TODAY'S PRAYER

The prayer Paul prayed for the church of Thessalonica suits me fine, because I've been falutin' around long enough in regard to two wonderful people that I suspect love life, love each other, but haven't yet met the greatest lover of all, Jesus Christ.

You can know them by DV and RV, a pair in their eighties, I'm guessing.  One has had a stroke and the other takes care of the stroke victim.  They are precious friends to me, and I read to the one who has had the stroke.

Now this prayer comes at a time when I simply don't know quite what to do.  I work as a volunteer within a program that might not like me to make any suggestions about their salvation.  I am not even good enough to be called an amateur in this kind of contest, but I do believe in prayer for myself and others, and believe me this is a great time to do that and ask the rest of the world to pray about that, too.  I need help from the Holy Spirit!  So this blog must be in the form of a prayer.  Here goes......

Lord, I read in 1 Thessalonica, Chap 3, verse 11, the letter from Paul who is praying for his friends there to have success in reaching others and himself to have success in coming to them again. "May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you!  And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you!" And in my own words, Lord, I pray that you will clear the way for me or someone to enlighten DV and RV about you.  Thank you, Lord, for giving me the gift of their friendship and bringing someone, even me, who will reveal you to them. Thank you, Lord. AMEN

I hope you will join me in this prayer and feel free to add any other person's name  you might like to know the Lord, too.

I hope you had a grand Thanksgiving Day.  We all have so much to be thankful for, even in these serious times. We spent a wonderful week in a little town in Wisconsin  called Elroy, just full of good, friendly people! A delightful visit with my sisters, Shirley, who had us at her home, and Judy, whom we visited briefly in St. Paul, MN.  Two people to whom I owe a lot!  Thanks, Lord!!

Once again, Jo

THE OLD BARN HOLDS THE SON OF GOD

GAL.2:18 says, "If I was "trying to be good", I would be re-building the same old barn that I tore down.  I would be acting as a charlatan."  (THE MESSAGE)

Paul had been a good Jew, rule-keeping, following all the laws set up by Judism.  He must have had a little trouble originally denying those rules and letting himself be built anew by God Himself.  Paul found that God saw to it that Paul was automatically good; he didn't have to try to be good for himself.  God saw to it by leading Paul away from sinfulness.  Paul obeyed God.  The rules no longer were a matter to be concerned about.

I have a hangup that I have mentioned before.  It is difficult for me to trust that I am completely God's woman as I wonder if I am sometimes motivated by wanting attention. I  even worry about it.....Am I full of God, or am I mostly Jo? My weaknesses do prevail. I have enough ego to fill the barn which is probably what makes me think I should be less weak than I am. Sounds like pride to me and this whole thing is probably a scheme of Satan's. Help!

Why am I not OK just being ordinary me?  How can I grasp totally that the perfection of Jesus is within me? I may hide it once and awhile, but it is there!  I trust that completely! Die, self!  Die!

I've decided I cannot have heaven without dying.  I thought self had been slain, but I think I have kept self alive and have been torturing her. Satan needs to be put to death once and for all, and Jo needs to be freed to be totally One with Jesus.

I am like an ordinary vessel that carries within me a wonderful elixer that can be potent in the lives of others.  But I see my vessel holding the elixer as a worn, tarnished jar.  Oh, who cares?  The elixer is potent and can find its way into the heart of the most reluctant because it is perfect!  It is beautiful, tantalizing, warming, desirable and it smells wonderful!  It's fragrance impels others to say,"I  want some, too!  I want to be like Jesus, too!"

And inside or outside we become His.  I am His.  That is the only bragging rights I have.  I am Just Ordinary. But I am His.  Inside, I am His.  Outside, I am His.  And what I do or say, I do and say because I am His.  And I do not whine because I am not perfect.  (I think I am done with this now.  I certainly hope so.) God chose me and He chooses perfectly. I am imperfectly perfect.  The Old Barn Holds God's Son!

Get a move on, Jo.  Get that barn door open!  Thanks be to God!