Some Interesting Sunday Adventures

Thankfully, "Hurricane Isaias" has been pretty much a non-event here where we live. These are the skies at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Yes, there is a slight breeze, as you can tell by the waving American flag...

And we have had a passing shower or two or three throughout the day, but pretty much this is how it has looked all day...right now as I look out my window, the sun is shining brightly again.  So we are very thankful that this storm has passed us by.  I don't think it is actually even here just yet. We may get more rain and wind throughout the night tonight, but I don't see anything too scary in the forecast.

If anything changes I will be sure to let you know tomorrow!  But for now, I am breathing a sigh of relief. I mean, we got so little rain that I had to go outside and water my plants that were wilting from the heat that I didn't water yesterday because I thought we would be getting so much rain today! I guess that's a good problem to have. I am not complaining. I am praising the Lord.

So how has your Sunday been?  We've actually had a wonderful day.  Here is a link to our Sunday morning worship service, which was recorded by our pastor ahead of time for those who still prefer to do online worship.  However, his message from Joshua chapter 3 is what we also had in  our "in person" service this morning. We've been enjoying his messages each week from the book of Joshua.

 

If you are interested in hearing the whole series on Joshua, you can click on this LINK HERE to check out the other messages on the "Sermons" tab.  

Be sure to start at the beginning so you can hear and see our Praise team singing "He's Ever Interceding".  If you look real closely you might see yours truly. We enjoy recording these songs for the online service, but then we also sing live on Sunday mornings. We just have to be sure to be distanced from the congregation when we sing to make sure we don't  share any "droplets". Praise God He's ever interceding for His children in all these things...

And He's Ever Interceding

"Someone who'll go the extra mile

Just like a mother caring for her child

A friend who'll stick through thick and thin

No matter what you've done or where you've been

Just like one great big family

A stronger older brother He will be

So quick and ready to defend

The younger, weaker, to the end

And He's ever interceding

to the Father for His children

Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own

Through Him you can reach the Father

So bring Him all your heavy burdens

Yes, He's ever interceding

So come boldly to the throne

Just like sheep we'd gone astray

struggling beneath a debt we could not pay

not ever hoping to renew, the love and fellowship that we once knew

But He began to intercede, crying "Father please forgive, I plead."

And as the nails pierced in His hands

God once again reached out to man

And He's ever interceding

to the Father for His children

Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own

Through Him you can reach the Father

So bring Him all your heavy burdens

Yes, He's ever interceding

So come boldly to the throne."

I wanted to make a little correction to my post from YESTERDAY.  I had posted a picture of this bird below, and said that I thought it was a "Cooper's Hawk".  However, our friend Diane over at Lavender Dreams  sent me a message and said that she thought it could actually be a Mississippi Kite. So I looked it up, and sure enough, she was correct. So I stand corrected, and I thank Diane for helping out with that. This Mississippi Kite has been showing up every evening lately, perched high on the top of this pine tree. 

He looks quite regal up there.

However, the local Blue Jays are not at all pleased with his presence. You can see one in the picture below. They fly all around the "Kite" and buzz right into his space, letting him know that he is an intruder in their territory, and he is not welcome.  After a while of taking this "abuse", the Kite decides to fly away and go elsewhere...but he usually comes back again later.  

It is interesting to watch how the bird kingdom handles threats from outside predators. They do not put up with those whom they consider to be a threat to their families and society.  Even though the blue jays are much smaller in size, they find their strength in sticking together and driving out the enemy before he can do harm to their youngsters or rob their nests.  Even though the Mississippi Kite is an attractive bird, the Blue Jays are not fooled by his good looks. They know that he is the enemy of their own kingdom, and they drive him away.

I Peter 5:8-9 reminds us:

"Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,

seeking whom he may devour.

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, 

knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."

To end on a pleasant note, while I was watching the activity in the treetops with the Mississippi Kite (which is a kind of hawk)  and the Blue Jays, this different kind of "hawk", or Dragonfly, which is also known as a mosquito hawk because he eats mosquitoes, was doing some interesting acrobatics on the top of the rooster weather vane on the deck: 

I'm not sure what he found so interesting on the top of the Rooster's "coxcomb", but he stayed there and studied it thoroughly and allowed me to enjoy watching him do his exercise routine:

It's not every day you get to watch a Dragonfly doing acrobatics on the top of a rooster's coxcomb, now is it?  I didn't think so.

I hope you have enjoyed this little adventure from my part of the world today.

Praying that life is pleasant and peaceful wherever you may be,

and remember, even if things are not so pleasant and peaceful in your world,  we have One Who goes to battle for us, to protect us from the enemies of our soul. His name is Jesus Christ...

And He's ever interceding

to the Father for His children

Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own

Through Him you can reach the Father

So bring Him all your heavy burdens

Yes, He's ever interceding

So come boldly to the throne."

Amen.

Sermon Notes: God Gives Second Chances

Our choir sang this beautiful song this morning before the sermon:

And He's Ever Interceding

And He's Ever Interceding Someone to go the extra mile, Just like a mother caring for her child; A friend who sticks through thick or thin, No matter what you've done or where you've been; Just like one great big family, A stronger, older brother He will be; So quick and ready to defend The younger, weaker to the end. Chorus: And He's ever interceding to the Father for His children; Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own; Through Him you can reach the Father, So, bring Him all your heavy burdens; Yes, for you He's interceding, So, come boldly to the throne. Just like sheep, we've gone astray, Struggling 'neath the debt we could not pay; Not ever hoping to renew The love and fellowship that we once knew; But He began to intercede; Crying, 'Father, please, forgive, I plead.' And as the nails pierced in His hands, God, once again, reached out to man. Chorus: And He's ever interceding to the Father for His children; Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own; Through Him you can reach the Father, So, bring Him all your heavy burdens; Yes, for you He's interceding, So, come boldly to the throne. Tag: Yes, He's ever interceding, so come boldly to the throne. What a great message in song to set up for a sermon about how God gives us second chances.  Our scripture lesson was from John 8:1-11....the story of the woman caught in adultery that they wanted to stone.  I had just written about this passage recently in a blog post..."Come Out and Be Separate", but this sermon today took this to a different level.  In the book of John 8:1-11, Jesus is talking to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery and was about to be stoned.  After He said to the people holding the stones, (verse 7)  "He who is without sin among you,  let him throw a stone at her first" the people all one by one dropped their stones and walked away, being convicted by their own consciences...(for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God! (Romans 3:23)  But then in verse 10, Jesus stood up and looked at the woman and said to her: "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?   Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord.  And Jesus said to her,  "Neither do I condemn you;  GO AND SIN NO MORE." In this passage, back in verses 5-6, the scribes and Pharisees were trying to test Jesus, to see how He would handle this situation.  Verse six says they were testing Him, "that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear." But their "trap" did not work, and instead verse nine tells us that those who heard what Jesus said (in verse 7) were convicted by their conscience...and went out one by one.  Have you ever had a good dose of conviction? If so, it will immobilize you...your ears will open right up...your eyes pop open...and your spirit within you says, "I need to do something about this!"  And what do you do? Go to God and PRAY CONFESS your sin Ask for Forgiveness Repent...Go and sin no more God is very willing to forgive us when we confess our sins and ask Him to forgive...and then we can humbly get down on our knees and give Him praise and thanksgiving...because God has given us a second chance when we come to Jesus with repentance. Conviction is rough...we wonder...those men who were condemning this woman...we wonder what did that conviction of their own consciences mean to them? Did they also repent in their hearts? Some examples of other men in the Bible who had a second chance... Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-11) The Disciple Simon Peter after he denied Christ  (John 18:15-27)  and then Jesus asked him if he loved Him...(John 21:15-17) after the Resurrection from the dead. Thomas the Disciple: He first doubted that Christ could possibly have come back to life after the crucifixion, and then Christ came and showed Thomas His hands and His side, so that Thomas then truly believed. (John 20:24-29) Jesus is coming again soon.  Are you looking forward to His return without worrying about if you will be accepted by Him?  Have you been convicted in your heart of sins that need to be confessed, repented of, and forgiven? One day we will be like a little child running to the lap of her father and being gladly received...we will run into the arms of Jesus and be able to crawl up into the lap of our Heavenly Father with nothing between us...no fear at all when we face Him...because God, through Christ, has given us that second chance.  May we gladly accept that free gift. Praise God for giving us those second chances in life!!! Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Guest Speaker, Rev. John Steiner, 3/3/2019 Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you. Thank you for your continued prayers for our Pastor A.C., and for our church. God is answering prayer, and we are hoping our Pastor will be able to come back and preach next Sunday.  Also, thank you for your prayers for my husband, who spoke today.  It was a wonderful day in the house of the Lord.  God is Good! All the time! God is Good!