2 little fishes meet a frog beneath a rock…

“Don’t you know you’re in great danger, little fishes?” croaked the frog.

“No!” cried he fishes, much frightened.

“Don’t you know that fishes can’t live without water?” teased the cruel frog.  “You’d better find some water quickly, or die.”

The little fishes swam to their mother in great distress.

“Oh, Mother, Mother! The frog says if we don’t find some water quickly we’ll die! Mother, what’s water?”

“I don’t know,” confessed the mother fish, who was an agnostic.  “I never heard anything about water.  Let’s go and ask the otter.”

“Water, my dears?”  Laughed the otter.  “Why, you live in water! That ’s what you breathe!”

We live in God….That’s what we breathe!!!!

“As a sponge is in the ocean and the ocean is in a sponge….so we are in God and HE IS IN US!!!!

God Bless!

 

If you get down, rebuild

I have been reading the book of Nehemiah.  This is a great story of leadership beginning with prayer and the courage to ask the King for some time off to rebuild the city. His goal was to rebuild the wall.  In chapter 7, a list of the exiles is written in detail.  In chapter 8, Ezra reads from the book of the law.

Verses 5 & 6 read,  “Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.”

They worshiped Father God!  However, these people were very emotional.  They had been exiled, they had been hurt, they had been forgotted, and they needed a release.

verses 9-11 hold some keys to our lives…..

 ”9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.  10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”   11The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”

You see, when Father God sets you free, we are commanded not to mourn or weep, not to grieve because the JOY of the LORD is our strength.   He calls us to be still and let him heal our feelings of exile, our hurts, our lonliness and our despair!!!!

Just like Nehemiah, we can go to our Father and begin to rebuild our walls.  Truly we can call out “AMEN, AMEN” and bow down and worship the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords and the Lover of our souls!!

May God heal our emotions, cleanse our souls and restore our strength!!

God Bless

 

“Reach out your hand…..”

Romans 10:14-15 The Message

“14-17But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims,

   A sight to take your breath away!
   Grand processions of people
      telling all the good things of God!”

Romans 10:14-15

“14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

This has a great message about reaching people.  The lost are searching….they are reaching….they are hurting….they are needing a touch from the Master……are we in tears from these lost souls..

Take a few minutes to listen and reflect on this video…

JOY

I watched a video podcast from Erwin McManus tonight titled JOY 365.

McManus taught that joy and strength are connected.

Joy is not incidental or supplemental….joy is essential to our journey.

“When you step into a sacred moment, realizing your shortfalls, we are not found guilty, we are called to live in the joy of the Lord, HE is our strength.”

Our soul becomes heavy from the reality of our humanness.

Jesus calls us to celebrate with JOY!

Do you see JOY in your worst moments?

Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus “ENDURED”  the cross….THE POWER OF JOY CARRIED HIM THROUGH!!!!!!

“Jesus is giving us an inseparable relationship between having the incredible relationship with God where we ask in His name and he gives to us and there is power in our prayers and there is something supernatural about our relationship to the creator.”

John 16:24  “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Joy and strength are connected….we are connected to Jesus, our source of joy and strength!!!!!

Beautiful Worship

Please do not rush this…enjoy this song in a time of worship!

Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity,
of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat)

“but he shouted all the more..”

Mark 10:46-52

“46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

 49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

 51“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
      The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

 52“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Jesus healed this man….he was blind and then received sight!!!

This experience has many lessons.  Sometimes we desperately need a touch from the master and unfortunately sometimes we may be the ones rebuking those that need help…either intentionally or unintentionally.

Thankfully, Jesus does not see throught fleshly eyes.  He sees us for who we are.  He understands our hurts and our feelings.  Sometimes we are rebuked, sometimes we feel all alone and sometimes we feel the warmth of the master as he wraps his arms around us, gives us rest and heals us.

“That is the way the healing ministry of Jesus works–yesterday, today and forever: He sees people before the father.  He manifests outwardly what He sees in the spirit.  That is glorious!”   MacNutt 

If the noise of this world loud and there are those that appear to be hindering and rebuking, follow the experience of blind Bartimaeus………”Know that Father God has a divine appointment waiting for you, call out to Jesus….if needed, shout all the more!!!!!”