"Let Us!"

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

If you don't understand my unique love for gathering with the people of God (* regardless of the weather), you just have no idea how contagious my Granny Margery's love for the Lord and the local church impressed and still inspires her grandson. Often, I remember her coming across the yard between her home and ours early on Sunday mornings to catch a ride with us to church. She had a heartwarming glow on her face, her Holy Bible in her hand, God's tithe and her offerings in her purse and always Psalm 122:1 on her lips:

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." (NKJV)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful (for God, Granny, and God's House)

* Because of inclement weather, of course sometimes we cannot meet together as the local church. I understand that reality, but it makes me sad when it happens. Gathering together makes me glad.

Like & Love a Good Neighbor

There is a familiar insurance company slogan that includes these four words: Like a Good Neighbor. However, this morning when I was beginning my seemingly non-stop, winter wonderland, snow shoveling, I suddenly heard the sound of a loud engine and then when I saw the sneaky, boyish grin of my across-the-street neighbor, Philip, coming my way with his brand-new, heavy-duty snow blower, my soul sang out these four words: Love a Good Neighbor! What a blizzard-day blessing Philip was to my blurry, ice-lined eyeballs! :-)

While Philip was in the midst of his blizzard-day blessing to me, I opened the back door and called for Kim to bring me my pocket-knife collection. I selected one of my prized pieces (still in the box) and walked across my soon-to-be-snow-removed, asphalt driveway and handed it to Philip. He smiled as I said: Philip, whenever you see this "pocket knife", remember that "Pastor Kerry" appreciates you! (Of course, "P.K." = "pocket knife" and/or "Pastor Kerry".) My good neighbor smiled and told me: Get in the house, Pastor Kerry. I'll knock the rest of this out in no time at all.

I went in the house, took off my wet clothes, and through a frost-covered window snapped a photo of Philip and his big, snow-blowing machine. As I focused the camera, tears came into my eyes. I prayed for Philip and his precious family. Later, while on the phone with my dad, I retold the story and said, Funny how God can use a heavy snowfall to help us Love a Good Neighbor!

Proverbs 3:28 (NLT) -- If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, "Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you."

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Every Moment of Your Life is Sacred

These precious thoughts came to my mind yesterday during a quiet time -- true gifts of inspiration from God's Holy perspective to my human thinking. I bless you with the same precious thoughts today:

Your life is a sacrament -- a sacred moment before your Eternal God. Yes, every moment of your entire life is sacred to Him! Every breath you breathe is beautiful before your Holy God.

Don't compartmentalize your life between what's sacred and what you might consider to be something other than sacred -- your whole life is sacred. -- a James Spruill paraphrase

Psalm 139:3, 16-18 (NLT) -- (3) You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. (16) You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (17) How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! (18) I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!

Nehemiah 8:10b (NLT) -- This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

A Private Audience With God

A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me.
From His palace He hears my call;
my cry brings me right into His presence—
a private audience!
Psalm 18:6 -- The Message

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

The Essence of God's Call to Go

From the story of Abraham, we hear God speaking the essence of His call to go for Him. Then the LORD told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1 NLT)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Standing a'Trembling

1 Kings 19:11 is an overwhelming command from Almighty God and an overpowering image for my mind: "Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the LORD told Elijah. (NLT)

What makes this command so overwhelming and this image so overpowering is my belief that to stand before Holy God, especially just before He reveals His unrivaled omnipotence (His unmatched "Almightyness"), is surely a guaranteed prescription for human fear and trembling. Which brings me to my personal prayer, in light of this heart a'pounding and knees a'knocking reality:

My Holy Almighty God, when I am found guilty of human trembling, let me be found standing a'trembling in Your Holy Presence as "a God-fearing, surrendered saint" -- yes, "as one who is undeniably overwhelmed while also being without doubt Exclusively Yours!" In Jesus Holy Name. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

In Debt!

Jesus paid it all.
All to Him we owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow!

Lord, we are so glad we're in debt to You and for Your glory!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful