settingatthepoolofgrace

No one could have imagined the destruction the storm would leave behind, dreams gone in the twinkle of the eye; years of memories washed away be the wind.  It was all gone the house, the trees, everything; nothing but rubbish was left.  Years of tears and sweat now nothing remains, so where do we go from here? How do we start over?

So many questions, so many unknowns; searching through the rubbish looking for any signs of life, is this yours? said a unfamiliar voice, it was just a picture; yes it is was the reply. A priceless gift that gave hope, a simple picture reflecting a family during happier times.  The tears began to fall, not from sadness but from joy.

The realization that the same family was unchanged by the storm opened eyes to the protection of The Father. Material loss could be replaced, new memories made, and more trees planted.  The enemy in all his fury unleashed his anger on the world; he desires to shake our faith, to separate us from the Father, and to blame the Father for our struggles and losses.

We find ourselves asking the question, “where is God”?  Especially when we are in the storm, we sometimes forget he is riding in the boat with us.  It is in the aftermath we see his face; it is reflected in all the meals our neighbors share, in the many smiles that say this too shall pass, in every hand that helps clear the rubbish, and every prayer prayed.

It is when we come together to help each other the love of the Father is reflected to the world. When we stand together we are not defeated, the enemy will lose his power.  Although he will not wave the flag of surrender, we will keep our hands in the Fathers hands as we stand upon the wall; waiting on the next storm.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

Have you ever given much thought to how it was before the mystery of electricity was revealed to the mind of man?  How without that one element the life of man is impacted.  In today’s world of machinery, computers, internet, streetlights, railways  and the like should the electricity be interrupted, how difficult things would be for all.

This type of interruption can be caused by shortages, overloads, and the most impact; storms.  Shortages and overloads may be a challenge to one or a few, but; a storm impacts many.  Seldom are we prepared for this type of interruption, the loss of power changes our lives; refrigeration is at risk, no appliances or electronics will function.

After the light of day fades, darkness engulfs the home like a tomb of silence.  Some of us will have flashlights or candles in store, they provide a gleam er of light in the darkness. Just imagine how you would fair if this was your daily existence,  this was once the norm for all people; everything was done by candlelight.

All labor was done during  the daylight hours; the cooking, cleaning, tending the crops, and bartering at the market place.  Can you imagine how dedicated the disciples must have been to painstakingly write the story of Jesus the Christ by candlelight with pen and ink on paper of their day.  The light they received from accompanying him was so powerful they had to share it, so trans formative they could not keep it to themselves.

He was the light that shatters all darkness, pure love. He came into the world that man could receive the light of truth found in him, granting freedom from darkness to all who chose to walk in light and not darkness.  As we light candles to bring small glimmers of light to spaces in our homes because our norm has been interrupted, think of the greatest light given to men; Jesus the Christ.

when you begin the worry about your food supply going bad, remember he has assured us he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he will never forsake us nor will our seed beg for bread; our bread and water will be sure.  As the flickering candlelight sing it’s lullaby, rest in peace knowing a new day is on the horizon; his grace and mercy will cover you and it will be well with your soul.

The interruption of your norm will be over soon, you can resume the hussel and bussel of life again; just remember change can come unawares like a thief in the night, prepare yourself for the unexpected through the light that Christ offers to each of us. If we are impregnated with the light of Christ we will never walk in darkness or fear.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.  written by candlelight after a tornado hit Chattanooga leaving 60,000 homes and business without power.

I heard the news today, you said your goodbye and slept quietly away; no more pain or sorry, disappointment with the world we live in these days.  The tears will fall from every eye that embraced your smile, who held your hand or walked with you a mile along life’s way.  Memories will flood our minds causing our heart to rejoice, out of sight, but; never far away. We can be at peace with your leaving, you left all your love behind; you enclosed us in your arms and looked into our eyes, it’s time for me to go now; don’t worry or fret, just remember I’ll be at rest.

The time will come for everyone to cross the river of time and leave this physical world behind.  Some we will feel are gone to soon, so we question; asking the reason why, they never got the chance to reach the peak of life.  For some we are grateful, their sufferings are at a end; we then consider how we should live so we can see them again.  There are those who stand on the wall against tyranny and fear, they fight the battle on foreign shores that we might sleep in peace.  We know that for every soldier his time will come to fall, it is then the army in which we fight will matter most of all.

There is only one choice to be made, two armies in which to fight; if you have made the right choice you’ll have eternal life.   Jesus conquered the sting of death, in 3 days he rose again; death and the grave just couldn’t hold him.  If you choose to serve him, you too will live again; the trumpet will sound, his voice you will hear, and the chains of the grave will disappear.  The reunion with loved ones will be so sweet, your joy in the Lord will be complete, and you’ll walk upon golden streets.  So shed tears if you must, but; remember the love left behind will keep you through the long dark nights,  love never dies.

My revelation as I sit by the pool  of grace.

 

Peter Pan and Captain Hook, two names most of us are very familiar with; a land of lost boys with no mother, a hero of sorts, and a  villian. Captain Hook is a feared pirate threatening the island of Neverland, Peter Pan is  it’s protector with the help of a fairy named Tinker Bell, and the two men are sworn enemies.

Peter Pan the novel by James Barrie has been adopted to screen and stage, the story of a boy who refused to grow up.  The Pan saga has opened the imagination of every child that has heard the story; as well as every adult that has read it to them.  In some ways we can all place ourselves in the story.

Like Neverland we live on a plant that was once very beautiful until the presences of evil appeared.  The main players in our story are; Satan, the enemy; Jesus, the saviour; the Holy Spirit, our teacher; and you and me.  Unlike Neverland the battle between Satan and Jesus is still raging, we must choose on whose team we will fight.

Like Peter Pan our story is timeless and will continue until time is no more.  As the story of Pan comes to its climax Hook is vanquished by Peter removing the threat from Neverland.  Unfortunately, our story is not as easily resolved; our enemy is not a character in a child’s book.  He is a roaring lion on the prowl for victims to destroy.

We are pawns on the chessboard of life, however; to the King of Kings we are his prize possessions and he is willing to protect those who trust and depend on him.  when our story comes to it’s climax, our enemy vanquished, and our Neverland freed from the grip of the enemy; Neverland will be restored into the garden of eden it was meant to be in the beginning.

The love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will rule; never again will we have to face evil, it shall never rise again.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

As far back as I can remember music and dancing has been a part of the human experience.  Most celebrations no matter what the occasion included not only music but dancing.  David danced on his triumphant return to Jerusalem with the Ark, when the prodigal son returned home his father gave a big party with music and dancing, and while in the wilderness the children of Israel danced  and gave praise to the golden calf dishonoring the true God.

Most of us when we plan a celebration always include food,music and dancing in the festivities.  we select our favorite songs;  whether jazz, blues, country, rock, or soul we want music that makes us pat our feet or move our bodies.  This type of celebrating has been part of our history in one way or another.  Some of the indigenous tribes believed dancing would cause it to rain, some people think of dancing as a way of seduction, and some used dancing in rituals of evil.

In many  of today’s churches praise and worship includes music and dancing,they call it Holy dancing.  Many other churches consider this charismatic and unnecessary behavior in worship. Some churches are so quiet during their worship hour, you wonder if they are filled with the joy of their redeemer.  No amens, hallelujahs or even a wave of the hand.  Are we not told come into his presence with gladness and singing, are we not to give him a sacrifice of praise with our lips and praise him with dance and instruments?

we know the enemy has a counterfeit for everything, so why not this; he has tainted our praise by leading us to believe music and dancing in our praise is centered in him and not in our God.  However, ask yourself; where did music originate?  Lucifer before his fall into sin was created with a beautiful voice for praise. He has distorted everything he has touched, even praise.  We must not allow him to steal our joy, we must come into our Father’s gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.

Lifting our hands and lifting our voices giving honor to the most high God, he alone is worthy of praise. we must be on guard at all times, the enemy wants praise; that’s what caused his fall from Heaven.  He can appear to be doing the right thing,  he is versed in scripture and if we are not careful he will deceive even the elect; we will be following him into darkness thinking we are doing what is pleasing to our God. No matter how strong we think we maybe we are no match for him.

we cannot trust in self, only in Jesus our redeemer; failing to put our trust in him we just might find ourselves dancing in the dark with the wrong partner.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and  of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Heb 4:12.  The world is in panic mode, nations upon nations are in turmoil because of a virus that is at this time deemed uncontrollable,unstoppable,  creating great fear and raveging the people of the earth.

How did we get here? In times past when the people of God separated themselves from the leading of God’s spirit and wrapped themselves in ungodly behavior; they became greedy, cheating each other in daily transaction.  They practiced idol worship, adultery, and injustice to their brethren.  There leaders were corrupt, leading them away from God’s moral laws. Unfortunately, their actions caused God to look away from them.

His judgement fell, many died and many became captives to other nations; the rain ceased to fall, crops no longer yielded a harvest and the land became desolate. Have you stopped to ask yourself, are we under the judgement of God?  Have we become so disobedient he has turned his face away from us?  We know that every good and perfect gift comes from above, so where has this plague come from?

Satan, the dragon, evil one is ruler of this world, without God’s protection; we are at his mercy but, we know he is ruthless and knows no mercy.  The penalty for sin is death, he wants this for mankind; we must remember man was created in the image of his Creator with whom Satan is at war,  to destroy the earth his goal.  God not willing to give up on his people could not stay displeased with them and made a plan of salvation.

His love for his creation was to strong to leave them under the power of the enemy. Just as soon as prayers for deliverance went up to the throne of grace, deliverance was granted to his people.   We have turned from God’s moral laws to embrace greedy leaders, men of immoral characters, false christianity, hatred, violence against each other , and lies from the enemy about God’s character.

We have become so caught up in the politics of this world we fail to realize we are pawns of the enemy.   Our political views have become more important whether a elephant or donkey we are so sure our side is the right side, losing sight on the fact that God’s side is the most important side to be on.  As people of God our concern should be more about how he sees us and how we reflect his love rather than the political party we affiliate with.

This virus should cause us to stop, reassess our lives, and consider who we are walking hand in hand with.  God the Father has said”fear not,for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand Isaiah 4:21.  Have you come to the realization that the people of God in times past came to?  Do you realize it’s time to pray?

“For if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins, and I will heal their lands.  Our God is the antidote for this virus, people of God, IT’S TIME TO PRAY.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

An acclaimed movie for children called The wizard of Oz gives the viewer insight into loss, adversity, and triumph,  It touches on fear, faith,friendship, and family.  It is the journey of a child misplaced from home during a storm; we join her in an adventure of self discovery.  Sometimes the circumstance we find ourselves in dictate the actions that follow.  Dorothy, the heroin in this story is told she has caused the death of a tyrant; the wicked witch of the land she finds herself in after the storm ended; Oz.

Her greatest desire is to get back home.  She is told her only hope is found in the Emerald City where the wizard lives.  She is given a gift of a pair of ruby slippers and told never to take them off her feet.  After receiving directions to the Emerald City she starts off on her mission to get back home.  Dorothy doesn’t realize there is a evil presence following her every move.  Along the road she meets 3 more travelers who need help from the wizard; a scarecrow, a loin, and a tin man.

Dorothy wants to get home, the scarecrow wants wisdom, the lion wants courage and the tin man wants a heart; all of them hopeful the answers can be found in Oz.  We know this trip to Oz is not going to be easy, evil is lurking in the background; sending every type of distraction to keep the rag tag group from reaching the city.  The ruby slippers hold a powerful secret and someone wants them very badly, they are willing to take them from Dorothy by any means they can.

The group is on the outskirts of the Oz, the skyline of the city can be seen in a distance; but, they must cross the  poppy field first. The field is  beautiful but deceptive, danger lurks a head.  Have you ever been just steps away from your goal and some distraction throws you off your game? You are so close,yet; so far away.  We are like Dorothy trying to get back home to the Father, but; there is a evil presence that continues to send distractions to our way. It knows there is safety at the Father’s house.

He desires us to be trapped in the poppy field, the poppy field draws us in by its beauty, then lulls us to sleep by it’s powerful influences.  We forget our goal to reach the Father’s house, we become mesmerized by the riches and beauty found in the poppy field.  There is hope, there are forces for good at work to keep us on track.  In the story as the group is being lulled to sleep, rain begins to fall washing away the influence of the poppies allowing the group to reach the city.

In our lives we can choose to be ruled by the forces of good or evil, our actions will display the choice we have made.  The forces of good will lead to the Fathers house, while the forces of evil will lead to the poppy field and destruction.  Not everyone will want to go to the Fathers house, where the Father lives there is love, joy and peace.  Some are so infected with evil they are comfortable in the poppy field where there is greed, hate, power and riches.  This is a individual journey and a individual choice.

We may not be traveling the road alone, others will be traveling the same direction, but; each journey is different.  Have you made your choice? What will be your destinations end? Are you sleeping in the poppy field or are your eyes wide open?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

For the most part a construction site is a very dangerous place to be; there maybe all types of equipment in the area, debris covering the ground, items to trip over and people moving in all directions.  Hard hats and good shoes are essential to work in a construction environment.  Some projects are completed in a short period of time, while others may take months or even years.

For the most part we don’t recognize we need the help of a contractor, a construction professional; until signs become visible.  Unfortunately, the damage is done.  There are warnings along the way, but; they are overlooked or neglected as something small or insignificant.  Water is coming from the ceiling, this indicates there just might be a problem with the roof.  Water is in the basement when it rains, this indicates there maybe a problem with the foundation.

These things don’t happen overnight although it may seem like it, deterioration comes with time;  It’s the same with you and me, we fail to see the warning signs along life’s pathway.  All our friends are doing it, what’s wrong with a puff now and then or a drink or two?  We follow the crowd, afraid to be different; to lead and not follow.  It is not until our lives fall apart we realize we need help, desperately.

We lose our job, not to worry we’ll have one real soon; months pass no job.  Credit cards are maxed out, all the household bills are due, no food  in the pantry or fridge, and you think your wife or husband are nagging you when they try to discuss the dilemma.  Then on top of all that, the doctor tells you the bad news,  your health is in jeopardy from all those bad habits you enjoyed so much.

What can you do? Do you need a contractor? A master builder, is it time to post a sign on your life, under construction?  In one way or another or lives need reconstruction, the Master builder needs to redirect our thoughts, refurbish or hearts, and rebuild our characters.  God is always working in us, giving us the the desire to obey him and the power to do what is pleasing to  him.

This will not happen overnight, just as deterioration comes with time; reconstruction is a lifetime project.  We must resolve within ourselves to stay with the program to its completion.  When the finished project is revealed all who gaze upon it will be amazed at it’s splendor,  a masterpiece is born; we will no longer be under construction.

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

The children of Israel were not happy and requested Samuel, prophet of the Lord to give them a king; they wanted to be like the people they lived around.  Unfortunately, they did not realize they were rejecting God as their king.  After all he had done for them, they turned their backs on him forgetting all his miracles.   None of them realized the consequences a king would bring, how it would affect their lives.

Throughout history some countries have been governed by kings and Queens, the Royal family they are called.  Some ruled with a fist of Iron and some with a compassionate heart, however; the definitive word is Ruled.  Nothing was done that the King didn’t approve, but; there were always those who dealt in deception and lies.  There were times even the King himself was deceived.

The king sent men to war, gave judgement to the people, received tribute from his people and other nations; he lived in wealth and luxury.  In days gone by Kings had many wives, concubines, menservants and maidservants.  In most countries today who have a monarchy, the status of the Royal family has changed.  while they still live in wealth and luxury, their power has changed in reference to rulership of the people.

In our country we have never experienced what living with a King is like, this country was established by those willing to risk the unknown to rid themselves of a King; to exercise free will to choose how they would be governed. Every man having the right to choose what was right for him.  However, power corrupts and leads to greed; the more power one has the more they desire.  Men who once had good intentions neglect duty for self benefits.

The meek are trampled under foot, the will of the people denounced, and freedom silently drifting away.  We must realize the prophets of old spoke of these times, the word is being fulfilled; as in the days of Noah so shall it be when the Son of Man returns.  The world had become so corrupt it had to be destroyed, has anything changed today?  Crime is running rampart, from the highest office in the land comes division,hatred, and greed.

Those sworn to protect are to be feared by some of the people, no value is placed on life; babies are not even given the opportunity to live.  Are we not living in the same days as did Noah?  Judgement is coming, we must all stand before the KING of the universe.  Creator of all things, the great I AM, Alpha and Omega, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient One.

Standing before the King what will be your defense? Every secret will be revealed, even the hidden secrets of the heart.  Judgement will fall, the enemy and his followers will be no more; a New Kingdom where love and righteousness reign will be established  in the earth made new.  Only those washed in the blood of the Lamb will occupy the New Jerusalem and eat from the Tree of Life.  What will be your verdict? Death or life eternal?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.

 

Jubilee is defined as a special anniversary of a event, in Jewish history a year of emancipation and restoration celebrated every 50 years.  The rams horn is blown to proclaim the year of jubilee, 50 years was the Golden jubilee.  Jubilee is of Hebrew origin which means joy or celebration.  It is during this time slaves are freed and property is restored to its original owner.

Today we copy some of this tradition in our celebration of wedding anniversaries and birthdays, we plan elaborate gatherings inviting family and friends to join us in celebrating our event.  It is said the Angels in Heaven are jubilant over one soul who makes Jesus his choice, can you imagine how joyous their celebration.  If we who live in a world of confusion can be joyous, Just think what Angels who abide in perfection must feel.

Allow your imagination to ponder the celebration in the heavenly realm when all the children of God are standing before the throne on a sea of glass.  The greatest Jubilee will begin when the clouds roll back like a scroll and the Son of man appears riding on a cloud, the mystery of all time will be revealed; for every eye will see him.  The trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will rise to meet him in the air.

Those who are alive at his coming will cry out, lo this is our God for whom we have waited; mortal must put on immortality. They too will be caught up to meet him in the air, so shall they ever be with him.  Those who have chosen to worship the evil one will be slain at the brightness of his glory, they will be refuse upon the ground from one end of the earth to the other.  The earth will be as it was before creation, void; in utter darkness.

What a day when all the children of the Most High God gather home; our first parents, the first disciples, the prophets, the martyrs of the faith and everyone who has given their lives to the Father through his son Jesus the christ; what a great jubilee that will be, are you planning to attend?

My revelation as I sit by the pool of grace.