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GOD Ran to reunite one with the community

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The church where I attend started a new sermon series on prayer last week. One thing that really stood out to me was a question our pastor asked, “Do you pray to get to know GOD or just give Him your list?” Ouch 🤕! So, this week I have been asking GOD to show me something new about Himself.

Earlier this week it came to me that He is ALL the things I speak: He is Creator of everything, He is Sustainer of ALL things, He is All-powerful, He is Sovereign, He is in control, He is Eternal, He is Healer, He is Provider, He is Mighty…and so MUCH more! AND this is the GOD Who lives in me and in you, if you have received JESUS as your LORD and Savior.

This should not be new to me. It causes a new awe in me. And I just thought to ask Him, What does that mean? How should that change things for me and for others.

The other thing I learned last night as I was watching “When strivings cease” session 3. Ruth was reading the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and talking about it.

I have heard about how the father must have habitually looked for the son because he saw the son while he “was still a long way off” and the father “filled with compassion, ran out to his son” (Luke 15:20). In JESUS’ time, it was a shameful thing for a man to lift his robes to run.

I had never really thought about the fact that the father ran because he knew if someone else met the son first, he would be publicly humiliated for shaming his family. It would have been shocking to everyone for the father to run to this son.

I didn’t know that a custom in JESUS’ day was, if a son lost his inheritance to Gentiles, and if he dared return to the community, the people would meet him at the gate with a vase. The vase would be thrown down so that it broke into many pieces to represent the guilt and shame – and the broken relationship – not just to the family, but also to the community. So the son would be basically excommunicated from the community.

The father in JESUS’ story saw the son from afar and ran to meet him. The father didn’t just want to mend a relationship with himself, but he wanted to mend the relationship with the community too! WHOA!!

This is SOOOOOO JESUS, SOOOO GOD! He didn’t just send JESUS to repair the relationship between Himself and man, but to repair the relationships between people. He desires us to love GOD with all our hearts, minds and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

JESUS was and is in the process of rescuing and restoring everything. He loves us so MUCH!

It’s so exciting to learn new things about GOD. I challenge you, if all your prayers to GOD are to go to Him with a list, spend the next week seeking GOD to know something new about Himself.

AND please share with me what He shows you!

GOD bless you supernaturally as you seek to know Him more.

What’s Your SuperPower?

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Have you ever thought about what your superpower would be?  I thought it might be cool to be like Jesus and be able to read people’s thoughts (Matthew 9:4, Luke 5:22). Or maybe to be able to be like something my Grandpa used to say, “I’d love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation!” Not that I want to be a fly on the wall, but rather to be able to make myself small enough to not be seen.

This weekend I got the opportunity to drive a 12-year old foster girl to a swim lesson. We’ve been around each other several times so she felt comfortable talking and asking questions.

She asked, “If you could have any superpower, what would you have?”

I was really surprised that I was able to answer off the cuff, “I don’t need to want a superpower, because I already have one!”

I glanced briefly to the passenger seat to see a very confused looking girl. “You do? What?”prayer_is_my_superpower_pillow-r98e210c51dba4e26a218c9e4e8f4b433_6s309_8byvr_307

Looking back to the road I answered, “Prayer is my superpower.”

“I talk to the GOD of all Creation and He listens.” I briefly paused and then said, “And He answers me too!”

She, completely wowed, asked, “Really?”

“Yes,” I said. “He even moves heaven and earth on my behalf!”

“NO WAY!” She said amazed.

I asked her what superpower she would have if she could have one. She answered, “The one you have!”

I said, “Well, you already have this superpower because you made Jesus your Savior. You are my sister-in-Christ and daughter of the Father GOD. All you have to do is talk to Him and He will listen. And He will answer and move on your behalf.”

She was very excited to know that she too has a superpower. It was fun to think of prayer as a superpower!

If you could have any superpower, what would you have?

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