I have been sinned against...
again...
it hurts to be sinned against..
I found this article so encouraging...
Sinned Against Again
I thought you might too...
:)
blessings
grace
and PEACE be granted unto you
this joyous Christmas season
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
be of sober mind,...
Communism...
Socialism...
is it good?
some say it is... Some Christians are saying it is.. Some Christians are saying it is wonderful... The government should control, payfor and run our healthcare... our schools... our homes.. Why should we as parents have any rights? they are not our children... are we not raising "good citizens" for the country?
Are we?
Are you?
I am not... I am raising children, to grow up to be honest, whole, healthy people,who hopefully will see enough of Christ in their father and myself, hopefully have seen enough of Him in their own life to really know Him, and walk with Him all their days.. I am raising them in the Lord.. I am training them in many things, I am teaching, admonishing, encouraging, discipling, loving, and even enjoying them as they grow into adults... Adults who shall think... ponder, process thoughts, ideas, world views, all their own... It is not my job to raise them to be good little soldiers for any cause of man...
There have been times, and are still places in the planet where the church of our Lord Jesus has had to go "underground" as they call it... Where worship of Christ has been obscured, not been so out in the open... In the book 'Tortured for Christ', Pastor Richard Wormbrand writes about such an occasion...
"One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl. The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ. They decided to arrest her. But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married. On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride -- the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl's life! Suddenly the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.
When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed. The roughly put the manacles on her wrists. Whe looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, "I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffur for Him." She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridegroom left behind. They knew what happens to young Christian girls in the hands of Communist guards. Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her. After five years she was released-- a destroyed, broken worman, looking thirty years older. She said it was the least she could do for her Christ. Such beautiful Christians are in the Underground Church."
They sat in sometimes in prisons listening for 17 hours a day for weeks, months, years to chants...
communism is good!
Communism is good!
Communism is good!
Christianity is stupid!
Christianity is Stupid!
Christianity is stupid!
Give up!
Give up!
Give up!
....
when I turn on the Tv.. I hear similiar chants... over and over through TV shows, movies, and other media... but they pretend communism is dead, they call it other things...but a rose by any other name is still just a rose.......
Christian just means little Christ... are you a Christian?
Socialism...
is it good?
some say it is... Some Christians are saying it is.. Some Christians are saying it is wonderful... The government should control, payfor and run our healthcare... our schools... our homes.. Why should we as parents have any rights? they are not our children... are we not raising "good citizens" for the country?
Are we?
Are you?
I am not... I am raising children, to grow up to be honest, whole, healthy people,who hopefully will see enough of Christ in their father and myself, hopefully have seen enough of Him in their own life to really know Him, and walk with Him all their days.. I am raising them in the Lord.. I am training them in many things, I am teaching, admonishing, encouraging, discipling, loving, and even enjoying them as they grow into adults... Adults who shall think... ponder, process thoughts, ideas, world views, all their own... It is not my job to raise them to be good little soldiers for any cause of man...
There have been times, and are still places in the planet where the church of our Lord Jesus has had to go "underground" as they call it... Where worship of Christ has been obscured, not been so out in the open... In the book 'Tortured for Christ', Pastor Richard Wormbrand writes about such an occasion...
"One of our workers in the Underground Church was a young girl. The Communist police discovered that she secretly spread Gospels and taught children about Christ. They decided to arrest her. But to make the arrest as agonizing and painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks, until the day she was to be married. On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride -- the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl's life! Suddenly the door burst open and the secret police rushed in.
When the bride saw the secret police, she held out her arms toward them to be handcuffed. The roughly put the manacles on her wrists. Whe looked toward her beloved, then kissed the chains and said, "I thank my heavenly Bridegroom for this jewel He has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank Him that I am worthy to suffur for Him." She was dragged off, with weeping Christians and a weeping bridegroom left behind. They knew what happens to young Christian girls in the hands of Communist guards. Her bridegroom faithfully waited for her. After five years she was released-- a destroyed, broken worman, looking thirty years older. She said it was the least she could do for her Christ. Such beautiful Christians are in the Underground Church."
They sat in sometimes in prisons listening for 17 hours a day for weeks, months, years to chants...
communism is good!
Communism is good!
Communism is good!
Christianity is stupid!
Christianity is Stupid!
Christianity is stupid!
Give up!
Give up!
Give up!
....
when I turn on the Tv.. I hear similiar chants... over and over through TV shows, movies, and other media... but they pretend communism is dead, they call it other things...but a rose by any other name is still just a rose.......
Christian just means little Christ... are you a Christian?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Jesus answered...
"Verily verily I say unto thee, except that a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh, is flesh:and that that is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Marvel not that I said to thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh,
and whither it goeth: so is every man that is born of the Spirit.
how then do you answer? like that of Nicodemus, to whom Jesus was speaking? He wondered HOW such things could be.. Jesus told him that we would speak of what we know.. we can only testify to what we have seen... that he'd not be able to receive our witness... to tell him earthly things.. to give him justifiable reasons to believe perhaps? would not CONVINCE Nicodemus to unto salvation... ultimately... Jesus says THIS...
For no man ascendeth up to heaven, but that had descended from heaven, that Son of man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must that Son of man be lifted up.
That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world, that he should condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth in him, is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of that only begotton Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the ligth came into the world, and men loved darkenss rather than that light, because their deeds were evil.
For every man that evil doeth, hateth the light, neither cometh to light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest, that the are wrought according to God."
thoughts welcomed.........
may we walk together in the light...
may we reprove, and believe, and rejoice in His love..........
"Verily verily I say unto thee, except that a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh, is flesh:and that that is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Marvel not that I said to thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh,
and whither it goeth: so is every man that is born of the Spirit.
how then do you answer? like that of Nicodemus, to whom Jesus was speaking? He wondered HOW such things could be.. Jesus told him that we would speak of what we know.. we can only testify to what we have seen... that he'd not be able to receive our witness... to tell him earthly things.. to give him justifiable reasons to believe perhaps? would not CONVINCE Nicodemus to unto salvation... ultimately... Jesus says THIS...
For no man ascendeth up to heaven, but that had descended from heaven, that Son of man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must that Son of man be lifted up.
That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world, that he should condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth in him, is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of that only begotton Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the ligth came into the world, and men loved darkenss rather than that light, because their deeds were evil.
For every man that evil doeth, hateth the light, neither cometh to light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest, that the are wrought according to God."
thoughts welcomed.........
may we walk together in the light...
may we reprove, and believe, and rejoice in His love..........
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
drowning.......
Through the EYES of a Buddhist...
story told by Ron Carlson
Ron asked a converted missionary, "Why did you become a Christian?
What is the difference between Buddhism and Christianity?"
He replied, "Ron, when I was a Buddhist, it was like I was drowning in a big lake, and I did not know how to swim.
I was going under for the third time,
when Buddha walked up to the edge of the edge of the lake
and began to teach me how to swim.
Buddha said,
"start moving your hands and kicking your legs,
but you have to make it to the shore yourself!"
Then Jesus Christ walked up to the edge of the lake,
but he did not stop there!
He dove into the lake,
swam out,
rescued me,
and brought me to shore.
After he brought me to shore,
then he taught me how to swim,
so I can go back and rescue others!"
My daughter read this quote to me this week.
It was in a book by Ron Carlson & Ed Decker called Fast Facts on False Teachings,
a book that I read years ago.
I gave it to her, because she is reading the book KIM by Rudyard Kipling, and wanted to understand... really UNDERSTAND this people group, this llama, and this boys' culture.. Understand Buddhism..
Not that she might be all rude and sassy, but that she might able to know what they believe..
to be able to better LOVE them....
It is why such books are on my shelf.. So that we might know them a little better, love them a little more, and not be ignorant as we read, and live, and walk about in this world..
That we not fear people, but confidently walk forward in GRACE and TRUTH, and welcome others into our life, freely sharing Jesus with them, as the Spirit leads us to...
a book that I read years ago.
I gave it to her, because she is reading the book KIM by Rudyard Kipling, and wanted to understand... really UNDERSTAND this people group, this llama, and this boys' culture.. Understand Buddhism..
Not that she might be all rude and sassy, but that she might able to know what they believe..
to be able to better LOVE them....
It is why such books are on my shelf.. So that we might know them a little better, love them a little more, and not be ignorant as we read, and live, and walk about in this world..
That we not fear people, but confidently walk forward in GRACE and TRUTH, and welcome others into our life, freely sharing Jesus with them, as the Spirit leads us to...
I don't need to study Buddhism anymore, or the Koran, or Wicca, the Book of Mormon, or New Age,
or any of it...
or any of it...
It took years for me to finally just pick up a Bible and read THAT all the way through...
I read so many other so called "holy" books...
I shared this quote with you, because it is so powerful..
so like my own testimony.
till Christ Came
I was drowning,
and now..
though the waters can be rough,
and I weary.
I am a swimmer swimming.
But only because
Jesus saved me
Friday, November 20, 2009
Once upon a time...
"Once upon a time, there was a King who walked astride his world--
here, there, and everywhere.
He became poor in order to be like the people
he loved,
and he lived among the out casts in order to feel their pain."
Tales of the Kingdom...
-d & k mains
here, there, and everywhere.
He became poor in order to be like the people
he loved,
and he lived among the out casts in order to feel their pain."
Tales of the Kingdom...
-d & k mains
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
moments I don't love my husband anymore
there are these horrible moments.. that I just don't love my husband anymore... I am not as the Word declares... a LOVEing person... I am NOT patient.. and DO not wish to be... I am not KIND, and feel much like Pilot.. ready to wash my hands of THAT concept all together.. Love is never boastful.. but I WANT to boast... I FEEL like boasting, my flesh is burning with desire to boast...
boast of how I'd be FINE with out him... (though in about an hour I will tell you this is utter insanity)
boast of how I'd be perhaps BETTER without him (though he's the best part of this couple...everyone knows that)
boast how every problem in our lives is one that I foresaw, and had we heeded my wisdom COULD have been avoided (though that again in more sober, honest, humble moments would concede, that I have led us down some pretty silly paths...) Love is also not jealous.. and sometimes I AM jealous.. sometimes.. in wisps of moments that fly by like a dashing storm, I AM jealous.... jealous of a million silly little things, that I have no right to be jealous of.. like car time... when he could as easily be jealous of the bountiful hours I relish with my blessings... the list is silly... well actually there IS never any list... it's like a burst of wind whipping up the fallen leaves... fallen... like me.. fallen..
Love believes, and I don't want to believe.. sometimes, I just want to wallow.
and ultimately love HOPEs... and when you are grieving... HOPE is hard to come by... HOPE is all there is..
Ultimately... I do not love my husband... It is Christ in me who DOES... I am a selfish gal.. I can be lovey, and sweet, sexy, and funny, but when push comes to shove.. I have a pretty great guy in mine..(for a fallen man), and he has a pretty ok gal in me (for a sinner) and yet there it is.. LOVE like the movies will always burst and blow up, and flitter and float away like in those movies... and LOVE like in the Bible is simply impossible.
Unless it is Christ in you doing that loving... Letting you be loved... Jesus loves my husband in a way, that I never can, and yet providentially we are together, my husband and I . For better (what we all would rather have) or for worse (when we'd like to call a divorce attorney, or grab a lovely glass of vino, and our gal pal), we are a couple... (a couple of misfits, a couple of sinners redeemed, a couple saved by grace, walking, stumbling on this path) He said we were made one.. I don't understand it all.. but I am glad that even when my SELF does not feel LOVE at or towards my guy, my God in me does.. and I can call upon my Lord, and ask for help...
I can look to the counsel of Galatians when the fruit of the Spirit is spoken of.. and see.. that when this anger, or dislike, or unloving attitude comes up.. it isn't really just that my guy is a butthead (though that may be part of the problem)... The REAL problem is that I, ME, the author of this blog... is not bearing the fruits of the Spirit.. I am not full of the Joy of the Lord..
I am not rejoicing in the day... "this is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"
I am not seeking first the kingdom of God..
I am not Loving the LORD with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and loving my neighbor...the sin ultimately lies within MY heart...
If God can love me, redeem me, save me, and fill me
than I have everything I need to love my husband...
It is I who needs an attitude adjustment..
Does it get him off the hook for sinning against me... no..
If he is using ugly words and or abusive words is it MY fault... no
if he is sinning........... against this family is it my fault........ no
what if my husband hits (mine does not).. GET help!
Love covers a multitude of sins
does NOT mean
Loving your husband requires that you COVER up his sin, and hide it from the world
no...
that verse refers to letting the little things go.. learning to walk in GRACE..
abuse, or sins that are causing your marriage serious strife
sins like
pornography, gambling, sexual addiction, adultery, incest, drugs, drunkenness, abuse of any kind
(this is a small list)
these all mean that you need help..
you need PRAYER warriors
you do not need to complain or gossip
you need to find people who can pray with you, and HELP you and your husband.
http://www.nanc.org/ or http://www.biblicalcounselingcenter.org/ are two great resources for you to get counseling.. If the abuse is physical, you may need to call 911. Please do not put yourself in physical danger.. YOU are NOT helping your husband by hiding his sin... It is helping him sin more by hiding it for him... you do not need to be ashamed..
Before the fall of man in the book of Genesis.. God made Eve.. God created Eve to be a suitable helpmate.. Before the fall... it was determined by God.. that man needed help.. that sounds ABOUT right to me...
since the fall.. well all the more..
Grace.. peace... and love.. I get it ALL from Jesus... I have precious little of mine own...He provides in abundance... and offers it freely unto you..
If you have come here wondering in your heart.. "dear Lord... I just don't love my husband any more..." please know I am praying for you... In the past few weeks many many readers have come to this site based on an old article entitled this, and I have been praying and struggling over this topic.. so it would seem, my Lord and Savior has allowed my husband and I to be stretched yet again in this area... and well this is part II in a series..
If you have questions, comments, thoughts, please share... I will be searching the scriptures on this topic ... Praying for you, and Trusting God as He has us re explore LOVING our spouses... from my vantage point.. loving my husband....
boast of how I'd be FINE with out him... (though in about an hour I will tell you this is utter insanity)
boast of how I'd be perhaps BETTER without him (though he's the best part of this couple...everyone knows that)
boast how every problem in our lives is one that I foresaw, and had we heeded my wisdom COULD have been avoided (though that again in more sober, honest, humble moments would concede, that I have led us down some pretty silly paths...) Love is also not jealous.. and sometimes I AM jealous.. sometimes.. in wisps of moments that fly by like a dashing storm, I AM jealous.... jealous of a million silly little things, that I have no right to be jealous of.. like car time... when he could as easily be jealous of the bountiful hours I relish with my blessings... the list is silly... well actually there IS never any list... it's like a burst of wind whipping up the fallen leaves... fallen... like me.. fallen..
Love believes, and I don't want to believe.. sometimes, I just want to wallow.
and ultimately love HOPEs... and when you are grieving... HOPE is hard to come by... HOPE is all there is..
Ultimately... I do not love my husband... It is Christ in me who DOES... I am a selfish gal.. I can be lovey, and sweet, sexy, and funny, but when push comes to shove.. I have a pretty great guy in mine..(for a fallen man), and he has a pretty ok gal in me (for a sinner) and yet there it is.. LOVE like the movies will always burst and blow up, and flitter and float away like in those movies... and LOVE like in the Bible is simply impossible.
Unless it is Christ in you doing that loving... Letting you be loved... Jesus loves my husband in a way, that I never can, and yet providentially we are together, my husband and I . For better (what we all would rather have) or for worse (when we'd like to call a divorce attorney, or grab a lovely glass of vino, and our gal pal), we are a couple... (a couple of misfits, a couple of sinners redeemed, a couple saved by grace, walking, stumbling on this path) He said we were made one.. I don't understand it all.. but I am glad that even when my SELF does not feel LOVE at or towards my guy, my God in me does.. and I can call upon my Lord, and ask for help...
I can look to the counsel of Galatians when the fruit of the Spirit is spoken of.. and see.. that when this anger, or dislike, or unloving attitude comes up.. it isn't really just that my guy is a butthead (though that may be part of the problem)... The REAL problem is that I, ME, the author of this blog... is not bearing the fruits of the Spirit.. I am not full of the Joy of the Lord..
I am not rejoicing in the day... "this is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"
I am not seeking first the kingdom of God..
I am not Loving the LORD with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and loving my neighbor...the sin ultimately lies within MY heart...
If God can love me, redeem me, save me, and fill me
than I have everything I need to love my husband...
It is I who needs an attitude adjustment..
Does it get him off the hook for sinning against me... no..
If he is using ugly words and or abusive words is it MY fault... no
if he is sinning........... against this family is it my fault........ no
what if my husband hits (mine does not).. GET help!
Love covers a multitude of sins
does NOT mean
Loving your husband requires that you COVER up his sin, and hide it from the world
no...
that verse refers to letting the little things go.. learning to walk in GRACE..
abuse, or sins that are causing your marriage serious strife
sins like
pornography, gambling, sexual addiction, adultery, incest, drugs, drunkenness, abuse of any kind
(this is a small list)
these all mean that you need help..
you need PRAYER warriors
you do not need to complain or gossip
you need to find people who can pray with you, and HELP you and your husband.
http://www.nanc.org/ or http://www.biblicalcounselingcenter.org/ are two great resources for you to get counseling.. If the abuse is physical, you may need to call 911. Please do not put yourself in physical danger.. YOU are NOT helping your husband by hiding his sin... It is helping him sin more by hiding it for him... you do not need to be ashamed..
Before the fall of man in the book of Genesis.. God made Eve.. God created Eve to be a suitable helpmate.. Before the fall... it was determined by God.. that man needed help.. that sounds ABOUT right to me...
since the fall.. well all the more..
Grace.. peace... and love.. I get it ALL from Jesus... I have precious little of mine own...He provides in abundance... and offers it freely unto you..
If you have come here wondering in your heart.. "dear Lord... I just don't love my husband any more..." please know I am praying for you... In the past few weeks many many readers have come to this site based on an old article entitled this, and I have been praying and struggling over this topic.. so it would seem, my Lord and Savior has allowed my husband and I to be stretched yet again in this area... and well this is part II in a series..
If you have questions, comments, thoughts, please share... I will be searching the scriptures on this topic ... Praying for you, and Trusting God as He has us re explore LOVING our spouses... from my vantage point.. loving my husband....
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Grace... on the outside looking in............
thinking of Christian... of Bunyan's famed Pilgrim's Progress, my mind is oft enraptured with the imagery used of a burden... A burden upon his back... One modern children's rendition even showed a beautiful painting of Christian with a terrible overloaded backpackers pack upon his back, as he walked with this upon him, he is visibly hunched over, nearly to a 90 degree angle... And so the image sticks in my mind.... Burdens....
Burdens can come in many forms... They can be illnesses, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, mental instability....Burdens can be financial.... job loss, foolish choices, a mortgage too high, a car loan, debt, even gambling... Some Burdens are ones people have put on us, and we've been too busy, or too silly to notice and take off.... Some Burdens can be ordained, while others have been brought on by ourselves... though we'd not be admitting it any time soon.... and yet sometimes, people are to quick to point the finger directly at us for each and every one of our burdens, forgetting that God is indeed sovereign, forgetting about grace entirely... and it is these people who need to just sit on their hands like good little boys and girls and remember their manners...
They ought to remember it's rude to point at people...
Burdens...
Another burden is the Standard, the Law....
Beyond the Commandments...
Those standards and rules that MAN has imposed upon us..
(As I have often referred to in this blog, when I speak of "standards" or Standard Bearing" I am referring to articles written by NORM WAKEFIELD... Please be blessed by looking those up :)
These Standards they make me think of a ceiling I once saw at a children's museum in San Francisco... The silly Ceiling my children called it... It rose and it fell, making optical illusions; making the daddy seem smaller than the child, making the child seem smaller than the door.... all done with lines and shadows, squares on the floor and the changing of the ceiling I believe.... It pressed down in the back... bearing down... and like a burden, made the person under it, SEEM more than they were.... MORE important, MORE mighty, and yet... it was an illusion... not at all UNLIKE living under the Law, or under the Standards.... Yet any room can do that, I FEEL bigger when I am in my kitchen than I do when I am standing beside the Grand Canyon... Because beside the Grand Canyon... I am tiny... yet next to my stove... I am not that tiny...
Grace....
Grace is like living on the beach. With the wide deep unpredictable ocean at your feet. The rocks and the cliffs there behind you, rising to their mighty crests, and the horizon... jetting before you... Grace is watching the sun rise, and set, the sky filled with its vast multitude of starry hosts prancing their stories across the night.... Grace is having nothing above you but the heavens... And while THAT is beautiful and amazing... it is indeed frightening.
Because walking, living, breathing in Grace requires Faith. Living in Grace means I will LIVE in the sunshine as well as in the storm; I will not retreat to be nestled in the safety of my cozy little home... I will dwell in the rain, the hail, the snow, the wind trusting in God to provide... I will bare my cross and follow... but I will be free in Jesus with out the burden... Grace means the sun will beat down upon me, the salt with season my tongue and lips, and the wind will tangle my hair.... Grace can get messy, but it wholey relies on Christ, proving in each moment HIS sufficiency... it does NOT require you to live on the beach... THAT would be another burden... this is symbolic... Burden means I am comfortable in Air Conditioning....everything... is neat, and tidy, or awfully close to it... it's a "controlled atmosphere" and I am the one controlling it, even if the storm hits, I can close the shutters, put on the AC, put on a movie and ignore that there is a storm... Where as... with Grace... I have NO choice but to face the storm, live through it, relying on God, putting my faith in Jesus each and every moment... bringing Him immense glory, and receiving tremendeous joy!
Lets FACE it... when the going gets rough we all like to know the rules... We all want our "to do list" so we can just FOLLOW IT.... We all want to check it off, and just BE SAFE.... little babies when not in mothers arms simply adore being in crib or bassinet, because of the comfort it brings to them... the wide open freedom at times can overwhelm their senses and stress them out... It is why they love to be swaddled as newborns... it is comforting, like being in the womb...There are times, when that bit of structure is needed to ensure their peace, but let there be slats for them to see.... for they want to see freedom.... So do we... We are frightened of it, we don't know what to DO with it, but we sure want to SEE it...We have windows looking OUT to grace... We talk about grace, listen to sermons on grace... Sing how amazing Grace is... But LIVE moment to moment by Grace?
Yet Jesus said it is by Grace we are saved (not of works) it is a GIFT of God.....
I am not advocating selling your home and living on a beach... I am indeed writing symbolically here. Follow my line of thinking if you can... Imagery friends :)
How many of us are on the beach...
How many of us do more than visit the beach once a week?
Once a month?
Once a year?
Do you live there?
Walk there,
get wet in the rain weathering the storms ON the beach?
Are you looking out onto the sand
or looking into the house or condo?
Looking for the ones you love, inviting them to follow as YOU follow Christ...?
or staring at your loved one on the beach, wondering why they are out there all WET?
Sorry for not writing lately...
The beach is miles long
I have been shelling by day and by night I've been stargazing...
The nights here have been long, and lonely...
and I only hope I don't cave and go back in...
My prayer is they'll come out and join me...
and KNOW that the Lord HE IS GOOD
He promised
to never leave me nor forsake me
that no matter what...
NO MATTER what....
&
I AM HIS
and HE will take care of me,
He pointed me to the sparrow, and showed me how He cared for them....
and wrote to me HOW much MORE HE cares for me
for you....
I can stand in the rain
the snow
I can be a fool for Jesus
and KNOW
He was made a fool for me...
and It WILL be ok
HE will provide, and care for me
if GOD is with me,
what ever do I have to be afraid of......
just on the outside.... looking in
Burdens can come in many forms... They can be illnesses, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, mental instability....Burdens can be financial.... job loss, foolish choices, a mortgage too high, a car loan, debt, even gambling... Some Burdens are ones people have put on us, and we've been too busy, or too silly to notice and take off.... Some Burdens can be ordained, while others have been brought on by ourselves... though we'd not be admitting it any time soon.... and yet sometimes, people are to quick to point the finger directly at us for each and every one of our burdens, forgetting that God is indeed sovereign, forgetting about grace entirely... and it is these people who need to just sit on their hands like good little boys and girls and remember their manners...
They ought to remember it's rude to point at people...
Burdens...
Another burden is the Standard, the Law....
Beyond the Commandments...
Those standards and rules that MAN has imposed upon us..
(As I have often referred to in this blog, when I speak of "standards" or Standard Bearing" I am referring to articles written by NORM WAKEFIELD... Please be blessed by looking those up :)
These Standards they make me think of a ceiling I once saw at a children's museum in San Francisco... The silly Ceiling my children called it... It rose and it fell, making optical illusions; making the daddy seem smaller than the child, making the child seem smaller than the door.... all done with lines and shadows, squares on the floor and the changing of the ceiling I believe.... It pressed down in the back... bearing down... and like a burden, made the person under it, SEEM more than they were.... MORE important, MORE mighty, and yet... it was an illusion... not at all UNLIKE living under the Law, or under the Standards.... Yet any room can do that, I FEEL bigger when I am in my kitchen than I do when I am standing beside the Grand Canyon... Because beside the Grand Canyon... I am tiny... yet next to my stove... I am not that tiny...
Grace....
Grace is like living on the beach. With the wide deep unpredictable ocean at your feet. The rocks and the cliffs there behind you, rising to their mighty crests, and the horizon... jetting before you... Grace is watching the sun rise, and set, the sky filled with its vast multitude of starry hosts prancing their stories across the night.... Grace is having nothing above you but the heavens... And while THAT is beautiful and amazing... it is indeed frightening.
Because walking, living, breathing in Grace requires Faith. Living in Grace means I will LIVE in the sunshine as well as in the storm; I will not retreat to be nestled in the safety of my cozy little home... I will dwell in the rain, the hail, the snow, the wind trusting in God to provide... I will bare my cross and follow... but I will be free in Jesus with out the burden... Grace means the sun will beat down upon me, the salt with season my tongue and lips, and the wind will tangle my hair.... Grace can get messy, but it wholey relies on Christ, proving in each moment HIS sufficiency... it does NOT require you to live on the beach... THAT would be another burden... this is symbolic... Burden means I am comfortable in Air Conditioning....everything... is neat, and tidy, or awfully close to it... it's a "controlled atmosphere" and I am the one controlling it, even if the storm hits, I can close the shutters, put on the AC, put on a movie and ignore that there is a storm... Where as... with Grace... I have NO choice but to face the storm, live through it, relying on God, putting my faith in Jesus each and every moment... bringing Him immense glory, and receiving tremendeous joy!
Lets FACE it... when the going gets rough we all like to know the rules... We all want our "to do list" so we can just FOLLOW IT.... We all want to check it off, and just BE SAFE.... little babies when not in mothers arms simply adore being in crib or bassinet, because of the comfort it brings to them... the wide open freedom at times can overwhelm their senses and stress them out... It is why they love to be swaddled as newborns... it is comforting, like being in the womb...There are times, when that bit of structure is needed to ensure their peace, but let there be slats for them to see.... for they want to see freedom.... So do we... We are frightened of it, we don't know what to DO with it, but we sure want to SEE it...We have windows looking OUT to grace... We talk about grace, listen to sermons on grace... Sing how amazing Grace is... But LIVE moment to moment by Grace?
Yet Jesus said it is by Grace we are saved (not of works) it is a GIFT of God.....
I am not advocating selling your home and living on a beach... I am indeed writing symbolically here. Follow my line of thinking if you can... Imagery friends :)
How many of us are on the beach...
How many of us do more than visit the beach once a week?
Once a month?
Once a year?
Do you live there?
Walk there,
get wet in the rain weathering the storms ON the beach?
Are you looking out onto the sand
or looking into the house or condo?
Looking for the ones you love, inviting them to follow as YOU follow Christ...?
or staring at your loved one on the beach, wondering why they are out there all WET?
Sorry for not writing lately...
The beach is miles long
I have been shelling by day and by night I've been stargazing...
The nights here have been long, and lonely...
and I only hope I don't cave and go back in...
My prayer is they'll come out and join me...
and KNOW that the Lord HE IS GOOD
He promised
to never leave me nor forsake me
that no matter what...
NO MATTER what....
&
I AM HIS
and HE will take care of me,
He pointed me to the sparrow, and showed me how He cared for them....
and wrote to me HOW much MORE HE cares for me
for you....
I can stand in the rain
the snow
I can be a fool for Jesus
and KNOW
He was made a fool for me...
and It WILL be ok
HE will provide, and care for me
if GOD is with me,
what ever do I have to be afraid of......
just on the outside.... looking in
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Perseverance, proving character, hope... and abounding in grace...
Romans 4
4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above passages I have placed here for your reference... please, I beseech you to read all of Romans, but at the very least chapter 4... I only chose to include these passages, that you may understand the "therefore" that chapter 5 begins with... When EVER the bible begins a passage with "therefore" it is good to go back and find out... what it is there for... ;)
Romans 51Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tribulations... hmmm tribulation brings about perseverance? how wonderful... have you ever ACTUALLY thought about this...
2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tribulations... hmmm tribulation brings about perseverance? how wonderful... have you ever ACTUALLY thought about this...Tribulations are NOT fun things... and persevering is tough stuff... this isn't some race, or smelly bus ride, that you JUST need to endure till your stop comes... this is hard life stuff, and persevering, can really be heart wrenching, clinging to Jesus, holding on for dear life stuff... but we have that peace from God....
yet sometimes it may elude you and me.. but it is there... if you aren't sure, haven't felt it just yet... talk to someone who does NOT know the Lord, really get to know people OUTside the christian circles you dwell in.. I don't mean "dump on them" I mean LISTEN to them... and you will learn... just because you aren't feeling the peace, like a trip you took in the 70's ~ does NOT mean you don't have it.. what it means is that your just numb from the tribulation right now... trust, and keep holding on... if you didn't have that peace... you'd REALLY be wigging out!
am I talking too frank for you... a little edgy perhaps.. well... I am in a little tribulation... living amongst unbelievers, most of whom barely speak the same language as I do... but I listen to them, I ask questions.... and in the midst of my tribulation, as my character is being "proven"... I hear...
that one of my most lovely friends, who comes from a Muslim Nation... would prefer to be a butterfly...
She can live then... beautifully, boldly, and die swiftly having lived a glorious albeit short life.... the standard bearing in her culture perhaps too much... the mental Burke overwhelming, demanding, demeaning to the point of despair... I worry for her, for we have not seen her lovely face now for some weeks... precious child... may she be free in Jesus Christ... may she turn to Him, who can save and redeem her, to live and breath and BE that beautiful girl she is...
What do I hear...
I hear many friends, most of whom have left countries, like the rhythms of the drums I hear their stories in my memory... stories of leaving their homelands & trying to start new here in France, some who long to come then to America.. perhaps coming From France, looks better on a Visa... than coming from... Algeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Afrika, different areas of Asia....? hmm I do not know...I do not have answers to questions like these... no... not I...
I hear their instruments, so beautiful playing on the streets and how they tell me, so many, how they long to simply live here, in Lyon, for they are from what was once French Colonies... why not have their rights met in France?
What do I hear when I listen...
I hear the beating of the drums
I hear the guitars being played
I hear the crys of the people
I hear them ...
all night long
What do you hear...???
do you listen...?
Listen to the trials, to the tribulations of believers
and unbelievers as well?
... extending grace?
letting your character be proven...
It can really be shown to you in the listening... your peace... if you have it...
sometimes... they will tell you to your face.. they wish they had your peace...
funny, too... you may have not "felt" you had it... but... you do... you do have the Peace of God...
If you have Christ..
and with the perseverance, my character proven, there is hope... hope for me, and hope that I can share with them in Christ...
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
That is the "good news" that needs to be told to all the peoples...
I think one of my favorite parts of this passage of scripture is when you follow it all the way through... because it is the hope.... it doesn't leave it at just the condemnation... just the "you are a sinner who needs saving" part.... and " I KNOW THE WAY!"... no
Romans doesn't do that... funny, preachers do.. but follow it all the way to the end...
For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So through the ONE many will be made righteous...
I am being made righteous...
I am a work in progress
My children
My husband
are all works in progress....
and where transgression increased
where sin has increased
do I need to be MORE stern, more angry, more HARSH???
no.. the words in the good book, are so plain..
it says, grace should abound...all the more...
just as sin reigned in death
grace should reign through Righteousness...
does that mean they get away with stuff?
grace should reign through RIGHTEOUSNESS...
GRACE.... should REIGN through RIGHTEOUSNESS....
a whole lot to just sort of dwell upon ....
isn't it....
just taking a break from all that "christian-ese" I get fed in America...
and reading that book God wrote...
and dwelling....
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
thatmom
I do not often do this, but I was very encouraged today by a post on thatmom... I think it was so encouraging in fact, that i am putting the link here for you.... Don't be fooled by the title... It is all about family, and really, about parenting in grace.
thatmom organic gardening
I hope you are as encouraged as I was.
thatmom organic gardening
I hope you are as encouraged as I was.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
ponderings
"The Worst of partialities is to withhold oneself, the worst ignorance is not to act, the worst lie is to steal away."
~ Charles Peguy
"In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, paul warns, "Let no one deceive you with empty words' (v.6). Repeatedly, he challenges God's people to speak Truth to one another. When we are not honest with each other, we actually do Satan's work for him, acting as his agents, deceiving and destroying each other."
~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss
"Everything in your spirtual life depends on the sort of God you worship. Because the character of the worshiper will always be molded by the character of what he worships: If it is a cruel and revengeful God the worshiper will be the same, but if it is a loving, tender, forgiving unselfish God, the worshiper will be transformed slowly, wonderfully into this likeness."
~ Hannah Whitall Smith
"God is good, and everything He does is good" (Psalm 119:68)
ponderings.....
~ Charles Peguy
"In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, paul warns, "Let no one deceive you with empty words' (v.6). Repeatedly, he challenges God's people to speak Truth to one another. When we are not honest with each other, we actually do Satan's work for him, acting as his agents, deceiving and destroying each other."
~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss
"Everything in your spirtual life depends on the sort of God you worship. Because the character of the worshiper will always be molded by the character of what he worships: If it is a cruel and revengeful God the worshiper will be the same, but if it is a loving, tender, forgiving unselfish God, the worshiper will be transformed slowly, wonderfully into this likeness."
~ Hannah Whitall Smith
"God is good, and everything He does is good" (Psalm 119:68)
ponderings.....
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Looking at Fear and Part 3 of Standard Bearers....
Reading Part 3 of Norm Wakefields Standard Bearer's this morning, and I sit and meditate on the similarities and differences between the Standard bearer, and the True Image Bearer of Christ Jesus... Reading it reminds me of when my husband and I sat in Nouthetic Counseling Training sessions, and learned that the motive of the heart can change, it can change very quickly, in just a moment.One example given by Norm was that the Standard Bearer ... "He lives in fear of others discovering his faults and inconsistencies (Prov. 10:9). " Where as the True Image bearer "He lives securely without fear (Prov. 10:9). "
Fear... the only fear one ought to have is Fear of the Lord... for it is the beginning of Wisdom...(Pr 9:10)
Yet fear can grip is, grabbing hold and simply terrorize us... Fear unchecked, and gone unnoticed can begin to take hold, with one of the first symptoms being Anger... Yes, anger, rage, quick fused responces.... With every unmet expectation, fear will sink its hideous claws deeper into the flesh... Fear of what others think, fear of not meeting life goals, fear of not achieving the days goals, fear of not... fill in the blank, fear of an outcome... what will happen...if... when..., fear of failure, fear of success... yes... because if one REALLY has any TRUE success in ONE are, will the other areas, those areas that one desires to remain hidden, will they be revealed for all to see... Fear is simply terrible... damned if you do... damned if you don't.. Fear can paralyze it's victim.. Christ came to Free us from this captivity...
Romans 8:15 "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" "
I have learned through the study of Scripture, through reading good books like "Fear Worry and the God of Rest"(E. Welch) as well as this particular study by Norm Wakefield, The Standard bearers, as well as a variety of other worthy resources, that Fear can abound when you are a Standard Bearer as well as when you are under the direct influence of a Standard Bearer.... And this Fear, simply must be dealt with..... or it will grow...
I have also learned, as I briefly touched on earlier, that motives of the heart can change in a moment... And being surrounded by "Standard Bearers", can breed such a spirit in you.... motives once pure for Christ can suddenly through, the influence of often powerful, influencial, motivational, and very convicted speakers (the Standard bearer can be Very attractive), can be twisted and changed into a "standard..." You can find yourself bearing a standard someone else has placed upon you, and it's YOLK is NOT easy, it's BURDEN is not light...
Jesus explained how to know when it is HIM.... for His yolk IS easy.... His burden LIGHT....
for more on The Curse of the Standard Bearer, please click on the Link, and read what Norm has to teach... He has two helpful charts in Part 3, and they are most helpful indeed... I have walked through this series before, and am walking through it again for the third time.... Why?
Because breaking free of this mindset is ONE thing, but helping others, is another... I have need to break the cycle in my own home.. That my children would walk as True Image Bearers, knowing real relationship with Christ, and living IN Grace, not trying to live UP to anything, or anyones idea of it...
May God's grace wash over you, may His mercy heal and restore,
and may we rejoice in His fellowship Now, and Always...
remember YOU are loved...
Christ died for you.... 
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Living in this place of Grace - a look at "standard bearing" -N.Wakefield
Romans 8
"1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,"
Living in this place of Grace ...
I feel like I can breath...
We have weathered some pretty big storms here
This past long year...
walked through some valleys
hung out in the desert,
and now are miles and miles and miles from our comfort zones...
Some of our "comfort zones" were getting less comfortable ...
and God has had a year or two now
to rustle things up
to show us things from another perspective
to grow us up
to stretch us,
and now we are in a place
where we can re examine GRACE....
"Standard Bearers?
Who are the Standard Bearers, and why such a strange descriptive title? I use the term standard because sincere, religious people usually have many standards they consider important to secure significance, praise, and reputation before God and man. Everyone has some standards they practice, but the issue in this article is the level of importance and significance people place on those standards.
I use the term bearers because that is the image they bear to others: Living by certain standards is a true sign of righteousness and spiritual maturity. Others often think of them as almost perfect or Christ-like in their talk and appearance being impressed with the way they live for Jesus. But there is a subtle, yet significant difference between someone living for Jesus and Jesus living in them. Unfortunately, the emphasis of a Standard Bearer rests on the standards rather than relationship.
Standard Bearers have an inconsistent application of God's character toward His creatures. For instance, when trying to convince a non-standard bearer of his need to change, they communicate that God is very stern. Yet when they deal with their own sin, they apply the view that God is forgiving and gracious. There's a disconnect between how they think God sees the sins of others not like them and how He sees their sin.
A True Image Bearer
In contrast, a True Image Bearer focuses on relationship with Jesus and has one aim: to be a conduit of the life and love of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and to lead others to experience the same blessing of such a powerful, love-engulfed, grace-filled relationship. Although his life is lived with standards perhaps similar to a Standard Bearer's, the root and motivation of his life is different - he recognizes his lifestyle as a gift of grace through his relationship with Jesus. The true image of Jesus wasn't a life focused on standards, but a life focused on a relationship with His Father in heaven.
Consequently, a True Image Bearer doesn't demand that others live by standards to gain approval, encouragement, and affirmation. They're more interested in the process of relationship with the Holy Spirit for others. People who live in close company with a True Image Bearer know that if they were to disappoint them or have another view, they would still be respected and valued.
True Image Bearers respect the Holy Spirit and His right to move, transform, and convince others. They apply the power of the cross-work of Jesus to those who haven't seen the light they have and consider the judgment of others a holy responsibility for Jesus alone. They don't think the Christian life is "living for Jesus", but instead it is "Jesus living in them" (Gal. 2:20). When people are around a True Image Bearer, they usually sense the love and presence of Jesus.
Often Standard Bearers think they are True Image Bearers because they have good feelings about themselves due to their commitment to standards. To them commitment to standards is the expression of their love for Jesus. However, they are not unlike the Pharisees in Jesus' day who viewed themselves as the "separated ones." In their zeal to be distinct in a complex, godless Greek culture, they established oral traditions (standards) and considered them not only equal to the written Law, but more important. Their judgment of others and lack of love, forgiveness, and grace was condemned by Jesus repeatedly. A True Image Bearer would not look down his nose at, avoid, or judge those who don't hold to his or her standards. Instead, he lives in freedom and prays for and encourages others to treasure relationship with Jesus. "
Who are the Standard Bearers, and why such a strange descriptive title? I use the term standard because sincere, religious people usually have many standards they consider important to secure significance, praise, and reputation before God and man. Everyone has some standards they practice, but the issue in this article is the level of importance and significance people place on those standards.
I use the term bearers because that is the image they bear to others: Living by certain standards is a true sign of righteousness and spiritual maturity. Others often think of them as almost perfect or Christ-like in their talk and appearance being impressed with the way they live for Jesus. But there is a subtle, yet significant difference between someone living for Jesus and Jesus living in them. Unfortunately, the emphasis of a Standard Bearer rests on the standards rather than relationship.
Standard Bearers have an inconsistent application of God's character toward His creatures. For instance, when trying to convince a non-standard bearer of his need to change, they communicate that God is very stern. Yet when they deal with their own sin, they apply the view that God is forgiving and gracious. There's a disconnect between how they think God sees the sins of others not like them and how He sees their sin.
A True Image Bearer
In contrast, a True Image Bearer focuses on relationship with Jesus and has one aim: to be a conduit of the life and love of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and to lead others to experience the same blessing of such a powerful, love-engulfed, grace-filled relationship. Although his life is lived with standards perhaps similar to a Standard Bearer's, the root and motivation of his life is different - he recognizes his lifestyle as a gift of grace through his relationship with Jesus. The true image of Jesus wasn't a life focused on standards, but a life focused on a relationship with His Father in heaven.
Consequently, a True Image Bearer doesn't demand that others live by standards to gain approval, encouragement, and affirmation. They're more interested in the process of relationship with the Holy Spirit for others. People who live in close company with a True Image Bearer know that if they were to disappoint them or have another view, they would still be respected and valued.
True Image Bearers respect the Holy Spirit and His right to move, transform, and convince others. They apply the power of the cross-work of Jesus to those who haven't seen the light they have and consider the judgment of others a holy responsibility for Jesus alone. They don't think the Christian life is "living for Jesus", but instead it is "Jesus living in them" (Gal. 2:20). When people are around a True Image Bearer, they usually sense the love and presence of Jesus.
Often Standard Bearers think they are True Image Bearers because they have good feelings about themselves due to their commitment to standards. To them commitment to standards is the expression of their love for Jesus. However, they are not unlike the Pharisees in Jesus' day who viewed themselves as the "separated ones." In their zeal to be distinct in a complex, godless Greek culture, they established oral traditions (standards) and considered them not only equal to the written Law, but more important. Their judgment of others and lack of love, forgiveness, and grace was condemned by Jesus repeatedly. A True Image Bearer would not look down his nose at, avoid, or judge those who don't hold to his or her standards. Instead, he lives in freedom and prays for and encourages others to treasure relationship with Jesus. "
~~ Norm Wakefield The Curse of the Standard Bearers Part 1 11/07
I like Norm, I think we have established this...
My husband likes Norm.
If I could... I would have Norm and his lovely bride over for the weekend to visit...
that is how much I like Norm.
Norm can rebuke with out ever making you feel stupid,
but in that loving way, as to let you know...
that there is grace...
(to read Norms article in it's entirety, just click on the name of it highlighted...)
"William Young, author of The Shack, described a man's encounter with God. It caught my attention, and I think it relates to Satan's scheme. He wrote that there are a lot of smart people who are able to say a lot of right things from their brain because they have been told what the right answers are, but they don't know Jesus Christ at all. So really, how can their answers be right even if they are correct? Even though they might be correct, they are still wrong." Norm Wakefield The Curse of the Standard Bearers Part 2 12/07
I too agreed with Mr. Young on this one point, though not with every point made in his book. This point was one that resonated with me.... It really is more simply put... that with Christ... The ends NEVER justify the means.... The getting there is so a part of it, so one of the points of it... So having the "cheat sheet" means you fail.
Yet sometimes in life, there are people that will come into your sphere, that matter to you. They matter for various reasons, and sometimes, these people are people whom Norm describes; they are "Standard bearers"... everything you do, can become a standard, everything you do has to have some "reason", and suddenly there is no room to breath... or, more commonly, everything THEY do, or believe is a standard, something you need to live up to, or perhaps there is a book, a belief system, a church... They have standards, and sometimes, their standards can change from week to week... the very act of trying to live up to these kinds of expectations, can be overwhelming, heartbreaking, and spiritually damaging... 
So you either try to live up to the Standard and everything "seems" cool...
or you live in a place of grace
and let the healing, living waters of Christ Jesus wash over you,
cleansing you of this hurt...
and you are so so so not cool with the "Standard Bearers...
this can be very painful,
there can be gossip, rejection, excommunication,
but you are so good with the Spirit of God,
you walk with HIM, and He is the point.
Well, God has made it pretty clear to me, to us,
that Grace need abound in our hearts
in our homes...
That Christ Jesus lives here,
and there is no room for anyone else but Him here...
I can not live up to any one's expectations of me
I dare not have any expectations of anyone else either, anymore....
It hurts them, it hurts me, it wounds Christ...
and He has been wounded enough...
I don't want a Pharisee's life for my children...
I want them to enjoy real fellowship with the Spirit of God,
real relationship with Christ their King,
I pray for them, to be able to see the other side of the torn veil....
Colossians"1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory"
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory"
If you want to learn more about Standard Bearing, please click on the link, and read Norms articles at www.spiritofelijah.com , his ministry is truly ... ministry to the soul...
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
longing for heaven, when Grace is an uphill climb
"Ultimately, we long for heaven. And there's the problem: to experience heaven, we have to die to temporal living and to ourselves. The drive to be happy–to cope with all the affairs, situations and circumstances of life, to have the ability to perform adequately–cannot be satisfied by any power source other than God. However, man's quest for happiness seldom begins by seeking fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He thinks happiness and freedom from pain and guilt can be obtained through temporal means. He looks for a power source capable of satisfying his soul's thirst for happiness. It is this search for happiness that makes our children (and ourselves) so vulnerable to the destructive spiritual forces in the world. " Norm Wakefield
I like Norm... I often find that God speaks through Norm to me, though his writings and teachings. I find that there is a whole lot of truth here...
That we do long for heaven, we long for creature comforts, for things to go easy, for things to go smoothly.
We don't want things to be hard... Somehow, we need them to go well, because how would that make God look? "my life needs to look good, so that my god looks good" but is that really how the God of heaven operates?
That is idolatry.
Our God is not here to serve us, to give us our every wish and want. True He will give us the desires of our hearts...
But will He give us NEW desires?
or give us OUR desires?
Or give us the desires of our hearts in HIS time in His way?
We are here to serve Him. Not I would have to put forth, to serve ourselves. Nor is it our place to determine what "serving Him" will look like. As each of us are different parts of the body of Christ, each of us will serve the Lord in a different capacity. It is not for me to covet another gifting.
The lesson this week at church was from Acts 20:17-38
It is considered Pauls great "goodbye" to the Church at Ephesus, a church he had been with longer than any other.
17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.
18And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,
19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;
20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
24"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
25"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.
26"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
32"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes.
34"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.
35"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
38grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again And they were accompanying him to the ship.
18And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,
19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;
20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
24"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
25"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.
26"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
32"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes.
34"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.
35"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
38grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again And they were accompanying him to the ship.
Here lies what Pastor Carlson (International Christian Community of Lyon) so aptly pointed out, as something other than what we in the WEST call commitment... We like to consider ourselves committed to Christ....
But we are to surrender ourselves to Christ. Surrender vs Commit hmmm makes ya think.
Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
What is entangling me... what desire of my heart, what comforts do I so want that encompass me? What encumbrance and what sin is entangling me, preventing me from running the race with endurance...
and not just "a race"
but the race set before me, the race set before us....
My husband and I have a different race than you do. Different sins, different issues all together, different, yet probably all identifiable and relatable... in some ways the same, yet distinctly different from yours. yet as Paul points out, the issue is the same.. there is a race, and something is entangling us..
Verse 31 and 32 talk about being ALERT.... and being commended to God & to His word of GRACE....
which will build you up
which will build you up
& give you the inheritance of all those who are sanctified.....
wow
lets look at that... so we need to be commended to GOD and
to HIS WORD
OF
GRACE
grace
grace
grace.......
hmmmm
which will build you UP (not tear down, not burden, not overwhelm, nor exhaust, but rather build you up)
and & and.....
give you the inheritance ( that is nice but whose???????)
of those who were sanctified........ (those who have been there / done that/ who have walked the walk, not talked that talk, the ones GOD worked on, who have BEEN transformed by the renewing of their minds.... hmmm the sanctified have an inheritance.... to leave for .... maybe me? maybe YOU?)
but are we commending one another to GOD first
to His Word first?
to Prayer FIRST or as a last resort?
afterthought?
just before bed, if we remember?
Are we even remembering HIS word is the Word of GRACE??
there really doesn't seem to be an understanding of grace in the church today...
people hear grace they hear...
licence.......
so not so....
grace....
needs further reflection if this is what you think of it...
are we as a church,
are we as families
friends
neighbors
communities
building UP in Christ?
or tearing down?
are we so full of criticism that we no longer seek to build up...
and by the way... kissing up, sugar coating, brown nosing, sweet talking, is NOT building up...
building UP
might be showing someone where they are in sin
where they are wrong.
or knowing when to be quiet and let God do what God is going to do, because we are toooooo
emotional about it... too overwhelming, too lacking in grace....
grace can look different
because it is HIS
and it is part of that PERSONAL walk thing....
now as far as the saying goodbye goes.... well we have had to do this..
lots and lots of times...
and I can not expound on it better than it was done here....
we can not know if we shall meet again....
and there is NOTHING wrong with weeping at our own sorrow
it is ok to miss someone
it is fine to grieve you own loss
it is healthy, and normal, and yes biblical.
God is not frowning because you are sad when you have so say goodbye
God is not angry that you are not happy every minute of everyday
God does NOT expect you to be rich to make Him look successful
God does not NEED you to be on time for the world to know that HE is NEVER late
God does not need YOU to have success at anything to look good to anyone...
God is the Great I AM
He is who He is
He does what HE does
You an I have done NOTHING to earn His favor
It was by grace we are saved, not by works, it is a gift of God
it does not matter what any one's standards are
we don't need to live up to their standards
and we had Better NOT expect God to even try.
that would be idolatry...
that would be setting up a false God
and demanding in a way that He do what we want that we could make Him look good...
and that
is not keeping alert
running the race with endurance
that would be looking for a "power source capable of satisfying" one's soul's thirst for happiness, just like Norm said...
Learning is hard, holding fast to the Truth is harder
discerning is a challenge
and loving in Grace well
as easy as walking the steepest incline hill.
I once was part of a body of believers where it was said to us often by the leadership... that "healthy things multiply"
yet where, friends where is the grace and truth in that?
The truth is unhealthy bacteria does too.
Cancer spreads and ugly things multiply also..
The implication was that if YOU are healthy YOU will multiply...
it is full of legality...
suddenly multiplication is a standard
yet the simple fact is
we are broken...
it is
HE who is making us healthy
for HE is the Great Physician
It is
HE who decides what multiplies and by what number and when.
for HE is CREATOR God, sustainer of all the Universe
It is NOT;
not us... never us
or it isn't HIM anymore
and we have missed the point.
Grace is that steep hill
It is simple,
it is hard to do
we all want to make it easier
so we add to it
we try to change it
alter it,
make it convenient
wrap it up in a fancy 5 point package
yet it's Principle IS simple,
It's action is the challenge....
there is no easy and honest way to walk up the hill
but to put one foot in front of the other and walk by faith
knowing that by GRACE you will get to the top of the hill
because HE will NEVER leave you nor will HE forsake you.
We all have our temporal issues that need dying to... We all do..
The issues can range from minute to grand
They can even change from day to day; moment to moment.
The point is this... We all do this, this thing;
and we humans have done so, since the new testament was first penned..
before even...
Let us try to encourage one another now
to LOVE
and good works
that GRACE may abound....
p.s. i have written this over the period of a few days, and editing perhaps while too tired.... if it is simply scatty, or ill edited, please forgive... I will adjust in a short time if needed
Monday, May 11, 2009
Isaiah 55 : 1-12
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor."
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD,
and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
I am not a fan of taking things out of context. Neither is my husband. Tonight's family devotion called for us to read verse 6.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near
But if I just take that passage, then I don't know WHY I should seek the Lord.
What is so special about Him?
It does not tell me that He is living water, the holder of a feast, of foods and wine, and milk, all of which I can buy, yet with NO money... no money?
If I only read and learn verse 6, I learn nothing of the fact that His food is good, it is of the richest fare, and He is inviting me to some banquet...
He is calling me to come to HIM. To hear Him speak. He has words for me..
This seems... well important...
Who is HE to call for me, and who am I worthy of such a calling?
He talks of having the power to give my very soul eternal life, of the LOVE of David, and it being a very faithful love, a love also he has for me?
Also this God, He speaks of a covenant and of it being an everlasting covenant....
When does THAT ever happen?...
people get married nowadays and "say" till death, but can't even stay married past 3 or 5 years....
This God is talking to ME about and EVER lasting covenant?
This is getting to be interesting....
I learn David was a witness, a leader...
I learn that this God is Lord
that He is HOLY
the Holy one over Israel
able to endow with splendor...
wow
THIS is where I am told to
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near
And then all these promises are made, and I am told to let the wicked be, to let them have their ways, and Let the wicked turn to the Lord.... and the Lord will show mercy...
Mercy upon the wicked...
and when they turn to the Lord,
these wicked.... He will freely, or abundantly pardon...
wow..
I stand in awe of that...
He tells me that His ways are NOT my ways...
YEAH!
I can agree with that...
I like the wicked to be punished...
don't I....?
Well,
till I look in the mirror..
and see my sin,
my filth;
it is than that I think, I want to KNOW this God BETTER...
His ways Higher
deeper
wider
wiser
His ways INFINITE
while mine,
mine finite, ever and always finite....
But as the snow, and rain, the sunshine all work to bring for the fruit in the field, so His word does not return to Him Void... that is amazing... what a promise, that what He wants for it to accomplish shall be accomplished, and nothing anyone can do shall thwart the will of this GOD. He isn't depending on any of us.... He isn't leaning on me or you to hold him up like we were His crutch....
He stands on His own, holding the world in the palm of His hand...
and He promises
I will go in Joy
led in peace
and
the mountains and hills
will "burst in song" before me
the trees will clap their hands...
rather than being foreboding mountains, exhausting hills? Rather than being a looming forest dark and frightening?
I wonder if JRR Tolkien thought of this passage as he wrote Return of the King....
I find this passage exciting... illuminating the verse 6.... it tells me Why, the WHO the all of it...
I feel such compassion for Lyon..
for the people of this magnificent city I am growing to love...
for the believers here
for the unbelievers here...
and such hope!
There in the word of God it was so clear, so hopeful, in verse 7, where it said, Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him and freely pardon!!!!!!!! (There is a song Chris Tomlin sings that was written by the band Blue Tree out of Dublin I believe, and it is called "God of this City"... this song is very much on my heart.. that and the song "Give me eyes" by Brandon Heath)
I know that there is so much mercy for this city, so much pardon, so much hope for this beautiful city... These lovely souls...it simply fills me with that joy, and with that peace. I know I will pray for Lyon all my days, for the people here.... for our friend at the Baker, for our butcher, for guy at the little grocery, for each person who has come into our lives here, we have their names written down and we pray for them.
No, I haven't met that "rude Frenchman" yet... They have all been lovely... Warm friendly people, kind, patient with my poor use of their language... Their country is steeped in the history of the faith of the Saints.... yet they seem blind to it... I feel such joy for them, for what is just before them, so excited, to pray for them, to know them, to know about them....
No, I haven't met that "rude Frenchman" yet... They have all been lovely... Warm friendly people, kind, patient with my poor use of their language... Their country is steeped in the history of the faith of the Saints.... yet they seem blind to it... I feel such joy for them, for what is just before them, so excited, to pray for them, to know them, to know about them....no contempt here, only love for this people, this city, this land.... and hope! such hope!
is this what it means to be growing in grace?
praying....
for the saints
for those called to be saints...
yep, just praying..
because I believe Him... and frankly I trust HIM
Monday, May 4, 2009
you will be clean...............
"For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God."
Ezekiel 36:24-28
I love the word of God. This was the opening passage of the church service we went to. Yet like ANY
I love the word of God. This was the opening passage of the church service we went to. Yet like ANYGood worship leader.....
Alex Sarran followed up the opening passage read by Pastor Mike with
"but there is more..."
"Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations."
We need that don't we...
We need to see the mercy, the love, the grace, and somehow the awe of our own wretchedness can well up in us..
and it is then, that we go to Him,
and we repent
become restored
become a part of reconciliation and restoration...
it is then that we are renewed
restored
rejuvenated
but there is always a famine
a dry place
and then
the mercy, the washing
and it is NEVER us that institutes it....
always HIM..
I do not know what the Lord is doing in the lives of my family, or how God is using our family here in Lyon... or how He is using our absence.... but three things are in fact occurring at the same time ... it can not be denied :)
There are few Christians here in Lyon... few, and my faith is not well received... but standing in it is all I can do... Jesus is my Rock and my Salvation...
Pastor Mike preached from 2 Kings 6 this Sunday, What caught my attention was this...
Verse 16-17
" So he answered, " Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the Lord opened the servants eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fir all around Elisha."
Elisha prayed...
prayed someones eyes would be opened...
Lord... OPEN EYES
Verse 18
"When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, "Strike this people with blindness, I pray." So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha"
Elisha prayed...
prayed that they... would have their eyes shut
and the Lord shut their eyes
Verse 19-23
"Then Elisha said to them, " This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." and he brought them to Samaria. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see," So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw; and behold, they were in Samaria. Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
He answered, " You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."
So he prepared a great fest for them, and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel."
Elisha prayed
prayed that those eyes that were blinded
because he PRAYED they would be blinded for a time...
would NOW be opened...
in the end...
rather that war
there was peace
reconciliation
and a feast.....
As a Christian, I need to be praying MORE, praying for eyes to be opened, and for God to close eyes at HIS will, and open them at HIS will, and to give me patience and wisdom in this walk....
Still I pray for unsaved loved ones
unsaved strangers...
the nice African man we chatted with on the streets Sunday on our way to church...Mufasta
The nice Algerian ...Montaug
The beautiful Russian gal who serves us our bread Elana....
the Lyonnese man who helps us with our Villa... Pierrick
for our Muslim maid who barely speaks to us.. we still do not know her name....
Lord help us to be your prayerful servants,
repentant
restored to you
filled with your grace
your kindness
your loving compassion
your words
your Spirit
thank you
for
everything
the cross
the resurrection
everything
!
come thou fount
come thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
Praising His name -I'm fixed upon it-
name of God's redeeming love
Hither to Thy love has best me;
Thou hast bro't me to this place;
and I know Thy hand will bring me,
Safely home by Thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
wandering from the fold of God;
He to rescue me from danger
Bought me with His precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above
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