bound;
by chains of sin,
despair all around,
no hope within,
longing, to be free.
found;
a prophecy foretold,
hope on solid ground,
now covered by His blood,
my Jesus, I love Thee.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
4/10/10
free
9/7/09
5/15/09
the moving cloud
I know. the blog posts are few and far between. but when you are in God's classroom, passing notes is strictly forbidden! the only chance I get is in between sessions.
Numbers 9:18 23 tells of how and when the Israelites followed God in the wilderness. Verse 18, "At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents." right now my tent is pitched and for a good reason. God is remolding this vessel though the vessel insists on creating new cracks. but every time a new crack is made He comes along and in love mends the vessel.
yesterday I had the opportunity to watch Him mend. and even though this vessel still has broken pieces, cracks and missing parts He still chose to use me. we as humans still use cups and dishes even when they are broken, chipped or even have cracks in them. how much more so does our Heavenly Father use us even though we are no better than our serving ware? as along as He knows the part that is usable is fully relying on Him and His Holy Spirit, then it is usable. I can only tell you of one instance yesterday.
some of the work at my part time job is to deliver documents to local downtown businesses. yesterday afternoon, with all the sunshine, I grabbed the documents, filled my shirt pocket with tracts and decided to walk while delivering both sets of documents. now the one set had a specific destination to the businesses but the other set had Divine destinations to specific individuals. so after delivery of the first set, I headed back to my job and found I had one more tract to hand out. it was then came across a friend I hadn't seen in a while. the Father gave me an opportunity to brag on Him AND give out the last tract.
will they read the tract? only God knows. but what I do know is that even while God has you pitched, even when He is remolding and reshaping the vessel, He can use you. if He can use someone like me, while reshaping this lump of clay, then I know He can use you. will you allow Him to use the usable part?
Numbers 9:18 23 tells of how and when the Israelites followed God in the wilderness. Verse 18, "At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents." right now my tent is pitched and for a good reason. God is remolding this vessel though the vessel insists on creating new cracks. but every time a new crack is made He comes along and in love mends the vessel.
yesterday I had the opportunity to watch Him mend. and even though this vessel still has broken pieces, cracks and missing parts He still chose to use me. we as humans still use cups and dishes even when they are broken, chipped or even have cracks in them. how much more so does our Heavenly Father use us even though we are no better than our serving ware? as along as He knows the part that is usable is fully relying on Him and His Holy Spirit, then it is usable. I can only tell you of one instance yesterday.
some of the work at my part time job is to deliver documents to local downtown businesses. yesterday afternoon, with all the sunshine, I grabbed the documents, filled my shirt pocket with tracts and decided to walk while delivering both sets of documents. now the one set had a specific destination to the businesses but the other set had Divine destinations to specific individuals. so after delivery of the first set, I headed back to my job and found I had one more tract to hand out. it was then came across a friend I hadn't seen in a while. the Father gave me an opportunity to brag on Him AND give out the last tract.
will they read the tract? only God knows. but what I do know is that even while God has you pitched, even when He is remolding and reshaping the vessel, He can use you. if He can use someone like me, while reshaping this lump of clay, then I know He can use you. will you allow Him to use the usable part?
4/21/09
family affects
one never realizes how much their family can affect a Spiritual walk until you have taken the step of Faith out and then see with new eyes. I dearly love my family and I would do anything for them within reason. but looking at them now I see two distinct lifestyles - God's and theirs.
God's is influencing my life daily. part of my family can understand and rejoices with me. those members I enjoy sharing what God has and is doing in and through my life. my brother-in-law, saved, rejoiced with me when I told him that God had used me to lead someone to Christ. it was he that also rejoiced when I told him that God had returned 50% of an offering back to me via a dryer - trust me it happened. he in turn edifies me as a brother in Christ.
my blood brother unfortunately is still focused on the flesh and satisfying the lusts thereof. I cannot tell him everything God is doing as he only says that's good and then back to him. he to is saved yet behaves totally different. I am reminded of I Corinthians 6:11, "And as such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Yes, my family is saved but even the redeemed can choose to not be close to God. look at me! for many years I tried to hide. didn't work. if it wasn't for my extended family praying that God would jerk a knot in my tail, as my grandpa would say, then I would probably be dead. thank God He does jerk knots and praise God He does love us. even when we need the knots.
God's is influencing my life daily. part of my family can understand and rejoices with me. those members I enjoy sharing what God has and is doing in and through my life. my brother-in-law, saved, rejoiced with me when I told him that God had used me to lead someone to Christ. it was he that also rejoiced when I told him that God had returned 50% of an offering back to me via a dryer - trust me it happened. he in turn edifies me as a brother in Christ.
my blood brother unfortunately is still focused on the flesh and satisfying the lusts thereof. I cannot tell him everything God is doing as he only says that's good and then back to him. he to is saved yet behaves totally different. I am reminded of I Corinthians 6:11, "And as such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Yes, my family is saved but even the redeemed can choose to not be close to God. look at me! for many years I tried to hide. didn't work. if it wasn't for my extended family praying that God would jerk a knot in my tail, as my grandpa would say, then I would probably be dead. thank God He does jerk knots and praise God He does love us. even when we need the knots.
4/5/09
escape to the mountain
once upon a time I was given the directive to “escape to the mountain” by God. now this mountain He directed me to was in full-time Christian service. first as a missionary then to preach. little did I know then that God would; 1. get me to the mountain, 2. get me up the mountain, 3. get me on top of the mountain, 4. keep me in the mountain and 5. get His glory for doing number's 1-4 as He rightfully should.
I take this line from Genesis 19:17, “And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” see Lot had everything going for him; he was nephew to Abraham, was blessed with money and possessions, and had seen God work and move in his Uncle's life. yet he desired the plains of Jordan (Gen. 13:10).
after all that God had blessed him with, after all that God had graciously done for him and after all that God had allowed him to see what His mighty hand could do; Lot still wanted more... the plains. yep, me to a “T”. but this is the good part! God still loved Lot, ie: me, as He mercifully pulled him out of Sodom (Gen. 19:16). He was not obligated. Lot, ie: me, should have been consumed as he put himself in that position. but no. God in His love, grace and mercy bestowed upon Lot, ie: me, something he was of by no means worthy.
His calling is once more in the same order and to the same positions.
God, as you want me on that mountain and not in the plains, please, get me to that mountain. I trust you. I submit to you. In my own strength I cannot accomplish this endeavor as there must not be any “I”. It can only be You.
Your Will. Your Service. Your Glory.
I take this line from Genesis 19:17, “And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” see Lot had everything going for him; he was nephew to Abraham, was blessed with money and possessions, and had seen God work and move in his Uncle's life. yet he desired the plains of Jordan (Gen. 13:10).
after all that God had blessed him with, after all that God had graciously done for him and after all that God had allowed him to see what His mighty hand could do; Lot still wanted more... the plains. yep, me to a “T”. but this is the good part! God still loved Lot, ie: me, as He mercifully pulled him out of Sodom (Gen. 19:16). He was not obligated. Lot, ie: me, should have been consumed as he put himself in that position. but no. God in His love, grace and mercy bestowed upon Lot, ie: me, something he was of by no means worthy.
His calling is once more in the same order and to the same positions.
God, as you want me on that mountain and not in the plains, please, get me to that mountain. I trust you. I submit to you. In my own strength I cannot accomplish this endeavor as there must not be any “I”. It can only be You.
Your Will. Your Service. Your Glory.
3/18/09
learning to walk
I don't remember when I learned to walk as a child. my parents and grandparents always said it was after my first younger brother learned. I guess he felt he had to catch up as he was the number two child. anyway, it is fact that I did eventually learn. Freedom! no more being carried, crawling on the ground, or scooting from place to place just to make it through this world. I was officially a biped!
my Christian life has been quite different. mainly crawling, scooting and being carried instead of walking. I was carried the first couple of years. hoping things would change but refusing to trust God to work. I crawled my way through Christian college instead of walking upright. giving the appearance of uprightness but still holding onto sin. lastly scooting from church to church seeking a place to feel “comfortable” in while I held onto my sin. odd how then I never seemed to understand that God was everywhere I was carried, crawled and scooted.
Matthew 14:29 tells of how Peter walked on the water to Jesus, “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” many people tend to overlook the fact that Peter actually walked on the water and quickly condemn him for sinking, verse 30. I say, Peter walked on the water! and to whom? to Jesus. if we are ever going to walk in this Christian life is HAS to be to Jesus! there is no other way to make it in this world. sin is everywhere with its baubles of temptation. the devil would love to just dangle something shiny in front of us just so we look away from Jesus. but we must keep our eyes on Jesus so we will be able to walk in His power.
just as my parents had to hold onto me for several months just to keep me upright, God holds onto us. not for a few months or years but for eternity. He is that involved in our lives. He wants us to walk but more importantly He wants us to do it through His power, strength, and love. He knows we can be easily distracted and so with Him going before, He asks us to hold His hands and keep our eyes on Him. that's the only way to walk.
my Christian life has been quite different. mainly crawling, scooting and being carried instead of walking. I was carried the first couple of years. hoping things would change but refusing to trust God to work. I crawled my way through Christian college instead of walking upright. giving the appearance of uprightness but still holding onto sin. lastly scooting from church to church seeking a place to feel “comfortable” in while I held onto my sin. odd how then I never seemed to understand that God was everywhere I was carried, crawled and scooted.
Matthew 14:29 tells of how Peter walked on the water to Jesus, “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” many people tend to overlook the fact that Peter actually walked on the water and quickly condemn him for sinking, verse 30. I say, Peter walked on the water! and to whom? to Jesus. if we are ever going to walk in this Christian life is HAS to be to Jesus! there is no other way to make it in this world. sin is everywhere with its baubles of temptation. the devil would love to just dangle something shiny in front of us just so we look away from Jesus. but we must keep our eyes on Jesus so we will be able to walk in His power.
just as my parents had to hold onto me for several months just to keep me upright, God holds onto us. not for a few months or years but for eternity. He is that involved in our lives. He wants us to walk but more importantly He wants us to do it through His power, strength, and love. He knows we can be easily distracted and so with Him going before, He asks us to hold His hands and keep our eyes on Him. that's the only way to walk.
3/9/09
consequences
A little look
Opens the sight,
Filled with wonders;
But minus the light.
A little touch
Senses arise,
Hearts are flushed;
But filled with lies.
A little crush
Emotions engage,
Arousal interests;
But ends in rage.
Oh eyes so full!
Oh touch so flushed!
Oh crush so engaged!
Had I but turned.
Had I but listened.
Had I but stopped.
Too late to change?
A life to mend.
God waits with love,
My rope to end.
Repentance in full
My sins to cast;
All to give,
To Him at last.
Opens the sight,
Filled with wonders;
But minus the light.
A little touch
Senses arise,
Hearts are flushed;
But filled with lies.
A little crush
Emotions engage,
Arousal interests;
But ends in rage.
Oh eyes so full!
Oh touch so flushed!
Oh crush so engaged!
Had I but turned.
Had I but listened.
Had I but stopped.
Too late to change?
A life to mend.
God waits with love,
My rope to end.
Repentance in full
My sins to cast;
All to give,
To Him at last.
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