Musings on a Monday

I met with walkingchurch yesterday morning, and during our short (?) walk through the woods, I was able to share and be shared with by a sister in Christ about this Life we live that is Christ. About the incredible Love that He has for each one of us. A real blessing. A real joy for me. I love to connect with the Church in this manner even though it is difficult at times to do just this. It is so much easier in a lot of ways to go to my 'church', or the 'church' that my daughter's attend. Easier in a lot of ways....arranging everyone's schedule, and not having to have that alarm set so early :). I don't have to connect there, I don't have to open myself up at all, I can just listen ... be entertained.... be numb at times..... just go ..... and then go back home. Easy. But, I am having a harder time doing this of late. I want the more, so desperately.

I am reading a book, called The Indwelling Life of Christ, by Major W. Ian Thomas, about how, "....there are so many things that can detract us from the sheer simplicity which is in Christ, the centrality of a Person, the Lord Jesus Himself, in residence within our redeemed humanity..." In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul speaks to us who know Christ, about this very thing. This is the one thing. In everything we go through in this life..... this is the thing. I love to read these books that are written by God's Children, eternal Truth by Saints of eternity.

Sharing this first couple of paragraph's of the introduction.
"To be entirely honest, I know of nothing quite so boring as Christianity without Christ.
Countless people have stopped going to a place of worship simply because they are sick of going through the motions of a dead religion. They are tired of trying to start a car on an empty tank. What a pity that there are not more people around to show them that Jesus Christ is alive.
I know of nothing so utterly exciting as being a Christian, sharing the very Life of Jesus Christ on earth right here and now, being caught up with Him into the relentless, invincible purposes of the almighty God, and having available to us all the limitless resources of Deity for accomplishing those purposes.
Can you imagine anything more exciting than that?"

The Major apparently has been sharing this message for at least 60 years and more, because I believe this was referenced a few years ago. The man was born in 1914. This Life, that is in Christ, and He in us.....not a new concept by any means. Look at Madame Guyon (1600's)!! Look at T. Austin Sparks (1888-1971). So many more of the great writers to read. Look at Paul's writings in the New Testament!! Talk to the Lord, He will reveal His Truth to you. It is a joy-filled and a blessed Life. Not always happy...in fact much sadness can fill this life and you can FEEL unblessed, but the Truth be told, written about, spoken about and revealed by Him, alone.....It is joy, pure joy filled with His perfect love for each one of us hearing with open hearts. Meeting my like or unliked minded brothers and sisters in Christ has been wonderful and it thrills my soul. Maybe the thrill is seeing Jesus, Alive and so multi-faceted in the lives of those who know Him.
As the Major summarizes Jesus' prayer to His Father in John 17:21-23 as: The world will know and the world will believe that You, the Father, have sent Me when My followers are in Us as I am in Thee, Father, and I am in them as Thou art in Me!"
"He ends his book, .... The indwelling Life of Christ - that is the truth that sets us free!"

From Tozer

Today's devotional "spoke" to me very quietly but very profoundly.

Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." --1 Samuel 3:10

Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking voice. Amen. The Pursuit of God, pp. 82-83

Peace

I like this video. From the beginning it gives me a sense of calm. Maybe it is the tea.:)
Some days I feel like this....life is busy....phones are ringing....traffic is noisy.....stuff is going on all around me.....and yet this overwhelming peace.....in the midst....takes me aback......I am not present in this earthly realm....I am in His Presence in the heavenly realm. Peace.

Leeland's - Tears of the Saints

For RoG

Judging Others?

Seeing beyond....with the eyes of Christ as well.

T. W. Hunt from The Mind of Christ

"This is why Christians should not judge other Christians. We have no way of knowing exactly how God evaluates us. It is possible that finally, under God, we will see some seemingly successful Christians as pygmies. The opposite is also true."

John Paul Jackson from Breaking Free of Rejection

His test to discover if rejection is empowering your life.

1. Do I anticipate or elicit a negative response from others?
2. When questioned, do I become agitated or angry?
3. Do I need to be considered an expert on almost everything?
4. Am I known for being argumentative?
5. Do I believe that I am on a higher spiritual plane and that my opinions should be favored above others' opinions?
6. Do I experience marked mood swings?
7. Do I do things merely to gain the acceptance or attention of others?
8. Have people told me that I am overly sensitive?
9. Is my mood often dictated by the moods of those around me?
10. Do I overvalue the positive evaluation of others?
11. Do I expect to be overlooked? Do I require special encouragement to participate in anything?
12. Do leaders consider me inconsistent or unreliable?
13. Do I seldom attend a Bible study, social event, party, or blend in with others, because I see myself as different?
14. Do I measure my personal value by the amount of spiritual insight I have?

The author suggests answering "yes" to any of these questions may reveal some roots of rejection in your life.

My thoughts from me

Knowing your identity in Christ....who you are, what He has said in His Word and by His Spirit helps you get through the muck of rejection in your life. If you never have been or felt rejected ..... I think you lie. My opinion. People will always fail you. Get that in your head. Then get past it. He is perfect in everything and He will not fail you. He will not reject you. He will always see you for who you are, not for what you have or have not done. His Love is given freely....not as the world gives. He said it, He has shown me this and it will never be any different. How can one live without this realization is beyond me. The breaking, the woundings, the pain, life, right?....how else can one live but in the Truth. It is beyond my comprehension.

Wow!

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Philippians 1:6, The Message

Covenant Keeper

This song always moved me. Never say die.

I Will Sing (Pray, Worship, Love On, Be In the Presence of Almighty God)

Don Moen

Happy Resurrection Day

All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises
Paul Baloche

Hosanna

Paul Baloche

Second Free Hug Video

I see there are more than one of these floating around. This one makes me happy as well.

At The Cross

The Events (NASB)

Pilate Seeks Jesus' Release
13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.
15 "No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.
16 "Therefore I will punish Him and release Him."
17 Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.
18 But they cried out all together, saying, "Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!"
19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.)
20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,
21 but they kept on calling out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!"
22 And he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him."
23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.
24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.
25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Simon Bears the Cross

26 When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.
28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
30 "Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US.'
31 "For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.

The Crucifixion

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing " And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."
36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"
43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.
47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent."
48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.
49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

Good Friday

This material taken from a Biblical Study done by a good friend and kind Shepherd.


We must never minimize the awful cost of our salvation.
Is it possible that some Christians become tired of hearing about the cross?
Paul wrote to the Galatians, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Galatians 6:14).
I am not suggesting that we “stop at the cross”, that we become so fixated with the suffering and death of Christ that we forget the empty tomb.
But there must be that Friday. We must come to the cross before we can come to the empty tomb.

What does that mean, “to come to the cross”? We hear it a lot, don’t we? How often do we hear, “I want to sit at the foot of the cross”?
But what does that really mean? And what are we to do when we come to the foot of the cross?
There is only one thing, my friends. And that is not to ask for comfort. It is not to ask for encouragement. It is not to ask for physical healing, or even worse, to demand healing. In fact, it is not to ask for blessings of any sort.
There is only one thing we are to do at the cross, and that is to repent of our sins, and to ask for His forgiveness. And then it is to thank Him. And to continue thanking Him every day for the rest of our lives for bearing our sins on that cross.
Yes, there will be comfort; there will be encouragement. There will be healing of our hearts and souls. But that is not why we go to the cross.
To think that we can skip the “repentance part” of the meaning of the cross is to mock the very cost of our salvation, to mock the cost of Calvary.

Without the cross, there would be no forgiveness. Without the cross, there would be no salvation. Without the cross, our sins would still be upon us. Without the cross, we would never be reconciled with our God, our Creator. Without the cross, we would be lost forever.
It cost Christ everything to redeem us. Let us never make light of what cost Him so dearly.

I read the story once of a father whose young son was killed in a tragic accident. In grief and enormous anger, he visited his pastor and poured out his heart. The man then said to the pastor, “Where was God when my son died?”
The pastor paused for a moment, and with great wisdom replied, “The same place He was when His Son died”.
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

This cry from the cross is for all the lonely and hurt people of the world. It is for the abandoned child . . . the abused child…. the widow. . . the divorcee struggling to make ends meet . . . the mother standing over the bed of her suffering child . . . the father out of work . . . the parents left alone . . . the prisoner in his cell . . . the aged sitting day in and day out alone in convalescent homes . . . wives abandoned by their husbands . . . singles who celebrate their birthdays alone. And yes, it is for the parents struggling to find meaning when a child dies.

This is the word from the cross for you, my friend: No one has ever been as alone as Jesus was on that cross that Friday we call Good Friday.
You will never be forsaken as He was. No cry of your pain can exceed the cry of His pain when God the Father turned his back and looked the other way.
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”

But my friends, in absolute humbleness and gratitude, we can only thank God that it is true.
He was forsaken that you might never be forsaken.
He was abandoned that you might never be abandoned.
He was deserted that you might never be deserted.

Free Hugs

Thanks to Joel over at graceroots for bringing this video to light. It just makes me happy!

The End of the Beginning

David Phelps

Wonderful Merciful Saviour

This movie's images still almost too powerful for me to watch. This song is perfect.

Anyone "Feel" Like Fishing?

Max Lucado

From Next Door Savior

"We worked hard all night....and we caught nothing." Luke 5:5

Do you have worn, wet, empty nets? Do you know the feeling of a sleepless, fishless night? Of course you do. For what have you been casting?

Solvency? "My debt is an anvil around my neck......"

Faith? "I want to believe, but......"

Healing? "I've ben sick so long....."

A happy marriage? "No matter what I do....."

I've worked hard all night and caught nothing.

You've felt what Peter felt. You've sat where Peter sat. And now Jesus is asking you to go fishing. He knows your nets are empty. He knows your heart is weary. He knows you'd like nothing more than to turn your back on the mess and call it a life. But he urges, "It's not too late to try again." See if Peter's reply won't help you formulate your own.

"You say to put the nets in the water, so I will." Luke 5:5

Job 28:7

Came across this verse in my reading, and it jumped. :) It is so cool when that happens.

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen."

Seems like there is a path, a life that is beyond, or above this life in the flesh that is sought out by the predators, scavengers, of this earth. Can we see God? Through the eyes of His Son, I think we can rise above to the heavenly places.

I pray He gives us each at least a glimpse of this life that we possess and yet most of the time do not realize it. The times that I have caught just a tiny, fleeting, moment of understanding, as I rest fully in Him, leave me craving and searching, ever searching for more of that deep well of Himself and the Life that He has given me.

An Accidental Quote

Last one tonight, I promise from Yancey's book, Prayer.

"A rabbi taught that experiences of God can never be planned or achieved. 'They are spontaneous moments of grace, almost accidental.' His students asked, 'Rabbi, if God-realization is just accidental, why do we work so hard doing all these spiritual practices?' The rabbi replied, 'To be as accident-prone as possible."

Every Blessing

I liked this prayer, found in Yancey's book, Prayer.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

On Prayer

Quote from Miracles by C.S. Lewis as noted by Yancey in Prayer.

"This impossibility of empirical proof is a spiritual necessity. A man who knew empirically that an event had been caused by his prayer would feel like a magician. His head would turn and his heart would be corrupted. The Christian is not to ask whether this or that event happened because of a prayer. He is rather to believe that all events without exception are answers to prayer in the sense that whether they are grantings or refusals the prayers of all concerned and their needs have all been taken into account. All prayers are heard, though not all prayers are granted."

Yancey goes on, quoting Lewis, "Only faith vouches for the connection. No empirical proof could establish it."

Then Yancey says something that I think is so very cool and sings to me.

"We believe a prayer has been answered not because of any scientific criteria proving cause and effect, but because we have faith. Trusting God's character, we can see in the relation between our prayer and an event more than a coincidence. We see a true partnership, intimate and intertwined."

Sweet and smooth like honey.....this session I am having on prayer.

His Victorious Indwelling

From today's date

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he hath trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 KJV

Dear Friend,
This is the word of the Lord God to thee:
Live in the wisdom of the life of God. And be still and silent from thy own wisdom, wit, craft, or policy that would arise in thee, stand single to the Lord, without any end to thyself. Then God will bless thee and prosper thee in his ways; thou wilt feel his blessing in thy generation.
And with thy mind stayed upon the Lord, thou wilt be kept in perfect peace, without any intent to thyself, to the glory of God. And there wilt thou feel no want, nor never a failing, nor forsaking, but the presence of the Lord God of life with thee. For now the state of this present age is, that the Lord is bringing his people into the life the Scriptures were given forth from, in which life people shall come to have unity with God, with Scriptures and one with another, for the establishing righteousness, truth, and peace, in which is the kingdom of God.

George Fox

This is the secret of all blessing - giving the Lord the supreme place. Thinking first of what is due to Him, and losing sight of all else until this is rendered.

Edward Dennett

On Prayer

Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude.
~Walter A. Mueller~

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.
~Oswald Chambers~

Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish.
~Author Unknown~

The Profundity of it all

From "This Day's Thought"

Hold a true friend with both hands.

Nigerian proverb

Anybody up for a field trip?

Can Anybody Hear Her

by Casting Crowns

Offerings

Paul Baloche

Quietly .... Waiting

Not too much to say .... I am having a wonderfully reflective time. Enjoy the videos. 2 Corinthians 1:3,4

You Shine

Brian Doerksen

Healing Rain

Michael W. Smith

In the Arms of The Angels

by Sarah Mclaughlin



I don't know how "sound" this song is when aligned with the way I think. She has a voice that moves me and the song stirs something within. Leaving it there. Grace lets me do that.

Chris Tomlin

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Amazing God

My Amazing God knew ..."in the age before the creation...before the creation of things seen. Even before the creation of things unseen." (taken from Gene Edwards ...Living By The Highest Life.)

My Amazing God has brought these two angels of mine....into their 17th year...on the 15th of March.

Well, not always angels but mine ...nonetheless. Mine, but not mine, I guess. I have definitely, finally, given all the kids over to the Lord. They are His, after all.

Too sweet...makes my tears flow....where have all these years gone?

It is difficult, but who better knew misunderstanding?

Prepare to be Misunderstood

The paramount stigma of being today's man or woman is probably that of being misunderstood. Nothing is more painful than this. We can cope with a lot that people say against us - as long as they are fully in the picture and still disagree. But what hurts is when they aren't in the picture and they form judgments and perceptions that are based on limited information.

I sometimes think that much of Jesus' pain at His crucifixion was a result of His being misunderstood. Nothing made sense. It didn't add up that the same man who raised Lazarus from the dead a few days before was now hanging on a cross. Why didn't Jesus stop the proceedings that led to His crucifixion? Anybody who could control the wind and storm on the Sea of Galilee could surely have intervened before Herod or Pilate.

There were any number of ways in which He could have stopped being crucified. Common sense told everybody this. So why was He being crucified?

The disciples couldn't figure it out - they all forsook Him and fled (Matt. 26:56). Never once did Jesus explain Himself.

It must have been almost unbearable emotional pain for Jesus to see Mary Magdalene sobbing her heart out at the scene of the cross and not be allowed to whisper to her, "It's OK, Mary; all is going according to plan. I'm atoning for the sins of the world by My blood." But there was no hint of this. He had to bear the further stigma of being misunderstood, even by those closest to Him.

Whether others understood or not, He did the right thing - He listened to God.

Preceeding thoughts found in:
By Love Transformed by R.T. Kendall
(excerpted from The Anointing: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow)

In "Light" of the Anticipation of Spring

David Crowder

Prayer

by Philip Yancey "In a world that glorifies success, an admission of weakness disarms pride at the same time it prepares us to receive grace. Meanwhile, the very weakness that drives us to pray becomes an invitation for God to respond with compassion and power." The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 105:4 "In the presence of the Great Physician, my most appropriate contribution may be my wounds."

A Little Biography

Asked for a little background on this author....check it out!

"T. Austin-Sparks was born in London, England in 1888 and was educated in both England and Scotland. At the age of 25 he was ordained as a pastor, however, a few years later his "career" took a decidedly different direction when a crisis brought him to a place of brokenness and he left the denomination with which he was involved and dropped the title of "Reverend"."

"Perhaps one of the earliest of his books can best give us a real clue to his whole life and ministry. It is called "The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ". This was where he began, and this was where he ended, for it became noticeable in his closing years that he lost interest in subjects and concentrated his attention on the person of Christ. Christ is central! None of us will claim always to have been "on centre", and he certainly made no such claim, but it was his life's objective and the aim of all his preaching and teaching to recognize that centrality and bow to that supremacy."

"Based in Honor Oak, London, he published a bi-monthly magazine called "A Witness and A Testimony" from 1923 until his death in 1971."

"TAS deliberately made no provision for the continuing of his ministry following his death as he believed that what was from God and of God would be taken care of by Him. Time has proved that his trust was not misplaced as God has indeed preserved what was His own. TAS left behind a treasury of writings filled with the Wisdom, Life and Revelation of Christ."

Peace

Found this poem in the new book of Philip Yancey's
"Prayer Does It Make Any Difference?"

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair grows in me
and I wake in the middle of the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water,
and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water,
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry, Collected Poems

This poem has a serenity about it. The nature element provides this.
I almost find myself slipping into the imagery the author has created.
The quiet time that is difficult to find in this hectic paced world is found
in this poem. To find that place, my journey.

Sanctus Real - The Face of Love

Sparked

The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ by T. Austin-Sparks "...when we have received Christ, everything with which we have to do in relation to Him, anything which we have a voice or an influence, any part that we can take in the Lord's interests, must be wholly, utterly and always for the expression of Christ, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the bringing into view of Christ. No assembly, no church, no movement, no testimony, no fellowship, is justified in its existence from God's standpoint except insofar as Christ is expressed by it." (Hmmmmm, ) "Beloved, we are speaking about the individual. I am not justified, and you are not justified, in claiming to be Christians except in the measure in which Christ is manifested in me, in you; and all the force and weight of hell is out against that. Believers have far more to provoke them to un-Christ-likeness than anyone else in this world. Believers have far more assaults to churn them up and to make them betray Christ than anyone else. Hell is dead set against the revelation of Jesus Christ. Everything begins with this, the revelation of Christ within." "...Christ is the beginning and Christ is the end, the A to Z, the Alpha and Omega.....It is: "Christ in you, the hope of glory,"....." Colossians 1 - Sparks says this ..."first chapter of Colossians carries us right back into the mind and heart of God before the world was, and we are shown what was going on in the mind and heart of the Father concerning His Son. It is called "the mystery," that is the Divine secret."

The Heart...again

From "This Day's Thought"...today
"O, to have the soul bathed all day long in this thought, "as the pebble in the willow brook" until the words come like the tears, because the heart is full, and we cannot help it; to feel, in the darkest hour, that there is an unseen Spectator whose eyes rest on us like morning on the flowers; and that in the severest sorrow, we can sink into a presence full of love and sympathy, deeper than ever breathed from earth or sky or loving hearts- a presence in which all fears and anxieties melt away as ice-crystals in the warm ocean. This is heaven."

Edward Thomson

A Little More....

Sparks ...The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"When you are studying the person and the life and the work of the Lord Jesus, there must be a Divine quest in your heart, and that quest must be for those features which suggest universality(existing or prevalent everywhere)(relation, extension, applicable to all)(the quality of being universal, or existing everywhere). Approach again the reading of the life of the Lord Jesus with that thought; you will not want for helpful, profitable Bible study, and you will find that things begin to enlarge in a way which throws back your horizon and enlarges your own heart and makes you feel the wonder of Christ. Looking for features of universality you will not go very far before you find them."

Cry Out to Jesus

Song by Third Day

Who Is This King of Glory - Everything to me

Who is this King of Glory, Who pursues me with His love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I have
Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me
Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of glory, Son of God and Son of man
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory
Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of Kings
The Lord of Earth and Heaven,
The Creator of all things
Who is this King of Glory,
He's everything to me
The Lord of Earth and Heaven,
The Creator of all things
He is the King of glory,
He's everything to me

by Third Day

Sparking on Sparks

Ok, so my brother, encourager, friend over at walking church has posted (and posted and posted, lol) on T. Austin Sparks. Some great words and understandings on our Life - Jesus Christ.

I have been encouraged to look into the FREE booklet "The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ" by this author and have found that it is all that and more, for my particular questions at this time.

I don't know if RoG over there at walking church posted on this before but I know that I was just talking to a fellow saint yesterday about this very thing and some bell went off in my mind (which of course is the mind of Christ....and when I listen, it seems to undo me). This takes me to Sparks and this booklet, yet again.....

"The centrality and supremacy of the Lord Jesus is the pivot and the key to all the Scriptures."

"Of course the Lord Jesus Himself has told us as much. We know from Luke 24 that this is so. There we find Him talking Moses, the Psalms, and all the Prophets, and in them all speaking of the things concerning Himself. So that in our reading of the Word of God, wherever we happen to be reading, the question that should always be in our minds is "What has this to do with Christ?": and if you bring that question to your reading of the Word of God, wherever you may read (and that is not said without thought) you will at once get a new understanding of the Word, you will have a new value in your reading: for the Scriptures, and all the Scriptures, are they which speak of Him: although you may have difficutlty sometimes in tracing Him, yet He is there. The cumulative effect of all parts of the Word of God is to bring you to Christ."

Sparks goes on to suggest that whatever we read from the Scriptures to not limit the portion in terms of just historical, narrative, prophecey or any other such theme in itself....but to always have the question ..."What has this to do with Christ? This is the key to unlocking Scripture.
Now, you theologians out there.....know this already, I am sure....but for me....this was a real revelation. I knew this .... but to really think and meditate on this .....mind blowing!

Sparks reminds us that the reason for saying this is ...."the Lord Jesus is by Divine appointment, at the centre of everything in this universe, every phase and every aspect, and He is its explanation."

Way too cool!

Carried to the Table - Leeland - For RoG

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How Great Is Our God

Ok, so I learned how to put videos on my blog today. Thanks Zach. My son, home for "reading" week from U of Windsor in his third year, (English and Political Science) and way more knowledgeable about this stuff than I. He can spell wonderfully in class and on papers and horribly on msn....however, enough about that. So I won't make you all crazy with all these videos but enjoy this one...Chris Tomlin is singing the song in the background. I love it! Show me once or twice and I learn....reading the instructions....just doesn't cut it for me. So I guess that means I am a relational learner... :) It was a great time for him to listen to some really cool songs, which will not hurt him one bit. Mothers can be soooo tricky. :) Enjoy!

Hillsong - Found

Amazing love

Now what else shall I need

Your name brings life

It’s more than the air I breathe

My world was changed

When Your love You gave for me

My purpose found

And all that You want for me

And I found myself in You

And I found myself in You

Amazing love

Now what else shall I need

Your name brings life

It’s more than the air I breathe

And I found myself in You

And I found myself in You

Take me to a place

Where I can see You face to face

And all I want to do

All I want to do

Is worship You

Under His Wings

A Hymn I’m in the Lord’s sacred pavilion; I rest in the holiest place; His kingdom and all its dominion I’ve found with abundance of grace. Refrain: Under His wings, yes, under His wings; I’m resting in Jesus, oh, it is precious! Under His wings, yes, under His wings; I’m resting in Jesus, under His wings. I’m in the Lord’s sacred pavilion, Where peace like a river doth flow; Where manna from heaven is given; Where joys are eternal, I know. I’m in the Lord’s sacred pavilion, Thus sheltered securely from harm; With Him I have constant communion, I’m resting on His mighty arm. I’m in the Lord’s sacred pavilion; Where I would forever abide; Though once far away—a lost alien—In Jesus I now can confide. Written by Barney E. Warren

The Heart

John 6:68 (NIV) Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." John 14:27 (NASB) Jesus said, "Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you , not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

A New Heart and a New Spirit

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NASB "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be and be careful to observe My ordinances." Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" Proverbs 27:19 "As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man." The concept of a new heart and a new spirit has been coming back to me, over and over again. I read these references and rejoice that there are things that I will never fully understand. That as I journey into this Life that is Christ ....there are the weavings and concepts in God's Word that I will never totally grasp. This and this...makes that and that....and in and of myself things need to be that way. In and of God, things are NOT always that way. I found in Neil T. Anderson's book "The Daily Discipler", another account of these thoughts. "We have been given a new heart because we have been made a new creation in Christ. In fact, it is the new heart that makes a new person. Our new birth means "a new heart" (see Deut. 30:5,6; Ezekiel 11:19). Proverbs 4:23 reads, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The last phrase literally means "for out of it are the issues of life." This is seen in Ecclesiastes 10:2, " The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." Jesus taught that what we do comes from our heart, (Matthew 12:34,35). Our new life stems from our heart. Godly thoughts, motives, words, feelings, attitudes and actions all originate in our heart. It is the mission control center of human life. The believer in Christ, through death and resurrection with Him, has received God's Spirit and a new heart, and thus a new control center of life." What think ye readers of this blog on this? Just curious ....always curious.

Yet Again....Manning

In Brennan Manning's Book, "The Signature of Jesus", he talks of a friend, who was a member of the small community of brothers that they referred to as "the Little Brothers of Jesus". His description of this man Dominique Voillaume, and how Manning talked of the influence Vollaume had on his life was precious to me. A true brother in Christ and mentor by example. The following quote comes as the last entry from the journal of this humble man (found after his death) ....through Manning's book.

"Dominique Voillaume never tried to impress anybody, never wondered if his life was useful or his witness meaningful. He never felt he had to do something great for God...."

.....the last journal entry.....

"All that is not the love of God has no meaning for me. I can truthfully say that I have no interest in anything but the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. If God wants it to, my life will be useful through my word and witness. If he wants it to, my life will bear fruit through my prayers and sacrifices. But the usefulness of my life is his concern, not mine. It would be indecent of me to worry about that."

Manning says then....

"Any spirituality that does not lead from a self-centered to an other-centered mode of existence is bankrupt."

Read the account.....if you never have.

In Jesus and also Dominique's words...."Father, forgive them, ils ne comprennent pas."

How Manning is used by God to convey a hard message full of Truth to others but through a tender manner......amazes me.

Sounds Right to me

"I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God."

Elisabeth Elliot

Jesus is all I need.

"The only thing worth holding onto ......is holding onto me".
Jeremy Camp

Joy Unspeakable

Jude 1:20-25 Amplified

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
21 Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--[which will bring you] unto life eternal.
22 And refute [so as to] convict some who dispute with you, and on some have mercy who waver and doubt.
23 [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire; on others take pity [but] with fear, loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh and polluted by their sensuality.
24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]--
25 To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).

Verse 24 has spoken to me this past weekend.

I am Nothing Jeremy Camp

Seems I’m always in this place,

Where the things I seem to take, are the things I wish would fade.

I always purpose in my heart,

To do things the right way, then I realize I’m still clay

And this piece that’s being shaped, will be a beauty You create

I am nothing without Your love.

I’m unworthy but Your death has been enough

I’m completed by Your touch,

But I feel like I’ve been given so much so I thank You, I thank You.

I wouldn’t even face, all the troubles of the day,

If it wasn’t for Your grace

Sometimes I even wait,

To see if I’m awake, seems so good I can’t relate

And Your every word I crave,

And I’m grateful for every breath I take

When I’m feeling all my shame, You won’t let it stay,

I sail away into Your love

I’m taking every day, To give my life away,

It’s the only way I know

Behind the Song:

'Without the love of Christ, where would I be? What kind of hope would I have? I know that I don’t deserve the tremendous grace that the Lord offers, but because of His death on the cross I have been given the opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life and become worthy of being called a child of God. It is by the hand of God that I have been completed, and now I can rest in that very hand of love. “Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2' - Jeremy Camp

Continuing on Love

Again in reference to SHOWTIME by Tod Bolsinger..... In the 7th chapter called, "Not you or me but we", ....Bolsinger talks about the different kinds of love, "with agape love being our final goal"...he says...."the love that is like God's love". Now I know that that kind of love is in me if God is in me. It very rarely, if ever manifests itself because I usually get in the way. However, I digress. He then talks about .."taking love out into the world, but only after really loving the community of believers...and to what Francis Schaeffer called 'the mark of a Christian'." John 13:34-35 is the scriptural reference for this. He refers to.... "brotherly love (philadelphia), which is a commitment to fellow Christians not necessarily for all people". I like what he says although, as with everything I read right now, I have a different perspective on the terminology, or the language that he uses. I am working through the thoughts behind what is said if you will. I know that in and of myself, I can do nothing and so without continuing to qualify this always....and until all of this is crystal clear in my mind, I tend to hesitate to share a perspective about what it is that we can do....Arghhhhh ....not that 'we' can do anything in our own strength....(there is the dilemma I face daily.... :) Anyway, in Bolsinger's own words... "God is calling us to be people who take His message of love and gracious acceptance into the world. But before we have the right to say it, we must live it. More than anything else, we need to be a community that communicates to each other in both words and actions: 'I love you, I forgive you, Supper is ready'. " These three phrases are what he indicates ...."a poll a few years back, gave as the top three answers as to what word or phrase people would like to have said to them sincerely". He suggests that these three phrases ..."may be the best description of the church, he has ever read", (and he wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on the life-transforming communion that the church is supposed to be). I like his thoughts.....whenever we look towards being a light out there in the world....we need to make sure the light is shining in the community of believers that we are a part of. That Light, of course, is Jesus, and will shine where it will as we submit. It is what Jesus did though in some ways....brought truth and light to His close company of friends and then sent them out. Sort of like the old adage....if your backyard is in disarray.....don't be trying to clean up someone else's backyard. Again, I share that I believe that Christ in me....does what He wills in any circumstance and at anytime. He brought me to this book and I appreciate this man's thoughts on community. We have a lot to learn about community. True community. I go to, as Bolsinger did as well.... to Galatians 3:28. Paul knew about community.

Another good read

SHOWTIME

LIVING DOWN HYPOCRISY BY LIVING OUT THE FAITH

By Tod Bolsinger

I am almost finished this book and it has proven to be an interesting read. A lot of fresh thought and a lot of really good ideas and I found it an encouraging read about how as Leighton Ford puts it...."how Christ can show through you in a 'show me' world."

Interesting information from the internet mentioned in the book.

The Declaration of Independence: 1,300 words

The Gettysburg Address: 286 words

The Ten Commandments: 179 words

The Lord's Prayer: 66 words

God so loved the world: 5 words

I forgive you: 3 words

I love you: 3 words

The United States government regulation on the sale of cabbage: 26,911 words

American author, obviously but I didn't have time to convert to a Canadian flavour. The message comes through loud and clear though eh? "Less is better, sometimes."

The author states, "Faith that makes a difference is a simple subject, but it's not an easy one".

More tomorrow on this read.

You LORD, are all I want!

Psalm 16 CEV

(A special psalm by David.)

The Best Choice

Protect me, LORD God!
I run to you for safety, and I have said,
"Only you are my Lord!
Every good thing I have is a gift from you."
Your people are wonderful, and they make me happy,
but worshipers of other gods will have much sorrow.
I refuse to offer sacrifices of blood to those gods or worship in their name.
You, LORD, are all I want!
You are my choice, and you keep me safe.
You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright.
I praise you, LORD, for being my guide.
Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind.
I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear.
With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest.
I am your chosen one.
You won't leave me in the grave or let my body decay.
You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me.
Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.

Perfect Everlasting Love Without Fail

Deuteronomy 7:9 NCV

"Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God.
He will keep his agreement of love for a thousand lifetimes for people who love him and obey his commands."

Nehemiah 9:17

"They refused to listen; they forgot the miracles you did for them. So they became stubborn and turned against you, choosing a leader to take them back to slavery. But you are a forgiving God. You are kind and full of mercy. You do not become angry quickly, and you have great love. So you did not leave them."

Psalm 89:33 NKJ

"Nevertheless, My lovingkindness, I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail."

Isaiah 54:10 NCV

"The mountains may disappear and the hills may come to an end, but my love will never disappear; My promise of peace will not come to an end, says the Lord who shows mercy to you."

Lamentations 3:22,23 NCV

"The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord , your loyalty is great."

Jeremiah 31:3 NCV

"The Lord appeared to his people and said, 'I love you people with a love that will last forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness."

John 1:16,17 NLT

"We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us - one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ."


All of us who know Christ, have Love. He is Love. Let the radiance, the beauty of being His bride, shine forth from that place within, that sometimes goes to another place; a lonely place, a sad place, a wounded place. Enter into the place of His Presence with confidence and love for He is the One who gave everything and and yet lives and has made His perfect covenant with you, His pledge, His word, His love, His peace and His Life. He is the Bridegroom. You are loved lavishly, wondrously, and without measure. Perfectly.
Happy Valentine's Day.


1 Corinthians 2:9

"However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

Real Freedom

John 8:36 The Amplified Bible "So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free."

I heard a great quote this morning from Greg Laurie's sermon this morning....I don't know if it was his or not...but it led me to other thoughts and so on and so on and ....yep, you get it. " The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay." His message was do we want knowledge about God for the sake of accumulating knowledge to appear __________ (fill in the blank) (this is then about me and what I am doing for God), or do we want to know God... intimately and personally, focussing on Jesus Christ, on looking into the Word and receiving revelation from the Word, (this is then about Him and what He is doing through me). Not an earth shattering message for those who know who they are in Christ, but a real tender and simple message for us to be reminded of. Malcolm Smith spoke about becoming too book-learned, too knowledge driven, too determined to know all there is to know....that one can forget to live Life that has been given. Another quote came to mind...I think Francis of Assisi said it...something about being the only Bible some people might read....meaning our Life that is Jesus. Brokenness continues. As I said....and so on and so on. Hmmmmmm

Everything is a learning experience. :) Me Bad.

Max

From Max Lucado's book called "In the Eye of the Storm".

Have you got an upset tummy? Maybe a good reason.

"He had compassion on them." Matthew 14:14 NIV

"The Greek word for compassion is splanchnizomai....

"Splanchnology" is a study of ... the gut. When Matthew writes that Jesus had compassion on the people, he is not saying that Jesus felt casual pity for them....

Matthew is saying that Jesus felt their hurt in his gut;

He felt the limp of the crippled.

He felt the hurt of the diseased.

He felt the loneliness of the leper.

He felt the embarassment of the sinful.

And once he felt their hurts, he couldn't help but heal their hurts."

Every Blessing is Ours

Don't forget, don't ever forget, no matter what, that we have right here and right now......every that would mean EVERY, spiritual blessing, even when we don't particularly feel like we do. :) Ephesians 1:3 NLT " All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." He has blessed us....I guess that means it is done....thank You, Father.

From the man...Ray Stedman

I think I would have liked this man.......

"A quote by a close friend of Ray Stedman's , Jack Modesett, Jr., quotes Ray himself as saying, "If we will admit our inadequacy, we can have God's adequacy....The greatest problem in the church is trying to do God's work with man's strength....The key to Christian sufficiency is realizing that everything comes from God and nothing comes from me." (from the biographical web site of Ray Stedman)

This quote from that site as posted in a Christianity Today article on the man.

"Ray is now experiencing "the best," and the best conclusion here is to quote Ray's own challenge to his congregation: "So don't lose hope. You are headed for hope, headed for life, headed for glory. All of this life is working toward that end; that's the first thing to hang on to. You don't need to be depressed or feel that everything is useless, that you can't do anything because you are getting older ...that is not true. Paul prays that these Christians may feel in their hearts the great hope to which God has called them. It is all waiting for them, the shining hope beyond death."

Ramblings of a Ragamuffin

So today, I have been looking at the work of Ray Stedman on the Gospel of John and if you haven't checked out his thoughts or writings do so. Maybe it is me because this desire to know everything about everything....I know, I know.....I am like a train, constantly chugging along looking for more knowledge....yikes...don't worry though because that is a sin.... :) I spend time waiting on the Lord to reveal what He would to me as well.
Any whoo... The ladies group I am a part of got into a discussion last night about the beginnings of the New Covenant. The Cross of Calvary changed everything. Everything else before Christ's death and ultimate Resurrection was under the Law. Christ was born under the Law. Any whoo....again, I digress..... I happened upon this book by Stedman and I know I have heard some teaching that refers to this man and his thoughts. ( Frank Friedman).

This quote just blows me away and the fact that my daughter's are facing a chemistry and biology exam emphasized the thoughts on the atom even more and this is like way too cool to pass by.

"This amazing Man, Jesus of Nazareth, in the mystery of His being, was not only a human being here on earth. He was, John tells us, the One who created the universe at the beginning. He understands it. He knows how it functions. He directs, guards, and guides the creation to this day. He keeps it going and holds it in existence."

"I have always been fascinated by the great linear accelerator that runs out toward the mountains behind Stanford University. I have often thought about the immense energies which power that great scientific instrument as I have driven up Highway 280 between Palo Alto and San Francisco. This linear accelerator is, loosely speaking, a great “atom-smasher.” Using enormous voltages of electrical energy, the accelerator moves particles along a long tunnel, increasing the speed of the particles until they approach the speed of light. These high-speed particles smash into a target--the nucleus of an atom--at the far end of the tunnel."

"The energies used to smash these atoms are measured in “mega-electron volts” and “giga-electron volts”--that is, in millions and billions of volts! Why does it take so much power to break apart an atom so that its component particles can he studied? Science has asked that question for decades, and the answer is still unknown. All that is known is that there is a force that scientists do not yet understand which holds all things together."

"The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians what that force is: “In him [Jesus] all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17) The book of Hebrews says, “The Son is . . . the exact representation of [God's] being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3) And John says, “Through him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” The world around you, the book you hold in your hands, and your very body itself are all held together by His word and His power."

So Funny

So, I am on holidays from the full-time job this week and have been having so much fun checking out different blogging sites that are kind of vast and varied but also like-minded in some ways. Anywhooo.... Pastor Mike from on coffee always has a very interesting array of articles from others and himself to check out. So through him to the D'caffeinated Pickle I read this quote from Dale Friesen. "Heaven have mercy on us all-Presbyterians and Pagans alike-for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head and sadly need mending." Melville, (Moby Dick) I just laughed and laughed. Very slow day here at the home. :) Which lead me to thinking.....wow ....Friesen....there is a lot of them thar' Friesens and Froesen's ....in my small sheltered, (non-mennonite background) life. Interesting....almost as many as Klassens....great names without question....but where are the Jones and Smiths and Whites....??? One of them just happens to be my maiden name.....nary a one in sight.... :) ~sigh~

Good Friends

Okay so, if you haven't noticed by my posts....not even recent posts but all my posts...I really haven't taken the time to learn how to link and I still have the space thing (you know, those wide random spaces within my blogs that I have no idea where they come from :), to figure out. Well, RoG over at walking church sent me a very kind e-mail and took me through the process and look at this .......!!!!! I am linking! I could have sent him a quiet e-mail thanking him...but he took the time to teach me something about this blogging ....and even though I know it ain't rocket science.....(I am reaching the half-century mark this year).... this age of technology sometimes overwhelms me, he blessed the socks off of me by doing this. Check out his blog. RoG is always sharing some spiritual truth = Jesus with those who drop by. So thanks for your kindness, my friend and being respectful about telling your elders how to manage their blogs....:) You are one of the good guys. God bless. ((((((It truly is the little things that rock my world.)))))

A Good Place To Visit

Tyler Watson at "The Space Between My Ears" has an interesting post about... Why Church? Asks for some response from the readers. I am working on mine. :) The way to get to it....link to his main page of recent posts. Check it out Church!

Or....It Can Look Like

Fear

Judgement

Anger

Brokenness

Sadness

Forgiveness

Grace

Thank You Father, for Jesus Who is Grace.

Church - The Way It Can Look

images courtesy of ....

www.walkingchurch.blogspot.com

www.itmimg.org

www.greatestcities.org

www.gca.cc

www.cityoftaylor.com

www.knowing.img.relaGod.com
www.tanignak.org

www.torringtoncatholics.org

Some of my cherished photos