are. Blessings as your receive his more for you. more later 

Do You Want to be Healed?

“After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk” (John 5:1-9NRSV).

You know this story. Jesus asked the man did he want to be healed, and the man started telling Jesus why he couldn’t get healed. But that was not the question. Too often we don’t listen, and we give excuses on a missed ‘why’. We are too absorbed in our own everyday crazy that we can’t hear at times. 

Now, yes rightfully so, this man had been an invalid for a long time. That would traumatize and anyone and place them in a state of desperation to do whatever, however one could to get better. Yes, the stirring of the water provided healing. But that day, the man didn’t need to get into the water, he needed healing. His healing was not in getting into the water, but in what Jesus offered.

Our healing is in Jesus, not what we can do, when we can do it, how we can do it. But in Jesus. That takes a load off your mind. 

Please hear my heart on what I’m about to say: Yes, there is another tragedy. No, I have not read it yet. Yes, I’m concerned. But I am more concerned that we, as a people, are pulled again into such negativity and hurt, fueling more unforgiveness and anger and that it keeps us in a negative state of mind. And that’s what the enemy wants. 

Oh hell yeah, I’m tired of it, but I ask that we not be eaten up with the negative, but allow God’s peace to permeate our hearts. Yes, it’s wrong, yes something must be done. But don’t let it eat us alive, as we become like the disabled man- hurting and can’t get help. If we as a people could recognize that, then we could make a major change for us, as positivity could flow, and not the negativity. The enemy has kept us bound for too long, trying to break out of crazy through our anger and hurt. Can we start to give it to Jesus, and watch what he does with it? I didn’t say condone any of this- I don’t. But I do say give your hurt, your anger to Jesus. I have to- for my own sanity. enough for now.

Our Right Now

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NRSV)

Let’s stay with this. Micah broke it down to Israel. Bottom line. Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God. Let’s ask God what part of this needs strengthening? Could it be the walking humbly with God? Could be that we need to trust a little more that he has us? Could it be that we should pause more to hear from him? 

God has our best interests at heart. God knows our beginning and our ending. Let us walk trusting him more with our middle. Let us recognize him in our ‘right now’. Let us continue watching what God is doing in our lives. 

enough for now.

Release to Receive

“When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road” (Matt. 2:9-12NRSV).

After searching for, and finding the child Jesus the Magi were warned not go go back to Herod but to go back another way. On this first day of this new year we search anew for Jesus. We search, we find, we go back another way. We don’t go back the way we came. After spending time with Jesus we go back with renewed perspectives. We go back with changed hearts. We go back energized and ready to receive more of what God has. 

Because we have spent time we can release the crazy and receive what he has for us. Get still and ask what it is that you can now release, that you don’t need to keep doing. When you hear trust that you can. Then hear what you are to receive from him. It was alway there but you  ay not have been ready. It’s time. Release to receive- go back another way. Happy new year! Blessings of more in this year! more later.