• to set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude *John 8:36, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
• to relieve from something that confines, burdens, or oppresses *Isaiah 58:6, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
• relief or deliverance from sorrow, suffering, or trouble *Psalm 69:29, “But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me.”
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:43-44
“When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
God’s timing is always “on time.” We are battling COVID-19 around the world right now. People are suffering and dying due to this illness that is sweeping the globe. It is scary and has brought the world to a “STOP” in many places. It needs to bring us to our “KNEES” asking God for strength, courage, compassion and comfort. Our medical personnel are doing the very best they can given their circumstances and supplies, placing themselves in harms way to provide lifesaving procedures and medications. We all have a responsibility to help in these difficult times, follow governmental guidelines, stay in whenever possible, practice social distancing, cover you coughs and wash you hands often.
Hebrews 9:27-28
“And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Speaking of God’s timing, the devotional I am using for this blog was written and printed in 2019, most likely a year ago. The Spirit of the Lord was guiding Rev. Sam, planting seeds that would grow and feed us today. We are promised that we will live in eternity after the death of our bodies and our spirit/soul will live for eternity with God. Everyone who is saved, believes that Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected and conquered death, will have eternal life.
John 6:47
“Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.”
Friends, please know that you are never alone no matter what journey you are traveling on. Jesus experienced pain and sorrow during His life here on earth. He knows and has been to the places you and I are grieving. Trust Jesus to comfort you, to heal you and most importantly to save you. In the story we read today in John 11, we read that Jesus “wept.” He cares so deeply for us and loves us so very much! ♥️🙏🏻✝️
John 11:33-35
“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep.”
Practice:
Write a note to someone who has lost a loved one recently. Let them know they are not forgotten.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
I thought I would add some fun to this post today. I ask Google “what is the answer?” It told me “42”. I’ve included some websites for light reading. I also went through the Bible to see if there were any chapter/verse match ups for 42:42, which there aren’t. So, I have included three verses below of 42:24. I believe God has a message for anyone reading them.
42-24
Genesis 42:24
“He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes.”
Sirach 42:24
“All things come in pairs, one opposite the other, and he has made nothing incomplete.”
Isaiah 42:24
“Who gave up Jacob to the spoiler, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?”
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” ~Micah 6:8
ACC Mission:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~Acts 1:8
ACC Values:
About Us at ACC:
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
“So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.”
Dry Bones: The dry bones refer to the restoration of a people spiritually dead. *Believers Bible Commentary
Breath: The breath, breathed in the bodies is regeneration of the people. *Believers Bible Commentary
It is time for a REVIVAL!
The passage in Ezekiel 37:1-14 is referred to as “The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones.” Ezekiel was told by God to prophesy to the dry bones that they would come to life. (Dry bones represented Israel and Judah). These two kingdoms had been torn apart in the days of Rehoboam. The prophesy is that they would be reunited and one king, the Messiah would reign over them. They would be saved, cleansed and restored. This story can be found in Ezekiel 37:15-28.
We know that the Messiah came and was crucified so we could be saved, cleansed and restored/reconciled with God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.”
During this season of Lent, are you experiencing “dry bones?” There is HOPE, my friend…dry bones can come alive again! Our HOPE is in Jesus Christ and in Him all things are made new!
2 Corinthians 5:17
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
Dry bones can be brought back to life through the breath of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit will breathe restoration into you and then regeneration, making all things new. This is all possible through the Word of the Lord and the Holy Spirit.
Pray and ask God to send you a revival!
Practice:
What in your life feels dry? Ask the Spirit of God to hover over you and offer a fresh breath.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
We are called the children of God, Believers of the Faith, and Followers of Jesus. As such, we are called to be the literal hands and feet of Jesus. The time is now, the whole earth is suffering from the horrible pandemic called COVID-19. Now is the time for action and responsibility. This is the time to help those who are in need of services: medical, physical, emotional, nutritional, transportation, educational, and so many more. We need to be praying for our leaders, our first responders, our pastors, our teachers, hospital medical staff, the families that have lost loved ones, caregivers, and so many more. God knows the needs of each and every individual and He hears the prayers of the people and He is mindful of us all.
I am not suggesting that we literally go out and help others, unless it is in the best interest of all parties. I am saying, be safe, follow state/local guidelines. Be mindful of social distancing, washing your hands often, wear protective gear if necessary and available. Support your local businesses and law enforcement, donate if you can. When shopping take only what you need and share with others in need. Be KIND, these are stressful times for everyone, some are just better at concealing it. Trust one another, be honest and quick to forgive. Remember, we all have value and we are all loved.
1 Corinthians 13:13
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
1 John 3:1
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
1 John 4:7-8
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Jeremiah 29:11-12
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.”
Practice:
Write down one way you will come alongside those in need of RELEASE this week and commit to showing up.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Dear friends around the globe, I would like to thank you for the love and support of my blog. This is a dream come true to write and share my thoughts & beliefs with others. I never imaged I would be in a position that allowed me to reach out to so many people. I am blessed to share the love of Jesus around the world. We are all neighbors and connected through our Creator, who created each of us with purpose and a plan. I am honored by your presence in the world. ~Blessing!
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
The Photo-a-Day Challenge word for today is: BELIEVE
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: BELIEVE
• to consider to be true or honest
• to accept the word or evidence of
• to hold as an opinion
• to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion
• to regard the existence of God as a fact
What do you believe?
I believe that Jesus was born and died so that I could be reconciled with God my creator, the Creator of all things. I believe in the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus will return and will rapture all believers. One day, all believers will be with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for all eternity.
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Top Photo: Disciple’s Women’s Conference 08/2019; Bottom Photo courtesy of my friend Lisa O.
In the devotional reading for today, Rev. Sam explains that the 12 steps of AA were made for Lent. I have never given any thought to such a comparison. She points out rather appropriately in my opinion, we are all addicts in a sense. If we take the time to inventory our lives, I’m sure there would be things that we are addicted to, loosely saying. I know individuals who will only drink certain brands of coffee, now that’s not terrible but they are not happy if it’s not available. I am in no way trying to compare addiction of coffee to someone addicted to more harmful things such as drugs or alcohol. Addiction, is a serious epidemic in several parts of the world. But I do think Rev. Sam, rather Fr. Richard Rohr makes some good points in his book, “Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps.” The Twelve Steps closely parallel what Christians should be doing. Individuals who participate in and successfully complete the twelve steps know how to be honest about themselves, willing to confess, and seek to make amends. I don’t know what your thoughts are but mine, this sounds very Christian-like behavior. The season of Lent reminds us that we need to take inventory of ourselves and our relationships. Similar in the Seven R’s we have been discussing so far in this season of Lent: REPENT, RECOVER, REMEMBER, REST, RELEASE… We have two more weeks of Lent as we rediscover RISE & RELIVE!
*Please feel free to add your own steps specifically for yourself on steps 8 thru 12.
Practice:
Recite the first lines of the Serenity Prayer:
• “God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
• the courage to change the things I can,
• and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Consider working these steps over the next few weeks. 🙏🏻
Friends, I leave you with a prayer from James 5:13-18, A Prayer of Faith. Much love to all of you. Be safe, Be Healthy, Be Smart, Be Kind! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.
Richard Rohr, OFM, (born 1943) is an American author, spiritual writer, and Franciscan friar based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970. He has been called “one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world.”
• perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
• be told or informed of
• be aware of; know of the existence of
The Bible tells us in Matthew 11:15, “Let anyone with ears listen! And in Revelations 2:29, we read, “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
Hearing, listening with our ears. Jesus says, “Let anyone with ears listen!” Ears unlike eyes do not have lids for closure. I personal think that was by design! Jesus was instructing the people to listen to the message of John the Baptist, John was fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah, and Jesus was indeed the Messiah. The verse in Revelation 2:29, heeds similar message to “anyone with ears listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” I’ll be honest with you I have not studied Revelation enough to even try to explain the verse but I think the message is clear that we must listen to what the prophets said, the voices of God and Jesus and the spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit. Below are photos of the verses in the Believer’s Bible Commentary. Thank you Carol & Mike, I cherish this wonderful gift.
Matthew 11:15Revelation 2:29
ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
DISCOVER 
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