Enlightenment....

Just a personal post here. (I know... I know..... they don't happen very often).

I have noticed (especially as of late) that there is a direct correlation between how intimate and enthralled I am with Jesus and His Life in me (the excitement that His Word brings and the truly awesome Power and Sweetness of of His Presence in my life) and the extreme intensity of the lies of the evil one and the quick infiltration of those lies into my thought processes. It seems sometimes almost instantaneous and immediate.

What an exciting place to be ..... NOT......but I think that if this had been happening at the intensity it seems to be happening now, a couple of years ago, I probably would have run for the hills..... quickly and given up with a wail of "Where are You, God?". In a lot of ways this IS an exciting time because I can recognize (most of the time) immediately (most of the time) that the darts of anger, false thoughts, lies, insecurity, and all that wonderful stuff that is definitely not the Truth and not from God and not from the Christ that is leading this pathetic life that is mine....when left to my own devices.....is a sign of spiritual enlightenment.....and that is my word for growth...because I really feel that it is all there within because of Christ who lives in and through me....I just have not embraced all that is there yet. Little pieces are shown to me....thanking God for that because it could be a little overwhelming and ill-received by my self if given all at once... He seems to give a little revelation of Himself just as we need it and as we come to a certain place.....

But back to these darts...and thoughts of the father of lies....once they enter and they are replaced quickly with the Truth....re-focus on Jesus and what He has said to me about me and the wondrous Love that He is ....and has for me....those thoughts can be gone.....Amazing! Now this is not a boasting post of my spirituality because if it were I guess I would not have so many occasions to have lies coming my way....but the point is ..... and believe me I am trying to bring this point out succinctly :).... Quickly come the attacks of the evil one....but just as quickly they can be fended off, erased, ignored and rebuked as I learn to completely trust my Jesus who is always for me.....never to bring these thoughts to mind...how absolutely thrilling to recognize that He is Almighty, Powerful, and yet there constantly, gently reminding, ..... no condemnation....none at all and the negative thoughts ..... they are not from Him......

And so I continue to live this Life and glean from it what I need to endure in this sin-cursed world. I will continue to wonder what the evil one would ever want with me.....I pose no threat to his dispicable work here on earth.....and yet I remember, it is not me....it is Him in me who is far greater than anything I can do or imagine and I realize.....the battle rages fiercely around me and attacks are at every opportune moment that my focus is not staid on Jesus, my Life. I am so grateful that I never am alone. How can the world, devoid of His Life in them ..... survive? That is where the greatest sorrow for me, comes from when I really think on it. In His Hands, I leave that thought as well.

What joy this journey of enlightenment brings!

I Can Do Nothing

For today from "His Victorious Indwelling" edited by Nick Harrison, a daily devotional I continue to read and be encouraged by.

....as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2 Corinthians 6:16

God's aim and purpose in the Gospel is not to make good people, a mere matter of conduct; but rather a people "peculiar" to Him - so peculiar to Himself that He can come and live in them and be Himself the regulator of their lives. This is really wonderful!

Stated boldly, stripped of superficialities, the Christian life is a reincarnation of Christ. He who walked the earth nineteen hundred years ago walks again in us: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." He who once found flesh and blood expression for Himself in one body now claims a similar expression in any body - yours and mine - the bodies of all who will believe and receive the benefits of the Gospel.

The life thus depicted is too wonderful for words. It is staggering in its possibilities. To think of anyone missing it! "But," says some doubting Thomas, "it's wonderful, if it works, if one could live it."

Let us acknowledge that if it fails to work, the failure is ours, not His. As in the case of an automobile with the engine running at full speed and wheels standing still - plenty of power but no transmission - we have failed to transmit and transmute His power into our daily living.

Norman B. Harrison


Our very helplessness is our resource. We find that God Himself must come in because we can do nothing.

John Darby

His Resurrection - Our Resurrection

2 Corinthians 4 NASB

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,

2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,

4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

12 So death works in us, but life in you.

13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak,

14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Languishing .....

Wow....Tozer just kind of laid it out there for me today....and I think not of buildings and wood as I am sure he did not. We need God's people who have died to themselves and are under the compulsion of Him (as Tozer says) ........
I preface this by stating.....I attended a huge Good Friday mega-production at a church in town last night.....sigh!

Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." - Acts 21:13

"The Church at this moment needs men, the right kind of men, bold men....

We languish for men who feel themselves expendable in the warfare of the soul, who cannot be frightened by threats of death because they have already died to the allurements of this world. Such men will be free from the compulsions that control weaker men. They will not be forced to do things by the squeeze of circumstances; their only compulsion will come from within--or from above.

This kind of freedom is necessary if we are to have prophets in our pulpits again instead of mascots. These free men will serve God and mankind from motives too high to be understood by the rank and file of religious retainers who today shuttle in and out of the sanctuary. They will make no decisions out of fear, take no course out of a desire to please, accept no service for financial considerations, perform no religious act out of mere custom; nor will they allow themselves to be influenced by the love of publicity or the desire for reputation."

The Signs of Spring - Easter Weekend

Well, two things happened yesterday to let me really know that Spring is finally here .... thank You Jesus for winter but enough already, you know? I saw my first robin...yes, many have spoken of this but until I see with my own eyes (and I have the picture to prove it) ....and I got the chance last night on my way to the other sure sign of Spring ....both my daughters returned to work at one of the best little "Ice Cream Shops" going. Yep, robins and ice cream ......Spring has arrived!

Tears for the Lamb - Today

Precious is the flow that made me white as snow....No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Good Friday - For Love

Galatians 2:20 NASB

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Again from the great storyteller, Gene Edwards, in his interesting account of "The Day I Was Crucified" (as told by Jesus the Christ).

Chapter 33
"I lived before you ever existed," I said to Death as he squeezed me in his clutches. "Poor Death, there are things that took place before you existed of which you know nothing."

"It matters not, " Death vaunted.

"It matters all," I replied.

In that final moment I commanded those who were present from the unseen realm: "Step forth, World System. Come into my very being.

"You, World, shall die with me!

"Lucifer, principalities and powers, and all whom you head, come into me.

"Law, you have been fulfilled, now come into my bosom.

"Adam's race, all that was touched by the Fall, and creation itself, come into me and be one with me!

"Death, be my servant: Put to death all that is now one with me.

"Come, religion! That which strives to be good but is ever failing, come.

"Death, take religion, the old man, and the self nature and make them your prey.

"Die upon my Cross. Come, all of you, die in me! You have now encountered the most destructive power in creation - my Cross!

"Put me to death, I command you. Death, look at me: I am become the Fall.

"All that is created is crucified with me.

"Oh, but there is one left!

"Death, as you take the last breath from me, I have a surprise for you.

"Death, you are now mine!" I cried out triumphantly.

From the Christian Storyteller

From "The Day I Was Crucified", by Gene Edwards

"FATHER, CREATION SPRANG FORTH FROM MY HAND

I FASHIONED THE STARS

I ROUTED THE HEAVENS IN THEIR LONG RUN

EVEN AS THEY VAULTED ACROSS THE CHANDELIERS OF THE SKY

THEY REFLECTED MY GLORY

I SCATTERED THE IRON IN THE STRATA OF THE EARTH

I BROUGHT FORTH THE TREES

THAT THEY MIGHT ROBE THE EARTH IN EMERALD GREEN

UPON THAT TREE I NOW COME

TO END OLD ADAM'S RACE

AND BRING CREATION TO ITS LAST PAGE

DEATH, CONFINED BY ME WITHIN YOUR CAGE

SOON TO COME FORTH IN HELL'S OWN RAGE

ONE FINAL SIP OF THE FROTHING CUP AND RECEIVE SIN'S FINAL WAGE!"

"OH, FATHER, SINCE MY ARRIVAL UPON THIS TERRESTRIAL BALL I HAVE DWELT IN THE CONFINES OF FRAIL HUMANITY. EXTEND TO ME SUSTAINING GRACE EVEN AS DEATH CRIES OUT TO BE RELEASED FROM HIS CHAINS."

"FATHER, MINGLE MY TEARS WITH YOUR OWN."

Abandon the Me Ship

From "He Loves Me!" by Wayne Jacobsen

"When we accept ownership of our powerlessness and helplessness, when we acknowledge that we are paupers at the door of God's mercy, then God can make something beautiful out of us." Brennan Manning in "The Ragamuffin Gospel".

"....God has fulfilled in himself everything he would ever require of us. Abandoning our own attempts to establish our own worthiness is central to the power of the gospel. Learn that and a door stands before you that will lead you to the very heart of a loving Father. This is the way to know that he delights over you with joy and is able to transform you into the fullness of his glory.

He absolutely, completely loves you. Discovering how much will revolutionize your relationship to him and your life in this world."

Watch the Lamb

Nothing But The Blood

No Greater Love - At The Cross

For all the prodigals

Lay it down - Jaci Valesquez

Lead me to the cross....

He Loves you!

My newest read....started last night...is "He Loves Me", by Wayne Jacobsen, an uncategorized "christian living" book :).

Enjoyable and easy to read....harder to appropriate as usual and I am only on the 5th chapter and they are short chapters. I love what he writes.

Two highlights today.

He delightfully puts in a Brennan Manning (who I love, as you know) quote from "The Signature of Jesus".

"If we take all the goodness, wisdom, and compassion of the best mothers and fathers who have ever lived, they would only be a faint shadow of the love and mercy in the heart of the redeeming God."

and...

He puts in this gem of a quote from a sermon by Phillips Brooks (1835 - 1893), anybody know this guy....sounds like my kind of pastor!

"The great danger facing all of us.....is that some day we may wake up and find that we have been busy with husks and trappings of life and have really missed life itself. That is what one prays one's friends may be spared - satisfaction with a life that....has in it no tingle or thrill that comes from a friendship with the Father."

This book is a really great follow up to "The Shack" and it just gives you a true and real view through the Word of the amazing Love that is ours from the Father.

He continually reminds us how much we are loved and asks us if we know and if not than he lets us know how much.

Ephesians 3:17-19

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

And isn't that just something we all need to be reminded of, even when we think we know it....just to remember. He loves ..... and perfectly too. I embrace that.

More Palm Sunday Pictures

My backyard wilderness.
MMMMMMM!

These ducks from the last post are American? I don't know why they are in our Park here in Canada but they seem to like it here. :) Who wouldn't?

Palm Sunday

Pinafore Park

The geese.

Some of my personal reflections in pictures on this Palm Sunday as organized religiosity has so labelled it. It was a great morning....grey and overcast and not too cold. There is still tons of snow around but maybe some sun this afternoon will take care of some of it. I checked out the paths at the local Park this a.m. ... everything hushed except the odd duck calling me over their way...and a few birds...definitely not robins.... :) I did see some yellow coloured leaves in this part of the park but nothing poking through all that snow. Wishful thinking I guess and the paths were not great for walking.

The other pictures are from my back yard.....mine and 80 other people's but no one was out there....very quiet creek running out there and not much wildlife to be seen. Trees bare and cold looking. We do have a lot of nature behind this big old apartment building but it wasn't showing itself to me today.

Just some glimpses of pictures I have started taking. My reflections on this Life in Him, this morning as I wandered in His Creation.

Oh and a bonus picture of some waffles and bacon.....my daughter and her boyfriend treated all of us to this a.m. Very nice and very yummy....even without good old Canadian maple syrup. :)

A nice Palm Sunday to be sure.

The Flying V Formation

These are excerpts from the Jake Colsen Book "SO YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE" and my last comments on this uncategorized book that is not a church bashing book but a book that constantly points to Jesus and expresses what happens when our focus is staid on Him. (Neil, you say this all the time.....it is Truth)

"...Not all structure is wrong. Simple structures that facilitate sharing his life together can be incredibly positive. The problem comes when structures take on a life of their own and provide a substitute for our dependence on Jesus.

...But Jesus is putting together a church without spot or wrinkle. It includes everyone in this community and around the world who live in a growing relationship with him. .... Jesus saw the church as a reality, not an assignment for his followers to construct. She is growing, all around you. You just can't see it now because your focal point is far short of her beauty and immensity.

...Where Jesus is given first place, the church simply emerges in wonderful ways. He will place you in the body exactly as he desires. And as those relationships grow, you may find yourself surrounded by a group of people who want to walk in more intentional community together. That's an amazing thing when it happens, but still you have to keep your focus on him. Even groups that start out centered on him are easily and quickly tempted to organize themselves to death. When Jesus ceases to be the object of our pursuit, our touch with his body will fade into emptiness.

...It's a system we think we can work through our own initiative and effort, but that is also why it cannot produce the life you hunger for. That's only found in him.

...Real community is not something we fabricate by any means. It is a gift God gives.

...How could obligation ever produce real relationship? Obligations are only necessary when the experience is ineffective or lifeless. When people are living in the life of Jesus, they will treasure every opportunity to connect with other brothers and sisters who are also on this journey. It will not be something they have to do, but something they wouldn't ever want to live without.

...You think of gatherings as meetings to go to and trying to craft the perfect format that will guarantee results that no meeting can guarantee. But you don't see yet that Jesus is always gathering his flock to himself. People from all over the world are finding their hunger for him eclipsing their hunger for anything else and that every substitute they try only adds to their restlessness. As they keep their eye on him, not only do they grow closer to him with each passing day, but they will find themselves alongside others who are headed that way too. Geese fly together like that not because they are obligated to do so, but because it lightens their load and lifts them closer to their goal.

...That's all Jesus ever wanted - one flock drawn to him alone, and each helping lighten the load of others they find going the same direction as they are.

...That's the gathering. It's not when, where or how you meet, but that you are gathering your heart to him. If that's happening, you usually won't find yourself going it alone very long. You'll find others heading the same direction and by traveling together you'll be able to help one another along the way. That's why you can only hurt yourself when you look for people who want to meet a certain way or think like you do about everything. Every person who crosses your path, be they believer or unbeliever, in an institution or outside of it, is a potential partner in this journey. By loving each of them to the degree that they allow, you'll participate in his great gathering.

...But the goal remains the same. It's him! It's always him - not a style of meeting or a preplanned program, not a safe salary, or a predictable future.

...He's not trying to make it difficult; he wants you to experience the very kingdom itself. This is his joy he draws you to, not some tiresome duty or empty promise."