CORD OF HOPE!

Good Morning all!

Thank you to you for taking your time to read on occasion what I write here.  Just getting home from French Lick prompts me to get lazy and use others words today.  Funny how far behind one gets when they leave for a few days.

I love this from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young!  July 27th

Hope is a GOLDEN CORD connecting you to heaven.  This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you.  I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand.  But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me.  Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road.  You are reminded that the road we are traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven.  When you consider this radiat destination, the roughness or the smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant.  I am training you to hold in your heat a dual focus:  My continual Prescence and the hope of Heaven.

"Be  Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.:  Romans 12: 2

I Thess. 5: 8 and Hebrews 6: 18 and 19.


I don't know if you have ever been to West Baden's Resort Hotel or not.  it is famous for reconstruction as is the French Lick Hotel Resort.  I watched a young man get down on the floor and lay face up to the dome to take pictures.  It was right in the middle of the most traveled area.  I did the same thing several years ago but on a chaise lounge.   I sat there this time and thought, wouldn't this be the greatest place to be when Jesus comes back.  I can rise clear through the dome into Heaven some day.  It is the best place to see on your Bucket List.

HOW ARE YOUR ROOTS?

And, not your hair roots color!

It must not be a coincidence that I was writing about Roots and Pastor Stuart gave a rousing adaption of the Tree and Israel.  The Roots according to Romans.

Jesus is the root, of course.  The Tree trunk is Israel.  We are part of that heritage.  The branches are gentiles, Jewish Christians etc.  His searing comment was made when he said the United States should only support any country in a fight if they are born to God's standards and Biblical proportions.  You do the math.

My comments are and always have come from Jeremiah 17: 8 -
"For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes;  but its leaf shall be green.  It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit."

Words to live by -  If the tree's roots are Jesus, and I am planted with him, I don't have to sweat even the small stuff.  I will rise to any occasion and respond not react.  Be concerned but not worry.  Continue to pray, and work towards knowing God brings all things together for good.  I will stay fresh and able.

The companion verses that I want to add with this comes from Acts 17: 27 and 28

"So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and have our being;  as even some of your (own) poets have said, For we are also His Offspring."

All we have to do is stay CLOSE!  Seek His face and only His face and He will release us from the snare.

WHY WE PRAISE THE NAMES OF GOD?

"THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER; THE (CONSISTENCY) RIGHTEOUS MAN (UPRIGHT AND IN RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD) RUNS INTO IT AND IS SAFE, HIGH (ABOVE ALL EVIL) AND STRONG."

PROVERBS 18: 10

"AND THERE IS SALVATION IN AND THROUGH NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY AND IN WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED."

ACTS 4: 12
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I learned most of these in Bible College, but as a general human being who lives their normal lifestyle, we forget these eloquent names and how VAST and WONDERFUL they are to us on a daily basis.

ELOHIM  --  God above all gods.

JEHOVAH RAPHA --   Out healer God.

EL-SHADDAI  -   The Almighty God.

JEHOVAH JIREH  -  The God who provides.

JEHOVAH SHALOM -  Our God of peace.

JEHOVAH YAHWEH -  Out Loving covenant keeping God!!!

We used to sing songs with these names in our words.  Some are new to me.  The bottom line for all of them, is how wrapped up tight we are in His goodness, promises, and protection.

His name is above all names, all fears, all of the enemy, all tragedies, all of the everyday life junk.
He is our healer, emotionally, physically, and mentally.
He is almighty over everyone and everything!
He provides - testimony upon testimony tells of people who thought they would go hungry that day, and found groceries on their porch, how he provides the timing on our lives with protection and deliverance.  He brings ALL things together for good.
He is our hope and our peace, bar none, end of story.
He keeps His promises.

So trust in Him to take care of that family member you worry about every day, and likewise everything is your life because it is His will anyway.

THANKFUL!

This is that time of year we need to be extra THANKFUL.  Have you thanked a serviceman, or woman on this holiday for what they do for us?  I am very thankful that Jesse Cook has arrived safely back from Afghanistan since last Sunday.  We can all breath a little easier now.  But, seriously, some do not make it back and some come back forever changed.  Last Sunday at church they introduced Travis.  A young man from our area who sat his back pack on a mine.  He lost his arms and most of his legs.  They are having a fund raiser for him at Trine University July 24th.  I can even imagine what that is like for him.  He is married and the father of a two year old.  He does have some prosthesis's, but how will they manage?

It blows my mind.  Let's remember today how thankful we are for them and what they do for us.  It takes my breath away when I think about it.  I am so glad we have the Wounded Warrior program.  It still doesn't seem like enough.

I trust your holiday is good, and you celebrate it with friends and family, but let us thank God for being an American, and let us thank God He made people like Travis and Jesse.