GO!

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... Matthew 28:19

REFUGE

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 2 Samuel 22:3

PROSPER

The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. Deuteronomy 6:24

BREATH

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD." Psalm 150:6

PEACE

La paz os dejo, mi paz os doy; yo no os la doy como el mundo la da. No se turbe vuestro corazón, ni tenga miedo. Juan 14:27

CALL

For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

LIVE!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Seek first the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Matthew 6: 25, 33

CELEBRATE!

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev. 21:5

SEE

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

MEDITATE

"I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." Psalms 77:12

SEEK

"From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

TRUTH

" And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

MERCY

"When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"(Mark 10:47)

FORGIVE

"And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us..."

CELEBRATE!

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord! - Psalm 122:1

STILL

14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still." Exodus 14:14

PLACE

"Ven a mí corazón, O Cristo ven, pues en el hay lugar para Tí."

Lugar, espacio, sentimiento, memorias; especiales para el creyente.

LIGHT

"Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And it was good."

BELIEVE

"and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:26

ENDURE

"When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—" Psalm 104:30-31

WILDERNESS

A wilderness experience can either form and shape us for God's good, or it can cause us to murmur and moan at what God is trying to do in us.

CELEBRATE!

"We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD." (Exodus 10:9)

Every time we gather to worship the LORD, it should be a festival.

SEARCH

"You will find GOD if you search after Him with all your heart and soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

PRACTICE

"Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress." 1 Timothy 4:15

The boy's expression says it all; never lose your awe for God in the practices of the Church.

STOP

"Stop and consider the wondrous works of God." Job 37:14

WISE

"Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad." (Proverbs 27:11)

No greater wisdom for anyone than to know God reigns. What better fortune could there be?

KNOWLEDGE

"I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself" Colossians 2:2

SABBATH

Jesus he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. Luke 4:16

Photo of two Eradio's, one of whom is the point of the Children's sermon some years ago.

CELEBRATE

"Let's have a feast and celebrate!" (Luke 15:23)

Every time we invite the Lord to our table there is reason to celebrate.

SPEAK

Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself'?"

Let me use my mouth to praise God and God's wonderful works.

BELOVED

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" Song of Solomon 6:3

FOLLOW

From the beautiful hymn, The Summons, these precious, but powerful words: "Will you come and follow me If I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know And never be the same? Will you let my love be shown, Will you let my name be known, Will you let my life be grown In you and you in me?"

Lent is all about following Jesus.

POOR

Great old hymn says, "Shame our wanton selfish gladness, Rich in things and poor in soul. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.” (Fosdick, 1930)

Lord, let us not be poor in soul for in Christ Thou has made us rich.

NEAR

A baby about to be born is near his/her mother's heart for nine months. Once born, that child seldom strays far from that heart.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

BLESS

What better way to bless than by sharing with others?

"You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you." Deuteronomy 8:10

Photo by Dr. Harold Onwiler, pastor, Christ-Rivera UMCs

CELEBRATE!

The psalmist knew that in knowing God there will be many occasions in which we will celebrate. "They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness." Psalm 145:7

God's goodness never ends, and God's righteousness never fails; that's fuel for this Lenten Journey. Keep walking towards Him.

POWERS

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Holy Spirit, God's Word, singing praise, prayer... These are powers with which we face powers that be against us.

WAIT

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:25)

We do not despair, for in all things God's in control, we need just wait.

PLACE

Jesus talked about a place He was preparing. The nice thing about that place He said, "that where I am you may be also."

No better place to be, than with Jesus.

REMEMBER

Jesus said, "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus holds our hand when we feel alone or afraid.

PATH

Walk not alone on the path that leads to life. Care especially for the little ones who mimic and learn from us.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Two Eradios.

COVENANT

"As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you," Genesis 9:9

Tell the little ones about God's great love. That's part of the covenant God has with us.

CELEBRATE!

The psalmist said, in Psalm 145:7: They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Are you singing? Are you celebrating the goodness of God in your life?

JOY

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10). Joy is one of those words that I believe needs an exclamation point every time it is written or printed. So is the Lord. Lent is putting the two together as we come to know Jesus better.

Photo taken in John Wesley's Prayer Closet in his home.

ALONE

Forty days in the wilderness for Jesus meant plenty of time alone. We know He was not alone; the peering eyes of temptation followed His every step; destructive demons of desire called to Him.

Time alone made Jesus stronger. For Jesus stayed connected with God, and heard God.

LOOK

What good does it do us to be religious if we are blind to the needs of others? Does not the parable of the Good Samaritan teach us that?

Lent is about growing closer to God, and that means doing for others, meeting needs, and doing good.

Announce

The Lenten journey is one that begins with Announce. Some of our announcements from the past need to be changed, forgiven, and forgotten, just like our sins. The prophet Isaiah said, "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? (58:1,6).

Don't look back with joy, learn, grow and move forward. Towards God.