A PRAYER.........A BLESSING!!!!!!!!!!!!

 May JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, GOD OUR "ABBA FATHER" (Romans 8:15), The FATHER OF MERCIES and GOD of ALL COMFORT" (2 Corinthians 1:3) hold  YOU  with HIS "Everlasting Arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27), and with HIS  nail-scarred Hands hold you up next to HIS HEART,

May HE whisper to you of HIS love for  YOU  with the same breath that declares "I have loved YOU with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3), "FATHER Forgive them..." (Luke 23:34), the same breath that says "I chose YOU...adopted YOU...and accepted YOU as MINE in JESUS CHRIST" (Ephesians 1:1-6), with the same breath that says I have called  YOU  Friend..." (John 15:15), the same voice that says "...Receive the HOLY SPIRIT... (John 20:22), the same breath that says "Come to ME... and I will give  YOU  rest." (Matthew 11:28), the same that says "...MY Beloved is MINE, and I AM His (Hers)" (Song of Solomon 2:16), the same breath that says "...You have ravished my heart with the look of your eyes..." (Song of Solomon 4:9), the same breath that says (while JESUS was on the Cross) "It is Finished!"  (John 19:30),  with the same breath that says "...you have been faithful...enter into the joy of your LORD..." (Matthew 25:23), with the same voice that says "...Surely I AM coming quickly". (Revelation 22:20).

Let it be so in YOUR heart!!!

WHERE IS JESUS? (A new edition of this message...with NEW ADDED MEANING!!!!!

 Today/May 12, 2021---It has been almost 5 months since Christmas.  It has been 5 weeks since Easter!!!

First, JESUS was in MARY'S HEART...When the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary: "Rejoice, Highly Favored One, the LORD is with you; Blessed are you among women...and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a SON, and shall call HIS NAME JESUS."(Luke 1:26-31).

"Now Mary arose in those days...and entered the house of Zacharias...and greeted Elizabeth.  Elizabeth...spoke with a loud voice and said to Mary, Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of your WOMB!!! (Luke 1:39-45).

(The manger):  "And (the shepherds) came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. (Luke 2:16).

After JESUS grew up and became a man, and spent approximately 3 and 1/2 years teaching the people, healing people...even raising 2 people from the dead!!!....HE was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, then taken to trial...then sentenced to be crucified (HE Died on the cross to save us from our sins!!!).  (Matthew 27:27-31).

(On the cross) "JESUS... breathed His last." (Mark 15:37)

"Now when evening had come...Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of JESUS. Then Joseph (of Arimathea) bought fine linen, then took JESUS'S body down from the cross...and he laid JESUS in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

"Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week...the women (who had come to the tomb with Joseph), they came to the tomb when the sun had risen...but they found the stone rolled away from the tomb...and did NOT find the body of our LORD JESUS!!!

"Then two men (angels) in shining garments, said to the women, "Why do you seek the LIVING among the dead?  HE is not here, but is RISEN"!!!  (Luke 24:5-6).

SO WHERE IS JESUS   NOW???

Well, let's SUMMARIZE the "locations" that we have mentioned earlier:

1) Mary's womb - EMPTY!  (2) The manger - EMPTY!  (3) The Cross - EMPTY!   (4)  The Tomb - EMPTY!

Oh! And Mary's heart-----She is in HEAVEN WITH JESUS---so her heart is  FULL FOREVER!!!!!!!

And.........THE THRONE IS *** OCCUPIED *****!!!!!!!!!

"JESUS, GOD'S SON...When HE had by HIMSELF purged/cleansed our sins, HE sat down at the right hand of the MAJESTY ON HIGH..."  (Hebrews 1:3/Amplified BIBLE).

Again, where is JESUS   NOW???                                                           If JESUS is NOT YET living in your heart---then JESUS is knocking on the door of YOUR heart---saying 'I paid for all your sins, now let ME live and reign in YOUR heart'!!!

(Revelation 3:20-22)---"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears MY voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with ME.  To he who overcomes I will grant to sit with ME on MY throne, as I overcame and sat down with MY FATHER on HIS throne...                                                                         "He who has an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT says...".

If JESUS is ALREADY your Savior and Lord---then HE is knocking on the door of YOUR heart, saying...Let ME in---I want to give to you EVEN MORE of MYSELF...                                              

",,,that YOU may have the RICHEST MEASURE of the DIVINE PRESENCE,"  (Ephesians 3:19/Amplified Bible).

YOU open the door of YOUR heart...NOW!!!!!!!!!  Invite HIM in!!!

From now - and INTO ETERNITY--- YOU WILL REJOICE!!!!!!!!!

THE CROSS (PLUS) RUTH > TRUTH!!!

FIRST, I MUST (and STRONGLY DESIRE TO) give GLORY to HOLY GOD "MOST HIGH"!!! (Psalm 47:2).  As you probably read earlier in this blog...HOLY GOD "wrote down our every day before we were born". (Psalm 139:16).

 By GOD'S GRACE I am again this year reading all the way through the BIBLE.  So each day I read a passage from the Old Testament, then a passage in the New Testament.  I have a guide/plan that lists the passages for each day's reading.

I have learned to NOT look ahead and see what I will be reading/studying in future days...Because reading ahead of time/anticipating...can cause me to miss something special that GOD wants for me to see for a particular day!!!

This morning (4-5-21) I had to take a short trip BEFORE I read today's assigned Scripture...and as I was sitting in my truck...Our most Gracious GOD gave to me a "MENTAL PICTURE" of the cross of JESUS CHRIST (Before He was put on the cross).

As you know, the Cross looks similar to the letter "+" ("tee");  and beside the Cross was the Name "RUTH"!!!  So...THE Cross (+) PLUS "RUTH"=  + ruth (TRUTH)!!!

In John (14:6) JESUS HIMSELF declares  "I AM the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life".  Remember now, the "Mental Picture" that I saw was the cross plus the name Ruth.

So, soon after I returned home... I got my BIBLE and opened it to read today's assigned passage in the BIBLE...and today's assigned portion is chapters 1-4 of the book of Ruth!!!!!!!

Ruth literally means "Friendship" or "Female Friend".  Ruth's primary virtue was "tenacity of purpose": She was a woman who was steadfast. The result of this constancy led to her marriage to Boaz and the birth of Obed, who became the father of JESSE; Jesse's son was DAVID the King (Ruth 4:17).

JESUS was born of the "seed" of David/David was an ancestor of JESUS, the MESSIAH - THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD" (Luke 3:31-32)

So WHAT Lessons should we learn from this passage of GOD'S WORD?

Ruth was not a citizen of Israel...She was from the nation of Moab!!!

No matter WHAT our beginning was...No matter WHERE our beginning was--- ("FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD" (John 3:!6); when we accept JESUS CHRIST as our SAVIOR and LORD---then GOD will cause "HIS Kingdom to come, HIS will be done,,," IN and THROUGH our hearts!!! 

HE is both infinitely creative, and intimately loving of each and every one of us.

HE has "Plans for EVERY one of us to "give you a future and a Hope..." (Jeremiah 29:11).

"HE, rhe Spirit of Truth, (The HOLY SPIRIT) will guide you into all truth..." (JESUS speaks this in (John 16:13).

We should frequently submit to GOD our Heavenly Father, asking HIM to work out HIS plan for us, and to give us wisdom  

"RAIN AT SUNSHINE.........JOY AT THE GRAVESIDE!!!!!!!!!

 Before I relate this story which I personally experienced...I will lay the foundation with some background information:

HOLY GOD---Our HEAVENLY FATHER has richly and intimately blessed me in and through my family!!!  I have had two (2) Godly Mothers, two (2) Godly Fathers, two Godly daughters, and two (2) marriages.  (The first marriage I messed up by failing to be the man that GOD had called me to be).

But in GOD'S ABOUNDING GRACE - HOLY GOD gave me a second chance at marriage, and in this second marriage GOD has enabled me to submit myself unto HIM, and in HIS GRACE HE continues to Bless me.

Let me clarify these family relationships by giving the names of some of these family members:

My birth Mother (SARAH) died of cancer in the year of my 6th birthday.  Her sister (my Aunt Willard), adopted me---and became my "Mother who raised me".  My Mother who raised me has always been called "MAMA JOE" by her grandchildren.

Approximately 10---12 years ago, (MAMA JOE went home to Heaven!!! ) OH!!! we all miss her So Much!!!!!

Both of my Mothers are buried in the cemetery at Sunshine Methodist Church several miles south of Toccoa, Georgia.

About 8---9 years ago, my youngest daughter ("CARRIE") drove up to visit me in Toccoa, Ga. where I was employed.

When our visit was concluded, and it was time for CARRIE to return to her family---she asked me to give to her directions to Sunshine Methodist Church - because she wanted to visit "MAMA JOE'S grave.  So very tenderly-HOLY GOD our ABBA FATHER guided me to say "It would be better if I just drive down there---and you just follow me".

When we arrived at Sunshine Cemetery, it was RAINING ("Rain at Sunshine"); (neither of us had an umbrella), but I joined CARRIE beside MAMA JOE'S grave.....we were Blessed with a very intimate time together---sharing how sweetly MAMA JOE loved us, how we loved and TREASURED Her; and how MUCH WE MISS HER!!!!!!!!!  (We both cried "tears of joy" at the Grave side; and I cried "tears of joy" as I drove back to work!!!)

BUT!!! The story DOES NOT end there...

Because MAMA JOE had given her heart to JESUS CHRIST-accepting HIM as her SAVIOR AND LORD, and because I (Barry) accepted JESUS as my SAVIOR and LORD...and CARRIE has accepted JESUS as her SAVIOR and LORD-----We will (in the LORD'S timing!!!)----- we will be in HEAVEN TOGETHER FOREVER!!!!!!!!!

Now. YOU who are reading this message---JOIN us in THANKING, PRAISING, and WORSHIPING GOD for HIS PERFECT LOVE, HIS ABOUNDING GRACE, and HIS RICH MERCY!!!!!!!!!  (Read 1 John 4:18/Romans 6:1/Ephesians 2:4 !!!!!!!!!). 

AND YOU MUST JOIN US in ACKNOWLEDGING JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR AND LORD_____SO THAT YOU CAN JOIN US ALL IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT DELAY!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Too soon.....the time 

WHEN SOMEONE'S NAME OR FACE COME'S TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE.....

The BEST thing to do in that situation is to PRAY FOR THEM!!!

According to Psalm 139:1-4 (Living Bible), GOD knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them.  And HE certainly is ready to answer our Prayers!!!

Of course, when that face or name comes to our mind---We might think that we don't know HOW best to pray for them...so we should just simply PRAY: "LORD, come YOUR kingdom, be done YOUR will" ---That is the BEST thing to pray!!!

Let me share with you a personal experience that illustrates that principle:

When I was a young man (Years ago!) I was working a full-time "day-job, AND also working at a convenience store on the "night-shift".  As the night shift person, one of my duties was to sweep and mop the entire floor each night.

Late on a particular evening, as I was mopping the floor, there was a customer in the store - he was playing a game on the "pinball machine".  (For you "younger people" that is similar to today's video games).

In order to mop the entire floor, I had to (kindly) ask the young man to move...so I could mop where he was standing.  The young man was not pleased...but he did move for a moment.

A while later, the young man left the store.

Another while later, I heard a car drive into the parking area, then I heard a loud noise and commotion at the door---Then, quickly two (2) policemen came in the door---and they explained to me the "commotion" that I had heard at the door---

The SAME YOUNG MAN that I had asked to move so I could mop---had driven into the parking area, got out of his car,,,and was walking toward the door with a KNIFE in his hand!!!

The policemen had been parked across the street - watching the store, then saw the young with the knife, stopped him, and took him away!!!

SOMEBODY WAS PRAYING FOR ME!!!!!!!!!

If the policemen had not been watching the store --- I would probably have been seriously injured, possibly killed!!!

And thus I would have missed seeing my two daughters grow up, I would have missed meeting and marrying my "wife-from GOD-MARY...AND our five wonderful grandsons, And our twin Great-Grandchildren that we have!!!

"Hear my prayer, O LORD: Answer my plea.  Let me see YOUR kindness to me in the Morning, for I am trusting YOU.  Show me where to walk, for I my prayer is sincere.  Help me to do YOUR will, for YOU are my GOD.  Lead me in good paths, for YOUR SPIRIT is GOOD." (Psalm 143: 1-10/THE LIVING BIBLE)

REMEMBER!!!  When that name, or that face comes to your mind---PRAY!!!!!!!!!  Someone will be HELPED!!!!!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

"CRYING OUT TO THE LORD (Restoration)

 The year was 1980---I remember in which house I was living---

I was recently divorced, working 2 jobs, lonely, depressed, angry, and suffering many of the results of being divorced.

I remember in which room I was sitting, in which chair I sat...anxious about both the present and the future...

At that time, I had ALREADY given my heart to JESUS CHRIST...so I got down on my knees behind the chair---and I cried out ....."OH GOD, I CANNOT LIVE this Christian life: YOU will just have to live it THROUGH me!!!!!

At the time, I realized that might not be the BEST way to phrase that cry---but that was the TRUTH from my HEART!!!

As I look back now, I realize that I was indeed confessing the genuine truth.

JESUS CHRIST ["THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE". (John 14:6)] said it this way:

"Abide in ME, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in ME.

"I AM the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in ME, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without ME you can do NOTHING." (John 15:4-5).  Not very long after that time of confessing/crying out that "I can't live this Christian life, YOU will have to live it out through me".....JESUS filled me with THE HOLY SPIRIT/"THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH---as HE says just a few verses later in John: "But when the HELPER comes, whom I shall send to you from the FATHER, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH WHO proceeds from the FATHER, HE will testify of ME.  And you also will bear witness because you have been with ME..." (John 15:26-27).

"HELPER" - parakletos - ("par-ak-LAY-toss"),,,[Strong's #3875.  The word signifies an intercessor, comforter, helper..."].

HOLY GOD OUR FATHER still has much to do in order to transform me into the image of JESUS (2 Corinthians 3:18); but "HE WHO has begun a good work in you WILL complete it..." (Philippians 1:6).

The word "Restoration" is in the subtitle at the top of this message...GOD is not restoring me ONLY to how I was before the divorce---INSTEAD HE is restoring me to the FULLNESS of "the life HE has planned for me" (Jeremiah 29:11).

A very IMPORTANT part of HIS restoration of me is that HE brought me together with MARY - a truly Godly woman who HE called (us) to become MAN AND WIFE.  Also, HE has restored me to the point that HE enables me to share JESUS with you through this blog and through the mail.  All of this HE is accomplishing by HIS GRACE; in NO WAY could I be restored by my own merit!!!

In (John 18:15-36) Peter DENIED JESUS three (3) times (verses 17-27).

Later on, JESUS three (3) times asked (Peter)-"Do you love ME?" Peter answered 'Yes' 3 times.

Still later, after JESUS' resurrection, Peter "LED" the disciples of JESUS (Acts 1:15-26); and Peter preached at Pentecost and >"3,000 souls were added to them"!!!

HOLY GOD is ABLE and EAGER to RESTORE ALL OF US!!!!!!!!!

May I boldly urge EACH and EVERY ONE of us to submit to GOD - asking HIM to restore us!!!!!!!!!

HE IS ABLE!!!  HE IS READY!!!  HE IS WAITING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!   

"EYE WITNESSES OF MAJESTY"!!!!!!!!!

 (II PETER 1:13 - 19)

"...Yes...It is right, as long as I live in this (body), to stir you up by 

reminding you...For JESUS CHRIST received from GOD the FATHER honor and glory when such a voice came to HIM from

THE EXCELLENT GLORY:  'This is MY BELOVED SON,

in WHOM I AM well pleased,'

     And we heard THIS VOICE which came from heaven when we

were with HIM on the holy mountain.  ...we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST {we} were eye witnesses of HIS majesty."

     MAJESTY (meg-al-eye-OT-ace); Strong's # 3168: Sublimity, grandeur, glory, magnificence, splendor, superbness, greatness.  (Luke 9:43),

     King David (Jesus' ancestor) (Matthew 1:6-17), reigned over all Israel (2 Samuel 8:15),  JESUS THE MESSIAH shall reign FOREVER over Israel and ALL nations!!!

On an early morning in early March...I was watching the sunrise and it was SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!   The whole eastern sky was a beautiful pink color---that continued to expand---It was just TRANSPORTING me in joy and AWE of GOD---and HE gave to me understanding to put into

 words what I was SEEING and FEELING:

"O HOLY GOD!!! YOU write MAJESTY in the skies with every sunset and every sunrise.

YOU write MAJESTY in our eyes---so that we can SEE YOUR MAJESTY!!!

YOU write MAJESTY in our hearts!!!

Because of YOUR MAJESTY...we are together forever---never apart.

O Worship HIS  MAJESTY!!!

JESUS WHO DIED___NOW GLORIFIED  FOREVER MORE!!!!!!

Now, YOU join me in WORSHIP OF JESUS!!!!!!!!!