33 of 40 Lenten Journey
Today's readings: Acts 9 and pages 73
in Terry Teykl's book: Acts 29
larryjameson.blogspot.com
Dear Prospect, Trinity,
and Asbury Church family,
God bless you today
and good morning!
So much is happening!
My dear wife pointed out to me
yesterday that I am busier now
that before the pandemic.
How is that possible?
But she was right.
I've got a lot to share with you
this morning, but before I do
I want to say that probably the
most important thing that any of
of us are doing today is prayer.
Nothing we do in our own power
is going to last or be a success.
When we humble ourselves,
and seek God's face
things always turn out better.
1st
I want to invite you to meet with
Samantha Sharp and me as we co-lead
a Zoom Bible Study this Sunday
at 9am, April 5, 2020
at this Meeting ID 302-000-9952.
We are going to talk about
John 12:16
"At first his disciples did not
understand all this. Only after
Jesus was glorified did they realize
that these things had been written
about him and that these things
had been done to him."
Here are the discussion questions
I'd like for us to share after
Samantha gives us a sermon.
1) What day in your past
made a big difference in your life?
2) How does God use our disapointments
and frustrations to help us grow?
3) How is Jesus working in your life
today to encourage and lead you?
As we did last Sunday, we will have
a Zoom meeting which ends by going
into breakout rooms for discussion,
fellowship, and prayer.
Please pray for this ministry!
Instead of regular worship,
this is our way to provide pastoral
care and outreach during the COVID-19
crisis.
2nd
On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020
I'm co-hosting an Online Easter Celebration
with several pastors from the Dover District.
This is something new for us because
normally United Methodist pastors focus
all their attention on their churches.
This Easter our District Superintendent
has asked me to lead a group of pastors
to create a joint worship service online.
Oh, I'm having fun with that! :-)
It is all about web sites and Zoom and
online this and that! Such fun!
Please pray for me because this is very
new to all of our team members.
Please pray that God will help me to
not let anyone down, or mess up.
Please pray for us to shine for Jesus
so that many girls and boys, women and
men will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ
boldy proclaimed in a way that moves them
closer to God. I cannot yet give you
specifics on the url or the time.
I will send that in a few days.
Meanwhile, please pray for this ministry.
I want to also have our regular
Bible as Worship Zoom Bible Study
on Easter Sunday too. So stay tuned.
I told I had a lot going on!
3rd
One week ago, on Friday, March 27,
2020 the US government gave me a
lovely birthday present! I didn't
know it at the time, but that is
when the CARES Act passed.
There is a part of the CARES Act
called PPP (Paycheck Protection Program).
I believe God may use that program
to help Prospect, Trinity, and
Asbury Churches. And I'm not
alone in that belief. Our Bishop,
Peggy Johnson, and the Cabinet
are now encouraging local church
leaders to take advantage of this
resource if they can. I have already
made a request to the Dover District
Superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Kyung
Hee Sa, for permission to have a
Zoom Church Conference at 7pm on
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at this
Zoom Meeting ID 302-000-9952.
My request has been officially
accepted. I have asked Barbara
Liimatta (the Asbury Treasurer)
and Chris Wetherhold (the Asbury
Trustee Chair) take point and begin
to work with a local bank and other
leaders from Prospect, Trinity, and
Asbury Churches to start the process
of helping us qualify for this resource.
Technically this is a loan for two
and a half months of funding payroll
to help our churches meet our financial
obligations during the COVID-19 shutdown.
If we do this correctly, we will not
have to repay this loan. It will become
a grant. That's the birthday present!
So I'm excited about this, and I want
to encourage us all to pray for
guidance and a spirit of cooperation
with local bankers and for our church
leaders. If you would like to know
more about PPP you can take a look at
these two online resources:
newsletter from Joe Park
https://bit.ly/2JAVrcA
video on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=xEN5O4ckIU8&feature=emb_logo
4)
Please continue to check in on
the members of your small group,
your neighbors, and other church members
as the COVID-19 crisis gets worse.
Pray for nurses especially.
Prayer by Larry Jameson
Dear Lord Jesus, please put your
arms of protection around the
nurses who are working in our
hospitals right now.
Give them the strength, skill,
and equipment they need to do
their jobs. We are asking so much
of them Lord! Reward them for
their faithfulness!
In your mighty name we pray.
Amen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Acts 9 (NIV)
Saul’s Conversion
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,[a] but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Aeneas and Dorcas
32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
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