Jesus said to us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust… Therefore, be loving as your heavenly father is loving.” (Matthew 5:44-45, 48) ❤️💜

Here’s a place to come inside, a shelter from the storm ❤️ 💜

Billions of voices across the world,
LONGING so deeply for justice, freedom,
peace, and plenty for ALL people…
God’s kingdom, beloved communities,
Blessed realm, eternal creation.
Justice IS possible!!
Isn’t it?
SO MANY, MANY PEOPLE,
their VOICES CRYING OUT,
SHOUT all TOGETHER–
WE CAN DO THIS!! Yes, we can
Bring about the life we desire
and DESERVE, the LIFE God
designed for our lives.
❤️ 💜

We can always pray the prayer Jesus taught us… ❤️ 💜

In (and drawing on) the words of the old spiritual: Gonna lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside. Gonna lay down my weapons and guns down by the riverside, down by the riverside… Ain’t gonna study war no more, ain’t gonna study shootings and violence no more.

We can do this, armed and clothed with God’s WORD and STRENGTH and LOVE. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11)

Let’s put on the clothes God has provided us with and, like David, use our God-given gifts and power of LOVE to bring down this gun violence Goliath!! ❤️ 💜

God said, “I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth or in any nation, and all the people among whom you live shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” (Exodus 34:10)

The Israelites ate manna for 40 years while they wandered in the wilderness, until God knew they were finally prepared and ready to live in God’s promised land.

Deuteronomy 8 explains the manna God sent to feed the people and the Israelites’ time in the wilderness: “Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these 40 years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted with, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

These two paintings tell the story from Exodus of how God walked with the Hebrew people day and night as they left oppression and slavery in Egypt and headed for God’s promised land. God covered them with a cloud by day and with fire by night, protecting the people, caring for them, and guiding them. The same as God does with us today, walking with us in our struggles for justice, freedom, love, and liberation. ❤️ 💜

This image shows the Hebrew people crossing the Red Sea, freed from slavery in Egypt by the hand of God. It lifts up these scriptures from Exodus. “The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.” (Exodus 14:21-22).

Later, God said, “I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform marvels such as have not been done in all the Earth or in any nation, and all the people among whom you live shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” (Exodus 34:10) Praise God who works with and for us and does many many awesome and marvelous things we cannot do without Him!! ❤️ 💜

Look up from your cell phone and take in the One who will transform your life.
❤️ 💜