Deliverance.... (reposted from March 30, 2010) Updated for 2023

Update for Palm Sunday,   picture is from the living room  of our
former "Camp Of the Woods Home " in Salt Springs, FL.  

UPDATE FOR PALM SUNDAY, 2013. 2014!  2015! 2016!   2017    2018   2019   2020! 2022,  2023! 

 I originally wrote this for Palm Sunday in 2010.  Not a lot has changed in  3 4  5  6  7 8  9  10   12  13 years...But, Jesus is STILL the answer...Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever!  Amen! (2014) And Amen again! (2015) and again! (2016)  and AGAIN! (2017)  And Again in 2018 and again in 2019  And maybe even more so  in 2020!  And especially in 2022!  And most especially in 2023!!

Psalm 34:4  "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."

Deliverance...what does that word mean to you?  It has a very welcome sound to the captive...those who are held captive in any kind of prison, whether it be a prison with bars and high walls, or a prison of fear and isolation...the thought of deliverance brings hope and joy and peace.  For many in today's economy, there is a tremendous amount of anxiety over the future...people fear losing their jobs, others fear not being able to find a job. Retired folks are concerned about their savings running out too soon, or having health issues that will rob them of what little security they have left.  Our nation is in turmoil over  (2010) health care reform and the brittle financial and housing market. (2015 AND 2016:  Race Relations, World Terror via ISIS, Religious persecution, upcoming election ) 2017 and 2018 and 2019: ALL OF THE ABOVE AND MORE...WORLD PEACE, IMMIGRATION... AND IN 2020, ESPECIALLY, WITH THE  COVID 19 CRISIS...:and in 2022, with the horrific war in Ukraine, rising inflation and cost of everything from gas to food, shortages of supplies, and the embarrassing incompetence in our current government leadership... and even still now, in 2023, the previous horrors continue in Ukraine, even higher inflation, etc., and add to that back to back tragic tornadoes and storms and earthquakes across our country and the world, leaving so many people homeless and in shock and pain, train derailments leaving toxic waste that may affect whole communities for decades to come, and a very harmful agenda of indoctrination of our little children and young people in our public schools and beyond that strikes right into the face of  our loving God, Who created us in His image and Who knew us and loved us when He wonderfully formed us in the womb. (Psalm 139)  People look to our national leaders and hope that they will make some wise decisions that will bring relief, and yet that so-called relief often comes with a high price tag that will endanger the future security of our children and grandchildren for many years to come. (I can't believe that the last sentence was originally written in 2010, and look how appropriate it is for today in 2022  2023!)

Where can we find this deliverance that we are seeking?  Is there any ONE who can come and set us free from our bondage to fear and doubt?

Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry." 
Verse 17 says "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles."

The Jews back in the time of Jesus were desperate for a leader who could deliver them from the tyranny of the Roman government. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday, the people cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! The King of Israel!" (John 12:13) They hailed Him as their King and Messiah, but they were seeking an earthly king for an earthly kingdom.

A few days later, when Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples, He  stood before Pilate, the Roman governor.  Pilate asked Him if He was the King of Jews.  Jesus responded to Pilate, 

"My kingdom is not of this world."...."My kingdom is not from here..."  (John 18:36)  He went on to say in verse 37, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Jesus came to prepare our hearts for the kingdom that is yet to come, that is a Heavenly Kingdom.  In the meantime, His Holy Spirit gives us strength and grace to endure the trials and tribulations that are common to all of mankind. He came to deliver us from all our fears and troubles.  Do we still have financial difficulties? Do we still have health problems or other major concerns? Yes. As long as we are on this earth there will be trouble and sorrow...but hear what Jesus said in John 16:33~

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

Through Christ, we are overcomers. 

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, 
and delivered me from all my fears."
  

Deliverance....yes, that is what Palm Sunday and Easter are all about....Think about it.  

This is just the beginning of the story...not the end.
Amen!

Have a glorious Palm Sunday today!

Here is our Pastor's message from Palm Sunday, 2022. I hope it will give you some hope and encouragement.  

Sing along with our choir as we sing "Who Is He?"

"Who is he who comes in triumph? Who is he who comes to die?

Comes in peace and comes in power, hidden One now lifted high?

Jesus, Jesus, Lord, Messiah, mighty Master of the grave!

See him ride, the King of glory! God himself has come to save!

See him there in humble splendor. Hear them shouting all around.

Joy explodes in wild procession. Praise is now the victor’s crown.

Glory, glory in the highest! Like the angels hear them sing

Dancing ‘round the Long-awaited, once their hope and now their King.

Rise and join the glad procession! Hear them passing by again

All the ransomed, all his children, marching to Jerusalem!

Look ahead the gates of splendor! Hear the everlasting hymn!

Open wide your hearts in worship! Let the King of glory in!"

Monday, April 3, 2023:  I hope you don't mind that I keep adding to this post each year. Many of you have already read it in years past and have commented.  I keep reposting it so we can see the things that are happening in our world each year at this time, and continue to pray for our nation, our world and our own families.  Jesus has entered our Jerusalem and I know He is weeping over it.   

Luke 19:41-44

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 

42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 

43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 

44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Our Pastor preached about this in his sermon yesterday (April 2, 2023).  

Today Christ is weeping over us once again, because our world has its eyes blinded by Satan, and we still have not recognized the time of His visitation...Christ came to us and offered us the free gift of salvation, but so many have turned their backs on Him and have literally spit in His face, mocked and scorned Him and have totally and utterly rejected Him.  

May God have mercy on us.

I pray that we will open our hearts and lives to Him now before it is too late.

I truly believe the time of His coming again is very very near.

Have a blessed and meaningful Holy Week.

Amen.

Springtime Joys

Well, (as I write) today is Easter Monday...the day after Easter, and we are settling back into our normal routines. Springtime has sprung most everywhere.  Here in Florida where we live it has been spring for a while, even though this past weekend even we saw some pretty chilly weather again for a few days.  But today was gloriously sunny and a bit warmer with low humidity, which is wonderful for us, even though we could use some more rain.

I've noticed some interesting signs of spring the past couple of days, so I thought I would share them with you.  On our evening walk there were actually two of these large dragonflies hovering around us as we walked.  One finally settled on a dried up bush to eat whatever it was that it seemed to like, and he stayed long enough for me to get a few pictures.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramea_carolina, or "Carolina Saddlebags Dragonfly"  

Isn't he interesting?

I was happy he stood still long enough to let us get a good look at him.

Until this evening, this was as close as I could get to him:

And then Lily Grace said, "Hey! Don't forget my picture with him!" Which I took when we were waiting for him to land somewhere long enough to take those pictures above.  Yes, Lily loves to go along for our walks and she especially likes to see these new interesting things.

Now, in this next series of pictures you may begin to feel a bit like a "peeping Tom", watching the private lives of the Great Blue Herons in our trees on Still Waters Pond.

First there was just this one:

And I thought he was pretty handsome up in the tree on our little island in Still Waters Pond:

Preening and just hanging out, actually just above the Canadian Geese couple down below who appear to be nesting also on the island these days...

But then I looked over at the next tree nearby where he was, and saw these two herons, obviously very interested in each other:

Our first Heron also noticed them, and seems quite interested in whatever is going on over there in the next tree:

They were enjoying each other's company:

And if you look carefully a few branches below that couple, there is another heron in the same tree!

They don't seem too concerned about him, however:

They do make a very handsome couple, don't you agree?

They seem quite smitten with each other:

I'm a little confused at this point which Heron this one is...#1, or the other one hanging around the couple:

Oh, look at the one's top notch! I think that must be a sign that he is quite interested in the young lady beside him:

Yes, she seems quite interested in him as well:

Maybe having a shy moment:

Probably because there are just too many onlookers to their courtship:

Wait a minute! Is that another one in the branches above the courting couple? Look up at the trunk:

Yes, they see him too:

Well I'll be jiggered if there isn't a total of five herons in these trees! How many do YOU see?

I did notice that one of the extra herons was gathering long branches as if building a nest, but this was Saturday, and they did come back for a while yesterday (Sunday), but I have not seen them at all today...so I don't know if they've decided to move on to a different location or if they will be back. But I was surprised to read in that article about Great Blue Herons that "breeding birds will gather in colonies or "heronries" to build stick nests high off the ground."  So we shall see what this "heronry" of birds decides to do.  

Meanwhile, Mr. Canada Goose has been standing guard either on our shore or out in the water, keeping a close watch on any other bird activity while his lady love is sitting on a nest on the same island.  I don't know if she has actually laid her eggs yet or not, because she does occasionally leave the nest, but she always goes right back there...so I am hopeful there will be some baby goslings sometime this spring.

Just as I was typing this I heard Mr. Goose start honking again and that was to let his lady love know he is swimming back around to check on her. It is getting dark:

But as I zoomed in on the island, I could see her sitting there eagerly awaiting him to come.

Well, the sun has gone down over our little island;

And the peepers and bullfrogs are starting their nightly singing...

and peace reigns once again on Still Waters Pond.

I hope that you have a blessed and beautiful night.

We read two different verses in our Ladies' Bible Study today that I liked:

Proverbs 3:24
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet."

And 

Zephaniah 3:17

"The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

May your sleep be sweet tonight...and may you actually hear the voice of God as 

He rejoices over you with singing.

Good Night dear friends.