Good News Message
- Jesus said, “You may ask Me for anything in my name and I will do it.” John 14:14
So often we are hesitant to ask Jesus for something big or important in our life. Or sometimes when we ask, we are unable to believe what He told us when He said clearly, “You may ask Me for anything in my name and I will do it.” He does not put a time frame on what He will do because all time is His. He simply says, “I will do it.” In saying this to His Disciples, He says it to us as well.
That’s one of Jesus’ boldest claims. One that contributed to enraging the ancients. One that invokes our own confusion at times. Because, on the surface, it appears that isn’t always the case. We’ve all asked for things we didn’t get. Even when we asked just as instructed. So what did Jesus mean by “Ask ANYTHING in my name and I will do it”?Remember Jesus also told them, “The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather it is the Father living in Me, who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask Me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”We must consider that if Jesus is the visible, tangible image of the invisible God… the complete revelation of what God is like, then, if we ask “in Jesus name,” what we are actually doing is asking that God’s will be done in whatever circumstance we are approaching Him about. Because they are one in the same. Then ‘I will do what you ask so that the Father may be glorified in the Son’ carries a dual message. First, that God’s “glory,” His omnipotent will, plays out and that’s what we want to happen because He always steers us towards the greater good of not only ourselves but everyone concerned. Also, we are to understand that, just like Jesus, we have the ability to manifest outcomes. As noted in what our Christ said above, we have been given the same power He was… greater power apparently… and our responsibility lies in working with God while welding that power. We look to God for wisdom as we manifest our realities… we let Him work through us for the greater good of all as we ask in Jesus’ divine name because They are one in the same.It’s how we can be assured of working within the scope of God’s will. Jesus is always trying to teach us who we are and what we’re capable of. How to tap into the God given power that is ours.As someone once said, “The search for God, for truth and reality, ends in Christ.” When we ask in His holy name, we can trust the outcome and live in peace, knowing we’ve submitted to His will.Let us walk daily in the complete fellowship we are designed for with Him, exploring all that He is, and all that we are in Him.Finally, as the war rages on between Russia, and Ukraine, Ukrainian casualties are between 100 to 200 a day, according to a senior adviser to Zelenskyy. How sad. How tragic. Let us continue to pray and do what we can for this horrible injustice that is going on. How sad our God of Love must be as He sees this atrocity continue.Love to you all.
Poppa BContinue reading → - Jesus said clearly, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14I can’t get enough of John 14! Jesus starts it with “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.” Why was He always wanting people to believe in Him? He’s speaking to his disciples here and wants to make sure they understand that He and God are one in the same. It’s important because it points the way to the divinity of all men. We are mortal, yes, but born of the same Creator Jesus was, and He wants us to see that believing that about Him and imitating the way He loved people while He was here is the way to understanding God and His love for us.This was the biggest point Jesus was trying to drive home when He went on to tell his guys, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on you do know him and have seen Him.”When we believe these beautiful words spoken by our wonderful Savior, believe that our Heavenly Father embodied Christ Jesus in the flesh to come and save those of us who will believe and accept Him as God and Savior, then we believe the Gospel of Love. Jesus’ life is the ultimate example of the amazing love of our wonderful beautiful Father and just how far our “Daddy of Love” will go for us. How far we should be willing to go for one another.When Jesus says He is the only way to God, some people may argue that this way is too narrow. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying, “Thank You, God, for providing A SURE WAY to get to You.”As the Way, Jesus is our path to the Father. We need only look to every step He took as our example. As the Truth, He is the fruition of all God’s promises to the ancients. Prophecy fulfilled so that we might be able to more easily believe and develop the faith that is crucial for our evolution as individuals and as a species. As the Life, He joins His divine Spirit to ours, both now and eternally, allowing us to step into the oneness that is God and ALL He has birthed into existence. Spirit teaches us how to become a healthy part of that huge “whole.” How to play our part. And all of it combined is how Jesus is, in truth, the ONLY living Way to the Father. God wants us to succeed in understanding and accepting who we are. Jesus is our beautiful blueprint.
The latest from Ukraine: The projection is that Russia is about to take full control of a key city. The Ukraine military is pulling back because of the constant shelling. Please continue to pray for the Ukraine military as they fight a horrible senseless foe. May they be given the ability to hold on to their country that has been under attack for over 100 days now. Please pray for and do what you can for the millions that are homeless now because of what has gone on thus far. And for the thousands that have been harmed and have died. We know without question our God of Love is with those who call out to Him for His mercy and love to help those so greatly in need.Poppa B.Continue reading → - “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
Last week I shared some thoughts on John 14:6, a quote from Jesus where He states no one comes to God except through Him.
The Gospel of John, chapter 14, brings this beautiful message which I highly recommend and hope you can spend some time in – seeing, and feeling, for yourselves the aforementioned truth. People are leaving the church in droves these days. Ironically, according to recent studies, meditation is on the rise. People are drawn to the search for their “higher power.” I imagine the process can get confusing as people explore faith and connection to God. There are so many different schools of thoughts and wonderful teachers of enlightenment and spirituality to look to.
But the Word assures we need to look no further than Jesus. Notes in the NIV study Bible point out that this is one one the most basic and important passages in Scripture. It says ‘How can we know the way to God? Only through Jesus. Jesus is the way because He is both God and man. By uniting our lives with His, we are united with God. Trust Jesus to take you to the Father, and all the benefits of being God’s child will be yours.’
Being “God’s child” is a near incomprehensible concept. Just as it is within our human families, it implies that god-like traits are passed down to us, comprising us, just as Jesus was composed of “the stuff” of the Father – love, wisdom, faith, hope, trust, compassion, the ability to heal and make miracles happen to name just a few. It also implies the all comforting concept of home. Those of us that come from homes where we’ve been loved and appreciated know there’s nothing like the feeling of returning home. Where we get to feel the familiar embrace of those that love us most. Our heavenly home is where God wants to lead everyone to ultimately.
Jesus’ embrace was probably unparalleled and His disciples were very upset that He was going away as time moved their circle closer to His death. His answer to them was “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Remember Thomas responded: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on you do know Him, and have seen Him.”
He means that “the way” exists in believing that God embodied Him. Believe that, then look to His life’s journey and how He handled each and every situation as the model for your own. Some may argue that this way is too narrow. Too confining. In reality, ours is a God of inclusion and expansion beyond our comprehension. His way is wide enough for the whole world if the world chooses to accept it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying Thank you God, for providing a sure way to get to You.
We’ll continue our study of John 14. There is so much to glean. But for today let us focus on the words of our Lord again, “I am the Way.” What a wonderful, wonderful thing to know. He has given Himself to each of us to show “THE WAY” to our Beautiful Father God of Love. Because it all begins there.
A note on Ukraine today says, “Food shortages stoked by the war in Ukraine could cause malnutrition, mass hunger, and famine in a crisis that could last for years around the world.” Let us continue to pray for Ukraine and the war impacting our precious world.
Love you all, my Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. Walk with our God of Love moment by moment.
Poppa B
Continue reading → - Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
I am so thankful for the Word. It proclaims Jesus as itself and THE. WAY. to our beautiful God of Love.
Here is the magnificent truth our Jesus gave to us: “No one comes to the Father except through Me”…
Continue reading →This I think, sometimes, more than any other scripture, has created so much division throughout our development as a species as people grapple with its meaning. Which is really very simple when we read a conversation that took place between Jesus, Thomas, and Philip. Jesus devoted a lot to his explanation when he was questioned about how to get to the Father by them.He really wanted His beloved’s to understand the key to the proverbial map: You’re looking at Him! If you’ve seen ME, you’ve seen HIM.He wanted His chosen ones to understand that the God they were looking for was right in front of them – IN HIM. And, conversely, He was simultaneously IN GOD. Jesus was a mirror image of God. He was the living blueprint. Because when He fully surrendered his personage to God’s will, God worked through Him to show all mankind not only what a God-like life actually looked like, but how to connect to God.The next zinger came when He seemed to want them to understand that truth held about themselves too. God was in them and they were in God.And not only that, he threw in, but they/we were capable of doing even more than He did. That was probably hard to swallow after all they’d seen Him do over the three years they’d been following Him. But THAT was exactly the “good news” He was counting on them extending to all they could in the aftermath of His passing. That God is in us because we are in Him… and He can work through each and every one of us if we say “yes” to His invitation to join His Purpose. He won’t maneuver us like puppets. It’s ALWAYS our choice. But mimicking Jesus’ actions and compassion are the keys to that ultimate feat of working within and for Him… leading to our own greater good thanks to His sovereignty…. and there is no greater peace. Communion with God is what we were designed for. And once we’ve found THE WAY there, we’ll never really be lost again. Not in all of eternity.THAT is His immortal gift to us.But the disciples didn’t get that then and were anxious as the time was drawing near for Jesus to return to our Father. They knew only He was leaving and couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Him again. He assured them they would. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, so how can we know the way?”That’s when Jesus spoke His famed words above and added: “If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”Philip said show us The Father.Jesus went on: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather it is the Father living in Me who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.”When we want to experience life totally and completely, this is THE WAY. To understand that, like Jesus, God is in us and we are Him and living as He clearly showed us how when He embodied Jesus. That is the key to peace. Let us always remember how direct and clear and beautiful that message is. Let us live each day in the magnificence of it.As usual, we insert a note on how the Russian invasion into Ukraine continues. We see the effects of the senseless war Russia has created and it is touching the world in new ways between inflation and soaring food and energy costs. We must continue to pray for quick deliverance for all our sakes. Let us continue to pray for the war torn but amazingly resilient citizens of Ukraine on the front lines. Our Lord hears our prayers. He will do what must be done; in HIs time, in His Way.Love you so, my Brothers and my Sisters in the Lord. May you be blessed in all things and in all ways.Poppa B. - “Honor her for all that she has done.” Proverbs 31:31
Sunday is a very special day… MOTHER’S DAY! Many will be celebrating the sacred vessels that brought them into the world who went on to love and nurture them throughout life.
For some it can be a more complicated day, in cases of estrangement, or for those like me that have had to say goodbye to our Moms. I’ll celebrate by remembering I had the privilege to hold my Mother’s hand as she went to be with our Lord. It’s a moment I shall never forget and will always give thanks for. The days I cared for her, prior to her departure, allowed time for private talks. She was concerned she hadn’t lived the life she should have. She was pretty perfect in my eyes and, of course, I did all I could to assure her. Still, she left not sure she’d “earned” a place in Heaven. That bothered me for her.But the very next morning I was awakened by her and my Dad, who died many years before. They danced up to me. She was young and beautiful. He was young and handsome. I recognized them immediately. She said, “I made it. Thanks for being there. I’ll see you when you get home.” Losing her was hard but being able to see her in that state remains priceless. She was so kind to come show me that all was well, that all will be well. It was my mother’s parting gift of love for me.Continue reading →As I think back to that compassionate vision I can still see so clearly, I’m reminded of the epilogue of Proverbs 31, where it talks of the noble character women, in particular, have the opportunity to grow into and carry.Not every woman is a mother, not every woman is a wife, but every woman is our Lord’s creation. Each contributes to life in her own beautifully unique way.“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female companions. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who reveres the Lord is to be praised.Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”Let us salute all the women in our life for all the very special things they bring into this world channeling the love of our Lord and the talents bestowed by His Holy Spirit. 💚Please continue to pray for those affected by the Ukraine war. Good shall come from it eventually, but it is so very sad right now.Happy Mothers Day to all the Mothers… we each had one… how blessed we are.💚🌟🙏Love you all,Poppa B - “For the Word of God is alive and active.” Hebrews 4:12Hello my Brothers and Sisters,I love the Word. Engaging with it is literally a foundation for nothing short of miraculous transformation. My own journey with our Father’s Word has sustained me throughout life since discovering and pursuing it with all my heart. I have a morning ritual that begins with time spent between just me and the Book. While the rest of the house sleeps, I use the time to allow my eyes to take in words our Father has ordained to help me understand what love is… what He is.While we are not able to necessarily see our God as we see people, we absolutely can see Him in His Word. We see Him in the way He communicated with the ancients through dreams and other manifestations. We see Him in those exchanges. We see Him in the perceptions of those that encountered and served Him. We see Him in prophecies that came to pass in both real time and centuries after whatever He commanded Life bring forward. We see Him later embodied in His son, Jesus, and through Jesus, we know exactly what is expected of us as we serve our own time here on Earth.Our Father never meant for us to be alone in that. He arranged for the survival of this “living” book of His throughout thousands of years so that communicating with Him was as simple as opening its sacred pages…As we see in these words from Hebrews, “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13We see stories in movies and television shows about books that project actual energy and power. My friends, God’s book, The Bible, His Word, does exactly that. I feel impressed today to encourage you to spend time with it and experience “the magic” of it for yourself. That “magic” is the peace that emerges within as we let it speak to us and put the time in toattempting to understand its meaning.The Word “comes to life” when it is honestly and earnestly engaged with by a believer. It stands as the “Vox Dei” – Latin for “the voice of God.”God’s Word reveals not only who He is but who we are. It penetrates the core of our moral and spiritual life. It helps us discern what is within us – that which is good and that which is not. Once revealed, God’s Word requires decisions from us. If we listen to its wisdom, it can shape our lives as we live in it with Him. He offers “the best way” to live through the guidance of the all powerful words.He IS the Word. And His Presence is ever within His Word to bring it to pass. It is truth. God cannot lie. We can count on His “voice” that we find in the Book. How blessed we are to walk with Him and live life with Him through His Words of Life.We’re all looking for ways to navigate the strange state of the world we find ourselves in. The answers are exactly there, Friends. I would encourage you to find a translation that speaks to you and begin to communicate with our Lord through that means if it is not already a practice for you. The process is life altering. It is the answer someone is looking for.Meanwhile, please continue to pray with me for Ukraine and let’s do what we can to help. I know that you are. Millions of people we share our earthly home with are so horribly impacted. Also, as always, if I can pray for you in any way, let me know.Blessings and Love upon each of you. Love you So.Poppa BContinue reading →
- “And he was called God’s Friend.” James 2:23Let’s talk ‘friendship,’ Dear Ones.The intimate bond that exists between people that love each other’s company – where energy is invested in that time getting to know one another, exploring ideas and experiencing life with someone that makes us laugh, someone that we know we can count on. Friends often emulate each other because they’re “made of the same stuff” and both get immense satisfaction out of doing life certain ways. Friends defend one another.There are three men called “friends of God” in His Word … Abraham, Moses, and Lazarus. They are hardly the only important players in the Bible but that language appears reserved for them for some reason. So, let’s consider why. First, these are guys that went to their deep ends with God. Guys that believed what He had to say. Guys that supported Him by their actions. They sought out and listened to His counsel and spent their lives devoted to His plans for them and their people. They trusted Him and they acted.The one verse in Scripture that mentions God, as Jesus, crying points back to the death of His friend as the reason. True friendship is treasure.Friendship is big and it is very important that we know that the Holy Trinity of God, Jesus, and Spirit is our Friend as well. God designed us for it. In fact, Jesus states plainly that He views us as friends, not as slaves, and the proof is in all the secrets of life that He shared with the friends He made on his journey here. Friends are equal in spirit. Christ wants us to understand that He wants us to become His friend because He’s invited us in and we choose to be in that space. From there, He wants the same intimacy we explore with each of our “bests.”Think about that. He wants to know each and every one of us and wants us to understand Him. Wants us to know what He is doing in our lives or have faith if we don’t. Abraham and Moses were told directly by God what His future plans were. Then He made requests of them. And they acted on His Word. Though, admittedly, they couldn’t possibly have had the foresight to see the future like God did. But they loved Him and, in essence, said “Okay, God… I believe you and I’m following you to the end.” A nation was born and delivered into the promised land as a result.His Word is loaded with directives of how we can join Him by believing what He says and emulating what He does. We need only look to the life of Jesus, God’s Word… His “voice.”When we decide to go that way, we can both experience the intimacy of relationship with Him and we can trust that our actions are moving us towards something that will serve our people, the human race, in some way. Trust and action. The stuff of friendship. The choice is ours.Then, as an added bonus: His Word says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”We have talked about the Ukraine situation every week and do not want to forget the horror that is going on every day as so many die and so much is destroyed. Let us continue to pray for them and all our “friends” in need knowing that our Lord of Love can help them starting with working through us as friends to our fellow man. I would encourage you to give where and when you can, as your heart moves you.PoppaContinue reading →
- “Father, I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4For Believers, as we go into the Easter Weekend we know that our Lord of Love, Christ Jesus, gave His life for us over 2000 years ago. It is both a time of sadness as we reflect on what He had to go through, and a time of happiness and celebration from the incredible results that came of it.Jesus came to show us how to live. Study His life and there is parallel after parallel to the lives we experience here on Earth.In the Gospel of John, as Jesus was concluding His Last Supper with His Disciples, Jesus had just introduced the concept of the Holy Spirit, how His Spirit would arrive once He departed and how It would usher truth into the world since few believed Jesus’ message. It was going to be Spirit’s job to open many more eyes. He said to The 12, “I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” Note Jesus spoke as if overcoming the world was already done. He knew the efforts of his own job would usher in that overcoming…He knew the plan, knew how horrible it would be. We see his very real fear when he asks Father if there was another way. But, even as he asked, he knew there was no way he wasn’t going to do the very specific work God gave Him to do. Because he trusted in God’s sovereignty and how all the pieces would one day fit together for the good of man.He prayed, “Father the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life; that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work you gave Me to do. And now Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”We know He took what sin deserved in the brutality he suffered. It’s hard to imagine there was much left of Him by the time they were done. Then, interestingly, we know that he kept on with his “job” even after death when, first, He went to Hades to set captives there free and, next, He returned to His people to show them life doesn’t end at death. The resurrection body was His proof. Not only does life not end but restoration beyond our wildest comprehension waits for us even in the face of full and utter destruction.As I have said so often lately, we must keep our brothers and sisters in the Russia – Ukraine war in mind as we pray. Just as when the days were at hand that our Jesus was being physically annihilated, It is a time of sadness and horror right now for so many. It is difficult to see good coming from this right now as thousands are being killed. But this is a people choosing to do their job… no matter the cost. So, let us pray those that perish be ushered right into Heaven, that the country is glorified for giving their lives for their land and families, as our Christ did for us. And that they are restored beyond our wildest conceptions.During this resurrection season, let us look to our God of Love to bring good and wonderful restoration to each of us who do the work of the job of believing in Him. Let us not look away from the victims of this war in front of us. Let us have faith that restoration will come. Let us apply this great lesson to all of our problems because Jesus has overcome the world. That means so will we. That is what we are celebrating this weekend.Happy Easter, Precious Ones.Poppa BContinue reading →
- “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
In the last few weeks I have talked about Ukraine. As this horrific war continues, I will keep mentioning them and ask you to keep praying for them. Because, historically, as such things continue without solution, as a nation, our tendency is to become apathetic. WE CANNOT DO THAT NOW OR EVER. We don’t mean to forget, but we have our own lives that call for our attention too. Humans are adaptable. It’s one of our great survival skills. But that means it’s easy for us to turn even the worst atrocities into background noise.
So, we must attempt to stay forever mindful and not forsake these innocents fighting for their freedom – especially when headlines say today Russia has pulled back in several areas, leaving death and destruction everywhere, yet appear to be preparing for another attack as they regroup to send in the next round of troops.Continue reading →Ukraine has already been through so much. Let us do what we can to stop their enemy completely through prayer, the most important and powerful thing we have been given by our God of Love. Let us use this powerful spiritual weapon for the Ukranians and Russians, alike, as both sides suffer and die for a completely unjustifiable cause.These days some people mock prayer. As if it has no real power. But, as believers, we know that Spirit is the ultimate power that Christ left for us to welcome in and learn to operate within when he transitioned out of this world. Spirit dresses us with the “Armor of God” when necessary. Spirit has the power to conquer all sin and death. It has the power to conquer the flesh and its single minded desires.Spirit carries the language of our hearts, our prayers, to God. It is the binding agent between us and our Creator. Spirit has the power to resurrect the dead.Spirit, synonymous with Jesus, is ALL CONQUERING. The Word assures us of Spirit’s power when it says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”In other words, when we operate “in Christ Jesus,” through invoking prayer or simply looking to the wisdom His Spirit impresses upon us in our decision making, we are without question doing what we should be and positioning ourselves and others to conquer all things. Then we can absolutely trust the outcome. Regardless of how circumstances may look or whether we understand circumstances at any given moment, as we stay “in Christ Jesus,” we are exactly where we need to be. We can also trust that seasons of pain will fade away… to be replaced by blessings from our Father in His sovereign time. Ask Spirit for guidance. It will be given.Let us trust Him. He knows every need. He loves us SO.Poppa B. - “For you are all Sons and Daughters of God through Faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26
As we begin day 36 of the Russian-Ukraine war, our heart aches for the millions who have been pushed out of their homes in Ukraine, and for the thousands killed and wounded there. Both Ukrainians and Russians. Media reports the Russians are changing tactics and will attack in a different way. What they will accomplish we do not know. There is a claim that many of the Russians are demoralized and refusing to carry out orders. It’s said that some are sabotaging their equipment and even ‘accidentally’ shooting down some of their own aircraft. Of course we do not know if this is correct, but it is so sad for all.
It is remarkable that one man is able to do this, but he has. That is why learning to yield the power of choice within each of us is crucial to all of mankind and our development. We are AFFECTING one another. In Romans 5:17, we see what one evil man can do, and how death can reign through that one man, but we also see what our Lord Jesus can do that is above it all. “For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of Grace and of the gift of Righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”Then we’re told “You are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. You belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the Promise.” Galatians 3:26-29It all means our power is descended from the man who embodied grace and righteousness in His lifetime and that is what we use to combat the man ushering in such atrocious evil.We must continue to pray for Ukraine. Christ has not left them to be on their own. He is there, and he is with them wherever they may have to go. “We are all one in Christ Jesus.” Ukraine is part of us. Of the whole of the world. We do not know why this is happening to them. For now we have to trust that there is purpose, just as The Word says there was purpose for His Chosen People when they had to wander the desert for 40 years before finally walking into the Promised Land. That purpose was that we were all supposed to watch and learn from their journey. I suspect something similar is happening right here right now. Let us help our Ukrainian family as they continue to endure this trauma by praying and believing that in some way our Lord will touch all of those who are being pushed from their homes and lives. Let us pray diligently for them all as we wait to see how and what our Lord will do. We know that He will.I keep talking about this situation but, from a global perspective, I can’t think of anything that matters more at this time.Blessings and Love upon each of you and yours.PoppaContinue reading →
May you be “Encouraged, and “Strengthened”, and “United”, God’s Beloveds, as we Lift up Christ Jesus, Glorify the Father, and Magnify the Holy Spirit.