So, there was that time I was STUCK

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So, there was that time I was STUCK….It’s #FiveMinuteFriday and today’s word prompt is, you guessed it….STUCK!

Years and years ago, my mother, grandmother, youngest brother and first of My Three Sons and I took a trip to Florida. The Sweetheart was working and my inlaws owned a place in the Ocala area. Free vacay!

Everything was great, the weather, the place, the company, until we decided to go to the beach.

Now, in my defense, I have been to the ocean many, many times. As a young girl growing up, my family vacationed in St. Petersburg for many years and even if we weren’t in that city, the ocean was our destination of choice.

But…as an adult…the designated driver and sort of Leader-of-the-Pack, I had never driven to the beach.

Again, in my defense, everyone else was doing it. Parking their car in the sand on the beach. This was the early 80’s, maybe things were different then, maybe it was a secluded area, I can’t remember particulars. All I remember is that I was following The Crowd. Until I didn’t notice that The Crowd had all moved their vehicles OUT of the sand and onto the parking lot.

There was no notice. No text message. No Guy-in-Charge-of-the-Ocean that came around and said it was TIME.

Time for what you ask?

Tide. Not the kind you wash with or eat either. The kind that comes in every evening and causes the ocean to envelop everything in its path. If that happens to be a vehicle? Too bad.

I was kindly alerted to this impending disaster when a group of young people come running to me saying I needed to move that car and NOW. I jumped in the driver’s seat but it was already STUCK. It wasn’t that waves were lapping at the car but the sand was already wet and those tires were digging in fast.

Intent on saving the day and impressing all the teenage girls, this group of guys began to push and push until they had successfully gotten my new Buick out of the sand. Yes, I said NEW BUICK because it hadn’t been too long since I had totaled The Sweetheart’s beloved little truck, hit head on by a little old lady in a tank. (You can read that hilarious story here!) So, we had a nice new car that was about to be carried out to sea.

Have you ever been STUCK? So much so that it seemed as if all of life and the world around you was about to suck you in and drag you into oblivion? That might seem a little extreme and even a stretch for a spiritual analogy but it happens. Every single day.

We become STUCK in routines, STUCK in relationships, STUCK in financial hardships, STUCK in so-called friendships that are sucking the life right out of us.

Sometimes, we just need a push.

Jesus came to save, to deliver, to give us that PUSH that will help us become un-STUCK and encourage us to make the right decisions. To leave unhealthy relationships, to manage our finances better by putting Him first and to even help us to realize that our routines are time-wasters and show us a better way to manage that time!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV

If STUCK describes you today, turn it over to jesus and let Him give you life abundant!

For the kingdom

 

Who will turn on the light?

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Who will turn on the light?

i have not written for Five Minute Friday in forever! As many of you know, I just had lumbar spinal fusion surgery of my L4, L5 and S1 two weeks ago. Somehow, I also picked up the shingles virus before I left the hospital (I am writing about that and hope to be done in a couple of days!) I am just now feeling like conversing, writing or just existing. So, my five minute post is a little long! I hope it is a blessing.

Twenty plus years ago, we had just returned from a trip, late at night, and I had put two of My Three Sons that I had at the time to bed. Kyle was just about seven and Kristopher was not quite two. Now, my neighbors knew we had been gone and that my husband was away for three months with his job and they were not expecting us for another day.

Enter Kristopher, The Mischievous One. I did not know he had taken the garage door opener to bed with him, sneaking it out of the diaper bag. I assumed he was asleep, you should never assume anything with Kristopher! He was not the least bit sleepy. He was busy standing in his baby bed, flipping the bedroom light on and off, on and off and pushing the button on the garage door, up and down, up and down until it stopped midway and just flashed its emergency button on and off.

Naturally, the neighbor called he police and you can imagine the rest or you can read it here. A pint-sized, blonde-haired and not quite two year old had created havoc with a turn of a light switch.

Had it been in the middle of the day, no one would have even noticed…except for the fact the garage door might have been stuck halfway. But at night?

That small TURN made way for light to pierce the darkness!

Light makes others stand up and take notice in the dark. People are drawn to the light, they respond to the light, even bugs flock to the light! (Except for cockroaches, who RUN from the light, but that could be an entirely different thought and post…)

Even Genesis tells us there was chaos until God spoke the light into darkness.

What is The Church if it is not Light in darkness?

What is the duty of The Church, at this dark point in history, if it’s not to turn on the Light?

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Let us not be surprised at the events that we see taking place around us. The Bible tells us that all of these things must come to pass before He returns! It would be easy, as Christians, to get so caught up in the chaos that is happening in our world that we forget that those who do not have Light, who do not know Jesus, are waiting on us to help them. They are looking for hope, for an answer and they won’t find it if we are just harping and jumping on every bandwagon that comes around on social media. Of course we can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is wrong but our enemy is not of this world!!

Our fight is for the souls of men and women that we come into contact every single day.

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“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

These things will happen but the fight is with the rulers of the darkness of this world…against the enemy of our souls, Satan himself. He would do anything to cause confusion, even among the people of God, especially among the people of God! Because we are human, we all have differing opinions, and he will purposely divide The Church, in the time when the world needs us the most, and get our focus off of spreading the Light, keeping us consumed with who is right and who is wrong.

John 8:12 tells us, “…I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” If we have that Light of life, HIS Light, we should automatically shine it everywhere we go and those that are in darkness will be overcome by the Light, they will be drawn into it because the Light consumes the darkness!

Do you not think that your co-worker, neighbor, family member or friend, who doesn’t know Christ, is worried, possibly dreadful at the events that are unfolding in our country and our world? Hopelessness is everywhere!! Maybe they aren’t sleeping at night, maybe they are concerned for their soul but don’t know where to turn. Maybe there is true conviction in their heart and they are just waiting for someone to turn on the light for them, to point them in The Way.

Who will turn on the light?

Can we bring hope into hopelessness? Yes, I believe we can and I believe we should in these last days. We are The Church, it is our one mission to share the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus died for everyone and that they can have eternal life, eternal HOPE, through His name.

Take in these scriptures about being Light in darkness today and then let’s just do it. Before we go about our day, let us ask the Lord to help our Light to shine, to not get distracted and lose our focus, what Jesus has commissioned us to do, to turn on the Light!

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:11, 12 NASB.

“…for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8 NASB.

“For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'” Acts

You are the “why” on the Cross

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Easter. So much to so many. And yet, so very different this year. Let us worship in our homes as we would if we were all together in a building. We are stilled blessed, friends. So blessed if we know this King of Glory! Your children will remember this time for the rest of their lives; make it special.

 You can read the rest of this week’s Holy Week posts here: Hosanna, Hanging on His Every Word, Because He Lives, No need for the Sword, Did Jesus really sweat blood in the Garden? , The Friday that was Good.  and Seal the stone... You have blessed me with your response and added thoughts!

It is hard to find a more impetuous man in the Bible than the apostle, Peter. As a  matter of fact, the synonyms for the word “impetuous”, describe him even better:

  • Impulsive, yet brave.  “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,he saw two brothers, Simon called Peterand his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-20 NIV.
  • Hasty, yet protective. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must…be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Matthew 16:21-23.
  • Bold, but unthinking. “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” Luke 22:33, 34.
  • Courageous and spontaneous. “And Peter answered him and said, ‘Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.’ And he said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, ‘Lord, save me.'” Matthew 14:28-30.

There are more. So many more, but to compile all of his antics, heroics and corrections would take up too much space.

Peter is first mentioned when the disciples are listed in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10.

Yet he failed. Many times, he failed the Lord. Even up to the most critical hours before the crucifixion, Peter failed.

So it is with great significance that we read this passage in the Bible AFTER the crucifixion.

After the death of Jesus.

After “It is finished.”

“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.’” Mark 16:5-7 NKJV.

Did you see it? Go tell His disciples, the man says, that Jesus is alive and going before you into Galilee.

Oh, and tell Peter.

I am overwhelmed by the love shown by the Lord here!

Jesus knew the guilt that Peter was struggling with after his denial of Christ. Jesus knew that he would feel unworthy to come face to face with Him again.

He knew the enemy’s tactics.

You failed.

You’re finished.

You can’t find forgiveness again.

He doesn’t want you.

He doesn’t need you.

You. Are. Worthless.

But no, friend, that’s not where our Jesus leaves Peter. Jesus has been pretty busy the last few hours. Let’s recount: He hung on a cruel cross for what seemed like “forever”. He died an agonizing death that no one should ever suffer. Then, while Pilate and his cohorts were plotting how to KEEP the King of the Jews in the tomb, Jesus was out getting the keys to death, hell and the grave!

But even with His schedule, and His mission, He takes time to remember one heartbroken soul.

He takes the time to make sure Peter knows He is forgiven.

He is loved.

He is remembered.

He is wanted.

He is even needed.

It doesn’t matter what you have done, Peter. It doesn’t matter how many times you failed me. I am not remembering your mistakes. I have come back to give you hope.

And a mission. Jesus had given Peter a mission. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Peter spends the rest of his life preaching the Good News, the Gospel, that Jesus is alive! He has overcome the grave and we can too…through His blood that He shed on Calvary!

Peter preaches the first message of The Church in Acts 1 and 2 and 3,000 souls are filled with the Holy Spirit. He continues to share, and share, and share, until his words that one time cost him to weep bitterly, come back to him one more time.

“Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!”

You see, Peter died a martyr’s death. Whether he intended it or not, or remembered it, (although I would like to think he did when his time came) he received his chance to give his life for his Lord and Savior.

So friend, what is hindering you today? Have you failed at some point in your life?

So did Peter.

Have you stumbled, been broken, confused, hurt, betrayed, lied about, lied, and made so many mistakes you cannot remember them all?

So did Peter.

And the Lord took the time to single him out and say, “Hey, and be sure and tell Peter too. He would want to know I forgive him.” (my paraphrase)

Jesus remembers you today too.

You are the “why” on the cross.

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He paid it all so you would not have to. Accept that forgiveness today. Let Him in!

That message wasn’t just for Peter that day. It was for you too.

“Hey, be sure and tell __________ I’m alive. Forevermore.”

Kingdom2