JESUS ... GETS US & HE LOVES US

Today 
is a
very
special
day

💓

...but probably not because of what you're thinking about for today

💓🏈💖

For some of you, perhaps this past Sunday was a special day, depending on which side you were on ... since I do not know much about football, the final teams playing off, or the Super Bowl in general, I can't comment either way.

Yet for some reason I received at least 2 emails concerning Sun. and the big game. The first one caught a brief glance, but the next one read: "Did you see Jesus at the Big Game?" Now that one caught my attention - not because of the Big Game or that part, but the part on seeing Jesus. [In case you are new to me or this blog, my One Word for 2023 is JESUS] So naturally this intrigued me to open and read, which ended in that email with me joining them in prayer {and then quickly deciding I need to check this out some more & do my research}. I recall another recent football game and a special player that collapsed after a great tackle, which caused a circle of players of both teams to form around him, on bended knees, and a hush to come over the entire stadium (even a sports announcer) as most prayed. Yes, I do believe that prayer can move mountains & cause miracles! But let's get back to seeing JESUS at this Super Bowl game, that's estimated over 100 million people watch this big game. I was not one of them, however if I had opened that email sooner and knew that I might see JESUS, I just might have tuned in. As it happens, many that do turn on the game, do so to view the top commercials of the year. I don't even bother with those generally when watching TV but I had to find out now because that number of people seeing JESUS "seems incomprehensible" as I make a mental note that means an enormous number of people hearing the good news of JESUS - in a new way - by seeing JESUS at the Super Bowl. The intent was good & admirable (before I give you the controversy or the down side of people's remarks/reactions to the *commercial(s) shown, if I decide to do that, hardly worth it). Instead, I will return to the reason that today, February 14th, 2023 is a special day! 

💖

Max Lucado

is launching nationwide

an opportunity

to share

JESUS

with

selections

of Max's writings 

"... Experiencing the Confounding

LOVE

forgiveness & relevance of

JESUS"

 in

"HE GETS US"

Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors & is donating all his royalities of this book to the HE GETS US non-profit ministry (a movement of people sharing JESUS story & also to reintroduce people to Jesus in the Bible). IMO (in my opinion), this is much needed in the time in which we live, even church people seem to be getting further & further from being & seeing the real JESUS shown to our world. HE GETS US has an agenda (you can read this here)."This is one of the largest faith campaigns in history!" You can be a part of this, in conversations talking about the ads.

*One of the commercials did make it into the Top 10 of the Super Bowl commercials (#8, I think) entitled "Be Childlike".

In my search, I found that their website has so much valuable information (so that will take me awhile to cover & learn all that's there)but I discovered that You Version also has 5 reading plans:

JESUS: He Gets Us #1 (7 day plan)  He Gets Us: #2 Diving Deeper (7 day plan) He Gets Us: #3 Questions Jesus Asked (7 day plan) He Gets Us: #4 Who Did Jesus Love? (9 day plan) He Gets Us: #5 Who Did Jesus Say He Was? (9 days)

{*my apologies that these links are to GB English rather than US}

I've already chosen reading plans for the 40 days of Lent but these would have been perfect (totalling 39 days) but since they are on JESUS, I will be doing them sometime this year. I thought that the reading plans were by Max Lucado but after looking at HE GETS US, I'm not sure so I'm thinking they are not. I'll know more when his book launches today. If Max is willing to support or back this, then I think it's worth my time to at least read. 

On HE GETS US website, there is a topic section and the first one listed is #LOVE - appropriate for today, but far from the romantic ideal of love celebrated. There are two videos to watch & articles besides the main one. The first one goes with the commercial: "Be Childlike". HE GETS US also connects to these reading plans.

... "Love is the underlying theme of every great story. But to be honest, the story gets *messy. That's what you'll see with a closer look at the life of JESUS. ..." #4

* we are well acquainted with MESSES here & messy love but mostly 
JESUS
HE GETS US
"... Take a closer look at how Jesus Loved ...
and see how the lines defining and dividing us can disappear!"

💓

I have shared this many years on this blog & have seen it everywhere but
 it's the best Valentine ever written or given

I hope this inspires you to
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
as
JESUS LOVES
YOU
💖

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

JESUS, the ANSWER (7)

Section Two: JESUS the ANSWER

4. Bread for the Journey 5. Light in a Dark Place 6. An Open Door 7. The Good Life 8. A Grave Buster 9. A One-Way Street 10. The Root of the Fruit

This week's Scriptures:
John 10:10-18
Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:9-11; Ezekiel 37:24-28; Micah 5:1-5

Now that's the
Good Life
<>
Here's one of the emails I received

The Good Life [Jesus said,] “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” John 10:14-15 "The first century shepherd who began a journey with a flock of sheep met many obstacles along the way, some of which could prove fatal to his charges: sickness, rushing water, wild animals.    We twenty-first century sheep are likewise on a long trek. Our journey too is filled with dangers along the way: health issues, troubled relationships, the threat of nuclear destruction.    And yet, through all this we have a Good Shepherd who knows the pathway ahead. He knows each bump in the road, each sharp turn, each valley or mountain—and he will bring us through safely. We will only falter when we take our eyes off the Shepherd and look through eyes of fear at the troubles surrounding us.    The good life happens only when we turn our eyes back to our Shepherd and follow his steps closely." 52 Weeks with Jesus, James Merritt

"The Good Life" shares the above Scriptures and the following segments, yet I skimmed through these without clearly finding any part defining the "good life", which as you know if you know me at all, causes me to do a search of what is biblically the good life. For now, I will share what a C.S. Lewis(college) article stated that "the Christian tradition's understanding of a good life involves us being in loving relationships with God and others."{it's somewhat of a deep philosophical writing} so perhaps the one written by Randy Alcorn (for his book) is better to help us understand "What is the Good Life?" yet that chosen quote is a good start for me. God has the answer to "the good life" and we should live an honorable life as God defines it. For me, the abundant life is more than our earthly life offers now; it may begin here but it's the one that we will have in full after this life.

 

"An Unfortunate Comparison" "Cowboy or Shepherd?" "Protector, not Preventer" "Known by Name" "Guaranteed Security"

Perhaps after I complete this week, I will have a better grasp of
"The Good Life"

"Lord, I am lost without You. This day, and this week, I need You to guide me and to feed me. Thank You for being the Shepherd who is Good."

... and that is enough
🎵
You are Enough
JIREH
Forever Enough
Always Enough
More than Enough
🎵

this is
"The Good Life"
for me
52 Weeks
with
JESUS