A GOD Incident!

 

Hi Everybody, It's early in the morning. Actually I woke at 6 and was wide awake. I immediately started thinking about the book I had just finished. It was about praying... Actually, I realized as I got back into it, that it was my second reading--I always highlight books so recognized the parts that were important to me. Why, then, on the second read, had I stopped at a specific part. Yes, It was about praying...You see, I'm one of those that was talked about in the book, Be With Him Be Like Him Cultivate your prayer life, by Vincent H. Chough. I find it hard to actually spend a specific time to talk--to take time to be with the Holy Spirit, with GOD! So, I was feeling a little intimated by what the book was saying, about scheduling a specific time...wow! I was scheduling one thing or another practically my entire life, professionally... Was I now having to, in my retirement, schedule my times with Jesus?

Sooo, like the reader I am, I went on to finish the book, a second time, sleepy of course--which the book actually said I or many would be when they start to think about praying, especially at night... For the record, for health reasons, I've been taking a set of prescribed pills to help me sleep, which I monitor with my doctor... I had been in so much pain before my hip replacement surgery that I couldn't sleep, that I needed a little help...It goes with age, I guess... 

Anyway, as I said I woke at 6 and was wide awake. I immediately started to pray for my BBF, crying out to the Lord... OMG, I had just cried out to the Lord, which the book said was the highest form, when we are in great need and knew God would help...

I stopped and smiled. and laid there silently, calmly... Take Time to be Holy popped into my mind...so I sang the words... Take Time to be Holy, Speak Oft with the Lord, Abide in Him Always, and Feed on His Word, Spend time with God's Children, Help Those wo are weak, And thinking always, His Pleasure to Seek.

Gently, quietly I started hearing the Holy Spirit. For me, It always comes into my left ear, but higher, than my ear...as if it is in some secret spot within my brain--I wonder now, Is That Where the Holy Spirit Resides? I kinda imagined that it would be in the heart...but, as I think about it, it makes sense to reside where my words are to be found...and used... 

And then I was on to the next part of praying...praise him... Immediately I started singing Joyful, Joyful we adore thee, God of Glory, Lord of Love, Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, filling us with the light of love... Oh, I might get a few words wrong, but the words I find are normally about loving and GOD. Now, as an aside, I've been thinking about "Sister Act" because of another book I've finished, Restless for Reparation. I'll be spotting that and the author soon...

And, quietly, again, the memories flooded me... For years (at least up until I started taking meds that would put me to sleep - and may need to reconsider that soon), yes, for years I had spent time singing before falling to sleep. Oh, not out loud, but in my head, the songs I had learned came quickly and easily to mind. They might have been somebody else's words...yeah, a reader tends to do that...find words that are meaningful and remember them... and always, it seemed, the proper song would come to mind...if I were upset and couldn't sleep, for instance...the words would come, Be Not Dismayed wha'ere betide, God Will Take Care of You...

I will often sing the first verse over and over until I was feeling calmer...then move on to, say, Victory in Jesus, maybe, or. as I got older, I would start singing songs that related to my aging, Each Step I Take, with a new slant of meaning...Each step I take just leads me closer to home...

And then I knew, I was being told that, yes, the book will be helpful to some in learning how to talk to God...but each of us will, if we ask for His Presence, will indeed have the Holy Spirit to guide us as to how to spend time with Him... And, as my Mom used to say, Glenda, just play the piano and allow me to listen... I knew, then, that singing words written by others, but used by me to speak of my need, was...just...fine...with...my...Jesus...

One of my favorites and maybe yours?

But that's not the end of the Incident... So reading the books I've been spending time with, often had references from the Bible. I was led to go to Amazon to see if the Bible might be an ebook now, which would allow easier reading with my eye issues... Wow! Did you know that all Bibles are free on Amazon? And I don't think it was a special sale! So if you use an ebook, check it out! It sure is easy to move from one book to another, which happens to be the Bible and check the reference immediately.

Well, I was sleepy, but had also finished the book on praying and still not totally ready to close my eyes... I opened up the Bible and started with Acts. That had been the book that was being mentioned often... And read the first seven chapters until I closed the reader for the night...

At 6AM, I picked up the reader, and opened Kindle, it was on the page where I had stopped... This was after I had awoke and sang a couple of songs, in my head... Here is what the Lord shared:

Reading from the American Standard Version,

Acts: 8-1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison. 4 They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. 5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. 6 And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. 7 For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was much joy in that city. 

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great. 11 And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed. 14 Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: 16 for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. 23 For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. 24 And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. 26 But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.; 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Cæsarea. 

9-1 But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven: 4 and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: Stopping as guided...

Soooo, many of you know that I have had a heavy heart because of how the seeming "merge" of church and politics has resulted in a divided nation...and even divided families... As you know, I finished recently Michael L. Bown's the Political Seduction of the Church: How Millions of American Christians Have Confused Politics with the Gospel. I will continue sharing chapter by chapter as previously indicated... But, of course, when God Speaks, I kinda think I should listen to Him first...👵

The first word that struck me in the scripture was a great persecution of the church. Indeed, we all feel that something has gone wrong with the church...but what is it, we've been asking. This was just after Stephen had been murdered! Violence against the church...Certainly we are seeing, witnessing, and, yes, talking and praying about how violence had become part of the actions in relation to the church...

Again, I picked out the next words that caught attention and am giving you my thoughts...they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions... My first thought was one I use often--that Jesus has asked that we go out and talk about Him...NOT use violence or coercion of any kind, except our love, to bring others to Christ... So while Saul and others who were speaking against the men of Jesus, the apostles went out into lands that were not normally those who would know of this new faith...and performed miracles to those, even, of different faiths... And love and healing was their message!

But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. One man, yes, one man there at the time of threats, slaughter, and murder continued his violence against all who followed Christ... Of course, you know who I at once thought of...for he has incited much violence against the lord of love, yet many think him the messiah, according to Dr. Brown...

And then God said to Saul Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Can I assume what I believe is right? That Christ has said, I see how you all are persecuting all my followers, the Christians... using violence when love is what I taught...? One of the points that Dr. Brown made is that some are saying that Trump is like Cyrus (or Saul, perhaps) in that God has chosen to change our former president for His Good Use... But, of course, Dr. Brown and I both agree... what is happening is not a revival of love, a giving to share with our neighbors in need... In fact, many of other faiths have been banned from coming to America...and those already in America who are of a different religion, are being persecuted...just as Saul and many leaders at that time, did to Christ. Where is the love that the apostles went out to share with others who knew not Jesus...yet...but were found and given His Spirit! 

Soooo, folks, how do you feel about what I've shared. Is the entire event a God Incident?! I think so... I believe that Christ is watching--Indeed the Holy Trinity is involved! Spend time asking and listening for answers... and, if you think about it, share and discuss my words with others who are wondering, worrying, and waiting... Because, there is ONE Thing I do know! God Indeed is In Control! America WILL BE REUNITED WITH ALL PEOPLES OF ALL NATIONS LIVING TOGETHER, BEING NEIGHBORS... And, learning about Jesus as we who Believe His Words, from those of us who speak of love...not hate...

My Burden is to read as many books that are out there, giving knowledge...recent information, thoughtful commentary... I know books are expensive, and I'm able to read and share with you as I am guided...and concerned about what has and is happening... Leave comments or ask questions...or even disagree with me, telling me why... But, do, I pray, seek Truth! God's Truth - His Love... Don't forget that the author of the Political Seduction book also has AskDrBrown...so go directly to an expert of the evangelical christian faith...seek out the WHY? We all have a responsibility to help ensure the future goes where God is LOVE!