4/1/20    THOUGHTS

It’s 5 AM, time for coffee and thought.  I feel renewed in a special way this morning.
If you missed last night’s ZOOM test, let me give you a little feeling for it.  Last night was just a dry run to see if we could make it work. What a JOY to see all of you.  There was absolutely no content to our conversations.  We were like children who hadn’t seen each other for a long time.   I needed some hugs, but your faces and voices were so comforting.  It was hard to sign off.  
We will try it again TONIGHT but with more purpose.  I will do a simple class that we can all share.  I’ve tried to make it something our children can also get something from.  We will cover Daniel chapter 3.  It’s the  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego story.  It’s a marvelous
“Tough Times Lead to Victory” story.  That’s US you know...

The following was written to a people who lived in very tough times...          
Heb 12:1- 13   Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5  and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6  FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7  It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8  But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9  Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10  For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 12  Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

It’s our time to CAST AWAY sin and that which burdens our lives..
It’s our time if ever to FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS...
It’s our time to RUN THE RACE SET BEFORE US!
It’s our time TO SHARE IN HIS HOLINESS!
            IT’S MY TIME!

My Prayer:
O Lord God of heaven, help us each to see clearly the words above... that we may share in YOUR HOLINESS.                  In Jesus name          Amen