Something Crazy Alright!!! YEAH!!!!

First of all . . . I am so incredibly sorry for the truancy of now for "the rest of the story." Please allow me to give a little side note. We had a very full Sunday schedule! A bountiful one that will be cherished for a long time.

"Something Crazy Sermon and illustration", A New Members Banquet that was superb, The visit of a wonderful young man from our "yut" (Youth Ministry) days, and then Simple Grace Ministry :-) - All so worth the day! Even with the Severe Weather/Tornado Warnings and Watches we were in! God is Good ALL the TIME! Okay here are just a few Pics! Then I'll write the Story

Differences

Wow if this isn't one of the toughest life skills to accomplish. There has been much happening in life lately that it makes my head spin. Why is it so hard to understand that we as believers are to be 'different' from the world and not embrace it? Why is it that when you try to change in daily life, those around you expect your feet to NEVER slip? Why is it that . . . . it is so difficult? WHY!?

Because the world sees it as "foolishness". Because it would mean "I have to give up _________ (fill in the blank with what you think it could 'cost you') and I just can't do that."
To be friends with the world is a dangerous thing if we don't have a walk with the Lord.
There was this professor one day who had been standing on a very high table and awaited his class to arrive. Upon the pupils arrival and bewilderment of the oddity of him standing in the center of the table, they sat puzzled awaiting the explanation. The professor asked for three volunteers. Out of those three he picked different physical physics, one very muscular athlete, one average physically fit individual and one petite in stature young lady. He asked each one to try and pull him down off of the table after he first tried to pull them up on to the tabletop with him. The three individuals were to not assist him in the attempt to be lifted up. It was very difficult for him to lift them up to the table to be beside himself and each one didn't quite make it totally - only one but with great exertion of physical efforts with the cost of scrapes and scratches along the way for both of them. After resting for a few minutes he then he asked each of them to try and pull him down but he was allowed to give resistance. Each one came and with not a lot of difficulty all three were successful in their efforts to bring the professor off of the tabletop. He then asked the pupils to sit down and write down what happened. Who was it successful for the pupils and the professors' attempts and why? Some gave it the explanation of the Law of physics, others because of the fitness of each human being, and so forth. After they finished writing he asked for one other volunteer, he picked another pupil who was average height, built and strength. He had them come up to the table and asked again for the three again to try to pull them down and vice verse. He was successful in bringing all three students up and the three had a much more difficult time attempting to bringing the professor down off the table. Again he asked them to write what happened this time.

What do you think?

I'll finish with "The rest of the story tomorrow". :-)

Metaphorically Speaking

The Lord has been my Rock in times of trouble. I am so very blithesome as well as sure footed in Him. "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a NEW SONG in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3

This Psalm comes during a time when the heart is heavy. I have been crying out to him it seems like daily for roughly almost three and a half months. How? Who? What? Where? When? Details are not important - but God is! Yes Patiently - slowly yet eagerly I await his strength. To strengthen me to not become short sighted and not start the seed of unforgiveness. When we begin the road of unforgiveness it begins the bondage of grudges. So many things, so many stresses, all taking place in the same span of T - I - M - E. My knees - oh how my knees have felt the sting of pain through Love in the recesses of the deepest innermost part of my soul. The feeling of being in a pit. Where there can be JOY even in sorrow and or times of trouble; as well as taking steps that require true FAITH. The stability to rest in His arms.

Beth Moore explained it wonderfully, "The Greek work translated 'nursed a grudge against' in Mark 6:19 means ' to hold on, endure . . .Metaphorically, to be held in or by anything; to be entangled in something, be enmeshed, to be subject to.' . . . Our grudges only work to further entangle and enmesh us with the persons we won't forgive. How ironic! When we won't forgive, the people we often want to be around LEAST because they've hurt us so badly are the very people we take with us emotionally everywhere we go." She also mentioned that "Forgiveness is not passivity, . . . It is power. The ability to withstand the pressing, quaking gates of hell. Take this power and wield it."

"The Christian experience teams with so many paradoxes. Among them is the fact that it takes far more strength and personal fortitude to fall on our knees and submit to God than to stand and fight our endless battles for significance. Nothing demands more elbow grease than thrusting your arms forward and giving God the solitary right to vengeance." The world is so lost and the only way for her to turn is our bended knees. God desires our submission of his perfect love manifested through us to reveal His full Glory. Therefore, are we willing to be the flesh to touch others through true forgiveness? It often begins in our homes, I know it is in mine lately.

What have I to Loose?

Over 2 thousand years ago and well . . . The Greatest Gift of Love ever manifested was given. Love that is totally unfathomable! You know that Love - not just a "feeling", the one that gave to the very end to where those around don't really understand because sin is so persuasive and subtle! Not the "I don't feel or have the feeling of love so let's move on" but the one that remains FAITHFUL even when it is hard.

When darkness sneaks around the corners of our very weaknesses just waiting for an opportunity to devour us by the recesses of our minds- our sin - my sin. The heart speaks loudly through actions. Just look deep into the eyes of another and the Lord does reveal much of the soul and spirit of another. It is so sad to look into the eyes of one deeply loved friends or family and see that Christ is not present there. Growing up in that darkness is experiential for myself. It was odd and still is odd that the "gut instinct of a child" is very real. No wonder that the Lord and Savior has said "to let the little children come unto him. For their innocence and their lives are pure until the adult world can taint them and lead them astray.

I have looked into many eyes in the midst of what is called my life - and my heart aches with the many that fool themselves like the church of Laodicia. I just learned of that kind of lukewarmness is AWFUL - this last Sunday and it deeply convicted my very depths of where I need to stop being "lukewarm". It also has made me look deep with in myself to yield every part of my being at his feet. I am daily needing to come to him because I am in desperate need if HIM. I am NOT in total control of anything of importance by the worlds standards other than the choices that I make of weather to follow HIM or NOT to follow HIM. Does that make sense?

Satan is real, he is sneaky and ugly with the intent to destroy as many as he can and he starts in the areas we are weak, I am weak. The battle is spiritual! The battle is defeatable ONLY through the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST and the yielding of a heart to come to a daily dieing of self - to give 100% allegiance to the ONLY TRUE MASTER - Jesus Christ our EMMANUEL!!! So why do we as a human race try to fill our hearts with false LOVE - gods? What is your Love? My Love? What do we/I fill our/my hole in our/my lives/life with? ???? WHAT!? Prestige & Popularity-anything, anyone and everything it takes to "fit in with the world" ? Power-(Pride really) - all that it costs to be in front of society "the top dog ego"? Possessions- the material gain? Why??? It only creates a deeper & larger hole in the heart and never satisfies to the point that it eventually consumes the person if they continue with the Lies Satan is feeding their heart. The person then begins to lie to others and themselves. Is it worth gaining the entire world and losing your soul for all eternity?

All this said to reveal there is FREEDOM from this bondage, it is called - REPENTANCE. Fill your heart with the Lord by submitting to His Son - Jesus Christ and FOLLOW HIM! He died a very real death so that YOU and I can truly LIVE with JOY and have "TRUE LOVE & PEACE" that only he can & will give to those who accept and Believe in HIM. So do you believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of the living God? That He died & arose from the grave so that you may live? Then ask Jesus Christ into your life today and confess with your mouth that he is LORD of you life! And upon your confession go & be baptized -IMMERSED - and sin no more. Welcome to our Family!!! Now get up and get involved with a Bible Believing body (church) that teaches the truth of the scriptures as truth & love. Read the book of John (in the new testament) is a great place to start and a proverb a day (31 to match each day of the month).

I share because I care with deep Love and my heart is being broken with convictions of my own. I know not when my 'Today" will be my last, and I have nothing to loose.