Nameless, Faceless Love

Lay Your Hands On Me

2007-08-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

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This old life seemed much too long
with little point in going on.
I couldn't think of what to say
words just vanished in the haze.

I was feeling cold and tired
yeah, kinda sad and uninspired.
When it almost seemed too much
I see Your face
And sense the grace
and feel the magic in Your touch.

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands

Back and forth across the sea
I have chased so many dreams
But I have never felt the grace
that I have felt in Your embrace.

Oh, I was tired and I was cold
yeah, with a hunger in my soul.
When it almost seemed too much
I see Your face
And sense the grace
and feel the magic of Your touch.

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands

Now You made me feel so good
yeah, like I never ever thought I would
You know You make me feel so strong
And now our laughter just goes on and on and on.

So come on lay Your hands on me
'Cause close to You is where I really wanna be.
And if it ever gets too much
I see Your face
And sense the grace
and feel the magic in Your touch.

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands

Oh, lay Your hands
lay Your hands on me
oh, lay your hands. . .

There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up.
She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years.
When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!"
He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
Luke 13:11-13

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen below to hear this song and consider these words as The Thompson Twins singLay Your Hands On Me.

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Shine Your Light On Us

2007-08-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

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Another song of those who are poor and dependent upon Christ.

Oh, my God, shine Your light on us that we might live.......
Oh, my God, shine Your light on us that we might live.......

I’ve been over long, I’ve been over long
All that is inside me screams to come back home

If you feel lost, if you feel lost, sing along
If you feel tired, if you feel tired, sing along
If you feel lost and tired, this is your song

I’ve been broken down, I’ve been broken down,
I ain’t giving up, love’ll come back around

If you feel lost, if you feel lost, sing along
If you feel tired, if you feel tired, sing along
If you feel lost and tired, this is your song

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:
let such as love thy salvation say continually,
The LORD be magnified.
But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me:
thou art my help and my deliverer...
Psalm 40:16-17(c)

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen below to hear the song and consider these words as the Robbie Seay Band singsShine Your Light On Us.

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"Wouldn't It Be Good?" sing the poor

2007-08-23T07:29:00.000-05:00

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I got it bad
you don't know how bad I got it.
You got it easy
you don't know when you've got it good.
It's getting harder
just keeping life and soul together
I'm sick of fighting even though I know I should.
The cold is biting through each and ev'ry nerve and fibre
My broken spirit is frozen to the core.
I don't want to be here no more.

Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes even if it was for just one da:
And wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away.
Wouldn't it be good to be on your side
The grass in always greener over there.
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care.

You must be joking
you don't know a thing about it.
You've got no problems
I'd stay right there if I were you.
I got it harder
you couldn't dream how hard I got it
Stay out of my shoes if you know what's good for you.
The heat is stifling
burning me up from the inside.
The sweat is coming through each and ev'ry pore. (to Chorus)

It is compelling to consider this song as a song from the poor to the Church, a Church who has "made it out" and now with a superior air supposes to help those "still in ingnorance." These lyrics plead with us to understand that we still can be quite ignorant of the very bondage in which we ourselves were trapped before Christ. These lyrics plead with us to see that our lives can sometimes be comprised of self-centered, petty complaints at the very same time that we are basking in great blessing. They plead with us to see life as it really is, for us and those who are poor in any way.

"You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich.
Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough.
And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see."
Revelation 3:17-18

For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).
2 Corinthians 8:9

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3

Jesus takes care of those who are poor. They are His. Please give each of us eyes to see, Lord Jesus, so that we may become poor.

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen below to hear the song and consider these words as Nik Kershaw singsWouldn't It Be Good?.

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Seeing The World From The Bottom Up

2007-08-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

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When [Jesus] noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:
"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.
If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14:7-14

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen below to learn more of how Jesus teaches us to see the world from the bottom up.

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Becoming The Poor

2007-08-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

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"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen below to learn more of Jesus as we are Becoming The Poor.

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The Coming Faith

2007-08-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

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In 1998, I spent the better part of a month in a third world country ministering largely among the poor of that country. Our team spent time on dirt floors in remote rural villages, in churches that met under aluminum roofs with no walls, and in huge sanctuaries in the major city that housed upwards of 5000-6000 believers at a time.

Before we left to return to America, a number of believers assured us that they would be praying for us, and told us that they already prayed every day for the American church. They wanted to give us a message to take back to the American church.

The message was this:

Believers in the third world spend much time every day in travailing prayer for the American church. The American church which has given birth to much of the third world church through it's missionary efforts of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, is now the one in desperate trouble, these believers shared.

"You don't know what's coming," they said with love. "You think that because 'America is a Christian country' that you will never know tribulation. But you are wrong. Even now, that tribulation is beginning for the American church. Soon, you will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the knowledge that this tribulation is a gift from God, and that it will reverse the apathy, complacency and lukewarmness of the American church."

From that day forward, I have stayed in intimate communication with members of the third world church the world over. I am humbled by their faith, their trials, their stand for Christ. I am learning from them. It has changed how I live.

Pause for a moment if you would and consider the faith of our brethren in China. Pause for a moment and consider if these conditions were to exist in America. This is a very personal consideration, for it quickly brings the question, "Is my faith yet persecution-proof? Am I ready to live as my brethren already do virtually the world over? What must I do to prepare my soul and my faith and my life?"

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to view the CBS News report on the house churches of China.

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Dance

2007-08-20T07:37:00.000-05:00

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My Daddy and I went out to the paddocks where the horses were. I loved watching horses. Even at that young age, I was taken aback by their beauty. I loved to watch them running free. I loved to watch them with a rider with whom they were comfortable.

There were several riders out that day running with their horses. “See over there?” my Daddy said, pointing to a beautiful quarter horse and its rider. “See how the rider needs to pull pretty hard to get the horse to turn?” I nodded.

“Look over there,” he continued, pointing to the most beautiful thoroughbred horse I had ever seen in my life. You could see its strength as it ran, it muscles rippling as he strode. It was so much bigger and stronger than the quarter horse.

“Do you see how the thoroughbred horse turns when the rider lays his reins on the side of his neck?” my Daddy asked. I didn’t answer and watched for a while. It was true. The rider barely laid his rein on the horse’s neck and the horse turned.

“Every day they come out here to practice, and the horse gets better and better at moving with his rider. Even though it’s a stronger horse and could do whatever he wanted to do,” my Daddy said, “it learns to turn when he first feels the direction of his rider. That’s the mark of a great horse, a thoroughbred.”

I continued to watch the beautiful dance between the thoroughbred and its rider for a while longer, and then my Daddy said, “That’s the way we need to respond to our Lord Jesus when He directs us. We should move with Him the first time we feel Him directing us to change our course. That’s the mark of a faithful child of God, a disciple.”

To this day, when I see a thoroughbred and its rider dancing that dance, I am reminded of the dance that we and our Heavenly Father dance every day. Ever so gently, he directs us to move with Him as one. Every day, we have opportunity to learn how to do that better as we dance the dance together with Him.

We are caught up in the wonder of that dance, solely focused upon Him and His loving touch as we move together.

But somewhere, over at the edge of our lives, there is someone standing and watching.

Somewhere, over at the edge of our lives, a little child is gazing as we are learning to dance that dance with our Heavenly Father, as their own Daddy says, “You see over there?”

Dance.

Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to watch a wonderful music / video clip about horses and their riders.

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LOVE: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8(a)

2007-08-14T18:34:00.000-05:00

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Many thanks to christianphotos.net for the "not easily angered" photo.

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Beautiful One

2007-08-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

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Wonderful, so wonderful
Is Your unfailing love
Your cross has spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen, no ear has heard
No heart can fully know
How glorious, how beautiful You are

Beautiful One I love
Beautiful One I adore
Beautiful One my soul must sing

Powerful, so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of Your majesty
Awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous, how wonderful You are

You opened my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
'Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as You

Click on the arrow in the video screen below to hear this wonderful love song. It's compelling to note the beauty of His altar compared to ours.

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Above Ourselves

2007-08-13T07:21:00.000-05:00

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"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Romans 12:10

A quiet smile and a nod of the head to our friends at NJHCN for giving us the heads up to this beautiful photo.

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A Horse With A Rider

2007-08-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

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“Should I keep going in this, Father?,” I’d repeatedly prayed. “I know that this was Your purpose for me back then, but do You still want Me to continue? Is this one of those things that You want out of my life?”

I was praying about whether or not I should continue in something with which I’d been involved for some years. I shouldn’t have been, but I was pressing for an answer.

Sometimes we pray and pray and never stop to nestle into Father’s lap and just be there. Just be there with Him. And if He wants to talk, He will. We all forget that at times along the way. This was one of those times for me. I’d been praying about this “thing” so much that this had become a central focus of my prayer life, and that’s not what God wants. To Him, it’s never about the “things.” It's about Him and us.

One day, my 4-year old son came to me and said, “Dad, I have a picture that I drew, and I think that God wants me to give it to Messerschmez.” I didn’t quite hear the name clearly, but thought I knew what he’d said. I said, “Sure, son, I’ll drive you over there to where Mrs. Messerschmez works and you can give it to her.” My son gave me a puzzled look for several seconds and then said, “OK, Dad.”

We drove to the parking lot of the store where Mrs. Messerschmez worked and parked. After we had prayed, I said, “C’mon, let’s go give that picture to Mrs. Messerschmez.” My son got this uncomfortable look on his face and said, “Dad?” “Yes?,” I replied. “Dad, the picture isn’t for Mrs. Messerschmez. I was supposed to give it to you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, son,” I answered, and helped him to come sit in the front seat next to me so we could talk. “You have to write something on the picture for me, Dad, ‘cause I can’t write it,” my son asked. With that, he placed the picture in my hands.

On the paper were two pictures. One was a horse. The other was a horse with a rider. “Write down what God told me to tell you, Dad.” “OK, son.”

“On the bottom of the picture,” he said, “write, A horse with a rider is better than a horse.”

I began crying, while assuring him that they were the good kind of tears. “Do you understand, Dad?,” he asked. “Yes, son, I understand.”

Sometimes we get so focused on the horse that we forget just how much Father cares about us, the rider. To Father, horses come and go. They are ways and means for times and seasons. They all will pass away. They cannot be loved by Him, nor can they love Him back. He doesn’t care about horses. His love for us, however, is constant and eternal. We are the apple of His eye.

A horse with a rider is better than a horse.

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Body Count

2007-08-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

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"Although our victory has already been secured, the battle continues to be fought all around us. Once in a while an enemy agent is allowed to pass through our Hero's hands and attack us. We feel the sting of sin followed by the inevitable itching of our consciences, or we are bitten by life's trials and become swollen with grief, frustration, pain and uncertainty. All such symptoms are consequences of being wounded on the battlefield.

It is during these times when we so desperately need the church, our local brigade, our community MASH unit, where the healing salve of God's mercy is applied. Here in our church family we are reminded that we are more than conquerors. Indeed, we have chosen the winning side and we can rest assured that we do not face this battle alone."

Read the rest of Nameless, Faceless Love friend Bill Hoffman's post over at Living Hope Thoughts entitled "Body Count" by clicking here.

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Jesus: Of His Life and Death

2007-08-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

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And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit.
And the Spirit of God shall rest upon Jesus--[and His Spirit will be] the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, [and His Spirit will be] the Spirit of counsel and might, [and His Spirit will be] the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of God--
And it shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of God. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears;
But with righteousness and justice shall He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth.....
Isaiah 11:1-4

Let us read of Jesus, of His life and death upon the cross, from God's Word.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:8-14

A man with leprosy came and knelt before Jesus and said, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I want to," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:2-3

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
John 8:3-11

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 8:1-4, 10-14

Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 5:3-11

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
Psalm 22:1

I am poured out like water, and all my bones have been knocked out of joint:
Psalm 22:14

.....they have pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalm 22:16

.....I look down and I can see all of my bones:
Psalm 22:17

I gave my back to those who whipped me, and I gave my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.
Isaiah 50:6

.....he was crushed for our iniquities;
Isaiah 53:5

.....there were many who were appalled to looked at him, because he was disfigured more than any man had been disfigured before, and his body was marred that you could not tell that he was a human.....
Isaiah 52:14

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
That if you confess with your mouth that, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Romans 10:8-11

Jesus is the author and finisher of faith; and because of the joy that he saw before him he was able to endure the cross, discounting the shame, and He is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

Yet it was the will of God to bruise him; God put him to grief: but at the moment that God made his soul an offering for sin, Jesus saw God’s people.....
Isaiah 53:10

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he took his last breath.
Luke 23:44-46

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

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That You Also May Be Where I Am

2007-08-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

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"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am going."
John 14:1-4

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Our Father's Delight

2007-08-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

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When I look at my son, I see myself. He is almost exactly like I was when I was his age. The stamp of his lineage is indelible and undeniable. I am blessed that, with God’s loving wisdom and guidance, I can help to guide my young son through the simplicities and complexities of youth. Perhaps his life can be more fruitful, and sooner, than was mine. No matter what, though, I deeply love him just as he is today.

I used to wonder whether my Father looked down and saw Himself in me in the same way. Was the stamp of His lineage as indelible and undeniable in me? I would have liked to think so, but some days I would blunder about so clumsily that it made me wonder how He could see Himself in me.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Proverbs 3:11-12

You see, He delights in us. Though He hates sin, He is not frustrated by our ignorance or disobedience. He corrects the error in us, yes, but His chastening is a sign of love from our Father above. His correction is given to us because He delights in us, even in our present, sometimes very flawed state. He loves us just as we are, and He loves us enough not to leave us that way.

Even though we may sometimes be disappointed by our own behavior, our all-knowing Father never is. He knew of our blunders and missteps and outright disobedience before He framed the worlds. And knowing of them and the eternal punishment that our sins would ultimately bring, He sent His Son Christ Jesus to pay the price for our sins, so that we - being forgiven through the blood that Christ shed on the cross - might know the sweetness of God’s loving presence, even in our current state.

God, who already knows our hearts, is not shaken by our actions. He is not troubled by doubt when it comes to His children, for He already knows that our destiny it is to spend eternity living with Him. But - do you suppose?........

Do you suppose that - from within the security of His knowledge of us - He might actually find some kind of joy in the occasional, clumsy blundering of His children, as I did recently with my own young son?

[Our family is riding to the store in the van].
Son: Dad?
Dad: Yes, son?
Son: Dad, my hand is stuck in the window of the van.
Dad: What?
Son: My hand got stuck in the window when you just now closed it with that button up there.
Dad: (immediately opening window) But, son, I told you to make sure your hand was out of the window right before I closed it.
Son: I thought you said to put my hand in the window before you closed it.
Dad: But son, why did you think that I would tell you to stick your hand in the window and then close the window on your hand?
Son: [silence]
Dad: Son?
Son: Yes, Dad?
Dad: Son, you can take your hand out of the window now.
Son: Oh.
Son: Ok, Dad.

I'm glad that God doesn't get frustrated with me. I’m glad He finds delight in His children, even when we clumsily blunder.

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A Present Truth

2007-08-07T06:53:00.000-05:00

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"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus says in this passage that we should not worry about earthly things, but turn our attention and purpose toward God's things. He says, "don't worry about tomorrow."

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
Philippians 3:12-14

In this passage the apostle Paul, too, counsels us to turn our attention from yesterday and to focus upon both the spiritual purpose for which we were created and our ultimate destination. He says, "don't worry about yesterday."

"Don't worry about tomorrow." "Don't worry about yesterday."

When is the future? Well, a millisecond from now, I guess. When is the past? A millisecond ago. What does that leave us, then, as God's place for us?

This very moment.

Jesus is asking us, "Can you be with Me in this moment, and with others that I will bring into your life in this moment? That is what I am asking of You. You cannot carry the past. It's too heavy and you will be weighed down with shame. Let it go, child. You cannot carry the future. It's too heavy and you will be held back by fear. Let it go, and simply live with Me and the least of my brethren in this moment. I love you so much. I will help you. Can we do this, together?"

With Your love and your grace and Your mercy, Lord Jesus, yes, we can.

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

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Indispensable

2007-08-06T06:18:00.000-05:00

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“I just wish that I could hear from God like I see other people hearing from Him,” my friend had shared with me just months before. He was a relatively young Christian with a loving heart and - just like me - with plenty left to work on in his life.

Months later, I would be sitting in the visiting area of a local jail, speaking with him as he was to leave for prison. Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, it looked like he would be gone for years, and in my pasts visits he had been understandably grieving.

But this day was different. When he came around the corner and I saw his face, I leaned forward. It was easy to see that something was very, very different. What could it be? (Click on the "Read More!" link below)

When my friend sat down, I asked him, “So how are you this morning?” “Great,” he said. “I was up all night. I was reading a passage of Scripture, the same one over and over.” “What passage?” I asked. “It’s from 1 Corinthians 12,” he said with a smile.

He went on to tell me that he had, sitting in a jail cell unjustly convicted and condemned, finally heard from God. He knew it, and he was overjoyed. He couldn’t stop smiling as he relayed to me what God had shown him about this passage of Scripture.

“You know the part where God says...” he said...

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
[1 Corinthians 12:22-26]

“Yes,” I replied. “It’s one of my favorite passages of Scripture.”

“Well,” he said with joyful tears in his eyes, “that’s me. I’m the less honorable one. And I need to be in the Body. I’m part of it all.”

I realized that my friend had heard from God through His Word to us. And it had changed him, literally, overnight.

“Tell everyone, won’t you?,” he asked me. “Tell everyone what God showed me about all of us.” I promised I would.

Later that day, and before I would have opportunity to gather again with my and my friend’s fellow believers, I attended a meeting of spiritual leaders who were coming together from many different churches and denominations, seeking to reach out to our community in a Spirit-born, unified effort.

As the meeting began, the pastor who was coordinating the meeting opened it with a prayer and then said, “There’s something we need to do before we do anything else,” he said quietly. “I want you all to look at this. Look at it, and then we‘re going to speak it out loud together.”

He placed a transparency on the screen of an overhead projector. Shining on the wall of the meeting room, big and bright as could be, were the following words:

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:22-26

In the seeming destitution of a jail cell, one brother in Christ, convicted and condemned, heard from God. In the seeming serenity of a pastor’s office, another brother in Christ, respected and revered, heard the same thing.

That’s the kind of oneness that we as God’s people can manifest when we’re listening to God with humility and one another with compassion.

Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
Galatians 6:2

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Who Do You Trust?

2007-08-04T03:55:00.000-05:00

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“Bill, do you trust me?”

There was no audible voice but I believe I clearly heard Him speaking into my spirit. After recording the message I wrote down my response.

“Yes, Lord,” I answered, excited to be communicating with the Divine yet somewhat apprehensive about what else I might hear. Displaying my own lack of self-confidence I quickly added, “But I do not trust myself.” The Lord’s reply flowed so quickly and effortlessly from my pen I really don’t remember it passing first through my own mind. When I saw what I had written I dropped my pen and stared at the words in disbelief.

“Do you trust me to trust you?”

Read the rest of Nameless, Faceless Love friend Bill's insightful and inspiring post, entitled Who Do You Trust?, over at Living Hope Thoughts.

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A Crowded Heart

2007-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

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When I was without Christ, my heart was lonely and empty. It was busy with frustration and fear, mind you, but it was lonely and empty.

When I became Christ’s disciple, He began a renovation project within me like I never expected. There was nothing left when He was finished. He even laid a new foundation; Himself.

So, in a way, my heart was still empty in the early stages of His work in me, but in a different way. Now my heart was also empty of the frustration and fear.

Over the years, Jesus has filled my heart. He has filled my heart with Him, with a deep sense of my helplessness without Him and dependence upon Him, with wonder for everything about Him.

I have worked with a Christ-centered recovery house for men for some years now. Yesterday, I was at a meeting where the establishment of the same type of recovery house for women was being discussed.

As we talked, I thought back as I regularly do on the many men who have come through the men’s house over the years. I thought back on how I remember them all. They, and the love that God gave me for them, have filled my heart.

Jesus has given me a crowded heart.

Jesus has given me a heart crowded with love and faces and shared experiences. No busyness of frustration our fear now lives there, though they seek to knock at times at the door of my heart. There is no room for them, though. Too crowded, you see.

So Jesus has given me a crowded heart, crowded with very special love and very special faces and very special shared experiences. Some of those faces have passed on now, Rick, Eric, Steve. But my love for them and shared experiences with them and all the others who abide in my crowded heart will never change. There they will live with me in love for as long as He gives me breath.

Look, over there, you’ll see.......

There's Alex, Bo, Tom, Bill, James, Larry, another Tom, Bruce, Steve, another Larry, Mike, and Doug. Over there, there's Danny, Keith, another Bill, another Keith, Ken, another Alex, and Glen. Oh, and see over there? That's Ron, another Mike, Jim, another Steve, Bud, another Doug, Chris, another Ron, Phil, Ray, another Phil, Tim, Johnny, Eric, another Steve, Rick.......so many more.......

I love you guys. So much.

Jesus, You have given me a heart full of You and others and my love for You and them. You have given me a heart filled with Your love and their love for me.

Thank You for giving me a crowded heart.

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Changing The World

2007-08-01T13:49:00.000-05:00

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In the film Evan Almighty, Evan Baxter is a modern-day idealist who wins election to Congress by promising to "change the world." As he is entering office, however, he comes to find that God has chosen him to be a modern-day Noah.

Fighting God's plan for his life and the dramatic sacrifices it will require of him, Evan (portrayed by Steve Carell) has an encounter one day with God. God says to Evan, “You want to change the world, son. So do I.”

Problem is for most of us, God doesn't go about changing the world like we would. God starts with us and those around us, and changes the world from the inside out.

In the special moment from Evan Almighty in the clip below, God (portrayed by Morgan Freeman) explains to Evan's confused and bewildered wife (portrayed by Lauren Graham) about how He does things, how He changes things.

Thinking that she is asking a server for a refill for her fried fish basket, she is at first unaware that it is God speaking to her. When the encounter concludes, however, she is left speechless.

When we pray for patience, when we pray for courage, when we pray for closeness with others, how does God change the world? (Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to play)

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Journey To The Circle Of Faith

2007-08-01T07:18:00.000-05:00

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When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria.
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar.....
John 4:3-5(a)

From Lone Celebration To The Circle of Faith
Jesus left “Judea.” Judea means “celebrated.”

[Strong’s Greek #2449- #2453- #2448- Heb. #3063- celebrated]

Most of us begin our discipleship of Christ Jesus as wide-eyed, praise-filled newborns in the faith, full of celebration. We must never lose those qualities but, as we mature in Christ Jesus, we must move on to a more perfect faith in which we also grow to possess an unwavering oneness with Christ and other believers developed through experiencing difficult circumstances.

(Click on the "Read More!" link below)

This place of oneness in John 4:3 is noted in the word “Galilee.” The word “Galilee” means a “circle” or “circuit.”

[Strong’s Greek #1056- Heb. #1551- circle, circuit]

Here is the scriptural symbol of oneness with Christ and brethren that never begins or ends, but just is. Note that, of the 12 original disciples, only one was not from Galilee. Only one was not part of the circle of oneness with Jesus and their other brethren. His name was Judas.

We Need Journey Through Samaria, Through Sychar
To get from the Judea place in our faith to the Galilee place in our faith requires a journey, then. We find in reading this passage that getting from Judea to Galilee requires that we go through Samaria, and specifically through a city called Sychar.

The roots of the word “Samaria” show us the meaning “to hedge (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, attend to.”

[Strong’s Greek #4540- Heb. #8111- 8104- to hedge (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, attend to].

Hedging with thorns denotes something that is accompanied by pain. Immediately, most will read this definition and remember the thorns that were placed round Jesus’ head just before He died for our sins. But through that experience, Jesus also guarded, protected, and attended to - in the ultimate way - all of us, everyone that God had created, the things of God and the things of His brethren and brethren-to-be. Jesus was made to be the doorway to this Galilee kind of faith that, through faith in Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life, we might receive the forgiveness of our sins and eternal redemption.

Becoming mature in our faith brings with it the understanding that the oneness that we have been given with God and our brethren is not something to be either taken lightly or quickly tossed away. This oneness must be guarded and protected and attended to.

Our journey to oneness with Christ and our brethren will also bring with it visits to a place called “Sychar.”

“Gut Check” at Sychar
The word “Sychar” generally refers to that which will make you drunk or drunkenness itself.

[Strong’s Greek #4965- Heb. #7941- an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor- translated as drunkard].

We will both meet people at points in our journey and be people at points in our journey who seem to be “spiritually drunk,” and I don’t mean “drunk with the Holy Spirit.” Many believers who have purposed to arrive in Galilee find in Sychar a spiritual Truth that is hard to handle. They find in Sychar that the price of being a disciple is high, higher than they first imagined, and they are either wondering if or have decided that they cannot go on as they were before.

But we must all go through this at some point or another. To get to the oneness with Christ and our brethren that God intended, we must go through some painful experiences. We must be confronted time and again with an escalating sense of the true price of discipleship, and time and time again we must confirm our commitment to Christ and move on once again.

Too many of us get derailed in Sychar. Hopefully it is not for too long, and hopefully it is not on a permanent basis. But we should note that, when we start getting drunk in Sychar, we don’t like to drink alone. People who are getting drunk will ask you and anybody else to join them.

Jesus Himself experienced the “Sychar” drunkenness Himself, among some of His most trusted disciples.

“You Do Not Want To Leave, Too, Do You?”
“I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
I am the bread of life.
Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
John 6:47-58

The Jews weren’t the only ones who had trouble with what Jesus was preaching here. They weren't the only ones who heard here a spiritual Truth that was hard to handle. In verses sixty six through sixty nine, we see that many of the disciples did, too.

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

When we are confronted by a new revelation of the price of discipleship, we must consider the price, cling to Christ, and move forward with our brethren with whom we share the journey. Where else can we turn? To whom shall we go? Jesus has the words of eternal life. He is the Holy One of God. Onward with Him in faithfulness.

So, scary as it may be sometimes, we must pass through this place of painful experiences and potential drunkenness to arrive at the circle of faith, a place where we experience a oneness with Christ and each other like we have never experienced before.

Perhaps we will make multiple trips through Samaria and Sychar. Chances are we each will. That’s okay, though, because the result will be an ever-growing commitment to Christ over ourselves, the Spirit over the flesh, and the needs of our brethren over our own.

The destination will be worth it - an unbroken circle of oneness with Christ and our brethren.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:5-7

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No Shortcuts For Butterflies

2007-07-29T01:24:00.000-05:00

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Billy and Susie could not wait. They had watched the caterpillar create its cocoon, and now racked with suspense as they beheld it every day, waiting for the butterfly to emerge.

Able to wait no longer, Billy had an idea. “Susie,” he said, “We will help the butterfly! Let’s get some scissors and cut the cocoon open for him. Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.”

After much convincing, Susie agreed and they proceeded to get a pair of scissors and oh, so gently cut open the cocoon. Inside lay the butterfly they had so longed to see. Their eyes lit up the moment they could see his wings, and soon the wings began to flutter. It was only a few minutes, however, that they knew something was desperately wrong.

The butterfly wasn’t flying. It was as though he couldn’t. He just laid there flopping around and, soon thereafter, their beloved butterfly died.

What Billy and Susie didn’t yet know, and we as believers sometimes forget, is that butterflies will die if you cut open their cocoon. Why? Because God made it so that it is the struggle of them constantly flexing their wings against the walls of their cocoon that strengthens their wings to the point that they can fly when they emerge. Without that struggle, they are helpless, weak, and will soon die.

Sometimes we ponder why God might allow us to feel trapped within situations and even seasons in our lives. Why is it taking so long for this to end? Why can’t I immediately break free from this as I have from other situations in my life in the past? Why is this struggle so hard?

Perhaps our Heavenly Father has purposed to bring about a great transformation in our hearts and lives, to through it change us to be more like His Son and our Lord Christ Jesus. Perhaps we need to struggle to strengthen our wings for this new season. Perhaps the struggle that what we perceive to be so hard is actually a new life being born.

Jesus entered the cocoon of the grave for us all, and emerged as the Savior and Captain of our souls. He's been through it. He knows what it's like. So don't hesistate to ask him for His help.

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Don’t try short-cuts. Put away the scissors. And keep flexing those wings. In just a little while, you’re going to need them to fly.

Below is a time-lapse video of a Monarch butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Look familiar? View the end result.

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Jesus: Grace and Truth

2007-07-27T04:11:00.000-05:00

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The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:9-17

Jesus brought grace and Truth to us. A grace and a Truth that were a vivid manifestation of how deeply He loved us.

When we study the word truth and its roots in this passage, we find that it means a truth that reveals that which even might have been formerly hidden for whatever reason, including unwitting ignorance.

[225-aletheia- truth, from 227-alethes true (as not concealing), and from 1-a not (as a negative particle) and 2990-lanthano- to lie hid, unwittingly]

Jesus came to us as the Truth that would reveal itself in love. His was not a hurtful Truth, but a liberating one.

Perhaps Peter felt at a loss when a Carpenter taught him how to better fish, or when a Master told him that he would betray Him three times. But that momentary sadness would give way to a life-changing revelation. These Truths were a vivid manifestation of how deeply Jesus loved Peter, and it changed Peter’s life.

The word grace means, especially, God’s influence upon our hearts and His reflection in our lives.

[5485-charis- graciousness, (as gratifying), especially the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life, including gratitude.]

The grace of God, embodied in Christ Jesus, is not like any grace we will ever know. It is a life-changing grace.

Grace and Truth.
Witness a woman caught in the act of adultery, and brought to be stoned:

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst...
John 8:3 (KJV)

Those about to stone had set her “in the midst” and were preparing to kill her when Jesus approached. Most of us know the rest of the story, with Jesus saying to them, “You who are without sin cast the first stone,” but it is the end of the story that is most stirring.

When all her accusers have dropped their stones and left, God’s Word gives us an amazing revelation of grace through Jesus.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:9

This woman who was set “in the midst” of all these accusers was left standing alone with Jesus and yet God’s Word says that she was “in the midst.” In the midst of what? The next 2 verses tell us.

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
John 8:10-11

“Neither do I condemn thee.” Grace.
“Go and sin no more.” Truth.

This woman, just as we have so many times and will so many times again, stood in the midst of grace and Truth, a grace and a Truth that were a vivid manifestation of how deeply He loves us.

Truth and Grace.
We all have been sorely in need of that kind of grace and Truth over the course of our lives. We needed it before we became His disciples and we’ve needed it afterward, as well.

We’ve needed the kind of grace and Truth that our Lord Jesus Christ afforded this woman, and that which He gave to Peter, too.

Peter, having already received from Jesus the saddening Truth that he would betray Him three times, now finds himself standing before a resurrected Christ in John 21.

How Peter must have felt. He loved Jesus so much. Jesus had changed his life. He was so sure he wouldn’t betray Him, and yet - when it was all said and done - he had betrayed Him just as Jesus said he would. One wonders if He could have even looked Jesus in the eye. Peter stood spiritually naked, helpless and ashamed before the Truth.

But, because of Jesus’ deep love for Peter, that’s the moment when Truth’s partner Grace showed up.

Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me, Peter?,” to which he replied, “You know I do, Lord.”

Three times Peter denied Jesus.

Three times Jesus asked him, “Do you love me, Peter?”

Three times Peter said, “You know I do, Lord.”

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8

Jesus has brought grace and Truth to us because He loves us so deeply. It’s the kind of love and grace and Truth that will change your life.

Today, it can change your life again.

Below is a video presentation of one of the most beautiful songs ever written, How Great The Father's Love For Us by Stuart Townend. You will find that this song truly embodies His love and grace and Truth.

Click on the arrow in the middle of the movie screen below to play this video.

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What Do We Do With The Children?

2007-07-26T04:11:00.000-05:00

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One of the biggest questions for many in the Western Church is "What do we do with the children?" Most of those believe that shipping them off to Sunday School to hear Jonah and the Whale 2000 times before they're 18 years old isn't the answer. Most of those also know that it's wrong at its core that they're trying to determine how to best "incorporate children into church," when Jesus simply said "Let them come to Me." What Do We Do With The Children, then?

The Eastern and Third World Church, by and large, practice the simplicity in this matter that Jesus commanded. The Eastern and Third World Church generally don't separate the concept of church and life, and they approach raising children in the faith in the same manner. Just as parents do not abdicate responsibility for their children's education when they send them to school, neither does "the church" bear the primary responsibility for our children's spiritual upbringing. That rests with the parents. Daunting as that challenge may sometimes be, it holds the promise of a shared journey in which child and parent alike become a mutual blessing in truly learning from God through one another.

Our friend Hamo from Perth, Australia, vividly shares this simplicity in a recent post, telling about a revelatory experience with his daughter, Ellie. Hamo writes:

"It was a short time ago that it dawned on me just how vital our input and role modeling is to the children we raise. On a Monday morning after making the kids breakfast I let them know I was going to spend some time in my study ‘talking to Jesus’. They have seen me do this each day and it is just part our routine now.

My 6 year old daughter Ellie, asked ‘Daddy can I talk to Jesus with you some day?’

‘Sure honey’ I answered. ‘Finish your breakfast, grab your Bible and come in!’

I began wondering what to do and how to teach my 6 year old daughter to speak to Jesus..."

A quiet smile and a nod of the head to Hamo for this post and to Terry for making us aware of the beautiful song in the video below, entitled My Father's Chair by David Meece.

Read the rest of Hamo's wonderful post.

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Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men

2007-07-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

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In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

There are certainly pockets of resistance, but in large part the Western Church is mired in mediocrity and lukewarmness. There is little fire to publicly live the Gospel in demonstration of God’s loving power. Much of the Western Church - institutional, house and para - has left the prison house of sin and bondage only to be imprisoned yet again, and more desperately so, in a prison house of religion.

Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
“Follow Me.”

Not “Receive Me as Lord, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Not “Go to church, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Not “Pay your tithes, and I will make you fishers of men.”

All of the above are absolutely necessary, but they have nothing to do with being fishers of men. To be a fisher of men, you have to follow Jesus.

The word “follow” in this verse is not translated as “follow” anywhere else in the Bible. It is unique to this verse. In this verse, the word “follow” is a combination of two separate Greek words; deute which means come here! (the exclamation point is literally there) and opiso which means to the back.

Jesus was saying “Come here to My back!” emphatically and urgently. With an exclamation point, even. Again, Jesus wasn’t talking about getting “religious.” He was talking about a life-changing, intense turn toward Him.

Many Christians simply do not follow Christ. They show up on Sunday. Some “feel” God and some don’t. But with many, any effect from that church service has worn off by about Monday noon, if not Sunday afternoon.

Feelings aren’t the point. Following Jesus isn’t about following good-feeling emotions. Following Jesus is about following Him in spite of overwhelmingly negative emotions.

Peter followed Jesus, and look what Jesus said to him just before He ascended. In John 21:18, Jesus says....... (Click on the "Read More!" link below)“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.”

In today’s English, Jesus was saying: “When you were young, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted to go. But when you become mature [follow Me alone], you will stretch out your hands and I will dress you, and take you places where you don’t want to go.”

As harsh as this may sound to some, this is what it means to follow Jesus. To throw away not only the living of one’s life in this world. but to throw away the perception of one’s life in this world. You see, it is our fleshly perception of and fleshly love for this temporary, earthly life that seeks to trick us, and trap us, and hinder us, and if possible even prevent us from following Christ.

But we must crucify that fleshly love of our lives in this world. This is what Jesus instructed us to do. In Galatians 5:24, the Word of God tells us that .....“they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” In Mark 8:35, Jesus says, “For whosoever will save his life [in this world] shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it [eternal life].” And again in John 12:25, Jesus says, “He that loveth his life [in this world] shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

..........all that we may gain Life. Zoe life. God’s eternal Life.

So we see then that it is only when we “throw away” this temporary, earthly life that we can truly follow Jesus.

This is a main reason why much of the church is not fishing effectively, and has lost its spiritual vibrancy. Too many of us are not following Christ.

Following Christ means letting Him dress us - letting Him determine how we look on the outside to other people.........and You’ll remember that Jesus made Himself of no reputation (Philippians 2:7), so watch out! He probably won’t be aiming to make us look “good,” either.

And, following Jesus means going where He says to go and doing what He says to do there - no matter what the consequence - even at the expense of our very lives (Revelation 12:11).

Even when, and especially when, we’re “fishing.”

“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”
Luke 5:4-11

Click below to view a very interesting presentation - complete with fishing boat, pole and tackle - of the scriptural message shared in this post.

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