Tell Me the Story of Jesus and Him Only

Today's sermon was a reminder of "Do Not Be Ashamed"  of Jesus. I certainly needed the reminder and encouragement. One thought was that we can be saying Amen and excited in church but how about when we go out the church door? Are excited and assertive in our every day life? The video clip of a "famous" tv show person pointing out that it is impossible for there to be only 1 way stamped the message even further in my mind. Many people swallow that person hook, line and sinker. The key word here...sinker. If we don't read the Bible and instead choose to follow wrong thinking by a wrong role model, sinking is exactly where we end up.

Romans 1:18-25 is a great start to understand what is right. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wrong doing of men, who by their wrong doing suppress and hide the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did no honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up to the lust of their own hearts and because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator."

We ended by singing "Tell Me the Story of Jesus, write on my heart every word." Rick and I were discussing on the way home something he recently heard. When you're down to nothing, no friends, no finances, no health what do you have.  If you believe in Jesus and have Him in your heart, He is there no matter what. And we said, yep, we've been there through those times, no friends, no finances, no health, but Jesus was still overwhelmingly there!

Walk Close, Be Fervent and Hope in Renewal

I am reading a Beth Moore book "Paul:  90 Days on His Journey of Faith". The section I read this morning from Acts actually talks about Peter and  got caught up in verses Acts 9:36-42. God raised Tabitha from death after Peter arrived, privately prayed and spoke "Tabitha, get up." Now my thinking went to Peter's closeness to God and as he prayed getting instructions from God on what His will was for Tabitha and the community. Peter didn't just get all spiritual on the spot but had been close with God before his prayer that day.

1.  From God: "That's where you need to be Jane, close every day." And my thoughts went to the story of the dry bones and can I and even America get away from a dry spiritual condition. So as I began searching for that scripture about bones I found II Kings 13:14-21.

This tells about Elisha being sick before he died. King of Israel Joash came to Elisha weeping and they had a special time together with both their hands on a bow and arrow. Elisha prophesied that Joash would overcome the Syrians consuming them. As Elisha instructed Joash to smite the ground with the arrows, Joash struck the ground only 3 times. Elisha followed with anger that Joash was not more fervent striking 5 or 6 times and so he would only be able to overcome the Syrians 3 times.

I know this passage has nothing to do with the dry bones or Peter but I guess God is taking me a path through the Bible to bring some instructions home to me.

2.  From God:  Be fervent in what you're doing for God. Don't stop at only a 3 time effort but go on to 5 or 6 like you really want to accomplish what I want you to.

Now I look for the dry bones passage again. Vision of the valley of dry bones Ezekial 37:1-14 Read it.  "Shall these dry bones live?" "And ye shall live ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord."

3.  From God:   Israel's hope was lost, their spiritual bones were dry. But God has abundant life and hope for dry bones, then and now.

Summary:  Walk close, be fervent, and hope for God brings renewed life.

Prayers That Need Resurrection Morning Answers

I have several prayer burdens for specific individuals that have been weighing on me in prayer for a long time. Several of them have bad health and are up in years. Some of them are long standing relationship needs. Oh God may I see some Resurrection morning answers. This morning they are magnified as my main prayer requests as I woke up at 4 am. I am longing to see some bursting forth of answers like when Jesus rose from the tomb. As buds come forth in the spring after seemingly being dead all winter.

I have been reading about Stephen in the book of Acts and the effect it had on Paul. The seeds that became planted in Paul's mind later produced fruit in his life to turn him around 180 degrees. That is what I long to see and hear of. That is what I long to have my faith believe for. May my faith burst forth also as the spring.