Acts 14:8-:8-10 Just believe in the wonder and power of God in our lives!

 Matthew 9:28–29

And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 

In the measure that we believe in the power of God to do what we cannot is the measure that we can receive from Him. It is in His power to change us and heal us. he does this in the salvation that He offers us. in the name of Jesus the anointed of God His goodness and mercy is shown in those who believe. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and with Him nothing is impossible! To God alone all glory. Carla

Acts 14:8-10

8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. (NKJV)

The Roman poet Ovid told of an ancient legend in which Zeus and Hermes came to the Phrygian hill country disguised as mortals seeking lodging. After being turned away from a thousand homes, they found refuge in the humble cottage of an elderly couple. In appreciation for the couple’s hospitality, the gods transformed the cottage into a temple with a golden roof and marble columns. All the houses of the inhospitable people were then destroyed. This ancient legend may be the reason that the people treated Paul and Barnabas as gods. After witnessing the healing of the cripple, they did not want to make the same mistake as their ancestors. The NKJV Study Bible

Even when Paul and Barnabas are accepted after healing a lame man, they find that the non-Jewish people in Lystra misunderstand their message. Faithlife Study Bible

Acts 3:2

And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 

Acts 3:8

So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 

When life does indeed feel upside down, we ask, “How can I ever make a difference in a broken world?”
“What does it mean to create safe places?”
“How can we create places of sanity and sanctuary?”
Well that’s just it, so let us begin here: We—every one of us—do make a difference in the small world.
The small world is the place where we stand. Today.
It is the place where we care, and where we give a damn. And hug and give and try and love and fall down, and get up and repent, and cry and embrace, and challenge and reconcile and heal. Where we stand up—knowing we will not “close our eyes” to injustice—because we choose to make a difference with mercy and kindness.

So. I put my pen down. (Yes, I do indeed write Sabbath Moment with a nib pen.)
And head outside, to wander a wee bit. The sun still high in the sky, and the warmth is reviving and energizing on my skin. And the garden gifts instantly catch my eye. And I smile real big. Anemone blooms—as if faces of laughter, and exuberance. A hummer is at the saliva, here for his afternoon happy hour—and still flapping his wings 50 to 80 times per second. And in the grass nearby, a wood frog lingers, so I chatted with him a wee bit. On one of the roses, new buds, promising Autumn offerings. This I do know, the garden and nature gifts remind you that any “time piece” is of no need, or importance.

Yesterday, my Atlantic magazine arrived. The first article, “The Missing Ingredient of Modern Life. Why we need wonder,” by Ian Bogost.
“I’ve come to believe that wonder, the most immense of our sensations, is the antidote. Wonder can rise up anywhere,” he writes.
Oh my. Yes. And Amen.
And now, it’s paradigm shift time. The question is not, “Where did you feel unsettled or undone today?”
Rather, “Today, where did you see, find, savor wonder?”
“Where did you embrace passion and the delight of wholeheartedness?”
The good news: wonder is not detoured by life's unkindness.
The Celtic church had a word for these moments of transformation. They called them thin places. “A thin place is anywhere our hearts are opened,” writes Marcus Borg. “They are places where the boundary between the two levels becomes very soft, porous, permeable. Thin places where the veil momentarily lifts, and we behold (the ‘ahaah of The Divine’) all around us and in us.” Sabbath Moments

There is no one righteous, no not one, but Christ and Him crucified for the sins of the world.

 There is no such thing as deserving. None.

No one is owed anything. 
One’s work, behavior, virtue or sin is irrelevant.
God loves each of us the same—infinitely—
according to God’s love, not our “deserving.”
God is free from our past:
God’s love isn’t determined by what we’ve done.
The devil wants you to fear 
that God doesn’t really forgive, doesn’t just plain love, 
but demands some kind of transaction,
some making up for something, 
some reward or punishment, some quid pro quo. 
This is how Satan gets us to eat the fruit of the Tree 
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Oh, how smart we are.

Jesus will have none of it. 
He rips at our secure place in the caste system
(not up with the saints but higher than those people… ).
And he rips at our assuming to measure.
And our assuming (how handy for us!)
we are owed more than others.

Listen: Everybody gets God’s love, everybody the same.

Listen to your heart when I say that.
Everybody gets God’s love just the same. Everybody.
Even you know who. 
What in you wants to say, “But….”?
Is that God’s voice.. or something else? 
Why do you fight against the infinity of God’s love?
What is the fear, the hurt you hang onto?
What if you were to let go, and let God love? 
What if there is no deserving, but only giving and receiving? 
What if you are one of those who is given 
way more than you earned? 
Will you fuss… or just say thanks?
— Steve Garnaas-Holmes, “Quid Pro Quo”

Proverbs 3:15-18 Happiness is found in the wisdom of God!

 Job 28:17–19 

Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,

Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,

For the price of wisdom is above rubies…

We can ask for wisdom and we will find it. God promises that all who seek find and all that knock the door will be opened. In good times and in the bad we can seek the wisdom of Holy Spirit and it will be given to us. We are not left alone but we do have to listen to His voice. The wisdom of God is priceless it cannot be bought. We can ask for the wisdom to be a doers  of what is right and fair. Carla

Proverbs 3:15-18

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,

And the man who gains understanding;

14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,

And her gain than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies,

And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16 Length of days is in her right , hand,

In her left hand riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,

And happy are all who retain her. (NKJV)

Happy: The beatitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew  5:3–12) work much the way these verses do. The Hebrew term blessed is an explosive word: “O the manifold happiness of” (Psalm 1:1). It implies that God is truly pleased. The person who has discovered wisdom has found a priceless treasure. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden and forbidden access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22–24), but wisdom is another tree of life and will begin to restore the lost happiness of Paradise. The NKJV Study Bible

wisdom (Heb. chokmah) (3:13; 1 Kin. 4:29) Strong’s #2451: the most common use of chokmah is in reference to wisdom in daily living. This is the sense of the word as it is used throughout Proverbs, which teaches that true wisdom involves not only intelligence but also moral integrity (8:7–9). Because a sinful lifestyle is ultimately self-destructive, wisdom is extolled as the only path to a full and fruitful life (3:13–26). The source of wisdom is God, who by wisdom, founded the earth (3:19), numbered the clouds (Job 38:37), and made the world (Jeremiah 10:12). He alone can provide men and women with the wisdom to live righteously (2:6; Job 11:6) The NKJV Study Bible

This brief hymn extolling wisdom begins by asserting that the one who finds wisdom and understanding is “blessed” or “happy” (Proverbs 3:13). Wisdom is then compared to silver, gold, and precious stones (verses 14–15). Wisdom is more valuable than any of these substances (Job 28:15–19) because of its benefits, which can include long life, riches, honor, and peace (Proverbs 3:15–18). Finally, the hymn describes how Yahweh used wisdom in creation (verses  19–20). Faithlife Study Bible

Genesis 2:9

And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Proverbs 8:17–21

I love those who love me,

And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring riches and righteousness…

Revelations 2:7

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

Matthew 11:28–30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…

When I see acts of courage, I see heroism, and I don't see myself.
Or I see how far I have to go.
Or I see how far short I have fallen.
But I do understand tired.
And I do understand discouraged.
And I do understand the end of my resources.
And I do understand that it is not easy to be gentle with yourself.
It is not easy to embrace and be embraced by grace and self-care.
But care of any kind begins with self-care, honoring moments of wellbeing and healing.
And this we know: from that place, spills light.
Light that is healing for those who have been left out.
Light that is soothing for those who are feeling alone and afraid.
Light that is restorative for those needing shelter in moments of sanctuary and grace.

“I keep asking myself, what is mine to do, now. Every day, every moment: what's the most creative, loving, courageous, and authentic way that I can show up now?” Thank you, Miki Kashtan.

This week, we’re telling—and embracing—stories about what it means to say, “No”, to indifference.
My friend; this week…
Show up—be a voice where you live.
Be the giver and dispenser of blessings.
Know that deep down there is a light that cannot be extinguished by hatred or judgment or cynicism or fear. Sabbath Moments

Romans 8:26-27 Holy Spirit is the heart of God for His creation!

 John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son and together with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified. You have spoken in the past through Your Prophets and now we listen for Your still, small voice to guide us and direct us in our lives here on earth. He is the lover of our souls. He wants nothing more than to transform us into the character of His Son, Jesus. Thank You for loving us! Carla

Romans 8:26-27

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (NKJV)

Though more may be involved in the concept of weaknesses, the primary reference here is to mental ignorance. The contrast offered by Paul in this verse is between our inability to know how to pray and the effective prayers of the Spirit Himself. The emphasis indicates that the Spirit Himself prays for us. He intercedes on our behalf before the throne of God   (1 John 2:1). But His intercession cannot be uttered, which means it is “unexpressed, unspoken.” No language is in view here, only the inner groanings of the Spirit.

As children of God, we do not always know what to pray for or how best to pray but we can know the purpose of God which the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish. The primary reference of all things is the “sufferings of this present time” (verse 18). All circumstances will work together in cooperation for the believer’s good—that is, the believer will be conformed to Jesus Christ now and reign with Him later. 

Those who love God are in fact those who are the called by God. Our love is our response to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We are called according to His purpose. God does everything, including redemption, in order to accomplish His overarching plan. The NKJV Study Bible

Our weakness refers to people’s limited capacity and susceptibility to sin and death. Paul encourages the Roman believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness. Spirit himself intercedes. Even with the assurance of future hope, believers who patiently endure suffering may, at times, face troubles that exhaust their strength and try their faith. Paul urges such believers to find encouragement in the intercession the Holy Spirit makes on their behalf in these circumstances. This is one aspect of how the Holy Spirit serves as an advocate (paraklētos) for followers of Christ. Unexpressed groanings may refer to the groaning of the Holy Spirit or the groaning of the believer.  The one who searches our hearts is an expression of God’s omniscience (Acts 1:24; 2:23; 15:8). Paul tells the believers that God continues to work on their behalf, especially when they do not know what to pray for.  Faithlife Study Bible

Ephesians  6:18

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Matthew 20:22

But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”They said to Him, “We are able.”

Romans 8:15–16

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 

Romans 8:34

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

This week, we’re telling—and embracing—stories about what it means to say, “No”, to indifference.
Gratefully, throughout history, people, very ordinary people have taken exception to scripts (and stories) of hopelessness and exclusion. Exception to stories of hate. And violence.
Very ordinary people have taken on “the impossible” time and time again.
And the good news? It comes from who we are.
It spills from the inside out.
Because here's the deal: This capacity—for love, compassion, kindness, truth, forgiveness, justice, restoration—is within. Every one of us. These are the armaments of the Spirit.

Nelson Mandela reminded us that “No one is born hating another person... People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Let us pause, and digest that: We are hardwired to not hurt each other. Which means that if we hate, we have to dehumanize one another. (Now we’re back to the power of choice.)

And yes, we know that “it is wiser to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
But let's be honest. Sometimes life is dark and not fun. Adversity is real. Life can be cruel. (People can be crueler.) Suffering happens. Suffering hurts. We reach a tipping point. And finding a candle is not always easy, let alone the motivation to light it. 

And today, we can take a bite out of apathy.

We can take a bite out of intolerance. Out of small-mindedness. Out of unkindness. Out of cruelty. Out of shame. And out of fear. Sabbath Moments

Lord of life and love.

We pray for the world

in all its brokenness.

May peace overcome war,

may love overcome hate,

may generosity overcome greed,

may gentleness overcome pride,

that the earth may be filled

with your glory, and peace.

Amen

Words by Jenny Child

Isaiah 41:12-13. God holds us in His hands!

 Isaiah  41:10

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The Tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.” Fr. Fulton J. Sheen

The only thing we need to fear is fear itself. Our future is  in the hands of God. He never leaves us or turns His back on us. He cares for us! We are safe in His hands to do good works and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can do small things with great love. Peace, His peace, He gives to us. Not the peace that this world offers us but His peace which is beyond our understanding in times of turmoil. God cares for us!. Blessed is He who takes away the sins of the world. Carla

Isaiah 41:12-13

12 You shall seek them and not find them—

Those who contended with you.

Those who war against you

Shall be as nothing,

As a nonexistent thing.

13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ (NKJV)

The Lord will hold the exile’s right hand (42:6) just as He held the hand of Moses (63:12). The Lord is with them; they have nothing to fear. The NKV Study Bible

God is behind their power. Having God at your right hand assured victory.  Faithlife Study Bible

Isaiah 42:6

“I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the Gentiles,

Psalm 73:23

Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

Isaiah  41:14

“Fear not, you worm Jacob,

You men of Israel!

I will help you,” says the LORDAnd your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

In his book, “A Pretty Good Person”, Lewis Smedes wrote: “A federal judge had ordered New Orleans to open its public school to African-American children. The white parents decided that, if they had to let black children in, they would keep their children out. They let it be known that any black children who came to school would be in for trouble. So the black children stayed home, too.
Except Ruby Bridges. Her parents sent her to school all by herself, six years old.
Every morning she walked alone through a heckling crowd to an empty school. White people lined up on both sides of the way and shook their fists at her. They threatened to do terrible things to her if she kept coming to their school. But every morning at ten minutes to eight Ruby walked, head up, eyes ahead, straight through the mob.
Two U.S. marshals walked ahead of her and two walked behind her. Then she spent the day alone with her teachers inside that big, silent school building.

Harvard professor Robert Coles was curious about what went into the making of courageous children like Ruby Bridges. He talked to Ruby's mother and reported what she said. ‘There's a lot of people who talk about doing good, and a lot of people who argue about what's good and what's not good,’ but there are other folks who ‘just put their lives on the line for what's right.’”
And I say, “Amen”.

I am also telling this story today, because September 8th was Ruby’s 72nd birthday. Happy Birthday Ruby, and thank you, for the light you continue to spill as a peacemaker and healer.

Whether we recognize it or not, all of us are born with moral courage. True, it does get buried in stuff, and noise, and fear. But it is there. It is the willingness to stand up for what is right, even when it is uncomfortable, unpopular, or risky. It is speaking out against injustice, challenging unethical behavior, and refusing to compromise our values—even when silence feels safer. “Sabbath Moments”