iris which was still coated with raindrops Picture by Richard Sawyer
Our Blog is Inspired by The Holy Spirit
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Emphasis Mine
John 11:17-24
I was led by the Holy Spirit to start reading The Lightnings of God by Joe Oden, and Joe commented on John 11: 17-24 in a way I had never heard before, and we had to share it with you.
Before we do that though, I just want to mention that when Bill Winters asked me to write the Wednesday Blog, I asked Bill, “What are the parameters of the blog?” Bill said, “Write what you feel God wants written.” So today we are departing from what we normally do.
Read the first underlined portion. Martha believes that if Jesus HAD been there, her brother wouldn’t have died.
Question, are you one of the many who believe Jesus did many miracles during HIS Lifetime, but not now?
Miracles don’t exist now?
I met a Priest who didn’t believe in miracles which I, yes, I, found interesting because I, yes, I, have and still do experience miracles.
Next, Jesus changed the thinking to Lazarus, who would rise again, and Martha agreed, and she made a strong profession of Faith.
So where’s the problem?
Martha’s statement referred to the future when Jesus was indicating NOW.
Joe indicated this is where many people are also at, the Healing will be in the future, NOT NOW.
If you worship I AM there is NO future, I AM is NOW.
This hit me hard because we just made a change in my prayer life a few months ago, now I thank my Father for what He has done, and for taking care of me NOW!
Every healing I have had has taken place NOW, it may have been months or years since we started praying for the healing, but the healing took place NOW.
Dad, as we have reported, got up, shaved, got dressed, ate breakfast, put his head down, and died, NOW! Mom who was in a nursing home for seven years died NOW.
Joe also said, addictions, immorality, and everything that relates to satan has an expiration date.
Love, Joy, and Peace don’t, that’s Eternal.
Prayer:
If you want to grow in Love, Joy, and Peace this is a result of growth in Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Sidebar:
Joe Oden is an Evangelical. I read a news story that if the Evangelicals and the Catholics could put their differences aside, what a powerful force for Good would flood the earth.
A quick summary of the major differences: Google: Evangelicals emphasize individual relationship with God, through Scripture and individual experience, while Catholics focus on the Church as a hierarchical structure with Sacraments and tradition.
Salvation is also understood differently with Evangelicals often seeing it as a gift received through Faith alone, while Catholics view it as a process requiring both faith and good works.
With this blog, we have opened up what I have been thinking and praying about for years.
As I pray you all know I, yes, I am a staunch Catholic. I love touching God, Jesus, every day at Mass when I receive Communion.
I believe that by receiving Communion I am giving nourishment to The Holy Spirit, just as God provided to the Jews in the Old Testament Manna from Heaven, so that they could survive.
I love hearing the Priest say, “Your sins are forgiven.”
I also believe strongly in ALL of the Sacraments that are offered, they also give me the strength to fight satan.
What I have had a huge problem with, I believed, past tense, my good works helped me earn my way to Heaven, and this I now believe is completely wrong, and once I started to fully believe Luke 43, where Jesus told the prisoner on His right, that Today, NOW, (I just realized this) you will be with me in Heaven.
I, would argue the prisoner during his life did very few Good Works, wasn’t Baptized, ( Theologians have explained to me he had a Baptism of desire – which I have accepted) didn’t attend small faith groups etc, and yet he is the first person in Heaven after the death of Jesus, and this gives me great hope.
I, yes, I, now believe the good works we, yes, we, do are to imitate Jesus when he lived, AND by imitating Jesus we experience Heaven here and NOW because we are filled with the Love, Joy, and Peace of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus did during His Life and Death on the Cross.
And, this is exactly what we ask for in praying The Our Father, when we pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” Where Here – when NOW!
Well, the Kingdom in Heaven from books I have read about in Near Death Experiences and we reported about Heaven is filled with Love, Joy, and Peace.
Jesus left the eleven with no rule book, but He and God the Father sent The Holy Spirit, and that was the game changer, IF you will step aside and let The Holy Spirit take over your life.
I also now agree, it is too bad we can’t unite ALL Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, and Evangelicals and fight satan, and fight satan as one. Wow, instead of calling out the differences in the different religions,( and by the way I am now including the Messianic Jews in our group), why not use all of our prayers and good works to fight satan, what a battle it would be, and I just saw on youtube a summary of what Pope Leo IV is doing and he wants all Religions to come together and worship god, not in competition, we’re better, but true fellowship, wow what a change.
Luke 9:49-50 Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
I believe this is a setup in the Bible for other Christian religions that will follow.
We reported on a book entitled On This Day, by Robert Morgan, a story of Saints in the Catholic and Protestant religions, but what shocked me was the death and torture Catholics did to Catholics, and Protestants, and Protestants did to other Protestant religions and Catholics. In my youth, Protestants fought Catholics in Ireland, I couldn’t believe it, two religions preaching Love of one another, killing each other.
This was not how Christians are supposed to act, and sadly we still do.
We also reported on the book The True Stories of the Miracles of Azusa Street and Beyond, by Tommy Welch. Tommy reported a man with rotten teeth had a hankie placed below his mouth, his teeth fell out, and as they touched his gums, new teeth came in and lasted a lifetime.
When John the Baptist sent someone to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one, Jesus responded, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Matthew 11: 4-5 We would submit that miracles show the presence of God with that group. Catholics, I had a miracle happen to me at a Catholic Mass Healing service, the Baptist woman who was healed of Breast Cancer, the many healings at Azusa street, and Billy Graham who healed Louis Zamperini, in the true story told in the book Unbroken.
To add the frosting on the cake with this blog, Gail and I watched Miracles from Heaven on Netflix. You will not be disappointed.
Picture:
Came out of morning mass this morning and noticed this iris which was still coated with raindrops from last night’s rain. Decided to isolate it from the background to focus on the details of the flower. Another one of God’s creations. Picture by Richard Sawyer
Comment: The minute we started writing this Blog I knew we would use this picture. Why? This is the most unique flower picture I’ve seen, and this is the most unique Blog we have written. Thanks, Richard.
Please keep Snapping!
And if you want the ten calling cards shown above, email me and I will send you my address, send me a STAMPED self-addressed envelope and I will send you ten cards.
Email me if you want a copy of the prayers we discussed.
fprince101@gmail.com
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, please do not include people. We have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.
