settingatthepoolofgrace

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.

Every good cook knows a perfect dish begins with the right recipe, ingredients, and cooking time. Room temperature eggs will make your cake rise better, good sweet apples make the best pies and buttermilk makes a better cornbread. The recipe is the foundation for a great meal. Following the directions in the recipe will give even the novice cook the opportunity to create something appetizing and delicious. Life also has a recipe of sorts that if followed we have the opportunity to create beautiful long lasting relationships.

The recipe requires these ingredients: knowledge of self, a kind heart, the spirit of forgiveness, patience, understanding, a listening ear, compassion and a sense of justice. Now that you have the right ingredients, what do you do with them becomes the question? Each ingredient has a specific order in the recipe to accomplish the desired outcome. In life we are given the basic understanding of who we should be by our parents, as life continues we grow into a knowledge of self; what we like and what we don’t like. What is important to us, the things we treasure and our concept of happiness.

On this journey we meet many travelers along the way, through these interactions we discover kind hearts, compassion and forgiveness. From those experiences we learn patience, understanding and a sense of justice as we give a listening ear to the stories of their journey. We realize we are not alone as we walk this journey, however; our journey is impacted for good or bad by how we present ourselves to those we meet. These two recipe instructions create in us the sources to have the perfect relationship, “Love your God with all your heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself”.

When LOVE reigns in our lives we become meek, patient, kind, understanding, compassionate, and forgiving. 1st Corinthian 13: 4-7 teaches us loves recipe for a good life; love is patient and kind; it does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong doings, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. LOVE NEVER ENDS.

When time exits the stage of life and is no more, the Son of God will return; ONLY the heart filled with love will be able to stand in His presence, for He is LOVE.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

On this journey of life we meet many souls traveling along the way, sometimes; if we are fortunate we can have a David and Jonathan experience. We meet a kindred spirit, two hearts traveling the same path; melding together in love for each other. When I was a child this was a committment that was sealed with blood mingeled together.

One person would peirce the finger to draw blood, the other person would follow suit; the two would then join their blood peirced fingers together declaring a bond for ife. In some cases that bond became stronger than the family bond with siblings. We seldom think about it, but; blood is one part of the body that is the same color for all people. No matter the gender, ethnicity or country of origin, we all bleed red.

Blood is essential for life and when shared allows life to continue. For many donating blood to others is a priviledge, but for some it is a necessity. While giving blood sounds simply, it is a very intricate procedure; athough we all bleed red we have different blood types. One could have type A(+ or -), B(+ or -), AB( + or -) or type O blood; those in need of blood must be matched with the most compatable type to generate a successful healing process.

I guess you can say blood is a very valueable commodity. It is important to Doctors, Patients, Movie directors, and authors of muder mysteries. There is another catgory in which we all fall, doesn’t matter who we are; we are all SINNERS. Not little sinners or big sinners, just sinners needing to be cleansed. It is written the penaty for sin is death. We have been indicted and all face death. Is there a remedy for us? Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Where can we find blood that can erase the stain of sin?

Is there a doner available to save us from death? The search began from east to west and north to south, yet; no doner could be found. Is there no hope for a dying world? Through the portals of time the answer came, I’m here; mankind to save said the innocent Lamb. My blood I will shed on Calvery’s tree, so mankind can be sin free. The universe was silent as the sacrifice was made, the sinless Son of God; His life He gave. His blood ran down the tree for you and me, if we Choose to be SIN FREE.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

How dark is dark? Have you ever considered there are varying shades of darkness? To some a grey cloud foretelling the coming of rain is considered darkness; the massive loss of life, vicious acts against children, and cataclysmic natural disaster; all darkness. Homelessness, loneliness, and hopelessness are a different type of darkness; but, no less devastating for those who are caught in its cycle. We all experience darkness at sometime in our lives, we live in a world that is deeply influenced by the creator of darkness; it is said” if you sit long enough by the water, you will eventually get wet”.

We never realized how the darkness had infected our behavior until light comes into the corner where our darkness lives. Before glimmers of light penetrated our darkness we looked at our world through shaded sight. We do what everyone else is doing, what we think is considered normal. We fail to see how wrong it is to hate those who are different, to abuse the weak, to profit from those less fortunate or to exercise power over them. As light begins to penetrate, we become aware of the evil in our hearts; the scales fall from our eyes and we see the truth of who we have become.

The light causes reflection, reflection the need for forgiveness, forgiveness the need to be redeemed and redemption requires a redeemer. The darkness will not allow us to exit stage left, it holds fast to it’s victims; every enticements available will be used to entangle the weak in its grasp. We must not be complacent with our circumstances, when the blinders are removed we must move steadily toward the light; when we move from our dark corner the brighter the light will be with each step we take.

The light brings hope, forgiveness, joy, redemption, freedom, peace, and above all these unconditional love. Love that radiates from the Heart of God. There is no darkness to deep that He will not seek to shed His light of love on it. To open closed eyes, melt hearts of stone and reclaim His children to Himself. He will not force His way into our darkness, we must be willing to surrender our will to Him; we must desire to walk in newness of life and freedom from sin. Where there is light, darkness can not dwell; JESUS the Christ is that light.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace