settingatthepoolofgrace

I heard it said “the word of God doesn’t break and will never die”. However; there are places in the world today where the inspired word of God is not well received. The enemy has blinded the people and distorted the truth of Gods word. Confusion reigns in the minds of those who reject  the truth, for Gods word is the elixir of life.

Yet, God so loved his creation he sent his word in the flesh as a living breathing example of his love and truth. Gods character displayed that all would learn of him as his word lived before them. The word rich in love, compassion,forgiveness,strength and failure for those who turn from it’s principles.

Jesus the Christ, the word made flesh taught these principles as he walked with men. He healed those in pain, comforted those in sorrow, forgave those who had sinned, and feed the hungry. When we open the word of God we are opening a wealth of trans formative power. Power that changes harden hearts,power that opens closed eyes,power that restores and power to defeat the enemy.

When we search its pages we will find the will of the Father for his children. It is our road map to a successful life. He will not force us to read it nor are we forced to accept it’s principles, there is a choice we must make. The way to the Father is through the son. The enemy of the Father reigns on the earth where we reside and will stop at nothing to keep us from learning and sharing the word of God.

He has first hand knowledge of the wonders of God. It was his pride and desire to be God that caused him to be banned from the Heavenly courts. He forgot he too was a created being.He knew the truth of Gods principles and the Harmony in Heaven before his pride cause disharmony . He and all his followers were cast out of Heaven. Lost forever.

Gods inspired word was a gift to man,a weapon against the destroyer. Only when we search the word with our whole heart will we be rewarded with the amazing transforming power of his love found in its pages.The enemy tried to kill it with the death of Christ on the cross.Death was defeated when he rose in 3 days with all power in his hands. The enemy has been defeated, Christ and his word live forever and ever.

 

The battle is raging, the casualties are mounting and the cause seems to be lost. It appears the enemy can’t be defeated.We reside in a world that is no longer our home. It’s ruler is a raging Lion with a plan to devour everything in it’s path. His anger toward the Creator of All has caused him to declare war on the creator’s prize possession; Man .

The call went forth for warriors to carry the banner of our God,too light the darkness with the knowledge of his truth. Only through the sharing of his love and sacrifice can the enemy be defeated. As his soldiers we must not be deterred by those who leave the battlefield. Everyone will not we willing to give all they have to the battle.

Some will grow weak being overcome with the pleasure the world offers. Some will be overcome with fear and leave the fight. When we join the army of God we must be prepared to stand strong until the end of the war. We will sometimes lose the battle in order to win the war, but we must never stop fighting.

The enemy has surrounded us with a smoke screen for he knows he is a defeated foe.His objective is to cause as many as he can to lose hope and faith in their general, Jesus the Christ. In Jesus we have the strength to stand against the siege of the enemy. We are fortified by his Holy word and guided by his Holy spirit.

Each day we must put on our battle gear, pray for guidance, and go forth vigilant; watching for the traps of the enemy. Know that the enemy will not give up the fight to capture your allegiance. He will use every method he can to deceive you, distract you and defeat you. We must keep our minds stayed on Jesus and he will keep us from the hour of temptation.

He knows that we may fall prey to the enemy, but he can reclaim us from his grasp, clean us up and restore us to our station in his army. We must trust that the general knows the best way to win the war, we are to be willing to fight the battles. We may be called to be a casualty, remember our general gave his life for us that we would be reconciled to his Father without sin.

When we enlisted in his army and gave him control of our lives,he became our protector, provider,and redeemer. Should we fall in battle as he was resurrected to life so shall we be resurrected to life and clothe in his robe of righteousness. The war is won, it was won by the blood stained cross of Calvary; but the fight for souls continues.

When one embarks on a journey they carefully plan how they will travel,what they will take with them, when they will leave and most important how much it will cost to make the trip. The direction of travel is also important depending on what the final destination is to be.

All along the road you see mile markers,speed limit signs, and information to replenish the things you may need during the journey such as food, temporary shelter, and rest stops.The trip could be short or it may be long requiring many delays before arriving safely at your determined destination.

There will be rough roads, falling rocks, detours, switched signs, and blockages. Somethings are unpredictable and hard to avoid. From time to time life will throw you curve balls. Nothing seems to go the way you have planned. Navigating the way becomes toilsome.

Doubts begin to form in your mind, confusion tries to ensnare you and blur your decisions. You question if you have made the right choice, fret not; you are under attack. The enemy wants to consume your thoughts, keep you off guard and distract your vision. His goal is to keep you from realizing the way is already made.

Your Heavenly Father has removed all road blocks, covered the cracks in the road and paved them to a perfect finish. You may not see the finished product but you can be sure the Father’s ways are better than ours. He is meticulous even in the tiny details of your life. He hears the song of our hearts, he knows all our dreams and desires.

He desires his children to trust and believe he has already heard and answered our prayers before they leave our lips. Sometimes we will see instant results and sometimes we must wait. As we wait we must not lose hope or allow the enemy to distract us but we must stand firm in our faith knowing the way has already been made. Everything will work out for our good according to the Fathers will for us.

 

 

Man is a very unique creation, the example of intricate design. He was created in the image of his creator and was perfect in the beginning. Perfect hands reached into the dust and formed what would become his caretaker, companion, and child. He named him Adam.

They communed together in a beautiful unblemished garden home,watching his creation care for the garden and all the other creatures the creator realized Adam was alone. Once again he began the work of creating, he put Adam into a deep sleep.

Removing a rib from his side he enclosed it in flesh and presented to Adam his help mate. Being that she was taken from man she was called woman. Her name was Eve. Man’s perfection was marred by his disobedience.

Everything changed, they were evicted from the garden paradise they had inhabited. Though his children had disappointed their father his hands made them clothing for a covering.For his punishment Adam was required to work .

So it began, by his hands and the sweat of his brow he would provide and care for his family. The ground was cursed and only by his toil would it produce for him. He had to have busy hands .

As our creator used his hands to create man, to heal,comfort, to cover and protect so are our hands to work for the good of others. Hands that wipe away tears, hands that carry the weak,hands that feed the hungry, hands that shelter the homeless,hands that clothe the needy, hands the comfort the hurting and the sick .

We are an extension of the Creators hands……BUSY HANDS.

Her faint cry was heard even though a short distance separated them. Her little eyes remained shut as she squirmed in her bed.Her little feet slightly protruded from the blanket that covered her. The sunshine peeking through the window cast shadows against the wall of the animals dangling from the mobile hanging above her head.

As you lifted her the sunlight touched her little face, her eyes opened to your smile. The journey of hearts intertwined  began the moment you first saw her little face, the pain of her delivery was forgotten and joy filled every fiber of your being. As if life was preparing you for the journey flashes of the past flooded your mind.

All the wisdom of the mothers before you saturated your thoughts. Your mother being your greatest example of a mothers love. Love that is unconditional, self sacrificing, forgiving,generous, and ever lasting. Her touch gentle, yet; strong. Hands that worked continuously to improve your life, comfort you, and wipe away tears.

Now your time has come to step into the role of a mother. Gazing lovingly on this little princess cradled in your arms causes your heart to smile. She will rest peacefully in your loving arms as you rest in the loving arms of a loving Father. In him is strength to lead as well as follow. In him all things are possible. In him is parenting successful.

In him there  is peace during turmoil and as you lean on him your patience will bloom, love will grow, and your character will become as his. Your journey will not be carefree, life is filled with trials. Your Father will never leave you alone to fight the battles. you can rest assured he will hold you in his loving arms because you are his child.

His love will cradle you just as you cradle your bundle of joy, in loving arms. His love will cover you because he created you to be the center of his joy and spend eternity with him.

Do we receive rewards according to our actions? Before we act do we consider the consequences of our actions? Do we realize the power behind the words spoken in anger or the rage that causes one to strike out against another. Who do we give control too when we are not in control?

Who do we hurt the most when we lose control? It may be our parents, children,siblings,or spouses. Most of the time it is those we profess too Love. Most of the time we justify our actions to ourselves there by feeling no quilt or remorse for the harm we have inflicted  on someone else.

What if the shoe was on the other foot, how would you react to being treated as you have treated others?  The word of God teaches; we will be judged by the same standard we have used to judge others, what we have sown is also what we shall reap, and when we are not displaying the character of the Father we are displaying the character of the evil one.

Hold on, do you mean if we are not following one we automatically follow the other? There are two forces in this world, one is good the other evil. We must choose which one governs our heart. This is the struggle within man, to make the right choice. All of our actions will be governed by who we choose to serve.

We must realize when we give our control to anger, rage, violence, hate, indifference, pride , unforgiveness, or envy we have made the choice to serve the evil one.  We will be deserving of our reward which shall be destruction. God has promised that all sinners will be removed from the earth when he returns.

When the ruler of the universe controls our hearts we will have instructions for successful living through the Holy Spirit. Our consideration will be for all creatures, our actions responsible and we will accept when we are hurtful to others and seek forgiveness. We will display kindness, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, self control, and love for all.

God has promised us that even when we make the wrong decision he will forgive us when we call on him and repent for our actions.We will not be treated as we deserve but our reward will be life in abundance and eternity with him. By choosing to give our hearts to him we make the right choice.

We have been warned, the word of God tells us that those who choose to serve the evil one will share in his judgement and destruction. We will be deserving of and will receive eternal DEATH.

When you can’t see the way clearly, trust there is a God who sees the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. He sees through the dark shadows of your life.When your obstacles are as tall as mountains and your valleys filled with rocky roads, trust there is a God who brings low the mountains in your life and makes smooth the roads you travel.

Life is filled with unexpected circumstances, doubt, and discouragement. Sometimes it may seem as if it has started raining in your life and it will never stop. Those who say they love you the most seem to avoid you. Friends become judgmental and desire to spend less time in your presence. There are times when you feel you are stranded alone on an island floating in the middle of the sea.

No one seems to understand what you are going through. You try not to bore others with your troubles,yet; they consume your every thought and waking moment. There is a remedy, it is free of cost, and readily available to you. It will relieve the stress of all your burdens, give you back your joy, remove storm clouds and let the sun shine again.

The requirements are simple; call on the name of Jesus the Christ, ask for help, yield to his will and trust he has heard you and he will answer your call. His love for you is unconditional and his arms are ever ready to receive you. He only requires that you….

TRUST and BELIEVE

Planting requires good soil, whether flowers or food the soil must good to produce. The soil must be broken up and tilled before the seed is planted. This still may not guarantee your seed will yield a crop or that flowers will bloom.

Some people say that those who have a knack for planting have a green thumb, whatever they plant grows. As if by magic their effort is rewarded with success. That old saying if at first you don’t succeed  try, try again could easily apply here.

When you try again something must change. You may have to start your seeds in small containers, water and nurture them until they begin to grow then transplant them in your prepared soil. Once they are transplanted their little roots stretch out and embed themselves deep into the soil seeking a strong foundation.

There are times in  life when nothing seems to work, every avenue you travel leads to a dead end. You find yourself standing in front of a impenetrable brick wall. Where do you turn? who will help? what will you have too  do to overcome your obstacles?

Like that seed sometimes it is necessary to be uprooted from what you consider your normal environment to find success. We too must be transplanted and our roots embedded in new rich soil. That soil is found in the garden of our Creator made rich by the blood of sacrifice.

Soil that strengthens our resolve,builds our faith, wraps us in joy, and grants inner peace. Peace that will sustain even through time of turmoil. No matter the obstacles when we are rooted in the soil from the Masters garden our foundation is sound and unshakable.

The deeper our roots extend into the soil  the greater will be our reward. When we begin to bloom the character of Christ will emerge, love will guide all our decisions, the task of spreading the Gospel our goal and finding the lost our mission.

If you find or feel you’re stagnate where you are; seek the Father’s face, his guidance and instruction. It maybe he is preparing you for a transplant into new soil where you can bloom into the radiant flower he destined you too be.

As the weather gets warmer people do what is known as taking vacations. They leave their mundane daily chores and vocations to do whatever they want to do even if it means doing absolutely nothing.  If you are one of the fortunate ones your vacation can last as long as 4 weeks taken at one time or spread over a period of time.

No matter how long everyone looks forward to vacation. Some save for months toward the perfect vacation and some save for years for what they deem to be the vacation of a lifetime . Some desire to travel the world, some just want to drive to see relatives they haven’t seen in awhile and then there are those who just don’t want to be on a schedule or punch the time clock.

Vacations can be many things, there is no limit to what the mind can conceive. When we plan for this time we fail to consider that danger may be lurking in the shadows waiting for us. The evil one will claim every opportunity to cause  us distress and grief. Seldom in our planning do we consider the “what if’s” that could happen.

Lost documents, credit cards, or simple car trouble become major events when not prepared for them. This turns our amazing adventure into a nightmare. It can be little things that cause discontent but will affect every ones disposition and bring unhappiness to all.  However, there is a way to be prepared for whatever may come your way.

It will not guarantee you will not have problems, but it assures you will over come them. The solution for preparing is a very simple one which many don’t think is part of the process. Seek first the face of the Father coming to him in the name of the Son. Declare he is the Lord of your life, give  every concern into his hands, and have confidence he has heard and is in control of all your circumstances.

When this is the first step in your planning, he will open doors before you. No matter what may come up against you as Lord of your life he will be victorious. When you release everything into his hands you will embark on the most Amazing Adventure, one that will last a lifetime and beyond.

A very famous storyteller once told a story about a lost coin. I’m sure if you have ever lost or misplaced money you can identify with the principle of this story. I have taken the liberty to tell the story from my own prospective if you will indulge me allowing me to do so.

It was the largest sale of the year, money was set aside each week anticipating finding some great bargains. The day had finally arrived, in preparing she went to her hiding place to retrieve the money .

No money, panic stricken she tried to remember if this was the right place, Had she forgotten where she put it? She searched everywhere that came to her mind, yet; still no money.

As she continued her search she realized the purpose for the money was no longer as important to her as finding the money had become. Sometimes in life we find ourselves in this same position.

We lose so many things that we feel are not important on the surface, but if we are honest with ourselves we would acknowledge they are worth searching for. Finding lost things may not always be easy.

Sometimes it requires more effort then we are willing to give. Lost things can come in the form of broken relationships and denial of a loving God. However, we must be persistent as the principle in the story was.

The search continued all that day until suddenly there it was, the money she had so diligently searched for. The search was over and anxiety was replaced with great joy. So much joy that she had to share it with friends & neighbors.

We must be diligent in our search to find and restore what is lost in our lives. Relationships that were broken by misunderstandings, mistrust, or the interference of outside forces should be sought out and healed with forgiveness.

God the father has been and will continue to seek out his lost children. They may have forgotten him but he has never forgotten them. His heart has a void where they belong, their names are written in the palms of his hands, and he greatly desires to restore them  to his family.

There are evil forces that create obstacles to keep the lost separated from the father. These obstacles can come in the form of lies feed to our minds, promises of grandeur and all manner of deceptions. Be not deceived the father will not leave you.

He is reaching out his hand to pull you to safety, he will forgive your forgetfulness and restore your joy with such great joy you will have to share it with all you meet. It is said “the angels rejoice when one soul that was lost is found”.  Are you that ONE?