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I have not written a word until just now since yesterday and since my beloved read something so good to me from Guidepost this morning, even though it is last year’s reading, I thought you would not mind if I shared it with you for our time at the screen this morning.

The writer is Mary Lou Carney. And she said:

I like gardens–not gardening. I am good at planting, usually in a rush of adrenaline brought on by seed catalogs with blossoms bursting off the page. But when the blush of the moment fades, I tend to forget about my flowers. And as time goes by, weeds grow and my garden begins to look, well . . . ragged.

My friend, Desila, on the other hand, likes gardening. Her beds are beautiful, her blossoms huge and richly colored. So I had to laugh the other day when she showed up with something for my flowerbed–a flat, gray stone that read ‘MY GARDEN WAS AT ITS BEST LAST WEEK, SORRY YOU MISSED IT.

I think the rock was meant to motivate me to take better care of my flowers. But it’s done more than that. It’s made me think about the way people perceive my actions, too. That moment when I’m short-tempered with a waitress, the times my driving gets too aggressive, the laugh I have at the expense of someone else. These things don’t occur often–but when they do, I want to say, “Wait, I looked better last week when I was doing church volunteer work. When I was letting that hassled mother go ahead of me in the grocery store line. You should have seen me when . . .”

My well-placed stone reminds me that life, like gardens, requires ongoing care. And you never know who’s looking to see just how well you’re blooming.

Master Gardener, weed from my life all that is ugly and selfish. Let me grow strong and tall in the beauty of Your love.  —- Mary Lou Carney.

I can and do amen that prayer! How about you?

Thank you for your prayers and expressed concerns for Sheila. The nausea is controlled now and she was able to take in some liquids – chicken broth and jello yesterday. We rejoiced!

1 Peter 2:23-25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
via 1 Peter 2:23-25 NASB – and while being reviled, He did not – Bible Gateway.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

Prayer Requests

A Priority Concern

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of mine this morning is Sheila.

Sheila is my Baby Girl’s Mother-in-law. We learned last week after a biopsy that Sheila has pancreatic cancer. Since the biopsy she has been so very ill; we are presently into our second hospitalization since the biopsy. We so very much covet your prayers as we walk this season.

My Journey this morning is about the suffering we are allowed to bear, that it is intended for His Glory. We are believing that.

This comes to mind:

Psalm 23: 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
via Psalm 23 KJV – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not – Bible Gateway.

I will fear no evil; for thou art with me

I am noting that it does not say that evil will not come; most assuredly it will; it has! But David chose to fear not because THE SHEPHERD was with him. HIS rod and staff would comfort David.

What is true for David is true for us, for you.

Thank You, ABBA. Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT, for Your ministry of bringing to our remembrance, You said You would and You have and You will. Thank You. This pancreatic cancer we equate with evil, meant to kill and destroy but we look for YOUR GLORY in it and, HOLY SPIRIT, we ask and thank You in advance for every strength and good comfort that will come as You prompt dear ones to pray for Sheila, for the family. It hits hard; particularly the tender, tender heart of our Baby Girl. Thank You for Your comfort and strength and in this moment I ask You unashamedly and with boldness that You will remove the cancer and let Sheila continue to live here with us. And I must not stop with Sheila, there are others in this circle of dear ones that have burdens just as bitter and hard and for them we pray for healing as well. And I am reminded too of another kind of hurt; that needs wisdom and counsel; you know all the ends and out of it and I ask You to bring alongside people to help and bring information and means to get the job done. Thank You, ABBA. And for every one who comes here to read and pray, I ask that the minds of our hearts be enlightened and our knowledge and love for You increase mightily.  Amen and . . .   .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

Passion Week

Day 7

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Passion Week.

Holy Saturday, as some refer.

It’s the Sabbath. The Disciples are in hiding, we believe. And JESUS? Well, His BODY is in the grave and HE in Spirit is in Paradise delivering the GOOD NEWS to Abraham, Issac, Jacob and all the others who died in faith looking toward the coming of the Messiah.

Luke 23:43
King James Version (KJV)
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
via Luke 23:43 KJV – And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say – Bible Gateway.

So we know when JESUS died He went to Paradise.
A place, I believe, at the time was in the heart of the earth; the non-torment side.  Read with me Luke 16:25-26 King James Version (KJV)

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
via Luke 16:25-27 KJV – But Abraham said, Son, remember that – Bible Gateway.

But there came a time when Paradise was delivered up to Heaven.  And I imagine hell (the torment side) expanded.

I believe Ephesians 4: 8,9, 10 further evidences to us that JESUS went to the Paradise side of Sheol when He died and there He told the Old Testaments Saints that the Work of Salvation was finished. Link the Ephesians passage with 2 Corinthians 5:6 -8 and Acts 1: 9, 10 and 11, I believe we are safe in believing that JESUS delivered Paradise to Heaven, along with the Old Testament Saints and that at the moment a saved soul dies today that One is ushered to Heaven to be forever in the Presence of JESUS.

Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says,

“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
via Eph 4 NASB – Unity of the Spirit – Therefore I, the – Bible Gateway.

2 Corinthians 5:
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—
8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
via 2 Corinthians 5 NASB – The Temporal and Eternal – For we know – Bible Gateway.

The Ascension
Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
via Acts 1 NASB – Introduction – The first account I – Bible Gateway.

So we know what JESUS was doing on Holy Saturday. We believe the Eleven and the Others were observing the Sabbath and waiting.

Here’s what the chief priests and the Pharisees were doing:

Matthew 27:62-66
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,
63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’
64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
via Matthew 27:62-66 NASB – Now on the next day, the day after the – Bible Gateway.

And the women who loved Him so much, what where they doing? Right after 6:00 PM on Holy Saturday they were buying spices. See?

Mark 16:1
King James Version (KJV)
1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
via Mark 16:1 KJV – And when the sabbath was past, Mary – Bible Gateway.

I doubt if they slept much. They were waiting for the dawn.

For what are you waiting?

There’s been so much to take in this week, ABBA. I’m certain we have only seen a glimmer of the glory You desire to reveal to us. Thank You for the testimony of Your Word that You have given us that we may know the Truth and be made free in CHRIST JESUS. I have some people on my mind but You know; You know better than I what they need and You know the outcome and I am asking for Your Will to be done and I confess I so want Your will to be a certain way; even so, LORD, we are looking to You for strength and faith to abound. And I dare not be remiss to bring others. Rick and Cindy come to mind and others too. Big issues, LORD. Stuff so hard, seemingly not even right; help them walk through it and come out more in love with You than ever before. Be glorified, LORD, in all of it. Amen and . . .   .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!