settingatthepoolofgrace

The sun had set, the moon shown radiantly against a star sprinkled sky. The wind swiftly blowing chilled the night air. Silence covered the earth like a blanket, it would appear the world was at peace and all was well. Yet, in the darkness of a alley between two buildings sit a hopeless child with a needle hanging from his arm.

His world so bleak,his heart filled with sorrow,no one who cared, no place to belong and no one to love him. Now, his life slowly slipping away from him. Under the amber street light stood a woman or was she a girl? The stress of life adorned her face, her lips red with the stain of passion untamed and her eyes cold and lifeless.

What was her story? why was she here? who stole her joy and caused her dis-pare? It was evident from her appearance she had lost all hope. The room was filled with laughter and music, in the corner of the room two people holding hands.  As they looked in each others eyes they both pondered their separation, knowing they would have to return to their own partners. They shared a lustful secret.

The darkness is consuming the lost,lonely, forsaken and the ignorant. They are bound by the evil one. Where is their escape? who will help them? where are you light bearers? They too are my children though they have lost their way. You are their way home, you can shine the light into the darkness. You can tell them of my love, forgiveness and grace.

I will love them through you, light bearer. Open your arms to receive them, open your heart to receive them and open your eyes that you may see them. You will be my hands and feet. You will feed the hungry, clothe the needy, shelter the homeless and through you I will free them from their bondage. Your light will penetrate their darkness with it’s power to dispel ignorance, give joy,bring hope, and lead my children home again.

I have delivered you from darkness that you can show others the way to my glorious light of love. Are you sleeping light bearer as your sisters and brothers are perishing? What have you done for me? Have you loved those deemed unlovable, have you given of your self to any of my lost sheep. Do you realize now is not the time for slumber, awake and shine forth.

The battle is raging, the enemy is attacking. You have the power to defeat him if you but let your light shine. I have feed you with my word, I have clothe you with my protection and I have covered you with my blood. You are ready for warfare, stand and shine brightly. I have called you to be a light bearer.

When a child is born the family gathers to greet the new arrival. Some say he or she looks just like it’s  mother while others say it looks like it’s father, then there are those who say some other relative in the family linage.

As the child grows the features become more pronounced. Eyes, nose,mouth,ears and even hands have distinctive characteristics familiar to the family linage. Those traits can be identified by all who know the family as being part of that family.

So it is with the family of God, there are many sons and daughters in this family. They are his children. They may not all look the same,speak the same language, or live together in the same place.  As they grow in his shadow the characteristics of the Father shine forth in the children.

Though they may be different they all love as the Father loves, they are compassionate as the Father is compassionate, they are forgiving as the Father is forgiving, they hate sin as the Father hates sin but they love the sinner as the Father loves the sinner.

Unfortunately, the heart of the Father is broken. He has children who have left home on journeys that have taken them away from him into dark territory. They have lost their way, they feel that the Father will not receive them back. Not realizing the Father is seeking them with love that is unconditional.

The Father stands ready to welcome them with open arms if they would reach out for his hand.  As sisters and Brothers we must assure our lost brothers and sisters of the love of the Father that is waiting for them to return home. Tarry not if you have lost your way and want to return home.

The darkness may have dimmed the light of the Father in you but you can recognize the light shining brilliantly from any of your brothers and sisters to lead you back to the love of the Father.  The Father’s heart aches for his children who are lost on the path that leads them far from safe harbor.

Only under his shadow is there protection from the destroyer, so his voice cries out into the dark waters of life to his children. “come home, come home” to all who will listen.

 

What did I say? These words are spoken by everyone at one time or another. In one context it is a question, in another it is an instruction. The assigned task has not been completed, it remains undone. You have failed the responsibility entrusted to you. You were distracted from your course of action resulting in defeat.

How do you stay the course and avoid defeat? How do you rise above the obstacles and avoid distractions? There is only one way to obtain victory. Before each battle we must prepare for war. Preparation is key for victory. Our preparation begins by constant communication with the Supreme commander.

You must immerse yourself in his word, open your heart to understand, lift your voice in praise and humble yourself in prayer. There is no victory that will come by your human effort. You must admit without the aide of the Divine One you will fail. He is the unseen presence that guides your path and protects from unseen danger.

Prayer from a sincere repentant heart calls him to action. When trouble surrounds you he will lift up a standard to give you victory over whatever comes up against you. He will give you clear vision to recognize the deceiver and all his distractions.  You will be endowed with strength to complete your assignment.

Rejoice in this glorious opportunity to meet your redeemer in prayer. The way to the Father was made available too you through the son. Therefore go boldly to the Throne of Grace in prayer  making your request known to the  one who can grant them.  He will hear, he will answer. In him all things become possible in accordance with his will.

Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of God’s heart to the repentant sinner who seeks his forgiveness and grace. Only through him can we have total victory over the enemy. So stay prayed up.

The coming of the savior was first told to a virgin girl named Mary by an angel. Joseph while considering not to marry her was told not to worry, his choice was still pure and they could be wed by an angel.  When we turn the pages of the inspired word of God  we find story after story of heavenly messengers coming to mankind. Some to bring revelations, some to aid, and some to defend but all of them to express the love of the Father for all his children.

No matter who you are, what you have done, or your station in life; he has created us to be who we are.  We are destined to be reunited with him when we choose to believe in his son.  Jesus the Christ was manifested to reunite the creation with it’s creator.His birth was heralded by the angelic host  to give man the message of hope, salvation from sin had arrived.

To some of us this is an abstract idea, however; we have angels among us. When you find your table & pantry bare there’s a knock on the door, you open it to your neighbor or even a stranger with the provisions you need. God has sent you and angel. When you just can’t seem to over come the sadness that has you feeling lost and alone, the telephone rings and someone gives you the encouragement to rise above the sadness. God has sent you angel.

When you are sick and someone prays for you and you recover, God has sent you an angel. Each time the heart of man is touched by the light of love and is impressed to help others who have a need they allow Gods love  to shine through them.  They become his earthly angels. They come in all sizes, from all walks of life, and all types of people. At a time when our world is in turmoil, children are starving and our economy is failing; we have the opportunity to reach out to someone.

You may feel you have nothing to give  or that you have so little how can you share.  Remember to those who have nothing a little given in love is much. Sometimes all it takes is a smile or a hug to let them know you care. You may not be able to give pretty gifts tied with a bow. At this special time of the year we can give from the heart a prayer of love. A prayer for the  Father above to allow his Heavenly angels to surround  us with the Love, Joy and Peace of his son Jesus the Christ our redeemer.

Be blessed this Holiday season….pray one for another

34 years ago 3 days after Thanksgiving I received the news my mother had made her transition from this life unexpectedly. I must admit I never thought my broken heart could ever be mended or the pain I felt would ever end. Time heals all wounds is what I have heard but it was the love of the Father that erased the pain and replaced it with joy. Each passing year and each new experience allowed me to see her in the light of Gods love for  me.

I remember looking at her hands and they looked worn, I had never given them much thought before however; in them I saw all the years of washing clothes and hanging them outside,all the meals they prepared, all the tears they wiped and every whipping the administered. I didn’t understand the emotion I felt I just knew I was thankful to have her for my mother. My life has been a journey and I see so much of her in my children, her smile and mannerism stands out in them .

She embraced everyone she came in contact with in love. Our door was never closed to anyone who needed and there was no limited to what she would do to help others. I am so thankful to have been nurtured by her radiant spirit. My mirror reflects how much like her I have become. There are not words adequate enough to portray how grateful I am to the Father for giving me to her, seeing her influence in my children, and for the tapestry of love she wove into our family.

Life is so uncertain and we must be thankful for each opportunity we have to share with those we love. There will always be reason to be worried about the circumstances we face in life but we must learn to be thankful even for the trials we encounter. The legacy we leave behind when we transition will speak volumes to everyone who shares our story. It is important how we live and how we love, that is what will be remembered.

Time can not change nor erase the beauty of images interwoven in a tapestry created by love. Its threads will remain strong with the passage of time, its colors brilliant and all who gaze upon it will be amazed by its charm. Be thankful for the story of your life, know that the Father made you special, allow his love to remind you each day to be thankful and never miss the opportunity to tell someone they are loved.

My day started being thankful just to be alive then I thought about you. I know there are times when we just don’t know what to do, where  we are going, or how we will make it through the day. The month of November begins the holiday season, it seems things hit us harder during this time of the year. It is suppose to be at time of mirth and family gatherings.

That is not the case for many of us. Life has broken our spirits, our hearts are burdened with worry and hopelessness knocks at our door. The clouds of doom seem to fill our sky and the sun is hidden from our view. We think to ourselves things can’t get any worse, yet; they do. Something unexpected happens. You feel lost on an island floating in a sea all alone.

I’m sending you this little love note to let you know three little words hold the key that will help you through this season. The first is Faith. We must believe there is a purpose for our lives, that in some way what we do affects someone else, that we have the power to bring a positive result into our lives and anything we truly believe is possible.

The second  key is Hope. Behind the darkest of clouds hides the sunshine, after every  rain storm there is a rainbow and for every trial we have in our lives there is an end.We must remember we have a creator who’s love,understanding & forgiveness is unlimited and we are never alone. In him all we need can be found no matter how unworthy we may think we are.

The last key is Joy. It would seem in this season of giving and receiving joy would be abounding everywhere you look, but for some the warmth that joy brings to ones life is missing. Missing because they can’t provide the basic needs for their families,some have lost loved ones and the memories are still painful, and some suffer from broken hearts.

When we are in the midst of our pain it is hard to realize there is someone who may be experiencing a greater pain then ours. These are the little ones we must seek out, when we endeavor to help others our problems seem to dissipate and we find joy we didn’t recognize we had. A bright smile, cheerful hello, a hug, a encouraging word and the sharing of a meal.

Sharing the little joy you have with others not only brightens their world but increases the joy in your own.Love is infectious it spreads from each life it touches to another life. When we open up to the influence of love we recognize each life is entwined in one continuous chain called humanity and we are never alone.

At first glance it appeared to be a pile of junk. Further investigation revealed a wooden worn dirty writing desk. It was so heavily soiled it’s beauty could not be seen. Scared by time and use it had been discarded as no longer useful. Each scar I am sure told a different story of better times.

Underneath all the rubbish was a jewel waiting to be uncovered. Being compelled I removed the desk from the pile, loaded it on my truck, and headed to my work shop. The layers of dirt spoke a tale of much neglect and abandonment. It needed a gentle touch.

As I prepared water for cleaning I knew it had to be hot enough to remove the years of neglect but not to blister or further damage what needed to be restored.  So it is with the life of man, wrong choices cover us in the mud and filth of the destroyer.

He disguises his traps so well we fail to recognize we are entrapped. We need someone to love us enough to set us free. We too need a gentle touch.  Each layer of dirt removed reveals a glimpse of life. After the cleaning, a process to restore begins.

We must first determine what is needed. Sanding may be required to smooth out the bumps and bruises, a new coat of stain and buffing to bring out the hidden beauty of the wood. So it is with the life of man, Jesus cleanses us with his blood to remove the mud and filth from our lives.

His love smooths out the hurts, insecurities and misunderstandings of life. We are emptied of all negative impulses and recharged with compassion,joy,kindness and forgiveness. That once discarded as useless writing desk now stands before you renewed, a thing of great beauty.

So it is with the life of man, the trials and test of life experiences is the refining fire. If we choose to walk with our redeemer we will come through the fire and stand before him as a new creation ready for his use. A thing of great beauty.

When you prepare for a trip what do you carry with you? Does it depend on the type of trip you are taking? Sometimes it’s for pleasure and sometimes it’s for business but they both require baggage. You will need  to bring whatever will be needed for the success of your journey.  In life we seem to carry our baggage from one relationship to the other.

Many times the baggage is excessive, we hold on to it and allow it to compound until it affects every relationship we become involved in. Each experience will provide us with positive or negative reactions from the choices we make.  The negative feelings we suppress will infect each new relationship we encounter with the  pain we have packed away in our baggage.

We become distrustful,angry,accusatory, violent and unforgiving . We place upon the new relationship the task of healing the hurt from the old wounds we refuse to forgive. Forgiveness empties the bag of the hurt that blocks us from moving forward in love.  In some cases the baggage has been lying dormant for long periods, even from childhood.

We don’t recognize it because it has always been there and we can’t remember what happened to make us feel the way we do. Then a trigger unlocks the door, we relive the pain from the past long buried. It maybe something said, someones actions,something we see or a place that is familiar to us. We are reminded of how hopeless and helpless we may have felt.

Our immediate response  is to lash out, unfortunately; those who love us are usually the ones who experience the wrath of that anger and not the one who caused the pain. This behavior will manifest itself in our relationships until we unpack our baggage. The guilt about the things we couldn’t control, the feelings of being inadequate, hatred,misunderstandings from words spoken,feelings of hopelessness, past hurt and sorrow.

Once we begin to unpack the healing will begin, when we forgive the process will intensify and when we forget we can move forward to a place of love.  The hardest thing we will ever do is to forgive and forget. We will need help to be successful. That help comes from one who’s heart is so full of love that he forgave his enemies as they were crucifying him.

Give him your baggage and allow him to teach you how to refill your bag with joy and love. Let him restructure your journey so you can travel lite. With him nothing is impossible try him and be revitalized.

Sometimes life is like playing a game of chess. It is your opponents job to block your progress and keep you from capturing his king or queen while he tries to capture yours. Each game begins with an action. The first act of disobedience for Christians and the adversary begins his attack. He encourages a continuous path of disobedience. Our counter move must be repentance and reconciliation; like Saul on the road to Damascus sometimes it takes the blinding light of Christ to knock us to our knees.

It is then we recognize our need for a Savior whose gentle voice speaking to our hearts stirs them to repentance.  The adversary will immediately throw doubt and guilt into the game. He will preview our wretched lives before us to stay any actions we take toward repentance. We must remember Saul was a “murderer of Christians” before his Damascus road experience. Our counter move must be acceptance by faith. We must accept the gift of forgiveness Christ gave to us by his death on the cross of Calvary

We must believe with every fiber of our being that he has forgiven us and we are on the path to reconciliation. Every opportunity must be used to learn more about Jesus and draw closer to the light of his love. Make no mistake the game will get harder after your last move. Your whole world may turn upside down. The real warfare will begin, any and everything that can be used against you will be used. Your faith will be sorely tested.

Family, friends, and church members there are no exceptions, the adversary will begin a vicious attack against you. He will show you who he really is,”a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy”. Your next move is to stand strong in faith knowing that “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world”. We must strengthen our faith with the word of God, have no doubt the Jesus loves us, will not leave us and has already won the battle.

The adversary will try to make us believe we can’t win that he has all power and to fight against him is hopeless. He knows the stakes in the game are high with eternal ramifications. If we fall prey to his devises we will miss our promised Perfect Inheritance.  Our adversary knows the inheritance is real and tangible. He walked the golden streets of heaven, he visited the garden of Eden and he stood at the Holy Throne of God.

It was through his pride,selfishness and disobedience he lost his great privilege. His greatest pleasure would be to keep us from receiving Gods gift, our inheritance. Our last and final move is the Blood of Christ which covers a multitude of faults. Jesus is and will always be the answer. It was Jesus and his angels who cast Lucifer from heaven to the earth. It was Jesus who opened the road to reconciliation after our 1st parents were deceived and disobeyed God our father.

It was Jesus who  made it possible for us to go to the Throne of Grace in prayer by the shedding of his blood. By his death and resurrection the battle was won.  We must bury this truth deep in our hearts and hold tight to the hand of Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer. He has promised to us the “PERFECT INHERITANCE” and he is not a man that he should “Lie”.

There has been so much rain in the last few days, the thought came to me as I observed the overcast sky; “after every storm the rainbow appears”. We seem to go along each day not realizing that life is a gift and each day we wake is another day the gift has been given to us. We fail to realize what we do with the gift impacts everything around us.

We never question why we have the gift or where it comes from. Consider this; man is limited in the things he controls. Yet, he lives in an environment filled with things he can’t control.   He has no power over the rising or setting of the sun or moon, the power of nature, the changing of the seasons or what keeps the earth he lives on fastened in it’s place in the universe.

Now consider this, “who is really in control?”.  If we are honest with ourselves we’ll acknowledge someone beyond our human understanding controls the world we inhabit. Just considering this one question should open our minds to the only answer, God Is. We are the jewels in his earthly creation, his love for us is so profound that nothing we do is so bad that he turns his back on us or leaves us too the consequences of our choices when we ask for his help.

No matter what experiences life brings, faith in God  and his son Jesus the Christ is all we need to overcome any adversity. As the rain cleans and revitalizes the earth to bring forth the beauty of spring, when we open our hearts to his love we are cleansed and given new life in him. He gives us an unexplained joy and peace beyond understanding. Then the world we live in will speak loudly to us saying”nothing is impossible for God”.

We only have to accept his gift of love, trust him, and believe he knows what is best for us. Once we have committed to him the sun will shine continuously in our lives, even through the storms.