TIME TO PRAY AND ACT!

The times of change in a year we call seasons. When the leaves change colors in the fall we notice God’s beauty He has painted for us.  The natural beauty that occurs every year.  Then we get the first snowfall. Most of us will agree that it looks so peaceful and pristine.  For the first day anyway .  Then usually only halfway through winter we are anxious for the first signs of spring to appear. We look for the first green blade of grass to appear. We look closely for the first little flowers to pop up out of the dirt.  Then pretty soon we are snipping us a bouquet from the spring flowers.  We see new growth, and new birth with wildlife and little songbirds.  So delightful.  And finally, summer appears.   More flowers, more birds, some wildlife that can cause some destruction, some bees to pollinate, and beautiful skies to look at in the evening.  It all sounds beautiful and heavenly.  Then in an instant we hear the news, we try to fill our vehicle with gas, and pay an unbelievable amount for butter, eggs, milk, and the rest of our groceries while trying to choose only healthy options.  Reality hits us hard at times.  

Oh and there is more.  In just a couple of weeks we have the privilege of voting for men and women into the public offices that need filling.  By now most of us know who we are voting for.  I hope we all have prayed hard about our decisions.  Do not trust in everything you read and hear in the news.  But trust in our Lord Jesus in whom we pray to. He is in control.  But remember, we must ask Him.  He is not going to come barging in and make everything new and perfect unless we ask Him.  Why not?  Because He has given us the gift of praying for our needs and asking Him to help us, guide us, lead us, and save us.  He has said in Scripture to humble ourselves, seek him, and pray.  Then He will heal our land. And boy does our land need healing.

I encourage all of you, pray, seek His face, repent and humble ourselves.  And take action.  Yes take action.  He has not made us to be lazy and lethargic in our daily walk.  But to get up, get moving, and take action. This is our land God created.  This is our home for now.  Let’s come together and do what is best for our land and our people.  

I will not tell you how to vote.  That is God’s place, not mine.  But I will encourage you to pray and take action.  Vote.  Trust and believe God will take care of us.  

“and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

The New Jerusalem, Heaven

 Revelation 21:9-27

The New Jerusalem, and Heaven. What will it be like?  The Scriptures tell us it will be glorious.  Beautiful colors of violet and white.  Streets lined with gold. And chairs made from cedars of Lebanon, seats of purple.  

For the last six or more weeks we have watched our landscape turn from green to beautiful colors of yellow, gold, orange, various shades of red, along with the left over greens and browns.  The colors have been stunning.  How can someone say God doesn’t exist, or He doesn’t care about us. Just look around.  Quietly sit and relax.  Take it all in.  Our God is a big God, who loves us with everything He has.  So much so that He paints our landscape, our trees, and even our horizons with beautiful sunsets and sunrises.  We have even had an extra treat this year.  It was about midway through summer, into September and October, we had the pleasure of seeing the “Northern Lights “ from our own backyards, parks, streets, and so on. This is the first time in all of my life that I have seen the beautiful dancing of the Aurora Borealis across our sky in the Northeast USA. My whole life.  I was thrilled, I felt flabbergasted.  Me, just a very tiny spec in this vast universe we live in.  And God let me see this beautiful and glorious masterpiece of His.   

Some of you may be thinking “no big deal”.  But it is a big deal.  Can you or I paint a masterpiece across the sky?  Can we tell the leaves when to turn colors?  Of course not. So our Lord Jesus does it purely for our pleasure.  

What does this have to do with the New Jerusalem?  I believe everything.  God knows we will be overwhelmed when we see our New Jerusalem and our new home.  So He’s giving us glimpses of what it will be like.  When we get there, Jesus will have it ready for us.  

I know for me I will do everything I can, everything Jesus asks of me, to be sure my name is written in the Book of Life, and my new address on one of those golden streets. And I pray the same for you my faithful readers.  Be excite.  God has a beautiful home prepared for you. It is our job to hear Jesus, listen to Him, and obey Him.  Be pro-active.  

Are you an encouragement to others?

 Encouragement, what exactly does that mean?  

-the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.

-persuade someone to move forward with something, or try something new. 

On the “Biblical “ aspect encouragement is quite the same.  But with some key aspects. 

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬-

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.”

Others see encouragement as a spiritual gift from God. Encouraging the other person to strive to be the best they can be.  

‭ Encouragement strengthens others to follow God's will.

Encouragement in Christ gives us the strength to put on our spiritual armor and remain steadfast. 

So as you can see encouragement means the same.  As Christians we definitely have an emphasis on encouraging others as much as ourselves.  We must believe in ourselves and show others it is so vitally important to have that in us, deeply planted.  Then we can pass that on to others.   

We are at the very beginning of October.  October happens to be  Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This hits me right to the core.  I have reached my 4 year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer.  I knew right from the beginning I needed to use this to encourage others who have been diagnosed, and also encourage others to have that mammogram yearly or as the doctor suggests.  No matter what your age is.  Breast cancer can be well hidden.  It may not even be felt on exam.  Usually no symptoms noticeable unless it has been there for a very long time.  Some women complain that it hurts to have a mammo.  I’m here to tell you, cancer hurts more. 

 Ok, so I’m talking about encouragement. How does that encourage others?  That is where we must listen for the Holy Spirit.  He has to speak to us about who to share with, and how to share.  That is a huge key as to sharing and encouraging to others.  Listen, trust Him, encourage yourself. Be positive, be gentle, be kind. And always be truthful.  

Since I am talking about encouragement let me remind you it is October.  And breast cancer seems to be out there more often than ever.  Men and women, yes both can get breast cancer. I’d like to encourage you all, please start with self exams.  You may be thinking how do I know what to feel?  This is the age of the internet.  There are tutorials on everything. And I mean everything.  So that’s the 1st step.  Next, see your primary care doctor for regular check ups and yearly physicals.  Don’t forget there are other areas that need watching.  Women have their bodies.  Men have theirs.  Both have colons.  That is another very important exam to have.  I share this because it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies.  Inside and out. I know this is about encouragement. I hope it is received that way.  Our Father God created us, He has given us a call of duty to take care of our bodies.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Let us not disappoint our Lord Jesus.  

I pray for you my friends.  That we can all be more than conquerors.  We can be that person who sends those positive and encouraging thoughts out to others in need. And as we walk boldly in our victories, we can draw others closer to our Lord Jesus.  

“Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬