"ONE" L-O-V-E

[Gracious]

Church:

...NO-THING speaks to the "HEART of Man-kind"...like the "Sword Of the SPIRIT"!!!

Listen to the WORD...THE "WILL" of GOD:

2 Chronicles 7
(New International Version)

The Dedication of the Temple

1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying,
       "He is good;
       his love endures forever."
    4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. 6 The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever." Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
    7 Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, [a] because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.
    8 So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him--a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The LORD Appears to Solomon

    11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, 12 the LORD appeared to him at night and said:
       "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
    13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
    17 "As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.'
   
19 "But if you [c] turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you [d] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 22 People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why he brought all this disaster on them." [/color]

One Love

While in "deep" meditation and yes, ultimate contrition regarding the awesome nature and power (AND "WRATH") of "Abba-Father", I am constrained to think of  those - less fortunate...those left to barely survive during the wake of one of the most devastating disasters to befall this "More Perfect Union"...saith da' PreAmble  ...these United Stated!!!

Rather than asking the obvious (WHY LORD!!!), I am yet again constrained to accept HIS WILL  - this terrestrial climactic catastrophe (again...an ACT OF GOD)

...HURRICANE KATRINA...

Remembering this,

... Our plight here on this "terrestrial ball" / this earthly realm...is to connect one to another, in Christian love"....And if our "lot" - our "fate" (that which we've either yet to encounter, and or yet to understand...) is to mean anything in HIM, then ought we not choose to live by:

•   Empathetic Compassion - Though we may not emotionally and or physically have personally experienced the pain of another...THAT PAIN must be respected / acknowledged in our hearts and in our DEEDS...pocketbooks!!!

IN...ONE LOVE

As...One nation under GOD - indivisible with LIBERTY & JUSTICE for ALL!!!


Graciously Seeking HIS Truth

[/color]

[Gracious]

Hello Everyone:

There are many, many ways to give of yourself in the wake of such an utterly devastating disaster!!!

• Volunteer YOUR time..., call your local "Red Cross", local churches, contact your mayor's office...ask what agencies near you - need your help... become informed...and make the commitment.


• Towards the "unchurched"...there's no better time to affirm your relationship with our Lord & Savior...than RIGHT NOW!!!    OUR-GOD intends for HIS children to communicate and affirm our strengths through HIS WILL (our SWORD of the SPIRIT) in UNITY...Psa.133!!!  Those who've yet to...(for whatever the reason) to unite with a GOOD bible teaching house of the LORD...SIMPLY...ask your Heavenly FATHER to LEAD you...and HE will...right down the aisle of a home that will never leave...your church-home...Amen?


• Lastly, please if anyone has ideas / innovative ways to help our hurting brother/sisters/children that are still in Louisiana...STILLWAITING FOR RESCUE...DO let us know!!!

With the LOVE of my FATHER,

Gracious[/color]