September 3, 2023

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday September 03RD 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Yesterday afternoon I saw “The Hill” at the movie theatre. It’s a faith-based true story about a young baseball player with a disability and his family including his Pastor Dad in a small town in Texas. The story was uplifting, and I enjoyed every minute of it. 4 stars. “A+”. I recommend !

This morning I’ll be checking out a new church here in Sebring. I’ve decided to leave my first church here in my new hometown after about 4½ months. I’m looking forward to a new Pastor and a new church family to meet and greet.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another – especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT)

And now here on #SundayScripture it’s the continuation of the refresh, renew, and reboot of my sermon on “Pray & Believe” – originally preached on Sunday June 16TH 2019. Here’s Part 6:

[CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK]

So back to our story on King Herod of Judea. In 44 A.D. – some 10 or 11 years after the death and resurrection of Christ – King Herod had the apostle James (the brother of John) killed with a sword. Now this is a different James than the James that I preached on for much of 2018. That James was the half-brother of Jesus Himself. This James – son of Zebedee – was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. In fact he may have been the first of the 12 to join Jesus. He was also the first to be murdered for his faith. The other James – the one that I preached on for much of 2018 – (and into 2019) – well – he began his letter – what we now know as the Book Of James – about 5 years later – addressing it to the 12 tribes – the Jewish believers that were scattered abroad due to persecution.

So King Herod had the apostle James killed with a sword, and he continued the momentum by arresting Peter during Passover of that same year – 44 A.D. He sent Peter to jail where he was heavily guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. There was no way that Peter could possibly escape … or was there ?

While Peter was in prison – the church prayed very earnestly for him. (Acts 12:5)

You know that God answers the earnest – the intentional prayers of His believers and followers – His holy people ? I know that. I hope that you know that too. God answers your prayers. Are you talking to Him ?

I’ve asked God for miracles – big miracles – impossible miracles – life-changing miracles – over these past 17 years of this journey. Guess what I got ? I got miracles ! I know I’m not alone. I’m looking at miracles – beautiful living miracles – here in this church body. I am in the presence of miracles, for with God – who we are all in the presence of – all things are possible. There is always a way with God.

You know that none of us are supposed to be here. If the enemy had his way – we wouldn’t be here. This church body wouldn’t exist. We probably wouldn’t know each other. Some of us wouldn’t be alive today. But we are. And we’re here. And God put us together as His church body in this place. He did that intentionally. We are not here by accident. We are not here by coincidence. We are His holy people. We are His disciples. We are His messengers. We are His miracles. (Everyone say “miracles”.) We belong to each other. We need each other.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.