{"id":27370,"date":"2021-04-16T11:59:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T15:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=27370"},"modified":"2021-06-19T09:06:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T13:06:02","slug":"pastors-ponderings-challenged-but-not-overcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=27370","title":{"rendered":"Pastor’s Ponderings: Challenged but Not Overcome!"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 1960’s, in the midst of racial injustice, the cry of the people was “We shall overcome!”\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Sixty years later, in the midst of a pandemic, the answer from Jesus is, “I have overcome.”\u00a0 Jesus overcame Sin at the cross, and He continues to help us overcome all of the perils of the present times.\u00a0 He overcame the “World”, and despite the threats of ongoing racism, disease, and hate, our faith can get us through the valleys and bring us to the mountaintop of God’s love.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Pastor Jim offered the following thoughts on April 9, 2021 (several days after Easter)…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Greetings Friends:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Please read the following verses of hope…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\u00a0\nJohn 16:33<\/a><\/span> \u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 John 4:4<\/a><\/span> \u00a0\u00a0 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”<\/p>\n

Joshua 1:9<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

\u00a0
\nJulian of Norwich<\/a><\/span> (1342-1416) was a great 14th century Christian whose writings still inspire many of God’s people today.\u00a0 While much of Julian’s life remains a mystery, yet many of her writings still remain with us.\u00a0 Her writings offered Christian discipline and instruction for living a Godly life, even in the face of challenging times.\u00a0 This humble offering for today is a word of hope from Julian’s collection of writings simply called “Showings.”<\/p>\n

\n

“And these words: You will not be overcome, were said very insistently and strongly,\u00a0 for certainty and strength against every tribulation which may come.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

God<\/em> did not say: You will not be assailed, you will not be belabored, you will not be disquieted,\u00a0 but God<\/em> said: You will not be overcome.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

God wants us to pay attention to His\u00a0 words, and always to be strong in our certainty, in well-being and in woe, for God<\/em> loves us and delights in us.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“Amen” to Julian’s words.\u00a0 May we reflect upon them coupled with the verses of Scripture noted above, be encouraged and trust the promise that we not be overcome by challenges as God is with us. May we choose to continue to grow as disciples, regardless of what is happening around us.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Friends, God gives us hope with divine promises and while challenges and difficulties come, we will not be overcome as we keep our eyes on God and exercise our faith.<\/p>\n

Keep the faith!!!! <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Shalom,<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

Pastor Jim<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

+\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +<\/span><\/p>\n

For more Pastor’s Ponderings articles, click this button:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pastor’s Ponderings<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Julian of Norwich wrote that “God never said that we would not be assailed. But He did say that we would overcome. ” During all of the trials of this pandemic, how can we claim Jesus’ victory of “Overcoming the World”? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[131],"tags":[137],"class_list":["post-27370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pastors-ponderings","tag-godsprotection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27370"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27434,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370\/revisions\/27434"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}