Spending the Day with Jesus

I’ve been working on a teaching I intend to share at Women of Hope, after the social distancing for the coronavirus is lifted.  I call it “Journaling thru the Scriptures with God”.

So I decided to start with the Gospel of John.  John is the disciple who described himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”.  He was pictured several times in the Book of John leaning on Jesus’ chest as he sat with his friends.  I can’t blame John – If I was there I would be right there laying my head over Jesus’ heart, head to head with John! 

The way I do this “journaling with God” is that I read a few verses, or maybe even just one verse, until something jumps off the page to me or catches my attention.  Then I write about what I am thinking, and ask God some questions, and write what I feel he is saying in response.

Today I started, and ended with John 1: 39.  I had read the passage in John 1:35-39 yesterday about how two of John the Baptist’s disciples left John the Baptist, at his direction, when they met Jesus along the way.  They left following John to follow Jesus.

John 1:39 “…and since it was late in the afternoon, they spent the rest of the day with Jesus.”

It was late morning as I read, and I wrote this to Jesus:

“Jesus, it’s late morning.  Can I spend the rest of the day with you?”

Two scriptures immediately came to mind: “I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the truth.” 1 John 3:14.

And:  “I have eagerly desired to share this (Passover) meal with you.” Luke 22:15.

So Jesus takes great joy in seeing me walk in the truth.  Think of it, I spend time with Jesus, and he thinks he’s getting the best end of the deal!  It’s as if spending time with me is something special to God.

And he emphasizes how much he enjoys my company by telling me how each and every time I take communion, the bread and the cup, in remembrance of how Jesus died and rose again for me, that each time he eagerly desires the encounter with me!

It’s like how I feel when I get to spend the day with Richard and Darlene Tittle.  Just to be in the same room, to share hearts, to spend time with Jesus in prayer together, to hash out problems, laugh and cry and just do life with people I cherish.  That’s how Jesus feels about spending time with me.

When I get to heaven, there will be a clamoring from my family and loved ones to see me again, to welcome me home, to “hug the stuffing out of me”, as my friend, Carolyn like to say.  But they will all step aside to allow me to run into the arms of Jesus, face to face, cheek to cheek.  To physically climb onto Daddy’s lap, to see his face, to reach up and touch his beautiful face, to look into his love-filled eyes. 

And I’ll say, “Daddy, can I spend the rest of the day with you?” And he’ll smile and nod.

“The rest of the day, and the rest of my life!”

Raising up an Army of Intercessors, by guest blogger, James P. Spaloss, Jr.

Today I am delighted to share with you a piece from my husband, Jim Spaloss, taken from his prayer journal.  Enjoy, and accept Jim's invitation to be part of the heroes fighting the pandemic.

"This is an excerpt from my prayer journal shortly before the 2016 presidential elections.  Reading back through my journal today I saw this entry and felt that it is very pertinent to the coronavirus pandemic situation we are navigating in the USA, and around the world:

The enemy seems to be using many strategies to attack our country at this time.  Foolish leaders, lust for materialism, greed, and preoccupation with just having a good time.  The rejection of God and the church.  The desire of hostile Islamic groups to import their ugly vision of life here.

It makes me think of our country when they were trying to stay out of war in 1941.

Our fleet had been decimated after Pearl Harbor.   Our army was a joke. And we were drawn into a war that we tried to avoid.  We went from being a peaceful, non-involved nation to being the supplier of the world and the major factor of WWII.

I have learned that behind the scenes during that time of war there was an army of intercessors praying for our nation.  It must have looked impossible to fight a war on two fronts with no great standing Army, Navy or Airforce, not knowing if the Japanese troops were going to attack the west coast at any given time.  

We can brag about the American spirit and the courageous men and women who rose to the occasion to fight the war.  But behind the scenes was another battle, a spiritual battle for our nation.  I believe those who fought this spiritual battle were also heroes who turned the tide of what happened in the physical world.  

I believe those prayers led to the secret code of the Germans falling into Allied hands.  And Hitler making some stupid decisions. How about the battle of Midway, the turning point of the war with Japan, somewhat of a freak victory.  The Japanese had completed an air raid, returned, and were on the decks of their aircraft carriers to refuel and reload.  American planes caught them before any of the planes could take off, and sunk 3 of the Japanese aircraft carriers.  These events and many others turned the tide of the war.

It is time for us to raise up intercessors for our nation again, to be part of that army that fights the spiritual battle.  Pray for Hope over America!"

Coming soon to a Gallery near you: The Gallery of the Kings!

In The Passion Translation, Psalm 138 is entitled “The Divine Presence”.  It starts out with the psalmist’s passionate declarations of worship:  “I bow down before your divine presence and bring you my deepest worship.” Ps. 138:2

But why?  What causes the writer to bow down and worship?  The answer is found in verse 3: “At the very moment I called out to you, you answered me!  You strengthened me deep within my soul and breathed fresh courage into me.”

Can you remember a time when you cried out to God, and he answered you?

Even now as I write these thoughts I remember as a young girl crying out to God one night over 50 years ago.  I did not know God at the time.  I was in a deep depression, my parents going through an ugly divorce, with thoughts of suicide always near the surface of my mind, coupled with a fear of dying that actually kept me awake at night. That night I could not stop crying, sobbing at times uncontrollably.  I remember going to the window, looking into a star filled sky and crying out to God, “God - If there is a God – help me!” 

Although I did not know it at the time, at the very moment I called out to God, he began orchestrating my rescue from depression, death, and fear of death.  One year later I looked back on my life and marveled as I realized that because of the resurrection of Jesus, I was no longer terrified of dying.

So all this to say that Psalm 138:4 tugs on my heart in a special way.  “One day all the kings of the earth will rise to give you thanks when they hear the living words that I have heard you speak.”

What if others heard the God of the universe answer their prayers, come to their rescue, like he did for me?

What if the kings, the rulers of nations, cities, and governments heard God’s voice speaking living words, words just for them, words to comfort, encourage and instruct?  What if they heard these words right from God’s mouth to their hearts?  Personalized love bombs from the One who wants to be their Father, their God?

God wants to love on the kings of the earth so that one day they will rise to give him thanks.  Not because we preached at them, complained about them on Facebook, voted for or against them, but because God spoke directly into their hearts – whether audibly or in some still small voice.  Because when they hear God speak the living words that we have heard him speak, everything begins to change!

So I say, Yes, God!  I will partner with you in praying for encounter with God for the “kings” of the earth, the great, and not so great, men and women, people that God desires to come to a knowledge of the truth, and not to perish.

Coming in late spring to a gallery near you, “The Gallery of the Kings”.  Please plan to stop by the Creative Desire Gallery at Shore Vineyard Church, 1 S. Main St., S. Toms River, NJ.  View the portraits of world leaders painted by local artists, and join me in praying Psalm 138:4 over each of them by name.

“One day _______________ will rise to give you thanks when _________________ hears the living words that _________________ has heard you speak.”

Amen & Amen!