Simple Songs...

On Sunday, I went to see my mother-in-law at the assisted living facility. She had fallen the day before and was more of bruised feelings than of body (thankfully). When we saw her Christmas day, she wondered if I was going to play my guitar. At the last minute before leaving the house, I decided against it, thinking she would be more interested in her gift opening than me sputtering through some old hymns. Well, I was dead-wrong about that one! The first thing she asked me was, "Where's the guitar?" I had to laugh! I promised the next time I came over, I would bring it and play.

Now I must confess to you that learning these old hymns has not been of my choosing. Personally, I lean towards a more contemporary style of music when I'm listening. Lately, however, The Lord has really been working on my heart about "message". Do the songs I listen to point to Jesus or are they more of an entertainment to the ears? More often than not, it is the latter. :( I discovered recently that another description for the word "message" is "the messenger's mission". And I thought, WOW, that is really cool. Music always has a mission, whether we realize it (or want to admit it) or not.

So I began examining the content of the songs I listen to and found out a lot of popular Christian tunes talk more about how Jesus makes us feel rather than simply point to Christ Himself. I would not say God doesn't work through these songs but that He does stand alone quite well without needing our feelings to somehow justify the goodness of who He is. Doesn't scripture tell us through Jesus' own words "And, I, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself." John 12:32? Kind of makes sense that when we point ourselves and others towards Jesus, He takes care of the rest. We don't have to do anything or help God out along the way.

OK, now enter the hymns...so here I am practicing these old songs, sounding quite bluegrassy I must say but geez, it just kinda comes out that way so I'm going along with the flow. I get on Rockin' with the Cross and start looking up chords that I can play and sing in. Amazingly, I find a bunch of these classics: Amazing Grace, Just as I am, Have Thine Own Way, Lord, I Surrender All and so on. I can transpose them with a mouse click (thank you, technology) into a key I can play decently and off to practice I go. Just reading the words to these songs, blesses my soul. In a flash, I am transported back in time to my days growing up the Baptist churches where they played these old hymns. God refreshes my spirit with the simplicity of Himself and I must wonder why folks have tried so hard to make Him complicated.

When I decided I needed to take these songs over to the nursing home, God was the one who reminded me about taking 'the church' to those in need. Let others see Jesus in you (another hymn but I can't play it yet) is the heart of what Christians are supposed to being, right? It wasn't going to be anything I would do myself but, if I allowed Him, God Himself would work through me in ministering to these folks. And skipping my usual church service to do this was honestly what I sensed that I needed to do.

When I arrived, my mother-in-law was in the hallway with two of her friends and they were solving all the worlds problems. I didn't mean to interrupt their important task but none of them seemed to mind once they realized I had my guitar to play for them. I played songs until my fingers felt like they were going to fall off! In fact, I played every song I had at least once and some of them twice. Two folks had 'requests' but I didn't know how to play "Onward Christian Soldiers" or "If I could only hear my mother pray again". I vowed I would learn these and would attempt to play them the next trip.

After we went through the songs once, I asked each person if they had a song they liked to sing. It brought tears to my eyes when Judy wanted me to play "Jesus Loves Me". I had not put that song in the first round. My thought had been it would be too childish for them to want to sing. Fortunately, this was one of the first songs my guitar instructor had me to learn and I did have the music with me. It was a grand chorus of the folks there and myself singing our hearts out to Jesus Loves Me! We sang all of the verses I had in my music and sang the first verse a couple more times. There was such a heart-felt simplicity in their song to the Lord! It was with some correction I received from the Lord how I was not to regard any song as childish, for He can work through anything and everything. I saw first-hand God working in this precious group of people. His word also came to me:

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me. Matthew 18:3 (The Message)

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and don't try to stop them! People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom." Matthew 19:14 (Contemporary English Version)

As I drove home, I thought about how much joy was revealed in their faces as they sang that song and how precious indeed those saints are to the Lord. Jesus' message of love, grace and mercy is so simple. My prayer today is that our hearts be made simple again, that we look to Him alone for answers and we learn to trust in Him rather than in ourselves. Oh Jesus, forgive us for being arrogant and proud, for thinking the modern ways or better than Your own; help us when we fail You, that we realize our desperate need for You - not just for salvation but for living the life You have given to us in following hard after You.

JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

LITTLE ONES TO HIM BELONG, THEY ARE WEAK BUT HE IS STRONG.

YES, JESUS LOVES ME. YES, JESUS LOVES ME.

YES, JESUS LOVES ME, THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

A Minor Chord...

In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad. In learning to play the acoustic guitar, I have come to love the minor chords. Over the past 5-6 weeks, God has so blessed me with learning this instrument and I pray my humble attempt to learn can, in some way, bring Him honor and glory. The callouses on my first three fingers have been quietly developing, which allows me to play longer! I so enjoy the learning process as well as the discovery of new things I never knew existed within me.

This love of the minor chords has me transposing what few songs I can play into different keys, just to get some of those minor notes. Three personal favorites thus far are Am, Dm and Em (A, D and E minor) with Em being the easiest to play. In learning some Christmas songs, I have found the tune, "O Holy Night" has A and E minor (along with B minor) when it is played in the key of G. I struggle about with my finger placement for that dreaded B minor. Fortunately, I learned a 3 finger version and playing the 1st four strings works, its just not as strong in sound as the traditional 4 finger version. I'm still learning but getting my fingers to stretch that way has proved challenging to say the least.

I don't know exactly what it is about these minor triads that has me so enthralled, perhaps it is just a different sound which I find quite soothing. Or maybe the tone itself is rather underpowering than overpowering. Is underpowering a real word? The major chords are great and all - strong, vibrant and full of sound; sometimes loud too. But I personally identify with the minor chords, one's that are a little more laid back, less showy but clearly effective. I looked up the word "showy" in Webster's Dictionary, which was pretty awesome reading. Perhaps the word I was looking for describing the major chords was pretentious, which (according to Webster's) implies "an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing". Oh, how I do NOT want to be pretentious (or showy, ostentatious, etc.). OK, so I'm weird in identifying with the minor chords more so than the major ones - go talk to God about that, He created me! :)

As I was pondering the majors and minors, I couldn't help but see how we each are like a note on The Master's Instrument. He is the one who gently reproduces Himself in us, His sound is the footprint in our lives. When we walk with Him, in His song, it is a joyous melody to His ears. But when we venture off on our own, in our own ability, desire and effort, we find ourselves quite out of tune with the Father. Sometimes everyone else around us 'hears' it before we do. When a guitar gets out of tune, you have to turn the keys on the neck to bring it back into harmony with the rest of the instrument. Any single string on a guitar lies across the body and neck of the instrument, parallel with the other strings. Some strings are thicker than others but they are all level with one another and they are all traveling in the same direction. Tuning a string requires it to be stretched - sounds like the pains of maturity in our walk with the Lord. Once in tune, the song begins again...

Every aspect of my love walk with Jesus teaches me something. From the adventures in shepherding to learning this guitar thing, it all points to Him. I am in awe of just how totally ALL things do work together for those that love the Lord. This scripture comes to my mind frequently these days:

Romans 8:27-29 (Contemporary English Version)
All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people. We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves Him. They are the ones God has chosen for His purpose, and He has always known who His chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like His own Son, so that His Son would be the first of many children.

Thank you, Lord, for your patience with me. In all of my ups and downs, with my being in tune with you and especially for those times when I am not. Thank you for choosing me as your own and for waiting for patiently for me when I run from Your purpose and plan. Keep me, Lord, close to Your heart and replace my own heart with Yours. You alone are worthy of Praise, of Honor and Glory!

JESUS, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Samples...

Have you ever been in the grocery store when they have vendors passing out samples of a new product? Maybe you were at the mall, outside Chick-Fill-A obtaining a small piece of a tasty nugget or at the deli when they give away free tidbits of cheese? If you were to try hard enough, you could eat a small meal for nothing but once you get home, you are starving! I must ask just how fresh are those samples? Some of them must have been sitting there all day, occasionally re-stocked for appearance sake. Is there someone who monitors that?

A sample is gives you a small taste of something much larger and much better than anything you have had before. As I look into my own life, I'm ashamed of how satisfied I have been in the past with merely getting samples of the vast table that God has prepared before me. Yes everything does indeed relate to Him and I'm thankful He has brought to mind the small things I never really noticed or just didn't pay much attention before.

I have become increasingly aware of how traditional church methodology is much like the sample counter. There is the offer to taste the 'good life' but you can only have it small pieces (i.e. weekly services). Oh, you can have the whole thing but you have to do something for, you have buy it, earn it or do some other performance-oriented thing. This is what gets you to come back week after week but, as time passes, you begin to starve on those tiny tidbits and, all the while, your desire for more grows day by day. I don't think that is actually what God had in mind for personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. It is sad to me to see the number of ways our sample mentality has trickled down into every aspect of what we call Christianity and church. The entire outline of a Sunday morning is full of samples:15-30 minutes of worship, 5-10 minutes of announcements, prayer requests, etc., 5 minutes for tithes and offerings then 30-45+ minutes for a sermon. It seems like a 'take fest', a time where we go to get something from the Lord, rather than to give ourselves to Him.

My biggest aggravation, however, must be with Communion. First of all, I must point out I treasure the gift of being able to partake of Communion. It is not something I take lightly but I do have questions as to our methods with the elements. I wonder why we have these little tiny pieces of bread (or wafer), cut into small, even squares and why we drink grape juice from those little plastic cups. Everything is exactly the same, all of it measured out carefully and neatly. That seems so far from how each individual relates to Christ in his/her own life where nothing is the same. Our methods seem to be only for neatness and convenience, rather than for personal intimacy.

When I read the scriptures about the Last Supper, I see huge differences between that Communion and our own. Jesus broke the bread and, unless I am mistaken, the disciples shared the same cup of wine that Jesus drank from that night. I'm not being petty about the modern 'elements' and I'm not insisting someone bake bread every week for the 'special' services. Instead, my point would be to call attention to the way we tend to partake of Communion. Again, going back to the scriptures, Acts tells us the disciples gathered together daily and broke bread. It kind of shows us a new picture of the New Testament church was indeed nothing like the model of church we see today. Personally, I view this is a reminder to constantly examine our hearts before the Lord and is another example of learning to 'die' daily. Oh Lord, help us!

Jesus' body was torn violently and blood poured from His side - there was nothing neat or measured about His death. For some, perhaps the square wafers are enough and a little splash of grape juice is fine. But for me, I am tired of the samples being measured out for me and I am no longer content with scraps from the Master's table. Part of the freedom we now have in Christ is the freedom to be partakers with Him, of His will and His divine plan. I want ALL of Jesus, I NEED all of Jesus! So give me the whole loaf of bread and the whole bottle of wine, for I am desperate for the wholeness I can only find in Him!

Consumption - a dead-end road

For several months now, I have been troubled by the myth of "church" as we in the Western hemisphere have come to know it. Looking back into history, the New Testament Church was so unlike the misrepresentations our buildings often hold. The New Testament Church was truly alive - a moving, growing, living, breathing surrendered Body of believers who held on to one centralized focus: Jesus Christ. They walked in the knowing truth that Jesus was absolute Truth, therefore was also absolute in everything. His Lordship over them was a confession that would bring torture and even death, yet they held fast to their faith and trust in the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, the One who has been given all and it is placed under His feet.

My thoughts lately have focused on a couple of things, the first being total, all out surrender and the second being the Will of the Father. Even when those words form on my lips, my heart leaps, my spirit soars and all of my being screams, "Yes, Lord Jesus!" And more so I have become more painfully aware of the many parts of my life that are not yet surrendered (fully) to the will of the Father. Oh, Jesus, forgive me! It is only by His marvelous Grace that I can come before Him, humbly aware of my flesh that seemingly resurrects itself overnight. I am beginning to understand more fully Paul's confession of "...I die daily..." It has become more apparent to me of my desperate need for all of Jesus, in everything, all the time and how utterly helpless I am to accomplish anything outside of His Grace. I shared a bit of this with some friends as we gathered over the weekend, feeling a bit overwhelmed and even angry at my own ineptness while, at the same time, so aware of the desperation I have to know Christ intimately. It was like God was showing me once again how much of my life I still call my own without even realizing it. He is so patient with me - thank you, Jesus!

It seems to me that the modern church of today is fashioned a lot like the hierarchy of the priesthood back in Jesus' day. Our leadership roles and titles are not much different than they were back then really. In fact, we possibly make things worse by placing a "Jesus tag' on our methods, our programs and our agendas by labeling them with God. When you look at scripture, at the Cross and Jesus' completion of the Father's Will there, Matthew 27:51 tells us the veil (or curtain) was split in two, from top to bottom. This curtain was what separated the sanctuary, the place where commoners could enter, from the Holy of Holies, a place where only the priesthood would dare trod. In fact, no one even wanted to go there and the priests access was usually limited to once a year. Jesus' shattered the very need for the separation and gave to each of us free access to the Father!

So, I must ask you, why are we content with 'church' as usual where one person is placed up front, at a pulpit or other place of importance, where they spoon feed sermons to their congregations? Have we become so lazy that we do not wish to put forth the effort and sacrifice to enter into divine relationship with Jesus Christ ourselves, instead opting to have someone else do it for us? Every part of a traditional church service seems to be carefully orchestrated to cater to the our fleshly, consuming nature. Our words are filled with sayings such as "coming to church to get fed", yet I cannot find ANY scripture that supports this mentality. We have created this insatiable monster who must be fed, over and over again, forcing dependency of remaining a babe yet all the while we wonder why people never seem to 'grow up' in Christ.

The Great Commission in the New Testament (see Matthew 28:18-21) is our example of what the Body of Christ should be. Not only does Jesus tell us to "Go into all the world..." He specifically tells us to "make disciples of the nations". This is the key area where most mainline churches have failed - they have failed to mentor new believer's in discipleship training. Being a disciple is to become like Christ, fulfilling the claim of being a Christian is to be a "little Christ". We are so bent on spoon feeding the Bible to folks, who willingly eat and eat and eat. The trouble is no one is getting up from the Table! In his book, The Forgotten Ways, Alan Hirsh said, "We cannot consume our way into discipleship." When I read this, I dawned on me that we have opted to consume (or devour) the things of God rather than to simply be filled by them. When you consume something, you do it merely for the sake of yourself. It's honestly a rather selfish act because the concern is only for yourself and what you can get out it. Being filled, however, denotes a place of surrender, a place of willingly being emptied of yourself so that God can fill you with Himself. The difference is a heart condition, one of truly wanting Jesus simply for who He is and nothing else. Oh how I want to know Jesus, to love Him unconditionally simply because He loved me; He knows me yet loves me anyway!

Oh, how I love Jesus

Oh, how I love Jesus

Oh, how I love Jesus

Because He first loved me.

Repentance...

As I was reading the other morning, I came across this daily devotional excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. This little book has become a favorite reading of mine, especially during the weekly laundry mat trips over the summer. We began to conserve water during some drought conditions by taking laundry to town to wash. And its such an interesting place to go, I've kind of continued going for big things like blankets, comforters, etc.

Here goes the reading for Dec. 7th:

"REPENTANCE For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2 Corinthians 7:10 Conviction of sin is best portrayed in the words -"My sins, my sins, my Saviour,How sad on Thee they fall."Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses a man's conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not his relationship with men that bothers him, but his relationship with God - "against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." The marvels of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven man who is the holy man, he proves he is forgiven by being the opposite to what he was, by God's grace. Repentance always brings a man to this point: I have sinned. The surest sign that God is at work is when a man says that and means it. Anything less than this is remorse for having made blunders, the reflex action of disgust at himself.The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man's respectable goodness; then the Holy Ghost, Who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a man cannot repent when he chooses; repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If ever you cease to know the virtue of repentance, you are in darkness. Examine yourself and see if you have forgotten how to be sorry."

I was so taken aback from this writing that day. My heart was quickened and I felt that all too familiar 'check' in my spirit, knowing this was written for me to 'chew on'. That last line that urges us to "examine yourself and see if you have forgotten how to be sorry' just hit a strong chord inside of me. How subtle is the err of our ways to become insensitive to the conviction the Holy Spirit may bring! It's almost unnoticeable some times, isn't it? Perhaps you haven't been in that place but I have and I don't want to remain there. I don't want my heart to become hardened at any time. For if it becomes protected in any area, then my Lord is effectually placed on the outside as well. I want to sense His presence and to walk in His light always. I cannot do that without repentance.

Next time God prompts that little 'check' in your spirit, immediately heed His call. Pray for that 'gift of tears' and accept repentance as His gift.

Dear Jesus...please forgive me for the times I have failed you and gone about in my own way. Bring me to place of repentance before You, where You not only forgive but also purge me from all unrighteousness as Your Word says You will do. I need your forgiveness but am even more desperate to have what is unrighteous within me removed all together. Help me, Lord! I am nothing on my own but everything can be accomplished within You!

Random thoughts....

I was traveling yesterday, thinking about all the election debate and discussion when this reminder came to mind. Remember all through out the Bible, where Israel demanded a king? They cried out to God over and over, for years and years, for a 'man' to rule over them. This really was not God's plan or His original intention-HE wanted that place, for His beloved people to worship HIM as their king. Israel wanted an earthly king, one they could see, hear and touch in their physical bodies. They did not seem to be satisfied with having God as their ultimate King. So what did God do? He gave them what they wanted.

Over and over again throughout history, you see the children of God forsaking their Heavenly Father for a substitute. Jesus Christ destroyed the very heredity of sin and freed us from needing any king other than Himself, the King of Kings! But yet, we insisted upon going back to our fleshly natures all the time, wanting that earthly king to somehow make things better for us all, to bring peace to the world, calm to the economic woes and so on. While I realize our current system of 'government' does set specific places for leadership, I also know there is a vast difference between real leadership and rulers of this age. So many people want a ruler, because it tends to remove one's personal responsibility and paves the way to lay blame on someone other than who it really lies with (ourselves).

The real problem with politics is that they are purely man-centered, focused on man's ability, man's policies and man's promises. How many candidates on ANY side were bringing the promise of doing God's will and purpose instead of promoting his/her own agenda's? Um...that would be a zero and we once again become satisfied with having an earthly king. Unfortunately, God may just give us what we want and turn us over to our own desires - Lord help us!

There is this battle that rages on between good and evil. It has been going on for centuries and is seemingly more apparent in these days we live. I'm sorry to say that there will be no peace, no real change and no calm in the financial markets - none that is lasting anyway. If you read the Word of God, you must know this.You must be aware of the increasing amounts of turmoil that will continue to come to this earthly realm. Every worldly leader will fail to bring us the things we desire, because they can only bring fleshly satisfaction which is temporary. And that satisfaction is NOT where we are to place our trust anyway. As Christians, I think we all can agree that Jesus Christ is really our own real answer. It is only in Him that we can find true and lastly peace.

The scriptures are full of examples of how people demanded their own way and God did give them over to the desires of their flesh and their mind. As history itself has dictated and as the Word of God is written, people will once again forsake the One True King for an earthly substitute. And he will come. Unfortunately, this anti-Christ will deceive many with his words and deeds. People across the USA and across the world are looking for that earthly king, a substitute ruler to give them the answers they want, the peace they desire and calm to the financial woes that are growing by leaps and bounds.The world stage is set for this and the Word of God tells us this will happen. When? I do not know. I am, however, certain of this: Jesus Christ is the One True Lord and Saviour. He is the King of Kings and there is no substitute.

We have been charged by God to be diligent, to watch and to keep ourselves ready for His return always. But also know, that He will not return for a Bride that is so full of sin. There is little difference today between the church and the world.I believe that repentance is the only way to bring the Church back to a place of holiness, a place of purity and a place of self sacrifice, where own ways are to be laid upon the altar. The humble heart of a servant in love must return to the Body of Christ and His perfect love must consume us.If we can grasp that one thing - love as Jesus loved, unconditionally and without boundaries - then we will be that lovely, spotless Bride He so desires. To me, everything else is simple distraction.

When we grow frustrated with how blind people seem, it really should come as no surprise to us. Every part of the Bible tells us this will happen. Throughout the New Testament we are forewarned of how the love of many will grow cold. It is painful to think of folks we love, family or friends, who may be one of those who refuse to finish strong in the Lord. They tire of the journey because it is indeed difficult and one of complete sacrifice to self. This too, Jesus told us would happen. Only His perfect love can break the chains and set people free. His love is indeed patient and kind, so much more than I can imagine! I am overwhelmed by His grace and His mercy and humbled of how fragile this earthly life is. I believe it is the book of James where we are told that "life is but a vapor".

God's ways look nothing like the ways of the world-never have and never will. Remember the book of Isaiah? Where we learn that His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts. We must remember that God will have His way and it will not look anything like what the world expects or wants. We must abandon our human reasoning and expectations of God to act like us. We were created in HIS image, it is not the other way around. His infinite wisdom is so vast and so amazing, I do not believe this feeble mind can really grasp the depths of His awesomeness.

My prayer is His great love consume us all. Set your mind upon Christ, place your eyes on Him alone and let everything else will fade away. Like that wonderful hymn...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the Light of His Glory and Grace.

For me, I will look daily to My Savior and King, Jesus Christ. If I lose my earthly life because of Him, then I have gained. Just like Paul said "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." The distractions of this age are many, often disguising themselves as 'good' things. Be alert and forever diligent in guarding your heart. Soak yourself in His Word, let is resonate within every part of your being. Throw yourself on the altar of Grace and allow His fire to purify your heart. May His mercy allow us to walk upright in His righteousness and in Him alone.

Nothing but the Cross....

I was playing my guitar the other morning and have had this one song in my spirit for some time now. The notes are easy for me to remember on the bass but learning the chords on an acoustic guitar is quite new to me. I can hardly wait for lessons to begin next week! :) For now, I pick a lot!

Savior, I come. Quiet my soul, remember.

Redemption Hill, where your blood was spilled for my ransom.

Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss.

Lead me to the Cross, where your love poured out.

Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down.

Rid me of myself, I belong to You.

Oh lead me, lead me to the Cross.

You were as I, tempted and tried. Human.

Word became flesh, bore my sin in death.

Now You're risen!

Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss.

Lead me to the Cross, where Your love poured out.

Bring me to my knees, Lord I may me down.

Rid me of myself, I belong to You.

Oh lead me, lead me to the Cross.

Everything I once held dear...wow, that is kind of like a LOT of stuff and, when comparing it to the saving grace of Christ, it is nothing. When looking at things I think are important but putting through God's filter, The Bible, I find there is plenty of junk in my life - still some flesh hanging around, needing crucified. Oh Jesus, help me!

In Philippians 7-9 (Contemporary English Version), Paul writes "But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ."

Oh how my heart desires to allow Him to examine me! My prayer today is Psalm 139:23-24 "Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true." (CEV). Yes, Lord, examine me and root out everything not of You. If You must remove my heart, so be it. Purify my motives, my thoughts, my actions and test them with Your refining fire. Burn away every impurity and let only the truth, Your truth, remain. May I keep watch over my mouth in my opinions but allow me to freely declare Your righteousness!

Only Jesus, Nothing but the Cross...Galations 6:14-16 has been on my heart. The Message reads, "For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!" Freedom, Lord, let Your freedom reign!

Once again everything I once held dear, I count is all as loss...Philippians 3:7-9 "The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness." (The Message)

The chorus to an old hymn comes to mind as I close..."On Christ the Solid Rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand." Lord Jesus, I pray you give me the grace to stand on You, and nothing less. Nothing man-made, no substitutions - just You, Jesus. You alone are my sustenance, my every need, my only hope! Cleanse this heart, Oh God, and make me anew this day. I seek Your Will and Your ways, not my own. Help me to be sensitive to only You through Your precious Holy Spirit. Let me not boast in anything but the Cross! For there alone the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Thank you for setting me free.

I love you, Jesus!

I see the truth...

Truth..something I believe we all are searching for. Deep within us, we desire to know what is real, what is truth - not man's made up agenda of what he/she thinks is best, but instead the real, honest, deep truth. Lately, life has been quite a blur of sorts and I have had great difficulty concentrating on 'that one thing'. This morning, I was listening to some Upton tunes and decided to change the visualizations feature in my media player. As I searched the many options, I discovered an intriguing one titled "I see the truth". Once I selected this, I was awed by the circles whirling in the same, then opposite directions, changing colors, spinning a different speeds. But that one thing that was central was the center circle - it never changed. All things moved around this mesmerizing circle.

And then God spoke His word...."AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE." ROMAN 8:28. Now more than ever, this is reflected to me. Everything, if you can somehow fathom the depths of that, ALL THINGS are working together. Nothing is exempt and His truth will ring forth!
Jesus Christ is truth. The entire universe revolves around God the Father. It always has been that way and always will be. Even the software dudes at Microsoft stumbled across this when creating that visualization! Everything circles around Him, all things working towards His divine purpose and calling.

So, why do our hearts seem to think that isn't quite enough? Like it has to be more complicated than that? It truly is simple, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple truth. The world would have you believe it can't be that easy and still be real. So why do our hearts spout thoughts of confusion? The Bible clearly tells us something about the heart (our fleshly wisdom):

"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out.

But, I God, search the heart and examine the mind.

I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things.

I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be."

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (The Message Remix)

As per a dear brother in Christ once said, "Feelings are fickle and untrustworthy." Thanks, Joe, for that mighty revelation! Feelings and circumstances can cause us to lose focus, to become overwhelmed by the things going on around us. Distractions will always be present. In these last days, I see there is one powerful yet subtle tool of the enemy being to simply distract Believer's from 'that one thing', which is pursuing intimacy Jesus Christ. If he can just get them caught up in the cares of this world, he will have them for quite some time. Hebrews tells us to "...lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us...". Paul was on to something when he penned the "easily" term used by the enemy to describe the tactics as they are.

Words in scripture that shout things like, "WAKE UP!" or "having eyes to see and ears to hear" are everywhere, yet many still sleep. Slumber..."to be dormant, inactive or negligent". Our hearts can grow cold towards the Lord if we aren't diligent to remain in His presence, learning His word and seeking His face, His will always. Not doing anything is a very powerful, negative state of existence. It makes you quite vulnerable to the plans of the enemy, who is always "roaming about like lion, seeking whom he might devour." Complacency breeds apathy (thanks Gary D.), again another dangerous place to remain.

Truth..."reality; actual existence". I see the truth, whirling about violently at times, yet all the while drawn and encircling that One True Center, which is God Himself. Are you focused on Him, really seeking His face? Are you trusting Him recklessly abandoning any ounce of self worth and self reliance. Independence is nothing more that the reliance on one's own ability or judgement. Sounds like "old man", doesn't it? We couldn't become righteous in our own ability by The Law so why should we keep resurrecting a life that has already been crucified? You are a NEW creation in Christ!

Trust Jesus, depend on Him, lean heavily on Him, endure in Him, remain in Him, abide (wait) in Him. And as you rest in Him, His truth is revealed.

I smell like a sheep...

Now, personally I like the smell of sheep. Shepherding a flock of sheep will do that, you know! Anyone who has sheep knows exactly what I am talking about - that whiff of barn, hay, grain, lanolin, dirt, pee and poop all rolled up into a unique "sheepy odor". For me, it is a comforting smell. If you spend time at all with sheep, you get to know them, their personalities, their likes and dislikes, their bad habits and, of course, their name. At the farm these days, we are preparing for a limited breeding season, Lord willing, and have been doing hands-on moving of the flock into their respective groups. So, I smell like sheep and I am OK with that.


The other day, I read a blog note where someone described their Pastor as 'smelling like sheep' and I thought "how cool" to receive that kind of assessment. So why do most folks run from that description? I can only surmise that smelling like sheep means you have to spend more than 5 minutes with someone, get to know them and their personalities, know what they like & dislike, to see some bad habits all the while still loving them anyway. Hmm...sounds a lot like God, doesn't it? :)


This knowing someone also implies a level of sameness, something many people don't like either. God's grace really has put us all on the same playing field, no one person being above another. To have that kind of exaltation, merely resurrects the hierarchy that Christ died to destroy, complete with all its bondage, chains and death. All throughout the New Testament, I read about how we are lift up one another, encourage one another, bear one another's burdens. Whatever they go through, we go through it with them - they smell alike - hence the true meaning of "forsaking not the assembly of ourselves" is revealed. Encouragement abounds when real relationship is present.


Days recently have been those of frustration...not sure exactly why but perhaps just a sense of coming change. I have been really frustrated at church for several months and seemingly unable to 'see' a bigger picture, although still praying God will be allowed out of the charismatic box we have placed Him in and for no other reason aside from loving Him, giving Him honor He alone is due, glory and praise. I am tired of controlled atmospheres, timed worship and politically centered messages. It seems almost suffocating at times just to be "in church". I am growing more convinced every day that the Body of Christ is not contained to four walls and perhaps those who think otherwise are just too comfortable in the man-pleasing arena of self-promotion and BigMe.littleyou thinking.


I long for the days of a cutting word, spoken with a humble heart of knowing what its like to have 'been there'. Too many times of late, there are more references to what "i" have done than to Jesus (and that "i" is lower case for a reason). After all, Christ has already done all that needs doing, right? Wasn't HE the one who said, "It is finished."?? Why does man insist on calling attention to their famous works of the hour rather than the only lasting work, which was completed on Calvary by Jesus Christ? Oh, God... help me keep a tender heart towards You and towards others...help me to see myself and others as You do, through Your eyes.


There is a precious woman in church who always tells me how she is praying for my husband. I don't doubt that she is praying and, bless her heart, she told me the other day how she was praying for my husband to get in church. So, I'm trying to smile and thank her, all the while wondering why people think being in church is somehow that is going to solve everything? The way things stand right now, I hesitate to invite anyone to church and that, in itself isn't right either. I guess I'm afraid the Holy Spirit won't be allowed in or perhaps the feeling I need to apologize for how loud the music is or how hyped everything tends to get. Oh, Lord please help me!


I really believe the call from Jesus for us to really KNOW Him goes much deeper than we may have ever imagined. How can we know someone without spending time with them? The Word (the Bible) is becoming more and more precious to me, its the life blood I need for sustaining me during these times. I want to know Jesus, I mean really know Him, and He is right there always. I am so relieved that He knows me intimately and loves me anyway! So often, I fall short of spending time with Jesus and He is always waiting for me when I do. Thank you, Lord, for being so faithful!


Teach me your ways, Oh God...

Sustenance...mine or His?

I read a comment this morning on a blog about feeling the "pride of being self-sustainable". These words sparked my curiosity almost instantly and I felt the urge to 'Google' it. One of the 'sponsored' links that came up mentioned earning a college degree in self-sustainability. Hmm...interesting indeed so I clicked the link which took me to the college website. The first article was regarding all students need for transcendental meditation. Who needs that ?!? Self-sustaining is the ability of supporting oneself, as defined by Webster's. Even the word "self" solely concentrates on "one's own interest." It wasn't long after I read these things that I began to see the connection between self-sustainability and pride.

Now I am certain the writer who left the comment certainly did not intend to condone pride but it left me pondering how casually I use words at times as well as how easily it is to step into 'self'. Pride is not one of the traits I wish to attain in this world. The Bible warns repeatedly about the sin called pride. Proverbs tells us that, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud." Proverbs 16:18-19 (NKJV) Haughty...now there's another word for you! Basically, it means you have an ego problem. I love the way The Message Bible puts the same verses: "First pride, then the crash - the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. It's better to live humbly among the poor than to live it up among the rich and famous."

Various verses within the scriptures talk about pride, or being puffed up. It either comes as a warning of what not to do or it tells of consequences that happen to those who succumb to it. When I read the words "the pride of being self-sustainable", I had not seen things in this light. What I am talking here about is this independent spirit that takes God out of the details and keeps Him at arm's length. Most folks are happy to place a God tag on just about anything these days. You cannot operate independently from God and with God at the same time. The Bible calls this trying to serve two masters and, in the end, you will love one and despise the other.

I have settled in my heart that being self-sustainable isn't all that attractive. If I am dependent on my own accomplishments, abilities and plans then I have left God completely out of the picture. It is such a subtle thing to begin a task out of your skills, even in those talents that are God given. Perhaps this is yet another example of what the motivation within our hearts is in the first place. Is it an attitude of, "Hey, look at me and what I can do" or is it one of "Hey, look at what God has done"? I find myself casually looking at something I have 'done' when actually I have merely been the instrument God worked through at a given time. Keeping that tenderness of heart towards the Lord is imperative. It is so easy to get puffed up when something we have shared in succeeds. The Bible tells us that no man (or woman) will glory in God's presence and that God will share His Glory with no man (or woman). Let our mouths give glory to Him alone in everything. It is His grace that enables us function in this world and our steps, actions and reactions should give Him glory, not pat ourselves on the back.

As I look at our farm, our flock and our garden this year, I truly am humbled by it all. We have been blessed with sheep sales, a good hay crop and an overflowing pantry. God alone deserves the praise for everything we have been entrusted with. You see, I don't really 'have' anything, I don't own it. It belongs to the Lord. He has entrusted many things to me and I pray daily for His grace, wisdom and favor as I perform the duties of shepherdess, gardener, farmer and wife. Walking in my own strength brings instant death to the Life He has provided. Walking in Him, through Him, beside Him, behind Him, literally IN Him is the only way I can truly live as He has ordained. Everything must be "All for Jesus"!

A Shepherd's Moment...

After we returned home the wedding, we discovered many garden chores awaited us. Quarts of beans and pints of apple sauce are now lining the pantry shelves and more abounds for us to do. It is easy to get overwhelmed among our tasks at hand these days. I did, however, find the opportunity to visit my ewe flock the day following our return home.

It's always a joy to see the flock of ewes running to great you as you come into the pasture. Of course, most of them are just checking to see if you brought "food" in the form of grain (which I did not). Not wanting to visit empty-handed, I did take to them a bucket of loose minerals, which they eager licked from the troughs. A head count is always first on my things-to-do list when sitting with the ewes. Some of my girls, now retired, are old and I worry about them maintaining weight before winter. Everyone seemed to quite happy in their pasture and seemingly had full bellies. Cooler temps while we were away tends to make the sheep a bit lazy, often not rousing from their beds until later morning.

The usual visitors who each personally greet me are Birch, Delilah, Jewel, Ingrid and Forsythia, our bell ewe. (Feel free to browse our flock pics online to "meet" each of our sheep @ http://www.paintedrockfarm.com/.) As I sat down on my bucket next to a tree, I noticed Rue, the barn cat, had followed me to the ewe pasture. Sitting down is an open invitation for her to become a lap cat, which she only does AWAY from the house. :) The sun was just coming up over the trees and began to warm my face as I watched my sheep. Birch laid down next to my feet while Delilah, Jewel, Ingrid and Forsythia competed for my attention. I actively scratched their cheeks, rubbed their chest and patted their sides all the while talking to them, telling them I had missed them (this is TRUTH). My Jacobs are so attentive, at least they seem like they are really listening as I talk!

Most of the flock began to graze a bit and slowly created a small amount of distance from where I sat. Occasionally, I would see one lift her head to see if I was still there, then return to eating. The faithful few, however, remained at my side, awaiting a turn to be petted. Slowly, each one settled in her place and stood quietly around me, save Birch who remained at my feet and Rue who slept in my lap. Forsythia had her head cradled in my left arm and Delilah's head rested on my left leg. Jewel rested her chin on my knee while Ingrid laid her head on my right shoulder. This would have been a really cool picture had someone else come with me!

As I soaked in the morning sunshine, the Lord began to speak to me about His sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus. He revealed this picture to me: "You see, this moment is much like what is going on the Body of Christ even now. The flock as a whole is always within eye sight of the Shepherd, who lovingly looks over them. Most of the flock gaze contentedly at the Shepherd, comforted by His presence. They enjoy His company, glad to be part of His flock and are often found simply doing their own thing and eating from the table. But there are those few, those special ones, who seek to sit at the Shepherd's feet and love on Him. They gently push their way in nearer just to touch Him, to rest in His presence. At that moment, nothing else matters to the sheep. They aren't wanting to go anywhere else, not wanting to do anything else and also not wanting anything from Him. They are simply trusting the Shepherd fully with all they are and, all the while, resting on Him. This doesn't mean the rest of the flock is any less loved by the Shepherd nor does it question their position of being in the flock. It is just the simple fact that not all are willing to press in close just to be with the Shepherd. In fact, many are the ones who have entered into the Kingdom but choose to remain in the outer courts. Only a few will choose to sacrifice all, be willing to give up all they desire to do, merely to rest in His presence."

In my flock of 45 ewes, only 5 chose to remain close to me that day. The rest were indeed content with grazing, lying down or otherwise doing their own thing. The handful that stood by my side rested there with me for more than 1/2 hour. I was so humbled by God's revelation at such an unexpected moment, but such are His ways, aren't they? My heart cry is that I remain in that Mary-place of worship. Oh, how my heart longs to hear His voice call me "Beloved" as He did with John! Lord, forgive me of the times I get up from that place next to you to pursue my own desires. Teach me to walk in that place of worship throughout my days!

Quoting a GodChasers devotional I received recently: "Don't confuse being a Christian with being a disciple. Every believer is a Christian but not every believer is a disciple. Disciples are believer's whoa re committed to going deeper and deeper with the Lord - as deep as they can go. Most believer's are content just to be saved. They're just happy to have their ticket to heaven. The demands of the deeper life of Christ don't really attract them....The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people you will find. Why? Because few people are willing to pay the price of moving deeper." Read LUKE 14:25-33. Jesus clearly lays out the true cost of discipleship.

New Beginnings...8/08/08

May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Leonard....

God really blessed us with a lovely weekend down in Gulf Shores, AL for my oldest daughters wedding. Jessica and Bryan were united in marriage on Orange Beach, Friday, August 8, 2008. With friends and family watching on, they exchanged vows on the beach along with numerous guests observing from their condo balconies. It was awesome to hear the cheers of our new "audience" once they kissed and were presented as Mr. and Mrs. The wedding was stunningly beautiful and God was so faithful to provide His creative touches to everything, from the smallest details to the big stuff.

Sometimes I don't think the whole idea of my daughter being married has really sunk in just yet. I pray God gives me the grace to be faithful in my promise not to be a meddling mother/mother-in-law. And I ask the Holy Spirit to prompt me in faithful prayers not only for my new extended family, but also for my son-in-law and my daughter as they begin their lives together as husband and wife.

My prayer for these newlyweds is simply this:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you a d be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

May you both seek His presence in your daily love walk, both with each other and also with Him. May you keep Him as Head of your household at all times. For Bryan, I pray you do indeed love and cherish Jessica as Christ does His own lovely bride, the church. For Jessica, I pray you love and honor your husband, as unto the Lord. May God keep you close to His side, whisper gently into your ears of His love towards you both and may He alone reign as you serve Him by serving one another. I LOVE YOU! MOM

Boldly does not mean loudly...

Ah..the joys of really reading scripture, receiving revelation and realizing how much man-twisting has been handed down over the decades, calling itself truth. I guess I am questioning everything I have been taught "religiously", because the more I learn about God's nature and His Word, the more I am convinced how utterly twisted conventional church has become. The one thing I do not question is my faith in Jesus Christ, His complete provisional sacrifice on the Cross that offers each one of us the precious gift of grace. He has indeed risen, sitting at the right hand of the Father and, thankfully, makes intercession for us. Oh, how I treasure His divine intercession for I am indeed not worthy! Only by His grace can I come before Him and have access to my Heavenly Father. Thank you, Jesus, my Saviour, for your grace, love and mercy!

God will reveal Himself, His true nature, to those who are seeking Him. I'm certainly not trying to suggest anyone isn't seeking the Lord but it does seem all to often Christian's take what they have been taught by men, by programs, agendas or the like as truth, instead of reading, meditating and soaking in the Word of God themselves, depending on the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth. The Bible tells us to "test the spirits" - test the messages you hear, do not accept them as fact if they fail to align totally with the Bible. You can't take one verse, dissect one sentence and build a faith on that. You either have to accept the entire Word of God as truth or reject it entirely. It is NOT a buffet bar, where you can choose which parts you agree with or those you dislike. God will not be mocked, He will share His glory with no man! It's all or nothing with Christ.

For years, I have heard one other verse misused, misrepresented and misquoted. This verse is Hebrews 4:16, "Let us come boldly before the throne of grace..." Now, if the entire verse was read, it would obvious what the entire context is meant to be. "Let us come boldly before the throne of grace, that we would obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need." And that is the King James version! So many times, I have heard others pray the beginning part of that verse and practically explode into a yelling frenzy when they reach the word "boldly". You know, like somehow this word mean you begin screaming your wish list out to God. Boldly does not mean loudly here. Additionally, the boldly part is clearly for the purpose of receiving the mercy, finding the grace we need, not for a platform to shout demands from.

So, I broke out the Strong's Concordance again to find the meaning behind this word "boldly". It's interesting to note that there I found a two part reference. It reads 3326+3954. If you have used a concordance before, then you might recognize the number reference to the original text. In this case, you have 2 separate words that mean the same thing. FREELY! Ah.. who the Son sets free is free in deed comes to mind here. (John 8:36). More on that word (freely) at a later time...

However, simply re-reading the "boldly" verse in NIV is an eye opener! "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." That word confidence is used here to describe the sufficiency of Christ's atonement for our sins. Without the Blood and His pure sacrifice, we could not even consider approaching the Father. It is within the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, God's Son, that we can find ourselves presentable to the Father. We have to believe that Christ paid the price, that His atonement is sufficient so that we can be full of belief and are confident in Him alone. It is not in our own effort or ability that we can approach the Father, it is solely out receiving the grace of God thru accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour that we have any hope at all.

I am so tired of hearing preachers use the Hebrews scripture and "boldly" in a context of "we have arrived" or "we are all that, and a bag of chips". It must also break the Father's heart to hear us clanging around down on earth, parading around and flaunting our gifts, our position and our great speech in front of others. In fact, Jesus warned against this very thing - to NOT be like "the hypocrites". Matthew 6:5 talk about "those who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by man." Did you know that another word there for "hypocrites" is defined as "pretenders"? How can we even fathom pretending before God?

It isn't the loud, ear tickling words of man that captures His attention. God notices brokenness, humility and meekness above all else. I believe that God looks favorably at His children who approach Him confident in Christ's sufficiency yet still humble enough to honor Him with reverence to Who He is. I love the way The Message puts it in Matthew 6:6, "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace." Oh my...Jesus help me to come before You in this way!

I close with the rest of that scripture in Matthew, verses 7-13 from The Message. The last few verses is "The Lord's Prayer" in a way I've never seen before. All for Jesus!

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formula's and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father, in Heaven, reveal who You are.
Set the world right.
Do what's best - as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything You want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Whose order is it anyway?

There have been a few things on my heart lately. Both apply to very "popular" scriptures that, when read in the original text of Greek and/or Hebrew, have been quite misquoted, misrepresented and, at times, misused directly to twist things into a man-pleasing event we sometimes call 'church'.

Order - the word in itself evokes a type of control to my own mind. When this happens, I find myself searching the Word of God for meaning in its truest form. So many times I have heard 1 Corinthians 14:40 quoted and honestly, I have only recently delved into its real form and meaning. This, of course, may surprise you and perhaps even a offend a few more but I pray you seek out the scriptures for yourself. It would never be my intent to offend anyone but I also realize many people choose to take offense when truth is revealed and its upsets their comfort zones.

The verse reads, "Let all things be done decently and in order." Here Paul is talking to Christians in Corinth about orderly worship. To go into other sections of chapter 14 would require many, many other posts so I will try to stay on task here. One must understand how worship services were conducted back then to really grasp the full context and meaning of this part of scripture. It was common that the men and women of the church did not sit together. It was more like men on one side, women on the other. There were times when the women might shout across the room to their spouses and question the teachings right in the middle of things! This alone prompted Paul to instruct the women in the church at Corinth to "remain silent in the church" and to "inquire of their husbands at home". Again, another misquoted verse over the years when religious doctrine says this means women cannot preach, teach, etc. Thank you for the freedom you gave us, Jesus!

The word "order" has many definitions in Webster's Dictionary. The first one reads "social position; rank in the community" then onto "a state of peace and serenity; observance of the law". Wow! Isn't it the law that Jesus set us free from? Hmm...I am thinking this next one is what most doctrine feels works the best for them: "the sequence of arrangement of things or events; series; succession". Oh the scary part of it all! You see, the way God operates is very different to the system of the world. His ways are higher, His thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9), higher than any fleshly idea we can muster.

So, I am readying myself now for going to the Strong's Concordance in this verse, 1 Corinthians 14:40 and the word "order". In the Greek, this word is "taxis" and is a noun, not a verb, not an adverb, as we commonly refer to what order means. We have been taught order is a series of pre-planned events lined out by the Pastor as to how things are going to go in the service we are attending. I cannot help but question where is God allowed to function as Himself here? Order is a tangible thing rather than a descriptive term or word of action. In this verse it is describing the "nature" of God. OK, my spiritual eyeballs are like popping opening as I am reading this! Let everything be done decently and in the nature of God. A whole new meaning unfolds before me and, I must confess, HAVE to look into what is considered decently!

Back to Webster's...surprisingly, the first definition of this word "decent" brings almost an identical term in part of the Strong's concordance, which is "proper and fittingly". It goes on to list further meanings as "not immodest; not obscene" but the humdinger is this one: "conforming to approved social standards". WHOA! This is what we are trying to contain God in? A box designed according to what man believes conforms to an approved social standard?!? I think we need to re-think our doctrine, if this is what we are using! God cannot be contained and He cannot be controlled, He won't be. It is not in His nature to conform to the standards of man, indeed quite the opposite is required. We must conform to His standard, His way of living. We are created in His image, not our own.

Fittingly - I love this word! Fittingly is "applied to that which accords harmoniously with the character, spirit or tone of something". Decently literally means "honestly". The Greek word is "euschemonos" and is used in the original text as an adverb, or a term used to described something.

OK, so now I am going, "God! What are trying to say here?!?Why have we missed this intricate detail of Your character?" The reply I received from Him, within my spirit was this,"Let everything be done honestly and according to My nature." Yes, fittingly is it! Everything being done harmoniously with the character of God! OK, so now I get it but what do I do with this? It literally throws out the door the pre-printed bulletins, the song list, even the message from the preacher when we are not sensitive to what God wants to do at that very moment. When was the last time a church service was interrupted by the Holy Spirit? When was the last time worship lasted an entire service, perhaps only dwelling on one song? When was the last time Christian's gathered together and just ministered unto the Lord, rather than seeking our 'fix" for the week? When was the last time we took off the man-made handcuffs and unleashed God's manifest presence just by wanting to be with Him?

This opens up more questions I have for God. "God, what is Your character? What is it to be harmonious with Your nature?" I want to be like Him in being the creation He designed me to be. He created me in His image, in His likeness and I am so far from that. Oh, Jesus, help me! My heart's desire is to be in harmony with You, to be like Your nature, to be that "little Christ" that Christian's are called to be. Show me, Lord! Purge me, Lord, of things not in Your nature. Oh, Jesus, I am undone!

Entering into Intimacy with Jesus...

Intimacy - that word has remained fresh within my spirit for some time now. I can't seem to escape it. The Lord keeps drawing me to a deeper level with Him and, honestly, it kinda scares me. I'm not talking about a fearful-being-afraid fear and really not even a reverential type of fear (although healthy doses of this is a must-have at all times). The fear I describe is really one of the unknown - you know, the times where you KNOW you are supposed to do something yet you cannot see beyond the 'right now', much less the outcome of your obedience but yet you are so drawn to this level of deepness in the Lord, you can't help but obey.

Oswald Chambers once wrote something about being obedient to the Lord and how that, when you are obedient to Jesus, it really doesn't cost you anything when done in the right heart. That heart, of course, is one of sheer love for God! Chambers goes on to say how your obedience to the Lord, done in love for Him, may well prove costly to those around you. I find this interesting in that Jesus spoke clearly about the costs of true discipleship. Luke 14:25-34 is so eye opening! Looking at verses 25-27,"ONE DAY WHEN LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WERE WALKING ALONG WITH HIM, JESUS TURNED AND TOLD THEM, 'ANYONE WHO COMES TO ME BUT REFUSES TO LET GO OF FATHER, MOTHER, SPOUSE CHILDREN, BROTHERS, SISTERS - YES, EVEN ONE'S OWN SELF - CAN'T BE MY DISCIPLE. ANYONE WHO WON'T SHOULDER HIS OWN CROSS AND FOLLOW BEHIND ME CAN'T BE MY DISCIPLE."

Your love walk with Jesus may indeed cost you relationships with those closest to you, But as verse 33 reads, "BUT IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO TAKE WHAT IS DEAREST TO YOU, WHETHER PLANS OR PEOPLE, AND KISS IT GOODBYE, YOU CAN'T BE MY DISCIPLE." I also noticed the part in verse 27 about following BEHIND Jesus. If He isn't in the lead, we are walking in self once again. Discipleship is a training process...learning to follow the leader, Jesus. I don't want to be one of those folks who were merely following Him, walking along with the crowd. I want to be on the hem of His garment, even walking in His footsteps, with an echoing heart of "Yes, Lord".

Learning to be intimate with Christ is weird. I say this honestly because I can't think of another word! It's a foreign thing, something unfamiliar to me naturally. My flesh fears rejection but my spirit knows better. I cry out to Him in reckless abandon, not worrying about my mascara running or how my eyes get all red and puffy after tears not even worrying about my nose getting all snotty and stuffed up to the point of not even sounding like myself anymore. And perhaps, than might be the point anyway...giving up any and all claim to my-SELF and instead seeking His heart to replace my own.

Back to the intimacy part...the word intimate reflects a willingness of oneself to reveal secrets, dreams, your past, your present and your future; bring out the inner most part of yourself and revealing it to someone else. Without trust, this is difficult, if not impossible. And then, that feeling of vulnerability, an inadequacy of sorts. I recall the book titled, "Naked and Not Ashamed" that TD Jakes wrote many years ago. The title itself is worth a thousand words. That stripping away of all the falsehoods and all the distance we keep between ourselves and the heart of God has to go. God longs for our fellowship. He is our Daddy, our Heavenly Father, who desires relationship with us. I think He grows weary of the arms length distance we keep Him from our hearts.

Oh, make no mistake God knows us, He knows our hearts and He is not fooled by words from our mouths instead of truth from our hearts. I think what He wants from us is that willingness of each person to reveal themselves to the Father. All the good, the bad, the ugly - He already knows its there but to take than step in willing revelation of our hearts to Him, captures His attention! Purity is found in the only motivation being that of self-sacrifice, throwing it all out there for Him to love anyway.

I close with this scripture from Isaiah 66:1-2 (the Message Bible) "GOD'S MESSAGE: HEAVEN'S MY THRONE, EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL. WHAT SORT OF HOUSE COULD YOU BUILD FOR ME? WHAT HOLIDAY SPOT RESERVE FOR ME? I MADE ALL THIS! I OWN THIS! GOD'S DECREE. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING I'M LOOKING FOR: A PERSON SIMPLE AND PLAIN, REVERENTLY RESPONSIVE TO WHAT I SAY."

Oh, Jesus, make it my heart cry today!

Blessings of Abundance (fruit, that is)

I write this post in between rounds at the canner. My husband and I spent 4 hours picking cherries at a not-quite-so-local orchard (although still within WV) and brought home about 135 lbs. of fruit. Of course, the lovely abundance must be worked up quickly so we have been canning since Saturday. I just completed the last batch of cherry pie filling this morning and now have the opportunity to begin working on the sweet cherries!



We have shared our harvest with friends and family, who are delighted to receive these lucious gifts. Having only spent $78 on cherries and about $20 in gas, we are happy to report a savings of more than $670 as compared to store bought fruit of the same amount. That is certainly worth the time and effort to can and process our own food, locally grown.

God has blessed us not only with this harvest but some new friends that own Ruggles Orchard in Levels, WV. We look forward to returning monthly (Lord willing) to pick fruit as well as support our local growers. We certainly are encouraging others to do the same!

Did I mention the bushel of Lodi apples? I can smell the sauce brewing....:)

Banana Twinkies

Last week, I had this inkling for a twinkie. I was at the gas pump, fueling up my '71 Super Beetle, Miss Betsy (who, by the way gets like 40 mpg) and went to check out. I grabbed a paper and the last pack of those creme filled wonder cakes I so enjoyed as a kid. I was the twinkie one, my sister was a ding dong -- haha. Seriously though, she refused twinkies and ate the chocolate stuff.

I slipped back in the car yet kept smelling something odd but just couldn't place where it was coming from. Old cards like Betsy tend to smell more like gasoline all the time but this was more of a fruity odor. Since it was dark and I was trying to get home after Youth, I didn't turn on any lights to investigate. Instead, I managed to open my package of Twinkies while steering and shifting gears - yes, crumbs galore but that's OK. One bite of my twinkie revealed there was indeed something amiss here. The taste was somewhat familiar but just didn't seem right. A flick on of the interior light revealed these were BANANA TWINKIES!!!! ARG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who on earth invented such a travesty! This was not right at all. Of course, not wanting to be wasteful, I ate them anyway but the enjoyment was so totally NOT the the same.

Original twinkies are the bomb. I know God made them, peanut butter and flip-flops just for me. And now, someone has messed with the Twinkies. I cannot imagine who would actually want to eat the banana flavored fakes, especially not willingly when one had first tasted and enjoyed the best. I was verbally protesting outloud in my car about these "foreigners" who had now smelled up my car, reaking of a banana pudding. Don't get me wrong, I like banana pudding but not with my Twinkies!

Just then, a small analogy was revealed....The Gospel of Jesus day was a non-compromised word that was black and white. Either you were with Christ or against Him, walked with Him or walk in your own 'ability'. Today, there is this no-cost Christianity that speaks of how the Father loves us, forgives us and wants us all to be with Him in eternity. This is truth, yes, but only half truth. The problem with half-truths is that the other half tends to be a lie, if nothing else a lie of omission. This 'new gospel' has all the added bonuses of God's kingdom but has gotten an updated "new look", "new smell" and somehow made more "relative" today's people. But the one thing is lacks is the very TRUTH of God's word that also reveals there is a consequence of rejecting the entire Gospel -- that there is a hell, that is real. Jesus lived with the reality of hell's existence every day He walked this earth. He talked more about hell in the New Testament than any other thing -- more than love and more than angels. If you don't believe me, re-read the entire New Testament!

This no-cost, unaccountable message is much like those Banana Twinkies. It looks like the Original - has all the cake and cream filling, just like before but there is something FOREIGN inside that you cannot easily detect, perhaps only sensing something isn't quite right. The Bible warns us throughout the New Testament about false teachers, preachers and that "other gospel" that will occur in the last days. In order to know the truth, you have to know His Word -- READ THE LABEL and all the ingredients, making sure it is the real thing, not a masked imposter.

In Isaiah 14, the Word talks about how Lucifer (before he became the fallen one, Satan) was envious of the majesty of God.It reads:"WHAT A COMEDOWN THIS, O BABYLON! DAYSTAR! SON OF DAWN! FLAT ON YOUR FACE IN THE UNDERWORLD MUD, YOU, FAMOUS FOR FLATTENING NATIONS! YOU SAID TO YOURSELF, ' I WILL CLIMB TO HEAVEN, I WILL SET MY THRONE OVER THE STARS OF GOD. I WILL RUN THAT ASSEMBLY OF ANGELS THAT MEETS ON SACRED MOUNT ZAPHON. I WILL CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS, I WILL TAKE OVER AS KING OF THE UNIVERSE!" ISAIAH 14:12-14.

Did you happen to pick up on the center theme of his character? If not, just count how many times the words, "I WILL" are spoken -- like five times! Jesus' only wanted His Father's will, not His own. He demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was praying so hard He sweated drops of blood. His will was crushed to fully allow His Father's will to be made known to the world.

I don't mean to be preachy, just another day of Holy Frustration brewing. :) I need that too of late, lest I fall into a complacent mode of existence. Lord, help me to walk in Your will, not my own this day and always.

So, I guess the weirdo analogy with the Banana Twinkies was just one of a reminder to always test the word against THE WORD, looking for the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. The real Jesus is never self-seeking, never one operating out of his/her own will or so-called ability, only relying on God above for the daily needs to be met. For we are never promised tomorrow, only today and life can be truly but a vapor -- choose wisely.