Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

 

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 

The kings of the earth set themselves, 

and the rulers were gathered together, 

against the Lord and against his Anointed’ —

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:23-31

Wayfaring Stranger

 

Everyone

For the promise is for you and your children and all who are far off, 

everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.  Acts 2:39

Like the Days of a Tree

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the Lord.

Isaiah 65:17-25

The World's Fire is Bitter and Cold

 

She stepped in from the bitter cold, from the outside fires of the world to the inner quiet of the cathedral. Would she be accepted? By God, not men. Afterall, she came from the world. She had departed from the lie only moments before. Would the God of all creation really see her now? He smiled. At her. He reminded her it was He who took her away from the lie. It was His hand that pulled her out of the darkness. He had invited her here. 

She thought of those like her, praying for mercy, "For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name." (Isaiah 63:16) 

And here she stood in this place where she had been invited. For what reason? She did not know, but she was grateful.

Life

 

You have made known to me the paths of life.... 

Acts 2:28a

Jesus in Japan

 

Words of Jesus

 

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

John 14:18-19

John 13:34-35

 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Tomorrow

 

There are many doomsayers online. Is that a word? I feel drawn away from  the predictions of woe. Some people claim to speak for God and they say, "Cower." They sing hopelessness, despair. But tomorrow is coming. What is it bringing with it? Something good, I think. Something we need. What if all of this turns out right?

Flood

 

The river flows

It brings life to dead places

Do you know that song?

The river Jesus.

He brings life to dead places.

A flood is coming

It is surging now

Consuming the land

The sky

The Earth beneath

And we are caught in it.

It is Life.

It will change what we know

For some of us

Some of us know it already.

Do you?

For You

 

Walk gently in the lives of others.

Clouds

One day long ago I was there. Now I am here. It will be like that when our world emerges from this strange time. One day we will remove the masks and let them fall to the ground. One day it will all be different. Maybe like the old days, slower, quieter. Maybe more people will think of fewer things and rest and rely on something besides what we see, hear, and are told to believe. It will be as different as flight is from walking, as removed from the dust as a wide winged bird ascending to the clouds.

Instead

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;

instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall make a name for the Lord,

an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Isaiah 55:13

Sometimes we expect one thing, but get another.

What is the Meaning of Life?

To know God.

Joy

In the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy.

Shema Israel

Hear, O Israel

The Lord our God

The Lord is one.

Surprised to See Wonder Here

And the Lord said: 

"Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, 

and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Isaiah 29:13-14

It was unexpected.

Question

How are 

you these 

strange days?

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, 

all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

Dwell

You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! 

Isaiah 26:19b

Eyes Open

Let's stay amazed.

What makes a cucumber climb?

How does it know up?

Hear, O Israel:

The Lord our God

The Lord is One.

Be Thankful

Where to Stand

Don't stand in both places, just in the light.

from Isaiah 43

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:1b-3:a

Quote

"Somehow, defending my liberal values of 

free speech, liberty, and rights of the individual 

has become a conservative position." 

Dave Rubin

Yuri Bezmenov

Yuri Bezmenov on How to Prevent Ideological Subversion

"...that takes one step, one very important thing to do. You don't have to expel all the KGB agents from Washington DC. The most difficult and at the same time the simplest answer to the subversion is to start it here and even before, by bringing back the society to religion, something that you cannot touch and eat and put on yourself. But something that rules society and makes it move and preserve it. A Soviet scientist, Shafarevich, who has nothing to do with religion, he is a computer scientist, did a very intensive research the on the history of Socialist countries. He calls Socialist or Communist any country with the centralized economy and the pyramidal style of power structure and he discovered, actually he didn't discover, he just brought to attention of his readers.

That civilizations like Mohenjo-daro in the River Indus area, like Egypt, like Maya, Incas, like Babylonian culture, collapsed and disappeared from the surface of Earth the moment they lost religion. As simple as that. They disintegrated. Nobody remembers about them anymore. Well, just a few. 

So, the ideas are moving society and keeping mankind as society of human beings, intelligent, moral agents of God. The facts, the truth, the exact knowledge may not. All the sophisticated technology and computers will not prevent society from disintegrating and eventually dying out. Have you ever met a person who would sacrifice his life, freedom for the truth like that? (writes 2x2=4 on board) This is truth. I never met the person who said, "This is truth and I am ready to... shoot me!" to defend the truth. Right?

But millions sacrifice their life, freedom, comfort, everything for things like God, like Jesus Christ. It's an honor!

Some martyrs in the Soviet concentration camp died and they died in peace unlike those who shouted, "Long live Stalin!" knowing perfectly well that he may not live long. 

Something which is not material moves society and helps it to survive, and the other way around, the moment we turn into 2 by 2 is 4 and make it the guiding principle of our life, our existence, we die. Even though this is true (points to 2x2=4) and this we cannot prove (points to God and J.C.) We can only feel and have faith in it.

So the answer to ideological subversion, strangely enough, is very simple. You don't have to shoot people. You don't have to aim missiles and Pershings and cruise missiles at Andropov's headquarters. You simply have to have faith and prevent subversion. In other words, not to be a victim of subversion. 

Don't try to be a person who in Judo is trying to smash your enemy and being caught by your hand. Don't strike like that. Strike with power of your spirit and moral superiority. If you don't have that power, it's high time to develop it, and that's the only answer."

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, 

the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth

I tell you of them.

How Much God Loves You

Two Lives

"We each have two lives. 

The one we learn by and 

the one we live after that."

Madlyn Rhue

Wild

Isaiah 65:1

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;

I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation 

that was not called by my name.

Don't Believe It?

Isaiah 61

...the Lord God will cause 

righteousness and praise 

to sprout up before all the nations.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇯🇵🇱🇷🇲🇭🇺🇦🇪🇬🇮🇱

🌸

Look away 

from the lies 

of the world

and look up.

Welcome to Life

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

He sat in the dark cafe knowing everything. All the details of our existence. All the whys, wheres, and hows. All of life, and all that comes after, were known to him. He blasphemed. He mocked. He was right and these idiots were wrong. The simple herds and their nonsense were beneath him, not even near his greatness. And when the Spirit was poured out on the Earth, he wept somberly. She knew nothing, except God and, when she saw him weeping, prayed for him to see.

And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:17-21

True Light

...the darkness is passing away 

and the true light is already shining. 

from 1 John 2:8

Peace

How has this time changed you?

Are you back to normal life?

Have you gone out?

How has this time changed you?

The Great Awakening

Do You Believe in God?

Do you believe in God?

I do.

Here is a video I saw online. I don't know this person, 

but I thought his story was compelling.

Words

Let the words of my mouth and 

the meditation of my heart 

be acceptable in your sight, 

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 

Psalm 19:14

Shh...

I am so tired of the word Covid.

I don't want to hear it anymore.

I think we should take inspiration from Elon Musk's new baby's name and call it something unpronounceable instead. That way everyone can quit talking about it.

Be well.

Car Church in Ukraine

This is funny to me and also very, very cool. 

Our church (in the USA) is doing this today too. 

Have a blessed Sunday!

Isaiah 49:6

he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

    to restore the tribes of Jacob

    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Yeller

A little play on words!

But...

What are you "yelling" these days?

Good or bad. 

Some people are yelling peace, others safety, some doom. 

What are you yelling?

Motives

Do you wonder sometimes why we are told what we are told? 

Just 37 seconds in, Gul Dukat, while hearing a crazy story, finally asks something we should all ask from time to time, 

"This is a very entertaining story, but why am I listening to it?"

Wish

What is your wish?

Sing Hallelujah to the Lord

Almost Blackberries

What seeds have you planted in your life?

Peaceful Walk

What is one thing you are thankful for today?

Have you noticed?

These are strange days.

Some things I have noticed:

When I read the Bible the verses are closer. What were once words in a book became words in my heart when I got saved almost thirty years ago. But now they are words hanging in the air an inch in front of me. Not hanging. Hanging sounds purposeless and haphazard. I mean placed. Do you know what I mean? 

Nature is more alive. Monkeys are taking over empty cities they say. We have no monkeys here in the Southeastern USA, but the animals we do have seem to be freer. They are moving around more, like they hear music being played just for them. Maybe of a celebration we've all been invited to. Do you hear that?

Are the stars brighter in the sky? 

Or maybe the sky is less cluttered now.

People are listening more closely. 

To eachother. To the wind. To the silence. 

Are you?

Do you notice the change? What is it like for you?

A World Away

Who Are You?

Many

A great multitude

No longer looking down at the dust

But up

Higher than before

It's Jesus

Can you believe it?

Every tribe

Every nation

Are you Every?

You are Every too.