"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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?
"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.
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.
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.
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.
