2250AFC120922 – Walk Up to The Door
Read it online here, please. And please – when you visit there – use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Ask them to email us or to subscribe on our blog-site.
Isaiah 35:4 – 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
James 5:7-8 – 7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Matthew 11:11-15 – 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone with ears listen! (See Malachi 4:5 – 5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.)
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord. Welcome to the War Room where we will read Scripture, pray fervently, and sing hymns and joyful music. What brings that to the page? We are at war Belovéd, and we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings as we wait expectantly for everything that Jesus is, was, and will be now, then, and forever.
This is the Season of Advent, and we are halfway through it. This coming Sunday is the third of the four Sundays. It has been called Gaudete Sunday in times past based on the Introit Antiphon “Gaudete in Domino semper” (Rejoice in the Lord always)* and sometimes the vestments are Rose (“pink” is not a liturgical color). It is a Sunday when we are reminded to REJOICE because the Victory has been won through what started in Bethlehem. Yes, we are at war, and yes we must keep going, but YES we can also rejoice for we know already that the outcome will be something Good for all mankind, and we will have been part of that. *Philippians 4:4 – 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!
Yesterday we also celebrated the Immaculate Conception, a feast day not all that well understood (or attended) by many Catholics, and barely conceptualized by non-Catholics. What many people fail to understand is that the dogma of The Immaculate Conception isn’t about Gabriel visiting Mary to ask if she would carry Jesus the Son of God in her womb. It is about the special privilege given to Mary to be free from original sin from the moment of her conception – a conception which was normal in every way except that God allowed for Mary to experience Salvation through Jesus before his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It is good to remember that, because that Child of Mary is the Biggest and Bestest Act of MERCY ever! “Why is that?” you may ask. Let’s look for a pair of examples of what Jesus himself said about it.
John 8:51 – 51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.
John 11:24-26 – 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
We are creatures wallowing in greed and impatience. “I want what I want when I want it, and I want it now!” Some days we ask God, “Why can’t you just send Jesus to us NOW and get rid of all this trash?” Well, by now you know about the Absolutely Perfect Plan – the APP – and you know God does what he does for his reason, not ours. (Check it out! →) Psalm 18:30 – 30 This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
The liberated nation of Israel had to wait to take over the promised land because God HAD A PLAN: Deuteronomy 7:22 – 22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. That’s a good one for meditation these days. What “wild animals” might we face if God cleared away all the enemies? Here’s The Apostle Paul’s take on that: 2 Corinthians 5:5-7 – 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
In today’s Key Verse from the letter of James we read that the farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. “Everything comes in its due season.” (See Ecclesiastes 3:1-6). The Apostle Paul says we should rejoice – twice! He and James (and every Believer, one would hope) knows that Jesus is coming because GOD SAYS SO:
Isaiah 35:4 – 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
God says “Don’t panic! I got this! Just keep walking. Be Not Afraid (↔ Music Link)” (Micah 6:8 again) Belovéd, do we believe he is walking with us? I’ve got to give you a little jukebox here of things that affirm that idea. ALL of these are (↔ Music Links)
Be Not Afraid
Jesus walked this lonesome valley
Walking with Jesus
I come to the garden alone
Just a Closer Walk With Thee
Jesus’ message was “If you have ears for hearing, listen up.” The Apostle Paul says “Rejoice!” We reply to both of them, “Open My Eyes Lord (↔ Music Link) And open my ears, and my mouth, and my HEART! Open the Eyes of My Heart (↔ Music Link) WE WILL SEE YOU HIGH AND LIFTED UP! God is LOVE, and he has given himself to us as Love. Please scroll up and look at the Key Verse emblem for today. Do you see how the head of the key is shaped? Is it not a castle, or perchance a glorious Temple? Look carefully and see that the DOOR IS OPEN. We are walking there with Jesus, walking every day, walking all the way. We have every reason for rejoicing until that moment When Jesus Comes Callin’ for Me (↔ Music Link). We just need to keep on walkin’ and rejoicing. Here are some of the words God uses to describe rejoicing:
Samah – שָׂמַ֖ח – Jubilant, spontaneous dancing, signing (simhach) – 1 Chronicles 29:9
Alaz – עָלַז – Exult – Burst into leaping with joy – Habakkuk 3:17-18
Nagilah – נָגִ֖ילָה – Let us rejoice – Psalm 118:4
Euphraino – εὐφραίνω – To gladden the mind – Revelation 12:12
Kauchaomai – καυχάομαι – Glory in success and boast against – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Sunchairo – a συγχαίρω – Rejoicing together, with others – Luke 15:6
Agalliao – ἀγαλλιάω – Rejoice Greatly, to exult; jump for joy – Revelation 19:6-8
Chairo – χαίρω – Rejoicing over experiencing God’s Grace; be glad in the Lord – Luke 15:32
Think of all the people who walked when, where, and how God told them to walk. One of the first ones we learn about is Enoch who, surprisingly, was a son of Cain. Here is his introduction: Genesis 4:17 – 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.
Genesis 5:21-24 – 21 When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
The Apostle Paul pointed to Enoch as an exemplar of F.A.I.T.H. in Hebrews 11:5-6 – 5 By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hope Fulfilled
Who else walked with, by, before, or to God? Adam, before he sinned. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, the Nation of Israel over the dry land, David, Solomon, Ruth, Naomi, Mary with Joseph, Jesus and his Disciples, John the Baptizer, all the major and minor prophets. All of these people – and many more – walked with God toward Hope. Why? Because there is an expectation of a Future that will be Good, and because we have faith that we can attain that Good Future if we move toward it with patient anticipation of all the wonderful Gifts inherent in the Divine Promises. We are motivated to walk toward this Hope by the purest Gifts of Love. Those Gifts are given to be shared, to Shine On (↔ Music Link) for everyone around us. The Way is narrow, and the Gate is small for entry into Life, but the gate is open to all allowed enter in. It takes determination to keep walking with Jesus, and determination is possible because of our Faith in Hope which is our Hope in Faith. Circular logic? Not really, because “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (See Romans 10:17). This little guy certainly exemplifies determination.
Eve and Adam walked with the Lord in the Garden before they fell prey to Satan. Our goal is to walk with him in the New Garden of the New Heavens, New Jerusalem, and New Earth. We can choose to sit under the apple tree and wait for God to yank us up there, or we can keep walking right up to that door. “Nothing unclean may enter there (See Revelation 21:27)” so, we must keep leaving footprints in the sand as we walk with Jesus all the way back home.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
2250AFC120922 – Walk Up to The Door
Read it online here, please. And please – when you visit there – use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Ask them to email us or to subscribe on our blog-site.
Isaiah 35:4 – 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
James 5:7-8 – 7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Matthew 11:11-15 – 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone with ears listen! (See Malachi 4:5 – 5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.)
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord. Welcome to the War Room where we will read Scripture, pray fervently, and sing hymns and joyful music. What brings that to the page? We are at war Belovéd, and we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessings as we wait expectantly for everything that Jesus is, was, and will be now, then, and forever.
This is the Season of Advent, and we are halfway through it. This coming Sunday is the third of the four Sundays. It has been called Gaudete Sunday in times past based on the Introit Antiphon “Gaudete in Domino semper” (Rejoice in the Lord always)* and sometimes the vestments are Rose (“pink” is not a liturgical color). It is a Sunday when we are reminded to REJOICE because the Victory has been won through what started in Bethlehem. Yes, we are at war, and yes we must keep going, but YES we can also rejoice for we know already that the outcome will be something Good for all mankind, and we will have been part of that. *Philippians 4:4 – 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!
Yesterday we also celebrated the Immaculate Conception, a feast day not all that well understood (or attended) by many Catholics, and barely conceptualized by non-Catholics. What many people fail to understand is that the dogma of The Immaculate Conception isn’t about Gabriel visiting Mary to ask if she would carry Jesus the Son of God in her womb. It is about the special privilege given to Mary to be free from original sin from the moment of her conception – a conception which was normal in every way except that God allowed for Mary to experience Salvation through Jesus before his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It is good to remember that, because that Child of Mary is the Biggest and Bestest Act of MERCY ever! “Why is that?” you may ask. Let’s look for a pair of examples of what Jesus himself said about it.
John 8:51 – 51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.
John 11:24-26 – 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
We are creatures wallowing in greed and impatience. “I want what I want when I want it, and I want it now!” Some days we ask God, “Why can’t you just send Jesus to us NOW and get rid of all this trash?” Well, by now you know about the Absolutely Perfect Plan – the APP – and you know God does what he does for his reason, not ours. (Check it out! →) Psalm 18:30 – 30 This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
The liberated nation of Israel had to wait to take over the promised land because God HAD A PLAN: Deuteronomy 7:22 – 22 The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. That’s a good one for meditation these days. What “wild animals” might we face if God cleared away all the enemies? Here’s The Apostle Paul’s take on that: 2 Corinthians 5:5-7 – 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
In today’s Key Verse from the letter of James we read that the farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. “Everything comes in its due season.” (See Ecclesiastes 3:1-6). The Apostle Paul says we should rejoice – twice! He and James (and every Believer, one would hope) knows that Jesus is coming because GOD SAYS SO:
Isaiah 35:4 – 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
God says “Don’t panic! I got this! Just keep walking. Be Not Afraid (↔ Music Link)” (Micah 6:8 again) Belovéd, do we believe he is walking with us? I’ve got to give you a little jukebox here of things that affirm that idea. ALL of these are (↔ Music Links)
Be Not Afraid
Jesus walked this lonesome valley
Walking with Jesus
I come to the garden alone
Just a Closer Walk With Thee
Jesus’ message was “If you have ears for hearing, listen up.” The Apostle Paul says “Rejoice!” We reply to both of them, “Open My Eyes Lord (↔ Music Link) And open my ears, and my mouth, and my HEART! Open the Eyes of My Heart (↔ Music Link) WE WILL SEE YOU HIGH AND LIFTED UP! God is LOVE, and he has given himself to us as Love. Please scroll up and look at the Key Verse emblem for today. Do you see how the head of the key is shaped? Is it not a castle, or perchance a glorious Temple? Look carefully and see that the DOOR IS OPEN. We are walking there with Jesus, walking every day, walking all the way. We have every reason for rejoicing until that moment When Jesus Comes Callin’ for Me (↔ Music Link). We just need to keep on walkin’ and rejoicing. Here are some of the words God uses to describe rejoicing:
Samah – שָׂמַ֖ח – Jubilant, spontaneous dancing, signing (simhach) – 1 Chronicles 29:9
Alaz – עָלַז – Exult – Burst into leaping with joy – Habakkuk 3:17-18
Nagilah – נָגִ֖ילָה – Let us rejoice – Psalm 118:4
Euphraino – εὐφραίνω – To gladden the mind – Revelation 12:12
Kauchaomai – καυχάομαι – Glory in success and boast against – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Sunchairo – a συγχαίρω – Rejoicing together, with others – Luke 15:6
Agalliao – ἀγαλλιάω – Rejoice Greatly, to exult; jump for joy – Revelation 19:6-8
Chairo – χαίρω – Rejoicing over experiencing God’s Grace; be glad in the Lord – Luke 15:32
Think of all the people who walked when, where, and how God told them to walk. One of the first ones we learn about is Enoch who, surprisingly, was a son of Cain. Here is his introduction: Genesis 4:17 – 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.
Genesis 5:21-24 – 21 When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
The Apostle Paul pointed to Enoch as an exemplar of F.A.I.T.H. in Hebrews 11:5-6 – 5 By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hope Fulfilled
Who else walked with, by, before, or to God? Adam, before he sinned. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, the Nation of Israel over the dry land, David, Solomon, Ruth, Naomi, Mary with Joseph, Jesus and his Disciples, John the Baptizer, all the major and minor prophets. All of these people – and many more – walked with God toward Hope. Why? Because there is an expectation of a Future that will be Good, and because we have faith that we can attain that Good Future if we move toward it with patient anticipation of all the wonderful Gifts inherent in the Divine Promises. We are motivated to walk toward this Hope by the purest Gifts of Love. Those Gifts are given to be shared, to Shine On (↔ Music Link) for everyone around us. The Way is narrow, and the Gate is small for entry into Life, but the gate is open to all allowed enter in. It takes determination to keep walking with Jesus, and determination is possible because of our Faith in Hope which is our Hope in Faith. Circular logic? Not really, because “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (See Romans 10:17). This little guy certainly exemplifies determination.
Eve and Adam walked with the Lord in the Garden before they fell prey to Satan. Our goal is to walk with him in the New Garden of the New Heavens, New Jerusalem, and New Earth. We can choose to sit under the apple tree and wait for God to yank us up there, or we can keep walking right up to that door. “Nothing unclean may enter there (See Revelation 21:27)” so, we must keep leaving footprints in the sand as we walk with Jesus all the way back home.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
