settingatthepoolofgrace

Lyrics to a song stated” I was born by a river in a little tent, just like that river I’ve been running every since, it’s been a long time coming, but; I know a change gone come.” This is familiar to many but to some not so much. Change is inevitable, life is constantly changing; each day is different. One day the sun is shining, the next the rain falls; then there are times when the sun and rain share the same day.

Many years ago the people of the earth were so corrupt changes had to be made. Everything was destroyed, only 8 souls saved. Replenish the earth was the command they were given by the Creator of life in the beginning. Time didn’t stand still, it continued to march on, man didn’t change his ways and something had to be done.

In a quiet village on a starry night the world received the gift of life, a babe was born who would save the world. His coming was fore told by the prophets of old, yet; the world was not ready to receive Him. On that perfect night the Angels gave light to the earth as they heralded the news of His birth. A change had come to the world wrapped in a blanket of love.

Love that would give each man a chance to be reborn in the light of the Fathers love. We have come to know this babe in many ways, by many names and when we receive Him in our lives we experience many changes. We begin to see our world through the eyes of love, compassion our daily friend; we walk the path He walked when He became a man.

There is another change coming, time will soon stand still; He that came as a babe, will come as a man again. Every eye shall see Him, Angels accompanying Him will again light up the sky; men’s hearts will faint with fear, they will know the end is nigh. This old world of sin will be cleansed, the originator of sin destroyed; only perfection will remain.

Those who have been chosen to inherit eternal life will be changed into His likeness and caught up to meet Him in the air. He will take them to His Fathers house to dwell with Him there, this will be the last change to be made. If you are not ready, the time to get ready is NOW ; time will wait for no one, don’t let it run out on YOU.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Most of us remember our good ole school days, what our favorite subject was and our basketball and football teams. Some of us still sing the lyrics of our Alma Mata. I think if asked we would all agree the only thing we had problems with was test day. Many because they weren’t prepared; they didn’t take time to study, it was a pop quiz, or they studied the wrong thing. We don’t always realize it , but; in life we all go through a testing season.

A time when decisions must be made and consequences contemplated, because we exist in a fractured world our test may come in many different ways . We are tested by the actions of our children and family members, by co workers on our jobs, and by circumstances we have no control over. The challenges we face in life can be unpredictable because there are evil forces at work in our world. These forces come to steal, kill and destroy.

Their goal is to subjugate mankind by any means available, their satanic influence comes in the form of greed, selfishness, anger, and indifference to the needs of others. Unfortunately, we are powerless against these forces on our own, we must be fortified with the love and faith of Jesus the Christ to combat them. We are reminded we must put on the whole armor of God to come against these powerful forces.

No matter what the enemy brings, we must trust God for the victory over him and his evil agents. Once we recognize his presences, our testing season begins. We must seek the face of our Savior; stand on His word, prepare for battle through the leading of the Holy Spirit and stand in faith for the victory. We will all experience a testing season in our lives, Only with Jesus in our lives will we be prepared to face them . Preparation is the key to overcoming the enemy.

Fortification of your relationship with Jesus the Christ is necessary before your testing season comes, He is our ONLY hope against this enemy; He is our present help in time of trouble and He will never leave or forsake us. His desire is that none should perish but all should come to repentance that they might be saved and enter into His Fathers kingdom family. The question that remains to be answered is, are you prepared for your testing season?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Isn’t it funny how certain memories are triggered by the smallest things. A song, saying or movie, maybe just a quiet moment of reflection. Memories are so special in ones life, although all of them are not pleasant; they are all important. For many the month of November seems to stand out, it reminds us to be thankful. Life can be so hurried at times, we forget to take time to breathe; some are afraid that if they stop for even one moment the memories would be to much to bear.

We busy ourselves to mask whatever pain we are trying to hide, the loss of a relationship or a family member. Good times now gone, no more memories to be made. Our world has gone through a dark, dark night; the light for many has lost it’s shine, only memories remain. We must remember love leaves a memory that can’t be replaced. Time shared with those we love is embedded in every fiber of our being, their smiles, laughter, and their quirks are etched in our hearts.

Each thought of them brings smiles to our faces and yes, sometimes tears; while they are no longer physically present we must remember the sounds of their voices or their touch and be grateful for their presence in our lives no matter how long or short their stay. For every memory made; weddings, births, family gatherings and good byes we are to be thankful. Life is a gift we receive with each new day, the opportunity to make new memories; start over again .

Remember to thank the Creator for His grace extended toward us and extend that same grace to those who maybe still lost in the dark night of pain. Let your light shine this November in thankfulness that others may find their way out of darkness.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

The question was asked “who is my neighbor”? The answer astonished the listening crowd, it came in the form of a short story. There was a man on a journey when he was attacked by robbers and left alone to die, as he lay dying a priest came by and when he saw the man he crossed to the other side of the road, ignoring the mans needs. Shortly there after another man, a Levite passed by and he too failed to help the man in need.

Finally there came a man who had compassion on the injured one, after dressing his wounds he placed the man on his donkey taking him to where he could receive further care. This was surprising because they were of different worlds, in the natural order of things; they wouldn’t have even spoken to each other. They were from the same nation, but; they were a divided people, the seed of hate ran deep between them.

To some this was just a story, yet; others saw the bigger picture. In life there are no strangers, on this journey there will come a time when our paths will intersect; help needed, we must make the choice to help or to walk on by. The problem may be small or it could be large, we must decide if we are our brothers keeper. We must honor our Heavenly Father by sharing the blessings we have received. When we share we create room to receive.

When we share freely from the heart our resources will not diminish, ” it is more blessed to give than to receive”. If we open our hearts and hands to give where there is a need, expecting no reward for ourselves; Our Father which is in Heaven will open the windows of Heaven and pour out to us blessings in abundance. For it is said ” the more you give, the more you will receive”. If we harden our hearts to the needs of others, turning away rather than serving; we allow selfishness to grow in the heart.

Selfishness is not of the Father, but; from the enemy of souls. Love is expressed through service to others, our perfect example is found in the self sacrificing life of Jesus the Christ. No problem was to small or to large when He was asked for help, at times help was given because the need was recognized. He was His brothers keeper, His love was shared without restraint or hope for reward; it was unconditional. When we give our hearts and wills to the leading of the Holy Spirit which is from the Father, we too will become “our brothers keeper”.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

I’m sure we are all familiar with this term” GOAT” which means greatest of all times. This accolade is given to the person who has excelled in more than one genre of the arts and have received a Grammy, a Oscar, Academy Award, and a Tony; thus they are called Goats. These actors and actress are in a select group, it may have taken a lifetime of work to achieve this status.

In Lev.16:7-27 we find a story about 2 goats, 1 is called the Lords goat and the other is called the scape goat. It was time for atonement, cleansing of the sins of the people from the temple; on the head of the scape goat was placed all the sins of the people for that year and it was sent into the wilderness , never to be seen again. This was the duty of the Priest annually.

This ritual was performed until the final scape goat was manifested, after 42 generations the way was made, He came as a babe, grew into a man, walked peacefully with all men in a world of chaos. He feed the hungry, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, turned water into wine, walked on water and raised the dead to life; everything He did showed the LOVE of the Father Creator.

He had no fame by mans standard nor did He receive any awards or accolades. He was misunderstood, mistreated, and hated by many; even some that he had blessed were swept away with the crowds of hate mongers. They couldn’t bear the light of truth that was reflected upon them in His presence They chose to rid themselves of Him rather then repent and turn from their sins. They enjoyed the fame, control and riches their positions afforded them.

The stage was set, His appointment with destiny awaited Him; soon the sins of the world would be placed upon His shoulders. He would give the greatest sacrifice the world would ever know, His blood would pay our sin penalty; which is death. He would become the final scape goat as He hang on a tree atop a hillside outside the city. He was, He is, and He will always be ” the greatest of all times”. We are entering a season of thankfulness, while there maybe many things to be thankful for; remember the sacrifice made for us those many years ago.

Allow the LOVE of sacrifice flow through you to reach out to someone who is in need of love.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

How many times in your life have you looked back and what you recognized was not what you thought you were portraying yourself to be? The mind seems to store the unpleasant things along with the pleasant ones, the words spoken that caused pain or anger as well as words spoken to uplift or inspire. The happiness shared and the sadness, time may heal the wound but the scares remain; a reminder of the damage done.

It had been years since you saw her, she was your very best friend once upon a time; never could either of you have imagined anything would come between the two of you. Yet, ill spoken words, misunderstandings lead to separation. Memories that could have been made now lost. Now the both of you regret the time lost, whatever caused the problem long forgotten; pride stood in the way of reconnecting.

The Holiday season has a way of causing us to re-evaluate our priorities, consider what we have said or done to others, who we may have helped or failed to help when the opportunity was presented to us. We find ourselves thinking about all the things we have to be thankful for; family, friends, homes, and yes, even jobs. You could say “I have no worries so I can be happy” and not concern yourself with the plight of others.

Unfortunately, so many are without just the simply necessities of life; shelter, food, family, or jobs. When we see them many of us don’t think about how we can help, we start to judge even though we don’t know their circumstances; most likely our first thought is how did they get here? Why don’t they get a job? They just don’t want to work, we can think of a million reasons for their situation and still not consider how we could help.

Life has a path for each of us to walk, at any given moment that path could change; we never know how those changes will affect our walk. In the blink of an eye we could be walking in the shoes of someone else, facing the same dilemmas of life they are facing. As the holiday season approaches and we give thanks for all our blessings, consider sharing those blessings with others. Check on that elderly neighbor who has no family, call someone who is house bound and offer your services, invite someone to share your meal.

Take time to repair relationships, help someone pay a bill or buy groceries, ask forgiveness from people you may have hurt; be present to touch a lonely heart or reach out your hands in service to a stranger. We never know how long or short our lives will be or the impact we make on others, it is important that we try to live our best lives; with NO REGRETS.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

1st Samuel 18:3 says “Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul”, in the eyes of David and Jonathan they shared 1 heart; their love for each other was unbreakable. Their friendship was built upon loyalty, sacrifice, compromise and emotional attachment. Have you ever experienced a friendship so strong that your heart was one with their heart? It could be said that this is the true essence of what love is.

One of my favorite sayings is “what comes from the heart reaches the heart”, this reminds me that what I say matters and how powerful words can be. It also reminds me how fragile the heart is and how easily it can be broken. On a physical level it is the most important organ in the body, it keeps the body functioning as God intended. On a spiritual level when you give your heart to the Father you experience peace, strength, new life, new purpose, a new sense of self and real love.

It is through the heart of Jesus our hearts are intricately knitted to the heart of the Father. The transforming love of Jesus changes our stony hearts into hearts of flesh, the old man is shed; a new man is born into the light of love. The love that abides in the heart of Jesus the Christ is transferred to the hearts of those who will accept His love. When we allow the transformation to take place in our lives, the heart of God flows through Jesus to reach the hearts of His children. This is the truth of heart to heart.

The Master Gardener has plucked a rose from the soil of life

Her bloom once radiant has over time lost it’s brilliant light

Her essence still remains it’s fragrance fills the heart with memories of love that can’t be destroyed

The Gardener has a special garden where there dwells eternal light

There He transplants those flowers taken from the soil of life

This garden has no weeds, no pain, no sorrow or strife

Each flower planted there enjoys loves glorious light

Weep not for the flowers that are gone but for those left behind

Their journey has not ended and their road can be so unsure

The Gardener keeps trying to prune them so their true light can shine through

He patiently waits to complete His bouquet He knows each flower is special in it’s own special way

He waits until each flower has fully bloomed so when it is plucked from the soil of life

It will leave behind a sweet perfume

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways/ A question Elizabeth Barrett Browning pens her answer to concerning her beloved. Her love so strong, she believed it would grow even after her death. Can you imagine that kind of love, we all experience love that continues to grow long after the romance seems to be over. Little things we remember brings a smile to our hearts, it maybe dinner shared, quiet walks together, a movie or song; each memory tugging at our heart strings. The person who evokes these emotions could have long exited our lives, willingly or unwillingly, yet; love remembers.

Sometimes the memories are not always the best, but; love forgives. Love finds a way to move past the pain and feed on the good in the relationship, it finds a way to heal it’s hurts. It was on a hill called Calvary that love remembered you and me. It recognized how lost we were, that we were but dust, and eternity was drifting away from our grasp. It remembered the enemy that was against us was to strong for us to fight alone. Love forgave even though it was being put to death, but; death had no power over love, it could not be held captive.

Love lives, it grows stronger each day. Each time we extend a hand to someone in help, love grows. Each prayer that is prayed on someone’s behalf, love grows. With every smile, kind word, or loving memory created, love grows. Love is the essence of the Creator that lives inside each of us, it is activated when we choose to give love control. The breathe of love was given to us at Creation and so was the choice to love or not to love. For those who choose not to love; God, the Father creator has no place in them. They will die in their trespasses and sin.

Love continues to cry out to them, it desires that none should perish; it knows many are deceived with no knowledge of truth. They are under the enemies spell, beguiled by fame, power and wealth. Yet, love remembers in the beginning it’s creation was perfect and the blood of redemption was shed for ALL who want to be redeemed. Is love looking for YOU?

my revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

Once upon a time the only way a persons image could be duplicated was by the hands of the artist whos eyes could capture the essence of the subject sitting in front of him. The level of talent the painter posed determined how good the finished product would be. With time came progress and the camera was invented, it provided a way to capture what some considered the perfect image; a true reflection of it’s subject. When we think about having a photo taken, we strive to put our best foot forward; our hair must be just right, outfit perfect, and make-up complete or for some face shaven.

No one wants to be caught of guard when the photo is snapped, I must admit; those surprise photos make for very interesting conversation around the family circle. They bring much laughter or big frowns from those caught in the camera lens. We all concentrate on the outward appearance to achieve what we think is the perfect image. Seldom we realize the beauty that shines the brightest comes from within the heart. There was one who walked the earth that gave a true reflection of the perfect image. He had no special features to make Him admired by others.

You might say He was just a plain, uninteresting man to many; as the old saying goes” He wore His heart on His sleeves”, that’s what made Him stand out. He cared for those that were rejected by others; the sick, poor, abused and mistreated. He was not a wealthy man, yet; He gave to all what they really needed, forgiveness and freedom from their sins. He also supplied their physical needs by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and teaching them truth. He expressed love for all people, no exceptions. The beauty of His heart illuminated everywhere He walked, yet; He was hated by many.

Those in power saw themselves as the perfect example for the people of their time, to them He was a nobody who threaten their authority and control over the people. However, no matter how they tried they couldn’t stop His influence, the people felt His heart; it changed them. Can your heart be felt? Does your life reflect His heart? Are you more interested in your outward appearance or do you desire to achieve the perfect image? On the sixth day of creation God created man, a perfect reflection of Himself. After the fall of man, Jesus the Christ came to remind us in whos image we were created.

He expressed the heart of God the Father in His love for all Gods children, It is His example we must follow to achieve the perfect image. When we walk as He walked our lives will illuminate our path and our hearts will touch those we meet, leading them to the ONLY TRUE image changer; Jesus the Christ. Only then will we reflect a perfect image.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.