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

Good 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