43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
Isn’t that an intriguing phrase? He gathered up courage and went.
Joseph of Arimathea, I have read, was a member of the Sanhedrin; a powerful body of men who had already as a whole spoken out against JESUS. Yet Joseph gathered up his courage and went to Pilate and asked for the dead body of JESUS to lay in his own tomb. Let us ask the HOLY SPIRIT to revel to us the potential bodily and professional harm that meant to Joseph.
And then let us ask: Do I need to gather up courage and go and do a courageous act of love and devotion?
and he gathered up courage and went
HOLY SPIRIT, yes reveal to us that we too can gather up courage from You, Your Word, and the Testimony of Others and we can do that thing we have been afraid to do; that holy and godly thing You have called us to. I pray for each of us in our respective places and our respective callings that we will allow You to encourage us and that we will rise up and go forward in JESUS name. And, ABBA, our thoughts and concerns are with Loved Ones with illnesses and ravaging diseases – some at the point of death it seems – do Your perfect Will, ABBA, and we will give You glory.
Summer is underway! The days are long, the nights are short and GRANDS put a smile on my face and a warm glow in my heart!
As we navigate these next several weeks, praying for one another is of utmost importance. Busy days and short nights leave less time it seems to sit quietly before the LORD. I covet the prayers of the saints that times of quiet and refreshing will be the norm and not a rarity this summer. Perhaps you do as well.
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your trust in the Lord Yeshua and your love for all God’s people,
16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you. In my prayers I keep asking
17 the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him.
18 I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people,
19 and how surpassingly great is his power working in us who trust him. It works with the same mighty strength he used
20 when he worked in the Messiah to raise him from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven,
21 far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion or any other name that can be named either in the ‘olam hazeh* or in the ‘olam haba**.
22 Also, he has put all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the Messianic Community,
23 which is his body, the full expression of him who fills all creation.
Amen and amen, ABBA, for each One who comes here to read and pray, I pray the eyes of our hearts will be open this Summer; that You will indeed give each of us wisdom and revelation; to more and more be intimately acquainted with You; that we will more and more meditate and practice the knowledge and power that You are within us. And we continue to ask for healings of certain Ones so loved and so ill, especially those to the point of death. Many concerns we bring with us here; sort them out, comfort, convict and transform as You will, ABBA, in JESUS name.
We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?
