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itsyourchoicedevotionals · 10 months ago

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Without Investigating

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen…” Genesis 47:27NIV

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness. …total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23BSB

Have you ever been in a cavern, when the tour guide shuts off the light momentarily? The darkness can be felt. We stand in sin’s darkness equal to the darkness of a cavern. People are so lost in this darkness, they have nothing pointing to the way out.

Many of the people lost in this darkness are believers in Christ who have succumbed to a lie and lost their way— “…for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” 2Thessalonians 2:11-12KJV. They chose to believe lies rather than the truth of the gospel. That single choice cost them their salvation, —Matthew 24:12. Meanwhile they believe they’re going to heaven. Lies such as: ‘the Bible is not the infallible word of God;’ ‘Jesus was not birthed by a virgin mother;’ ‘all religions lead to God.’

Society has become overrun by the demonic. One major area I’ve seen the Believers’ passion waning is the political arena— aka government. These Believers have accepted the lie stating they need to stay out of politics.

God—Jesus is a judge, and King with a government which will never end— see Luke 1:32-33. Then 2Corinthians 5:10NIV “…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”showing, there’s a courtroom in heaven. Somewhere the church became sidetracked. We’ve not been effective in changing the world’s governments by our belief system. (Newsflash! The reason our world is in such a mess is because Believers don’t hold all of the political offices. Those who do hold offices are fraught with backlash from the overwhelming majority of worldly politicians.)

Absurdly, Christians are prone to pick candidates according to the political parties of their parents, friends, even the evening news. They do so without investigating politician’s political platforms; where the individual candidate’s actions say they stand; often their voting records.

Believers numerically have the ability to seat and unseat any politician, IF EVERYONE of us would all vote. Too many Believers say, ‘oh it’s all fake or crooked,’ or ‘I don’t like any of the candidates,’ ‘my vote doesn’t count,’ —therefore I won’t vote. A non-vote is a vote for evil and Holy Spirit sees it. As Believers, all of us, bearing the name of Jesus must pray to get the mind of Christ— then vote. Even if it means voting against our favored political party. Perhaps I am a bit opinionated, but I don’t know how a true Believer could vote for anyone whose political party supports abortion or euthanasia, because that’s murder, Proverbs 24:11NIV “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” God alone has that right to choose the time of death.

Darkness wasn’t allowed in Goshen where the Israelites had settled. They lived in light. None of the evil Egyptian government’s plagues came upon them. They were freed from the sufferings of their slave masters. Per 1Thessalonians 5:5NASB1977 we— “are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;” Our every action and motive of our hearts must come from the Kingdom of our God and His Light within us. Which way will you choose? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Holy God we choose to live in the light of Your way and Your gospel. Help us to hold on to You in belief, in the nama of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux

#Jesus Christ #lord of lords #word of god #holy spirit #god #it's your choice #devotional #investigation #overrun #way #vote #government #light #hope #love #faith

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hiswordsarekisses · 2 years ago

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💯💯💯

💯💯💯 “A woman who lives to glorify God is not interested in seeking external attention and praise as a means of value or worth. Her self-preservation has transformed into self-abandonment. Her eyes are on Jesus alone… in a world that promotes the glorifying of “self”, the call of Jesus beckons us to deny ourself, pick up our cross and follow Him…in other words, we are called to die to self…we are called to be different. To speak different, live different, operate different, lead different…all unto the glory of God…the ego dies. The addiction to external praise and attention dies. Chasing after vanity and status dies. The appetite for things that appease the flesh dies…it all amounts to nothing so Christ can become everything…I pray we as women, can grow more in this area together.” (Amy Klutinoty)

•Matthew 16:24-26// Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

•Proverbs 29:23- One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

•1John 2:16- For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

•Romans 12:3- For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

•2Corinthians 10:12- Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

•2Corinthians 10:18- For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

•Proverbs 31:30- Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

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coptorthodox · 1 year ago

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Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

#coptorthodox #bibleverse #bible #bibleversedaily #dailyverse #coptic #orthodox @coptorthodox #joy #rejoice #forwheniamweakiamstrong #wheniamweaktheniamstrong #2corinthians #2corinthians12 #2corinthians1210 #2corinthians12v10

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christianengineersblog · 1 month ago

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IprayMinistry 🇨🇦 Canada/ChristianEngineer

Bible Reading Plan 2024

Ezekiel 25-48; Daniel 1-12; Hosea 1-14

WALKING WITH JESUS

In The Light

🙏🏼Prayer📖Verse:John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” - John 8:12 (NKJV)

READ:John 8:12; 1John 1:5-10; Colossians 2:6-7; 2Corinthians 5:7; Isaiah 41:10; Galatians 5:25

OR Whole Chapters

Let's Pray🙏🏼To God

O Jesus, our Savior, You alone can give us life in this sinful world.

You walked in the light in this dark world that we might have abundant life.

Let us not try to walk in the light of our own understanding.

Be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path and keep us from stumbling. - Psalm 119:105

If we walk in the light as You are in the light, Your blood cleanses us from all sin. - 1John 1:7 (NKJV)

Help us to walk with You by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7

As we have received Christ Jesus, may we walk and be rooted in You. - Colossians 2:6-7

Today we choose to walk with You forever and ever.

To walk by faith, with integrity. in truth, in Love and in a manner worthy of Your name.

Our friend and companion Jesus, we commit ourselves afresh in prayer to follow Your footsteps.

The quality of our walk with You is only our sinful nature.

May You walk in perfection with us so that we don't get sidetracked into this sinful world.

You walked in wisdom and grew up in truth.

We do not want to continue to walk in any of our sinful behavior.

Help us to repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness, for You are faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1John 1:9

Let the Holy Spirit guide us to pray, read, meditate and study the Bible daily.

Our Father in Heaven, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to "walk" with us as Christians in our daily walk.

Lord Jesus, You are the way the truth and life to the Father - John 14:6

Be our role model, to help us to teach the world to have a passionate personal, relationship with You.

We ask all In Your precious name. Amen. --- PTM9SEP24

Prayer Engineer

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yoursoldoutforevermore · 4 months ago

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Romans 12:2 (Part 2 of 2)

Romans 12:2 Resisting conformity to the world and embracing the transformation that comes in Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2). “Transformed” This is the ancient Greek word metamorphoo – describing a metamorphosis. The same word is used to describe Jesus in His transfiguration (Mark 9:2-3). This is a glorious transformation! The only other place Paul uses this word for “transformed” is in 2Corinthians…

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humbleservantprayerwall · 5 months ago

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Daily Devotionals 05-31-2024

(Reading Your Bible Daily Is Fundamental) Verses of the Day: 1 John 2:6/Deuteronomy 13:4/Ephesians 5:1-2/1 Peter 2:21/Jeremiah 29:13/1 Kings 11:4/2 Corinthians 9:7/Isaiah 60:1/Jeremiah 17:14/Matthew 27:31-33/Mark 15:22/John 19:17/Leviticus 16:5/Isaiah 53:6/Hebrews 9:28/Galatians 3:13/1 Peter 2:24/2Corinthians 5:21/Leviticus 16:15-22/Hebrews 13:11-13/Leviticus 4:12-21/Luke 23:45-47/Hebrews…

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yhwhrulz · 9 months ago

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Wayside Chapel Daily Devotional 14th February 2024

2/14 Exodus 4:11

11 Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Moses was trying to get out of the frightening assignment of going to Pharaoh and demanding that he release the Israelites so they could go and worship in the desert. Moses' excuse was that he was not a good speaker. Perhaps he had some kind of speech impediment or maybe he was like most of us who fear speaking in public. Our verse for today was God's response. How can you excuse yourself from the assignment by Almighty God by saying He didn't equip you properly? God was pointing out to Moses the absurdity of his excuse by reminding Moses that it was He who made his mouth.

Most of our excuses are something of this nature. We should be reminded how absurd our excuses are. If God calls us to a task, He will certainly equip us for it. Sometimes our handicap is a strength when it causes us to rely on the LORD. (2Corinthians 12:9)

My grandson was born with a cleft lip and palate. The LORD reminded me of this verse. God made his mouth. He also provided one of the most advanced surgeons in the field of cleft palate repair right in the very same town. God also gave this grandson a spirit that was tough enough to go through the surgeries like a champion. What an amazing God we serve! He can provide a solution to our handicap or use the handicap to strengthen us and make us even more productive than we would be without it.

God was asking Moses to have faith in Him, the Creator of all things, and to trust Him. He asks the same of us. We might not have as grand a task as that of Moses, but our assignments can be frightening none the less. It takes trust and faith in God to forgive an offender, to love after being hurt, to speak about our faith, or to stand up against evil. The One who assigns us the task will equip us for it with His very presence.

Prayer: LORD, help me remember this truth and to not make excuses. Remind me how absurd my excuses are. Help me step forward to Your assignments with faith and trust in You, my Creator.

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johnchiarello · 1 year ago

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2 Cor 3

2nd Cor. 3 2Corinthians 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom. LINKS TO MY SITES 12-26-22 Stats STATS- 16,394,621 views 964,512 friends Sunday…

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isaiah118 · 1 year ago

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Month of IYAR Part 2

Month of Transition, Healing, Testing & First Fruit Harvest

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

In the month of Iyar – God desires to reveal the secrets of His Covenant

The month of Iyar is the second month of the spiritual year. It’s a month of transition and increased revelation. The number two is represents ‘COVENANT.’ It’s the verification of the facts brought in by two witnesses, see 1Timothy 5:19. Yashua sent His disciples in groups of two to testify about his teachings and miracles, but also to be witnesses of those who accepted or rejected the gospel (Mark 6:7-13). The shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept" found in John 11:35, containing just two words.

As mentioned above, two represents ‘COVENANT,’ and this is the season that God is calling us forth wanting and desiring to reveal and establish the secrets of His Covenant. Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Romans 8:19 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Our entire lives should be about giving glory to and being witnesses of our relationship with the Living God.

The month of Iyar is also the eighth month of the Jewish civil calendar. The number 8 represents ‘New Beginning,’ meaning a new order or creation.

Eight is also an integral part of Jesus' sacrifice. Like the Passover lamb, Jesus was selected as the Lamb to take away man's sins on Nisan10 (April 1, 30 A.D. - John 12:28-29). He was crucified on Nisan 14 (Wednesday, April 5 in 30 A.D.). His resurrection occurred three complete days after he was buried, which was at the end of the weekly Sabbath day that fell on Nisan 17. Nisan 17 was the eighth day, counting inclusively, from the time Christ was selected as man's sacrificial Lamb. All this bears record of Jesus' perfect sacrifice and His complete victory over death.

Boys were to be circumcised on the eighth day. The number eight symbolizes circumcision of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28-29 and Colossians 2:11-13). Those in Christ become a new creation, with godly character being created by the power of God's Spirit (2Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10; 4:23-24). https://www.biblestudy.org/

So, combining the meaning of the number two and the eight we can conclude that we are transitioning, we are on a journey from the old to the new where God desires to bring us into a new dimension of His spirit and desires to reveal, to make known to us the secrets of His Covenant as we journey, as we transition (spiritually speaking) into Mount Sinai.

What does this all mean? you may ask. Well, during the month of Nissan was the festivity of ‘PASSOVER.’ We have ‘Passed over’ and transitioned from captivity into freedom. In this particular season that we are in, we are not celebrating where we are in time. With this said, we should be celebrating where we are going. Just like the Israelites in the Exodus journey, we are in that transition period in our lives where we are moving from the ‘KRONOS’ (living our lives) into the ‘KAIROS’ (MOED – God’s opportune time) time. We are witnessing this happening before our very eyes. Everything has changed. Everything is shifting very quickly and we can’t seem to catch up to it. We have entered a MOEDIM (מועדים Hebrew for appointed times) season and time and the evidence is in the heavens and the earth. It’s all around us.

Periods of transitions can be difficult as well as times of testing. We are in this transition and testing period. When we read Exodus 13-19, we see the Israelites, after experiencing the mighty hand of deliverance by God, during their journey (transition) they grew weary, thirsty, hungry, murmuring and complaining. These chapters occurred during the month of Iyar. The Israelites quickly forgot that God brought them out of Egypt with an outstretched arm. You and I are not much different from the Israelites.

Periods of transitions are difficult, confusing and uncomfortable. It’s a time between where we’ve been, on the way to where we are going; and oftentimes without a clear vision of where we are going. This is how the Israelites felt. Although God had made it clear to them that He was taking them to the Promise Land (Canaan), they had to make a stop, they had to spend some time at Mount Sinai. They had experienced Passover in Egypt, but Sinai was the place where they would experience Pentecost. Mount Sinai was the place of God’s presence. It’s where He would reveal His glory and give them fresh revelation. Hence God took them to the mountain where they would be equipped for their walk with God and prepare them for a life of victory. Going from Egypt to Sinai meant passing, transitioning through testing in order to enter into their promise, their faith had to grow. Faith grows when it is tested.

You may ask, how can we avoid repeating history? How can we avoid complaining and continue worshipping God through these trying and very difficult and uncertain times? FEAR NOT! Isaiah 41:10 tells us; “Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.” And 2 Timothy 1:7 reads; “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The fact of the matter is that God wants us to draw near to Him like we’ve never been drawn before. He wants us to know His character. The Lord is gracious to reveal secrets hidden in His name that will help us trust, praise and worship Him, even in times of transition and testing.

Proverbs 18:10 reads; “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” It’s in the month of Iyar that God reveals Himself as Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah, Jireh and Jehovah Nissi.

Understand that God has many attributes attached to His name, and the above names mentioned are three of the many names in which God through His Word has revealed Himself to us. He revealed Himself to the Israelites and to us as our ‘Healer,’ our ‘Provider’ and our ‘Banner.’ These three are key attributes of God for us to know intimately if we are to make it through transitional and difficult times. The reason why these three are so important during testing and transition is because His names reveal faithfulness, not just in our physical needs but our spiritual needs as well. If during good times we run to worship our God, how much more should we be running to His presence during the hard times! We should be running into His presence calling upon Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah, Jireh and Jehovah Nissi for our hearts to be established and stir up faith to praise and worship Him.

Are you in a period of transition? Are you in a period of testing? Do you find yourself doubting, discourage, oppress, depress and even finding hard to go on, that you can’t even bring yourself to cry out to God and worship Him? THAT is the time to truly run to Him, run to your HEALER, run to your PROVIDER and to your BANNER. That is the time to ““Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” as Psalms 55:22 tells us. Cast ALL your cares on the Lord, your ox, your burden bearer, (the ox or donkey represented by the tribe of Issachar and Issachar is the tribe representing the month of Iyar). The Lord is our burden bearer, let us draw closer to Him and see how God will draw close to us and begin a mighty work in us that will bring us into victory and walking in victory. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3

10- Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11- And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12- And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. Leviticus 23:9-12

The above scripture is where God instituted the first fruit’s offering to the Israelites. This feast appear in both the Old and New Testaments and are talked about in relation to both spiritual and physical offerings. Offering first fruits when we receive an increase is a demonstration of our faith in God as the true source of our provision (Jehovah Jireh). James 2:17 reads; “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” The Apostle James explains that faith without action is really not faith. The first fruit offering is one way to activate and believe God as our Jehovah Jireh, our provider.

The Feast of First fruits begins with the month of Nissan but continues through Iyar and on to Sivan, Pentecost. They are connected and should never be separated. The bread was essential to Israel. In truth barley is not food for humans though it can be eaten and is by the poor, or times of famine. Therefore when the barley crop at Nissan was successful, there followed a seven-week period before the ripening of the main crop, that being wheat.

In closing, the choice to move in time, in the appointed time of the Lord (MOEDIM, KAIROS) is ours. The transition, testing and the first fruits are all part of a singular drive to bring us into ‘PENTECOST (SHAVOUT). As we journey through this dessert of life, we must reach the mountain of God where we can receive revelation for this KAIROS (MOEDIM) time we are in and hence receive the power of the new outpouring of His spirit as we approach Pentecost. We are certainly going to need this for the days and months ahead that leads us into the year 5784. Time has shifted and what was once were is no more. We are on a journey receiving the new wine skin and wine. Let us move in time with God and live, or we die in our despair, doubt, murmuring and complain as the Israelites did in the desert never able to see or enter the promise land. Choose to be an overcomer.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” Revelations 2:7

Shalom, May the Lord Bless you and keep you.

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sweetinternetcreation · 10 months ago

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God will make a way

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#2corinthians 12:2 #about transportation to Heaven #and daily readings of the Bible with prayers.#baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire #daily presence with the Lord #for many false prophets has gone out into the world already. Little children #for what is in you is greater than what is in the world #praying for the world and winning souls for God through the Messiah. Amen and amen.#repentance #Revelations of Heaven and hell videos.#Test the spirits whether their from God #The Bible contains the mind of God #to know the difference between the Holy Spirit and the powers of darkness #understanding what will soon take place on earth #you have overcome them

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albertfinch · 1 month ago

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Daily Meditations And Affirmations - October 6, 2024

We are saved by grace through faith, and not of works. (Ephesians 2:8,9) But after we are born again we are to ask, knock, and seek (Matthew 7:7) until we understand and implement God’s purpose for our life to do the good works God ordained us to walk- in here on earth. (Ephesians 2:10)

At the judgment seat of Christ we will receive reward for the good things done while we (our spirits) lived in our bodies. (1 Corinthians 3:12-16, 2Corinthians 5:10)

Revelation 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."

You cannot see your selfishness. Selfishness feeds on the subtle poison of an apparent generosity in always sacrificing for others. God will force your unrenewed mind to cry out loud and come out in the open. God lets you see who you really worship: yourself.

Romans 12:2 - "be transformed by the renewing of your mind…"

Affirmations:

I begin each day with joyful expectation watching what He will do through me. I am ministering out of the glory of His presence.

I always receive from God because I have faith and do not doubt. (Matthew 21:21,22)

I am moving from glory to glory as I bear fruit that remains for His advancing Kingdom through my Christ calling.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

#calling #destiny #purpose #self life #renewed mind #Christ identity #works

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firstumcschenectady · 2 years ago

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“Perplexed, but Not in Despair” based on 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 Luke 7:18-23

I have had an unexpected number of conversations about gun violence recently. I guess unexpected because the regularity of gun violence in our society means many of the conversations that can be had, have been had, and often there doesn't feel like there is much more to say. I have tended to agree with the sentiment that if nothing happened after Sandy Hook, chances are pretty low for change. That doesn't mean I'm not still engaged in trying, just... I've been feeling pretty resigned.

Yet, conversations bubbled up this week. In one, a friend reflected on the skin tones of members of her family and wondered if they were dark enough to be seen as threats. (She would prefer that I also say, she doesn't want ANYONE killed by guns.) As you might expect, the answers to her questions are not the ones we'd like them to be.

Another person shared about being in a school lock down, this week, while actively caring for students with special needs, who were simply terrified. So was she. She wondered about if she should let her children leave her house ever again.

Yet another conversation was with a young mother in Nashville, a woman whose office for a decade looked out over the Covenant school. Beloveds of God, she was the one with hope. She spent the last month at protests and sit ins in the Tennessee Capitol, working with others to advocate for red flag laws and other reasonable protections, which was at least successful enough that the legislature shut down their session rather than deal with the daily protests. She talked about gerrymandering, and lack of democracy, and a sense that the national medial presented Tennessee as a broken wasteland.

And then she said, “There is hope.” She pointed out that Tennessee is where change has happened, historically, which I frankly didn't know. Women and their allies mobilized a massive campaign in TN, with incredibly intentional internationality around race and gender, and got the 19th Amendment to the US constitution passed through the TN General Assembly which ratified it as an amendment. She pointed out that because of the FOUR Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Nashville, change has started there. Nashville was so important to the Civil Rights Movement that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “'I came to Nashville not to bring inspiration, but to gain inspiration from the great movement that has taken place in this community.'

The late civil rights leader recognized the vast activism and steadfastness that rang throughout the city as students protested at lunch counters and intellectuals traveled to Fisk University to band together and fight for justice. As Martin Luther King Day approaches, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy of motivation and valor in the historic city of Nashville.”1

My friend and colleague said that change needs to start in the South, and Nashville is uniquely poised, and those who have been organizing are ready to keep going, and they are not going to let up.

I didn't expect to find hope with the one I know closest to the pain, but maybe that's an error on my part. It certainly fits what we heard in 2Corinthians, “In every way we are oppressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; knocked down but not destroyed; always bearing forth in the body the death of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus might also be revealed in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) Those closest to the destruction, the death, the horror, the brokenness are also the ones who have been able to feel the Spirit moving within them to bring change. They are NOT crushed, they're motivated. They are NOT in despair, they're channeling their anger. They have seen death, seen the death of members of the body of Christ, and they are letting God use them to move the state and the country towards life.

And the actions taken by activists, faith leaders, and every day people in Nashville and in TN has ended up kicking me in the pants too. They've reminded me of the power of hope. They've reminded me of the power of God.

Then, I heard a phrase worth sharing from the Rev. Dionne Boissiere, Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations. She said, 'The faithfulness of God has nothing to do with the recklessness of humanity.” So, when we're just frustrated beyond anything with the recklessness of humanity, we can rest assured that EVEN THAT can't stop God over the long run.

Now, this doesn't change the horrors of gun violence or violence in our society. There is still work to be done, and it still needs to be done. But work done with HOPE and with GOD is really different than drudgery.

The hope we're talking about is the resurrection narrative itself. That death doesn't have the final word, that LOVE does. That even when the worst things happen, they aren't the end of hope. That good can grow, even out of bad. That life has a power and a force of its own, and while it may have to change course to avoid dead-ends, it keeps going. That injustice may have a stronghold, but it is not impenetrable. That … well, we may be oppressed but we are not crushed. That HOPE may be knocked down, but it cannot be destroyed. That love cannot be stopped.

Luke takes this on with slightly different metaphors, ones based in Isaiah, ones that I am a little less comfortable with because I have learned a lot from people who live with disabilities. One of the things I've learned is that for some the metaphors of “healing” are painful because they wish for “healing” that doesn't ever come to them. To others the metaphors of “healing” are painful because it implies they are broken or less than, and they experiences themselves as whole and full – blessed in a different way. This awareness itself is a blessing, one that comes from being in an era with technological and medical capacities to support people with many different needs and many different capabilities.

In any case, I hear even better news from 2 Corinthians today, than Luke, which is a fun change of pace for me.

This week is an interesting one, if things go according to plan this is the last sermon I am pre-recording in my attic (before we moved, in the spare bedroom). I've preached 4 Easter sermons this way, and pre-recorded for 38 months. I don't care to calculate how many sermons that is. Next week we expect Livesteaming to be up and running, and I'll just preach one sermon and it will be recorded from worship which sounds …. weird at this point.

Also, this is one of the signs that the world which turned upside down in March of 2020 is in a different place now. I'm not claiming all is well, and I'm well aware that what used to be normal will never be again. But we are worshipping in person, we are about to have the technology to include people at home in real time (YAY inclusion), and we are entering what I expect may be a long term new normal.

Friends, that's hopeful.

Next Sunday, as well, I won't be preaching because Bishop Karen Oliveto will be in Schenectady, sharing the Good News of God. We invited her to join us in 2020 as the start of our 25 year reconciling celebration, and here it is 2023 and we're delighted to celebrate our 27th year of being reconciling. In fact, we're so excited that we're going to spend May AND June talking about God's work of love and inclusion, the incredible ways God's love has been experienced, and the commitments we have to keep on working with God until all God's people can be welcomed and CELEBRATED in God's churches.

Friends, that's hopeful. Especially for all the people out there who need that good news and haven't heard that people of God who call themselves Jesus followers know about the expansive nature of God's love.

I hope that the inner parts of your being are perking up a little bit at these mentions of God's hope and love. That they too hear that oppression can't crush us, nor break us. That even death can't stop the work God is up to in the world. That nothing, nothing, NOTHING can stop the love of God.

That “death is at work in us, but life in you all.” Life is at work in us. Life is at work in the world. We can have hope, because of God.

Thanks be to God.

Amen

1https://urbaanite.com/mlk-nashville-nashville-speeches/

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

April 30, 2023

#thinking church #progressive christianity #fumc schenectady #schenectady #umc #sorry about the umc #first umc schenectady #rev sara e baron #MLK #Hope #Nashville

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hiswordsarekisses · 7 months ago

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A woman who lives to glorify God is not interested in seeking external attention and praise as a means of value or worth. Her self-preservation has transformed to self-abandonment. Her eyes are on Jesus alone.

In a world that promotes the glorifying of “self”, the call of Jesus beckons us to deny ourself, pick up our cross and follow Him.

In other words, we are called to die to self.

We are called to be different. To speak different, live different, operate different, lead different…all unto the glory of God.

The ego dies. The addiction to external praise and attention dies. Chasing after vanity and status dies. The appetite for things that appease the flesh dies.

It all amounts to nothing so Christ can become everything.

I pray, we as women, can grow more in this area together.

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•Proverbs 29:23- One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

•1John 2:16- For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

•2Corinthians 10:18- For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

•Proverbs 31:30- Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

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