Vision Check

 Sunday's message was John chapter 3.

I was struck by a portion of it. (It was all a good message!) But there was a particular verse and portion that got me thinking:

📖 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." John 3:14-16

Jesus was referring to the old testament;

📖 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.Numbers 21:8-9

It was here that Bill made the comment, a bit tongue-in-cheek; "trying to imagine someone trying hard not to look!"

But it made me think...why would someone not look upon the staff if it would save them?....why would Peter take his eyes off Jesus if it meant he would sink into the stormy water?

📖“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:28-30

Why do WE take our eyes off Jesus when it means certain catastrophe?

Some, maybe intentionally, choose; "I don't need it", "that is for the weak", "it isn't real".

But many who do believe in Jesus and His saving grace, why do we look away?

Maybe some fill our lives with things that become more important...we lust after worldy things, we covet our neighbor's car, house, spouse, money, job etc. Sin causes our eyes to be looking the other way. 

You may be thinking "Hey, that's harsh, not everyone is lusting after something!"

And I agree, for many it is far from what we strive for in our lives.

📖 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.  I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.  Psalm 101:3

How else can we lose focus? Maybe some of us have calendars so full it blocks our view of Him.  And all of it may be good, noble things but if our busy interferes with our line of sight...

We all need a vision check....

Where are we looking?  Are we looking to Jesus every day, giving that calendar to Him? We can start with our focus on Him...and as we slug or skip through a day...we can continue to look to Him. A quiet prayer, scripture in our minds, a song may come into our heads.  If we are looking for Him, He is in us, all around us, and moving and working...just keep our eyes open and looking!

📖 I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. Psalm.123:1

📖 And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1b-2

🙏Mt prayer today is that we all do a vision check and make sure our eyes are focused on Him and what He has for us.❤

📖 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Reminders Of Where He Is

 Just realized it was Tuesday of a NEW week!

Looking through some of the blog thoughts I have had...none seemed right for today. 

In my "conversations with God" lately I seem to see things I  hadn't before....or more accurately reminded of things I seem to have forgotten.

Reminded, God is in the little things, and in the unexpected. 

For example; thinking about a situation from the past; remembering and praying for the people involved...and there was one of them as I pull up to the local gas station!

When all plans that we had laid out for the next  week screech to a halt as we both were quarantined...yet everything still gets accomplished and works out.

Even the closing song for Sunday's service followed the message beautifully when there is no prior discussion.

No matter how much we plan, how hard we try to work all the details out....there is much that is beyond our control.

We...I pray for so many specifics...and not that we shouldn't 

📖 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

But we don't know so much of what is going on; around us, with other people, even, sometimes, within ourselves. 

I should pray " take my life Lord, take my hands, take my heart Lord" period!  Because I don't know the best way to be useful tomorrow?  Or even today...because I don't know what lies ahead. But HE does...and whatever I go through today can be preparation for what is in store for me tomorrow.

IF I let God use me in it the circumstances today.

What does that look like? 

It means we first approach anything with a humble heart and spirit.

📖  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8

📖 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Not with grumbling or complaining 

📖 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:14-15

We then find something to be grateful for, no matter the circumstance. We can be grateful we know Him and trust Him to be with us.

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

With humble and grateful hearts we then look for someone, or a situation that WE can help or be useful in.

It takes the focus off of our circumstances and opens ourselves up to possibility and hope.

📖 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

I don't believe "a future" means only prosperity, worldy things, even all good things.  "To give you HOPE and a future" ...HOPE is the key....there is always a future if we have hope...hope that begins with a saving relationship with the Savior. His hope.

📖 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

📖 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25

My prayer for you comes from Ephesians 1:18

🙏  📖 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ❤

Cloak or Cloud

I believe most everyone who reads this, most everyone in general, has felt grief. Suffered loss; through death, the disintegration of a relationship, the destruction of a marriage, the unexplainable suffering with illness, the things that are beyond our control.

It can become overwhelming, all encompassing, like a large, heavy, hooded cloak weighing down our every move, our very existence. 

But our grief shouldn't define who we are, shouldn't be all our lives are lived through.

It could be a cloud that is always just on the peripheral, and sometimes brings a shadow over our life for a moment of time,  but then moves on so the sun can shine again.

Easier said than done. 

One of the things to help remove the "cloak" of grief is to let someone else carry it

📖  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus is offering a swap....our yoke of grief, weariness and pain for His...which He says is light...meaning easier to bare, designed with hope, peace, even joy. 

He says that He has come to battle back the darkness that the "cloak" holds us in.

📖  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

📖  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

We can replace the "cloak" with something else that we are provided....armor.

📖Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

The cloak of grief shrouds us in despair, hopelessness, apathy.

When we take that helmet of Salvation; a helmet covers our heads where our minds reside, we choose to follow Christ, we choose to let Him become our Savior, our warrior, the One who will battle grief and despair for us.

We strap on the belt of Truth, trusting in His truth and not listening to the lies the enemy tells us; that we are unloved, alone, have no hope or future.

We are loved:

📖 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

We put on the breastplate of Righteousness, His righteousness...not our rightness.

We strap on the shoes of Peace that will carry us through each day with a gratefulness that allows us to share what He has done for us.

We carry the shield of Faith before us...because it will repel the darkness and despair the enemy tries to throw back at us.

And we pick up that Sword of the Spirit everyday...and carry it with us...we read, listen to His word every day, so it fills our hearts and minds.

We have what we need to exchange the cloak of grief for the cloud that may cast a shadow once in a while, but we are confident the shadow will be cleared by the Son.

Our grief will not define us, our armor will!

🙏My prayer for you today is if you are burdened down with that cloak of grief, you let Christ replace it with all He has. So you can feel content, at peace and filled with assurance, so when the cloud brings a shadow, you will feel strong enough in Him until is passes over.❤

Welcome To the Jungle

 This past weekend was our annual Tri Town Summer Festival. In 2016 M.E.T. Music (for those who don't know this is my middle daughters DJing business) had a float and has continued that tradition each parade since, except one...

Every year is a theme...and the floats are designed and decorated to go with the theme. There is a lot of community participation and we as a family have lots of fun.  Last year was Christmas In July and our float, with Mr. and Mrs. Claus (a.k.a. Gramma and Bapa) on holiday in the tropics, won first place!

This year we missed having Gramma and Bapa there...but we had 6 little monkeys dancing and we were on safari!

The theme was Welcome To the Jungle....and we placed 2nd this year...a big surprise, as it was a great parade with lots of great participants!

Jungle Boogie Safari float

As I pondered this week's blog with summer festival still in my brain ...I wondered if there was any spiritual application. 

One song played on our float..."It's a Jungle Out There" by Randy Newman got me thinking.

It IS a jungle out there....it has been since the world began!  The Garden of Eden was a big beautiful Jungle providing all that was needed...but sin entered and it became a big scary place....and has been ever since. This world is full of what seems to be endless frightening things!

Jesus talked about the darkness that surrounds us

📖 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

Jesus tells us we will have trouble

📖  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Peter writes the devil is like a jungle lion!

📖 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1Peter 5:8

Scary?!

Yes...but we have His promises;

to be with us

📖 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”. Deuteronomy 31:6

To give us strength 

📖 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

To give us peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Welcome to the Jungle....it is ripe with people who are afraid and don't know where they can feel peace and security.

WE can tell them, WE can show them!

 

📖 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:16-17

🙏 I also pray today that despite the "Jungle" out there, you find a way to point others to Christ!"❤