settingatthepoolofgrace

On the journey of life we may fall into the dark pits the enemy sets along the path to entrap us. We all fall at one time or another in our journey, some fall more than others. It is at these times that those who are strong should reach out to those who are weak, surround them with our love as we petition the throne of grace on their behalf. Our love will poke holes in the darkness that envelopes the fallen. Each little beam of light leading to the stairway brightly lit back to a forgiving love.

God the Father has proved through the shedding of His own blood that His love for us is endless. Nothing can separate us from His love if we believe. The enemy would like us to believe it is hopeless when we fall into his traps, his goal to keep us enslaved. Drugs addiction, alcohol addiction, lewdness, gossiping, lying, and pride just to name a few of the traps he sets. The remedy is the same for all of them, believing the Blood of Jesus the Christ can and has set us free.

Stand on His promise to never leave or forsake us, open up the heart to His redeeming grace; repent from the heart and seek His strength to overcome the chains that bind us to the dark secrets in our lives. We must praise Him for each victory remembering it is when we are at our weakest point along the journey that God can do His greatest work in us when we allow Him. It is imperative that we pray one for another, encourage and share our pain.

The story of forgiving love from every mountain top must ring, giving hope to the hopeless; they can walk in the light again. The enemy has no power over loves shining light, but; the light will always dispel the darkness.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

She had been searching for answers, her heart filled with tears she couldn’t cry, the question in her mind was ; WHY? What had she done wrong, why did he change? Was it her walk or the way she looked? After all he was her brother and she thought he loved her as brothers are supposed to do for their sisters. That was the beginning her life took a unexpected turn, with broken heart; life’s purpose tarnished she tried to move past her past. Life for her was wading in muddy water, men moving in and out of her life, no love in sight.

He went to work every morning, 5 am on the dot. Never could he have imagined after 40 years, no more job. What would he do now? He had children to feed, bills to pay, and a very sick wife. Paycheck to paycheck was the life he lived and that was no more. His life had taken an unexpected turn, everything was headed down hill like a runaway train. The sun was beaming down on a road to nowhere, nothing could be seen in either direction. What a great place to stop they thought, in the middle of nowhere.

The temperature seemed to be rising by the minute, the children need water she said to him; what are we going to do? The only thing I know right now is this car isn’t going to move, was his response. Life is filled with unexpected life changing events, the future is so hard to foresee. Many try to plan for the unexpected, but; the best plans can come up short. Life gives no guarantee or does it? There is ONE who can give New Life to every circumstance, He loves those who think they are unlovable; unconditionally.

He can open doors to provide our daily needs and He can be water in a dry thirsty land. Never far away, He sees every hurting soul; our human confusion and when all hope is gone. If He is not far away, how do I reach Him? I thought I heard you say, Open your heart and call out; Jesus is His name. He is the ONLY way to New Life.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

How do you see the world? Have you ever thought to yourself “what happened to the world I knew”? It seems every generation complains about the last one, things were easier then; it was not as complicated as it is now. You don’t realize what I have to contend with on a daily bases or that proverbial that was then, this is now attitude. But I ask what has really changed? Sure there have been many advancements; science, medicine, technology, and industry the list goes on. Yet, mankind remains the same.

In every generation there are those who prey on the weak, who would sell their souls for wealth, that deal in deceit, warmongers, and faithless people. However, there are also those who love mercy, justice, peace, care for the poor, are truth bearers, and who love and follow Jesus the Christ faithfully. It is said “the eyes are the window to the soul”, If I looked into our eyes what would I see? What would your soul say to me? Would I be looking into dark water or a clear blue stream?

It is also said “actions speak louder than words”, the question then becomes what are you saying by your actions? From one generation to the other mankind has failed to grasp what is truly most beneficial to its growth and harmony; that is to look at the world through the lens of LOVE. Love is the motivating force for all that is good in mankind. Love promotes equality, fairness, self awareness, respect, peace, compassion, honesty, forgiveness, it doesn’t divide and it makes sacrifices.

Love puts you before me, it doesn’t seek rewards or accolades; it seeks what is best for all, it is not selfish. However, one can only look at the world through the lens of love when love is present in the heart. Mankind needs a heart transplant, it needs the heart of Jesus the Christ; true Love begins with Him being present in the life of every created being. The light of His love will shine through you lighting the way to life, as a lighthouse atop a hill guides the ships through the darkness to a safe harbor; so shall you be to lost souls needing rescue from this dark world.

A beacon of hope generated by love that comes from the Father, we are all His children; no matter how sinful we maybe He still looks at us through the lens of LOVE.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

There is a time to plant and a time to harvest, every farmer whether professional or hobbyist knows the importance of preparation. The soil has to be prepared to receive the seed or seedlings for the greatest growth potential. Some plants grow well in a group setting like beans, broccoli, and cauliflower. Then there are those that don’t grow well together like chives, garlic and leeks. Some are beneficial to the overall garden like thyme and sage, while others help control bugs like squash, oregano and spinach.

It is necessary to understand when to plant, according to the time of year and where you reside; for example planting season in Florida which is zone 9 is not the same for Tennessesse which is zone 7. As you can see there is more involved in producing a good crop than just digging a hole and dropping in a seed. The process of planting requires care and patience. Attention must also be given to seed selection, some regions are better than others for certain types of seeds.

The word of God teaches us we don’t all have the same job to do as soldiers in the fight against the sin in this world. For some the call is to encourage, some to teach, others to preach, some are called to hospitality, and some are called to be peacemakers. Every child of God has a gift and a call to service for the good of others. We are to plant seeds of love, kindness, understanding, empathy, compassion, and patience.

When the love of God demonstrated to us by Jesus the Christ is reflected to the world, change will be experienced in the lives of men and women through the working of the Holy Spirit. The chains of worldly habits will began to fall off and captives will be freed. Everyone who has accepted the commission of Christ must be a seed planter, we must be ready to drop our seeds in whoever we come in contact with; we are never off duty.

Soon the time for planting will be over and the time of harvest will come, the reapers will gather the good crops into the Master’s barn and the bad will be gathered together for burning. We are admonished to work while it is day, for the night is coming when no man can work.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

There are times when life laughs at you, your struggles and your efforts to defeat them. We all experience times when just don’t know what to do, where to turn or wonder how we will survive. The unexpected blows life gives us knocks us off our balance leaving us tittering on its sea saw; up then down. When will this ever stop? The question that plagues our minds, hoping the end will come soon and the pain of uncertainty will stop.

The rent is due, but; you just don’t have the money. The pantry is bare and the fridge is empty. The news of a loved one gone seems to unbearable to over come, pain upon pain; no relief in sight. Where do you go? Who can help? How will you make it through? Questions flooding your mind as tears flood your pillow in the middle of the night. Does anyone understand what you are going through? Really understand that just a memory triggers a storm of emotions to arise, tears cascading like a waterfall.

Life’s challenges visit us all, they come to strengthen, wake us up, to remind us how short our time on this earth can be, to bring us back to our first love; our Creator and make us realize how important those we love are to us. It causes us to refocus our attention, reaffirm our need for a problem solver, and rededicate ourselves to a higher calling. When the enemy goes on attack against us, we realize we have strayed from our safety net; he knows we are weak without the Father.

We must look to the hills from which comes our help, open our hearts to receive His love which is waiting for us to reach out to it. All the problems of life will still come, but; the joy of the Lord will be our strength. Fears and doubt will disappear and we will learn to praise him through the pain.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

What could I have done? A question so many have asked, but; the choice was not ours to make. Life for them was just to hard to take, the pain inside to hard to explain and no one they felt who would understand. The sunlight gone, only dark clouds remained; each day filled with rain. Day after day everyday the same, the darker and darker their clouds became. They are now gone, you ask why? How could they choose to end their life? What could I have done now occupies your mind. Did I see this coming? Was I blind to the signs? Why didn’t I recognize the pain behind the smile?

So many give up and walk away from life, they see no relief for the pain they hide nor do they realize the pain they will leave behind. It was their choice to make even though it’s so hard for those left behind to take, yet; there is hope. We can stop the rain, bring back the sun and erase the pain. Love is the umbrella that shields the heart, building a relationship is where to start; look with the eyes of Christ in the faces of those who pass you by, love will recognize the pain they try to hide. The love of Christ is the answer, the story that must be told to the lost or wayward soul.

It is His light that penetrates the darkness and restores joy. No doubt, fear, loneliness, hopelessness, or rejection can stop the True Light from shining through erasing the pain locked inside of you. To those of us who through Christ have triumphed over the storms of life the answer is clear, we must tell loves story far and near. So many are thirsty for the water of life, they just don’t know the way to the well. The love of Christ that dwells in us requires we accept the task to lead the way to the ONLY ONE who can turn pain to joy, night to day. Jesus is the answer and will always be the ONLY hope for you and me.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

It was a time of celebration, everywhere preparation was being made, however; not everyone wanted to celebrate. Things had gone terribly wrong, they were suffering from the shock of His death; He wasn’t supposed to die, He was to be king. They gathered together in one place; hearts broken, minds puzzled, hope gone and silence engulfing them. The eleven were caught in the grip of sorrow, the Master was no more. What do we do now ringing in their minds, should we go or should we stay was the question they had to decide.

The Sabbath was upon them, a day of rest, but; restlessness surrounded all of them. How could they rest when all hope was lost? The Sabbath ending the new day dawning a group of women started out to the place of burial to complete the work of preservation. Have you ever had the feeling all hope was gone? Everything you tried failed and there was no one you could turn to for help. Many in our world think all hope is lost; hate keeps growing, greed keeps growing, and darkness in mankind keeps growing.

Can you imagine how the disciples were feeling during those moments of hopelessness? They were hiding for fear of their Temple leaders and Roman authorities, the people had turned against their teacher and consented to His death, and now they felt abandoned not knowing what to do. He is risen shattered the silence in the room where they gathered, could this be true; the question filling their hearts. It had been 3 days since His death and burial. I have seen Him she cried out, but; they didn’t believe her. They had to check for themselves, two of them ran to the grave site; the tomb was empty.

As they pondered on this, He appeared in the room with them; their eyes saw Him and their hands touched Him. Hope renewed, life in them regenerated, and their hearts filled with joy. He had truly risen from death, never to die again, eternity awaited Him. The world we have inherited seems to be spiraling into deep darkness, yet; we can have our hope renewed because He still lives. His spirit is moving in the earth inviting all to come to Him. When we choose to unite with Him, He will rise in our hearts; our lives will change and eternity will wait for us.

We can have hope in the promise, ” I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also.” No matter how dark our world appears our faith must hold to this promise, He will come again and receive those waiting for His return unto Himself and they shall forever be with Him. He is Risen, He Lives///

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace

The old adage “do the crime, you’ll do the time” indicates we will always pay for what we do with consequences, however; I’m sure most of us have noticed in our society today that doesn’t always appear to be the case. Those of affluence seem to escape this fate on many occasions by wealth or influence, sometimes those who exhibit certain physical characteristics are also excluded from the wrath of justice. While this may be true for some there are those who are punished when no crime is committed, their lives stolen away from the light of day; to rest in darkness.

That would be His fate; He was known for all His good works, for loving all people, teaching the love of the Father, and lighting the way to truth. Everything He did was for the benefit of His people, yet; they didn’t understand how much He really loved them. The question was asked “what will it take to realize the depth of His Love”? Was it jealousy, fear of change, or ignorance that made them place blame on this quilt- less soft spoken man. Today we would say He was framed, accused of a crime He didn’t commit. Power had spoken and it didn’t matter, He had to pay the price.

Now the questions become, whos penalty is He paying? Who has committed the crime? The verdict was death, nothing else would satisfy their hearts of stone; finally they would be rid of Him. This would erase the threat He posed to their hold over the people. So they nailed Him to a tree on a hill called Calvary, they didn’t know by their actions He would set all sinners free. They never could have imagined He was truly who He said He was, the beloved Son of the Most High God. He paid our penalty, for sin required blood to be shed to redeem the lost from the enemy’s hand.

The crime and punishment He took was ours, there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends; He made the ultimate sacrifice for you and me when He shed His blood on Calvary’s tree. The enemy is still raging, the blood of the innocent flows in our streets; but, we must cling to the promise of our redeemer’s return. Truth and justice will join hands, the enemy will be charged with the crimes he perpetuated against man; Satan that old devil and all his clan will bow before the Son of Man. The punishment received will fit the crime, the lake of fire will be his end; sin will never rise again.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The sunshine indicated it would be a beautiful day, but; I had a restless night of sleep. Life struggles wouldn’t allow my mind to be quiet. How would I get the bills paid? Would I be able to keep the over draft fees to a minimum? Why was I having such crazy dreams whenever I drift off to sleep? Most of all would the Father answer my prayers? One thought after another filling my head with worry. Sometimes we do things for others to escape our own trials, that’s what happened today; while sitting in a parking area waiting for a friends doctors appointment to end I tried to glean some inspiration from a devotional pamphlet entitled Beside the still waters.

I could feel the warmth of the sunlight coming through my car window on my leg, I lifted my head just in time to see her wave; how friendly I thought as I responded with “have a great day”. Shortly there after I heard “this is a gift for you” thank you I said as I received the small package from her hand, but it was her smile that captured my attention. When she introduced herself I found out we shared the same name, had the same Father and same big Brother. Her soft voice rang with sisterly love, I became so comfortable; as our conversation unfolded we shared our hearts for our God, Savior, and Redeemer.

In John 13:35 Jesus said, “by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” I had never seen her before this encounter, yet; her heart told me she not only knew my Father, she loved him very much. Can I pray for you? she asked not realizing how badly I needed prayer. There are times in life when you just can’t seem to navigate all the obstacles coming your way. She was my sister in Christian fellowship, Jesus reached out and touched my heart through her; burdens were lifted and peace of mind restored. I knew He would see me through my trials and I would be victorious in accordance with His will.

We may not share the same DNA, physical appearance, eye or hair color or gender; however we are all sisters and brothers if we share fellowship with the Father and the Son. Gods love for us was expressed through Jesus the Christ, we were created in His image; when His love is accepted in our lives we become ONE with the body of Christ Jesus and His love should flow from heart to heart. God is love and if we love not we do not know Him.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

It was an exciting time, a special guest was in attendance; they were all reclined waiting for the meal to be served. She tried to come into the gathering unnoticed, but; she drew attention wherever she was seen. She kneeled at His feet as her tears flowed like rain upon them. Taking her hair she wiped away her tears and anointed His feet with her most precious possession; costly, fragrant oil. The on lookers couldn’t understand, some even spoke against her actions, but; He understood, to her that was all that mattered.

Morality is defined as- principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong behavior. Justice is defined as- just behavior or treatment, genuine respect for people. I was awaken with these words dancing in my thoughts, so often we choose which we will promote. I thought why do we choose, can’t we have both? What would our world be like if we all gave more thought to how we really defined them? How would our analysis affect the way we viewed others? Could we be honest about how we felt?

Would we recognize it’s not about just-us, but; justice for all. To ponder this should cause us all to seek to attain a high moral ground, a fairer position toward the treatment of others; no exceptions. To truly contemplate what it means to love our brother or sister as we love ourselves. Why should those that have more be so condescending to others who struggle to gain just a little more than they have? Do not the wealthy realize the more oppressive they become the more hostility grows. The nature of man is to survive, eventually the impoverished will rise up against those seen as hindering their advancement.

The lies of those in control of power will no longer be seen as truth, the truth will be made plain; even to the least of them. It is imperative we remember the examples of our past that they are not repeated in our present or carried into our future. Morality and justice must be afforded to all humankind; those that have should care for the have not’s, greed is temporary; a greedy man places his wealth in a bag with holes in it, he will eventually lose all he has. Hands open to those in need will be constantly filled. He was the most important person in the room, but; He was not recognized as such by the aristocracy of His time or those present in the room.

She had given to Him all she possessed to express her heart of love. It didn’t matter that she would not be worthy in the eyes of others, she was true to the dictates of her conscious. When she withdrew her heart was filled with great joy, she had found favor with the Master. We are confronted with the opportunity to be Just, Moral agents in our world; the choices we make will determine the world to come. These are individual choices, each one responsible for his or her choice and it’s consequences. If we are true to the dictates of our hearts we too can have the joy found when we stand in the favor of The Master. Joy that defies explanation and can’t be extinguished.

The end of this world is coming, judgement will be pronounced, and punishment deserved given. Matthew 25: 31-46 tells us the sheep represents those who are moral and just, they have helped those in need or given good to the world; while the goats represents those who are selfish, unkind, and greedy. The sheep will inherit everlasting life in the Kingdom and the goats eternal damnation with Satan and his angels. The time to decide is now// Will you be a sheep or a goat? Will you love mercy and do justice or will you perish?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace