The Stage

Luke 2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was great with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger for there was no room for them at the inn.

Going home for Christmas. A tradition started by the first family. For the first Christmas. Back to the region of his family's birth.

Every detail of Christ's life was planned ahead of time. All persons playing their roles. From Caesar Augustus to Judas. From Mary to Caiphas. From Peter to Pilate. All prophecy must be fulfilled. No coincidence. No incidentals. Every detail planned for. It was too important to leave anything to chance. One time to get it right. For we have a God who is in the details.

Going home for Christmas can be very stressful. Family dynamics. Travel expenses. Long lines. Long waits in traffic. Crying children. Cold weathers. Stressful.

So this year I plan to keep it simple. And I will remember Mary and be comforted. For I do not bear her burdens. She was young. Heavily pregnant. Traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem was a long journey. Not only is she carrying a child but the burden of carrying the Christ child. And how many people believe that virgins conceive? A new husband. And no place to stay. Giving birth in a stable. Stressful.

So just a thought....If you are traveling home for Christmas...Remember Mary and her struggles and be comforted. Also know this. We have a God who is in the details. He sees you. He knows you. And your stresses. Everything that was planned so carefully on that first Christmas... it was all for you. And me. So that we could celebrate this Christmas and remember the struggle that it took to bring us here. And to get us home. For Christmas. For eternity. With our family. In heaven.

Will you make room for Him this Christmas? Will you remember what was done for your soul?

The Man

Matthew 1 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son; and they shall call His name Immanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Why did God choose Joseph? He was not needed for conception. Why not just let Mary raise Jesus alone?

Maybe it was because boys need a father, even a stepfather.

So little is known about Joseph. But what we do know is impressive. He was an honorable man. He took a wife and kept her a virgin until after the delivery of the Child, to fulfill God's word. He was a man of faith. An angel spoke to Him in a dream and he believed and trusted God, even when it seemed impossible. He was a man of integrity. Standing up for what is right even when others do not believe you. He was a protector. Taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect their lives.

Joseph may not have participated in the conception of his Son, but he obviously played a huge role in the life of Jesus; even teaching Him his trade. Joseph fades from the story and gives the Son of God His rightful place. He must increase and I must decrease.

If you are a father, especially a stepfather, look to Joseph for instruction. Be honorable. Be a man of faith. Be a man of integrity. Be a protector. Raise a Godly child, even if they are not really yours.

Father, thank you for godly men, for our heads of house. Men who stand in the gap for their families. Men who look to you for wisdom and instruction. For all those who live a life of integrity and protect their families from harm. I love you Lord and today I am grateful that you call Yourself, Father. Be a father to all of the ones, like me, who have no earthly father. Be near Lord Jesus. I love the thought of Jesus in the manger, Jesus the teacher, Jesus the friend but today Lord I am grateful to call you Father.

The Power

Luke 1 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgins name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!...And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord will give Him the throne of His father, David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the Child to be born will be called Holy-the Son of God.

Mary must have been an extraordinary lady to be chosen to bear and raise the Christ.

You have found favor with God.

The same Holy Spirit that caused a virgin to conceive the Christ child, lives in every believer. The same power that raised the man, Jesus Christ, from the dead resides in your heart. It is that power that enables us to do "all things".

God has favored us all with His presence. Is He speaking to you? Is He calling to you? To the impossible? The unbelievable? A thought so high and a dream so big that unless He gets involved it will never happen? Then relax. God makes a way for anything that is His will.

A virgin conceives. The dead are raised. A heart is changed. As the world looks on and rejoices.

Do not be afraid...You have found favor with God...How can this be? The Holy Spirit will come upon you...the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

That power lies within you. If you are His. Be of good cheer. Rejoice. Live with abandon. In Him.

Be of good cheer, little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!!!

Lord, I love you. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us. You are sooo good and we are amazed. To You, Father. All that we have. All that we are. See us Lord and be pleased.

The Child

Isaiah 9 He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide spoil.

For unto us a child is born; to us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

Is there anything that provokes greater tenderness than a newborn child? Completely defenseless. Totally dependent. Little naked feet. Soft downy hair. Wonderful baby smell.

For unto us a Child is born. To us a Son is given.

I want you to get this. Jesus could have come in any form. He could have dropped from heaven as a man. Full grown. A reigning king. A mighty warrior. God wrote this story and He could have written it in any fashion that He chose.

God chose to wrap His heart up in a newborn baby and send it to us.

Unto us a Child is born.

A Son. Given to us. To you. Why?

Consider this....He wanted you to see the depth of His affections for you. Not a conqueror. Not a ruler. Not a dictator. God sent you His heart. His love. His only Son. As a helpless, defenseless infant. Naked feet. Sweet baby smell. Soft downy hair. To us. To humans who would fail Him. Who would misunderstand him. Who would mock Him. Who would torture and finally crucify Him.

It will be different when He comes the next time. But for today...think of how He came the first time. See Him as Immanuel. In a manger. Emptying Himself of all authority. All power. All might. And making Himself vulnerable to win your heart.

It is your heart that He is after.

And what can soften a heart like a newborn child?

Unto you that child was born. Unto you that Son was given.

What will you do with this Child?

Father You are marvelous beyond all comprehension. That you would give Yourself to us is almost impossible to believe. That You would show the depth of Your love to us by sending the most precious thing that You had, Your Son, to us is the greatest testament of Your devotion to us. God soften our hearts. Help us to forget for a moment about presents, dinners, decorations and trees. Lord burn into our hearts the picture of Your love for us, Your sacrifice for us, Your Son....for us. I am amazed. I am humbled. I am captured by that love. Captivate us, Lord Jesus, with YOU.

The Light

Revelation 3 And to the angel of the Church in Sardis write: The words of Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of My God. Remember then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you...He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Ephesians 5 Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

For the last week, a Hebrew man in a long white linen shift speaks to me in my dreams. He is quoting Scripture from Revelation. He is preaching. Preaching of the end. What does this mean?

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.

There has been a recurring theme for me in this season of my life. Awaken. Awaken to a new life. A new lifestyle. A rebirth. In every area of my life. A new fire. A baptism. Life is awakening.

You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

What about you? Is God awakening something for you? Are you experiencing a new, fresh longing for Him? For His Word: For His service? Is HE awakening in you?

Just as we are incapable of producing light in the universe, we are incapable of producing light within ourselves. Only Christ can awaken the light of heaven within our hearts. I never realized how dark I was until He shined His light into my life.

When I was sixteen I failed the eye test to get my drivers license. My mom took me to the eye doctor and I was fitted for glasses for the first time. When my glasses were ready the doctor took me into the outer office and stood me before a large picture window and placed the glasses on my face. It was amazing. I could see!! Perfectly!! I never knew how bad my vision was until I saw clearly for the first time.

We walk in darkness, never realizing how lost and blind we are ,until the light of Christ awakens us and suddenly we see clearly for the first time. Light shines in. Christ awakens in us. Amazing.

Those who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

My prayer for you this Christmas Season is that the light of Christ will shine in you. Awaken you. Enlighten you. Satisfy you.

Father thank You for bringing the light of Your Son into our world of darkness. Thank You for holding our lives in Christ and allowing us to see what we really were...naked, blind, helpless and alone. Thank You for this season and all that it means.

The Stand

Daniel 3 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?...If you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He doesn't, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

Sometimes you must make a stand for something. And sometimes you must stand against something. And sometimes it is the same thing.

Our God is able to deliver us. But even if He doesn't we will be faithful to Him. That is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it is extremely difficult.

Thou He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

At this point in my life it is easy to praise Him. Easy to trust Him. Easy to talk about how wonderful He is. Because I am in the middle of the best year of my life. I have all I really need. My family is good. My kids are good. Life is good.

But what if tragedy struck? Again. What if something terrible happened? What if the worst happened? Is my foundation strong enough that I would not be shaken, even though the earth be moved underneath me? What if the winds blew? What if the floods came? Do I love Him enough that I could say, in the midst of the worst, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.? Not just anything hurting me, What if He allowed me to fall into a nightmare?

God did choose to save the three young Hebrew men from the fiery furnace. But what if He hadn't?

What about you? Is God allowing the flame to touch you? Are the winds blowing? Are the floods rising?

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.

He has to be more than just words on a page when times get rough. There has to be a friendship there. There has to be a relationship. If He is just a story to you then it won't be enough. He must be with you. Thou art with me.

At the funeral last week, Billy's funeral, I saw his wife, Sue, during the church service. In the middle of her husband's funeral she stood, with hands raised, in worship to the God who could have saved him. If God had been willing He could have healed her husband. Instead, God chose to give to him a heavenly body. And Sue chose to make a stand.

She chose to stand FOR her Lord. She also chose to stand AGAINST death. She did both at the same time. By standing in worship to her God, during the most difficult time in her life, she took a stand and said, Oh death where is your victory? Oh grave where is your sting?

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Father, I love You. Thank You for this time in my life. These months of peace and well being; times when all is good and praise is easy. I know storms will come. Build in me a faith that can stand like Sue's. In adversity. During pain. In times of trouble. May I be like the Hebrew children and say, He is able, but even if He chooses not to, I will be true to Him. He has done enough already for me to me to say, He is good. He is faithful. All the time.

The Weakness

I Kings 9 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared unto him at Gibeon. And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before Me. I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put My name there forever, and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and will keep My statutes and My judgements: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

I Kings 11 But Solomon loved many foreign women...of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, You shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave unto these in love....For it came to pass that when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart away after other gods.

We all have a weakness. What is yours?

What is the first thing that came to your mind? Maybe it was gossip, compulsive spending, pornography, some addiction or pride. Whatever it was; it may be that the Lord is dealing with your heart about a particular issue. As He is with mine.

As I was reading this story I thought about how many times there have been similar stories in God's word. From the garden of Eden, with the forbidden fruit, to the final defeat of Satan in Revelation, God speaks truth to us about the consequences of our choices and the risks of being disobedient to His will. And over and over we see the consequences of sin in the lives of God's people.

O wretched man that I am!! Who will free me from this body of death?

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!! How often would I have gathered thee as a hen gathers her brood under her wings but you would not!!

For if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!!

Christ longs to set His children free. From sin. From addiction. From whatever it is that He brought to mind when I asked the question, What's yours? Only complete surrender to God's will in every area brings the joy of freedom. It is not about a list of things that we must not do. It is about being set free from anything that holds you captive. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells inside of you, if you are a believer.

I pray for that power to sustain you and give you the courage to give it all to the One who died to set you free. Pray for me as well, that I would choose to surrender ALL to Him.

Father, I love you. I want my life to reflect that. Remind me that YOU dwell in me and that NOTHING is impossible for YOU. Awaken in me the power that raised You from the dead. Be strong in me. Remember that I am flesh and that I am weak and prove Yourself strong Lord.

Now to Him who has called us from darkness and delivered us to the kingdom of His glorious light be praise and honor and power forever. Amen? Amen.

The Bread

Mark 8 In those days when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples to Him and said to them, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away. And His disciples answered Him, How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place? And He asked them, How many loaves do you have? They said, seven.

And that was enough. Enough for four thousand.

Do you know that what you have is enough. Enough that when Christ dwells in You that it is enough to accomplish anything that He calls you to. The lofty dreams that you have. The unreachable goals you have set. When God call you to anything, you have enough. From the earthly perspective, from the flesh, it may seem impossible. But just like the loaves and fishes Christ comes into our lives and takes what little we have, blesses it with His presence, divides it among the crowds and it satisfies His purpose.

If there had been four million people it would have been enough. And then some. He is more than enough. For you. For Me.

If you are hungry. If you are faint. If you are far from home. Sit before Him. Let Him bless you. Let Him satisfy you. Be found in Him; for He is always enough.

The Return

I Thessalonians 4 But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord, Himself, will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will we always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.

Today I am going to the funeral of a man of God. A friend of the family has died. Gone on to be with the Lord. Yesterday my brother in law called to give us the arrangements for the funeral. As I shared with him my condolences for the loss of his friend, he said to me, I wonder how much of heaven he has already taken in. And I had a sudden, unexpected rush of envy. It struck me so profoundly that Billy is with Jesus, in heaven. Right now. He has passed from death unto life. And in this moment he is seeing the face of our Lord.

II Timothy 3 But understand this, that, in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unapeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Sounds familiar doesn't it? There is a lot of talk these days about end time. From Christians, from scientists, even from Hollywood.

Matthew 24 But concerning the day and the hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Not Christians, not scientists, not Hollywood. But we can certainly see the signs of the end times given by Jesus, Himself.

Matthew 24 What will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains....And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The funeral today was more of a life celebration than any I have ever attended. While it is always sad to say goodbye, it is sadness mixed with hope. This is not the end. It is just the beginning.

Are you ready?

The Redeemed

Mark 5 Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.

Psalm 107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in: hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.

As Thanksgiving approaches I am thinking more and more about all the things that I have to be grateful for, thankful for. As I look at this past year compared to the years of the past I am overwhelmed at what the Lord has been able to accomplish in my life....If you will give Me your life, I will make something beautiful out of it.....And He is always faithful. I have been given another chance, another life, another day, another heart.

It seems to me that God was pleased to crush me; that is my old will. And since I would come to Him no other way, He allowed me to choose the route that would bring me to Him. I would not come by pleading. I would not respond to mercy. I had no love of being wooed by Him. The road of sorrow led me to Him. I was too stubborn to come another pathway. He destroyed me. And that was the best thing for me. It was the road that led me home.

Over the last few years the Lord has been redeeming my life. My love for my mother, my children, my sisters, my extended family and finally, myself. Not that there is anything good in me, save the Holy Spirit, but He has taught me to value life, beginning with my own. He has graciously restored to me the relationships that I thought I might never have again. Slowly, and over time, because of the great devastation that I had created, He began a rebuilding process in me. Redemption.

It has been a long road, especially for my children, who suffered so much at my hand. They have been graciously learning to forgive me and I am trying to forgive myself. But this I know, God is in the business of restoration. Reconciliation. He is the Master Builder and the restorer of the breach. He began the work with the tearing of His own flesh and He accomplishes His will in us daily. Relentlessly seeking the lost and bringing them back into a relationship with Him.

That is the goodness of God. That is the miracle of who He is and what He does. And to this I say...Father to You alone belongs all praise. You alone are worthy to receive worship. You are the only God and I will adore You. With all that I have and all that I am; for You have redeemed me. From death. From hell. From the grave. From sin. Who but You, O Lord, could have saved someone like me? Worthless. Broken. Destroyed. And You became my good. My intercessor. My sin bearer. My life. You lifted me from the pit. You are my glory and the lifter of my head. You have made me glad. I cannot help but speak of the things that I have seen and heard.

Psalm 108 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your steadfast love is great above the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!

I have been redeemed by the Only One who is able to do so. Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so!!!!

The Potter

Genesis 2 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living creature.

Jeremiah 18 Arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will let you hear My words. So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hands, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

Revelation 7 These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Suppose...The life you have now is not the life that was intended for you.

Just as in the beginning God, the potter, created man and placed him in a perfect garden, He created you in your mother's womb. And just as the first family was corrupted by sin, so were we all.

Has you been hurt by sin? By what your parent's did? Or strangers? Or life? Was sin introduced into your life?

Then come to the Potter's House and hear the words of the Lord. Even though your vessel may seem spoiled, He is able to rework you.

I have been thinking this morning about all the dynamics in my own family. Sin that caused the suffering of my children, myself and all those that I love. I believe that God had chosen a very different pathway for our lives when He fashioned us in our mother's womb. But just like Adam, sin was introduced into our garden as well. Sometimes by our choices. Sometimes by force. Sometimes by ignorance, laziness, selfishness or worldliness. But sin. Nonetheless.

God, in his infinite mercy chose to rework us rather than to toss us aside. He is choosing to rework me. It seemed good to Him to do so. I may not have been the person that He created me to be at the beginning but He redeemed me and reworked me into a different vessel. One that He could use.

Come to the One who formed you and let Him rework you. This life won't last forever. The pain you feel won't last forever. There is coming a day when all things will be made right. When there will be no more sin or no one to introduce it.

He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. They will hunger no more....thirst no more....He will guide them to the springs of living water....God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

The Legacy

Matthew 26 Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

There are some roads that must be traveled alone.

Jon 16 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it is here, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

Or should I say, alone with God.

I Corinthians 15 O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is your sting?

Last Sunday my family and I attended a birthday party. A life celebration for a member of my sister's church. There was a typical church service with Sunday School, worship music followed by the preaching of God's Word. And then, like southern churches do so well, a country feast and a birthday party.

The fellowship hall was filled with people from all over the country who gave testament to the godly life that this man had lived. There was a slide show, laughter, tears and praise to the God who gives us all good things. And of course music. Beautiful harmony that, to me, is only found in the deep south. Rich, beautiful, from the heart harmony that comes naturally to southern gospel singers.

But to this celebration was a biting taste of bitter sweetness; for unless God offers a miracle, the life that we were celebrating may soon be no more. Without an intervention from God this man is going to God. A last journey.

And though he is surrounded by those he loves and who love him, he will make this last journey alone. With God.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art with me.

Thou. Not just anyone. Thou. And Thou alone.

There is a time when nothing else will do. There is a place where no one else can go. Thou, and Thou alone, art with me.

I tell you this, brothers; flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Unless Christ returns we will all taste death. It is a certainty. A sure thing.

Do you know what has stayed with me since Sunday? The one thing I carried away? Because of this man's testimony, and his belief that this life is not the end, his life had such a profound effect on others, for good. For God. For Eternity. Even on his birthday two souls were saved. Maybe a final gift to the Lord or from the Lord. But the thing that lingers with me is this....What about my own legacy?

What am I leaving or not leaving? Will I have a fruitful legacy to leave with those I leave behind?

Maybe I should start building a legacy like Billy's. Laying up treasure in heaven and leaving good memories on earth.

II Timothy 4 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Whom have I in heaven but You and on earth, besides You, I desire nothing.

O death, where is your victory?

Revelation 20 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne,and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I Thessalonians 4 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to be with the Lord in the air, and so we will ALWAYS be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Loss

Philippians 3 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His suffering becoming like Him in His death that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

How do you measure your worth? Is it found in what you possess or in who you belong to? Is your focus on accumulating treasures on earth or are you concentrating on sending them ahead of you into eternity? Would we be willing to lose everything to gain Christ and to count all that we have as rubbish compared to being conformed to His likeness by the death of our selves.

For the last couple of weeks Ken and I have had the opportunity to experience a life very different from our own. For the second time in two weeks we are in the Carolinas with Ken's work. Last week we spent 3 days and 2 nights in a luxury golfing community and this week we have been 3 days and 2 nights at the Hilton Hotel. I have found that it takes very little exposure to wealth for me to want a lot of it.

After all, who wouldn't want to live in a gated community in a multimillion dollar home, play golf all the time, drive a convertible Mercedes down to the marina to launch your yacht in beautiful South Carolina? Who wouldn't want to have the very best of everything including shopping and lifestyle accommodations?

I am beginning to think that I wouldn't. Not really. In these last two weeks I have imagined what my life would be like if I really lived this life instead of just pretending to. And what I found is that I don't like my behavior as much. It's not quite as happy and content as I thought. My peace is not what it should be. Wanna know why? My focus is turned to the earthy. The temporary. And in doing so it has tuned, just a little, from Christ. I took less time out of my day to think about Him. To talk to Him. To worship Him. To read His words of life. I wasn't really doing anything sinful, just more shopping, more eating out, more sightseeing. But suddenly I find that I might just get used to this.

Maybe that is why God made me lowly. Because He knew that if I had a whole lot, I might forget who supplied it.

So this morning I am making a different choice. I am remembering Him, the Rock from which I was hewn. I will remember my first love. My desire. My Beloved. For nothing on earth can compare with knowing Him. Everything else can be counted as loss, rubbish to me this morning.

That I may know Him and power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Hour

Matthew 24 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all way, so will be the coming of the Son of Man...Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night that the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Are you ready? Are you sure?

If Satan cannot convince us that the coming of the Lord is a lie, then the next best thing is to convince us that it is not happening today.

Eat. Drink. Be merry.

It is the American dream. Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. It is our right as citizens of this country. But is it Scriptural? Is it the attitude of Christ in the life of a believer?

So today I must ask myself...Do you believe this? And does your life reflect it? Ouch.

The truth is that if I really believed that Jesus could come at any moment today and that there are people that I know and love that would spend an eternity in hell, that this would be a very different day. I would be asking the question to everyone...Are you ready? Are you sure?

But do we really believe?

Luke 12 The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for may years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.

Awake, O sleeper and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

II Peter 3 Since all of these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening to the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

So....Are you ready? Are you sure?

The Place Prepared

Matthew 26 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus saying, Where will You have us prepare for You to eat the Passover? He said, Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.

Will you be prepared to serve Him when He calls you with a need?

What an awesome honor. The God of all the universe, the Messiah of the entire world, the Lord of Hosts, needs a place in your home to rest and have His last meal with His friends before He suffers. For you. For me.

One last peaceful meal. One last chance to share His heart. One last happy memory to sustain the Lamb of God through the torture to come. The wine. The bread. And the cup of suffering. Before the agony of the cross.

Who was this man who held a room in preparation for the Son of God. A place prepared. Waiting for the time when it's Master would have need of it. A common room. An uncommon purpose.

My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house.

The last time that the Passover Lamb would need to be sacrificed for the sin of the people. This time it would finally be sufficient to pay the debt. A perfect Lamb. Without spot or blemish. Pleasing and acceptable to the Father.

Do you have a place in your life that is prepared for your Master? Is it clean and swept and ready for his use? Is it waiting for the time when He will have need of it?

He is calling to us. He is calling to you.

Do you have the room prepared?

The Darkness

John 11 After saying these things He said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to waken Him.

Jesus alone has the power to waken us from sleep.

Just as God spoke, Let there be light and there was, He speaks to our hearts and light shines in. Before Jesus came to me, my entire life was lived in the darkness. My soul, my heart, my thinking, my habits. It was not so much that I chose this, but that I was unable to produce light on my own. We are in darkness until the light of Christ shines forth in us. And how would we recognize light unless we had walked in darkness?

The Bible says that when Jesus learned that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer before returning to Bethany.

Why?

Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not here, so that you my believe.

This is a hard concept. Was darkness allowed in my life so that when Jesus shined His light into my life, others could see and God would be glorified? I believe that it was for this purpose. And sometimes I just cannot tolerate that thought. It is hard to understand. A loving God allowing tragedy in our lives so that it might allow Him to show Himself strong in us.

Maybe it is this...we can't see the final outcome and He can. We live in the here and now and He lives in the everlasting.

Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.

Do you believe this?

I do. I believe that bad things happen to good people. Life is hard. Sometimes tragic. I also believe that God is in control and that He is always good. I believe there is coming a day when He will finally and for all time, set things right.

The man who had died came out....Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go.

The Shepherd

II Samuel 7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.

Do you remember what your life was like when God found you?

I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep.

Not leading or shepherding. Following.

I was thinking about my life as I read these verses. Our children are grown and doing so well. They are spending time together and becoming such great friends. Ken and I have a great marriage and a wonderful home. We travel and have a awesome life. Things are good. And maybe that is why these verses mean so much to me. There was a time when my life was very different than it is now. A world away from this. It was so hard. Heartbreaking.

And that is what God did for me. He stepped into my life and changed everything. My career. My family. My home. My life.

I would have thought that I had little in common with David, the King of Israel. But maybe we all have something in common as believers. We are redeemed by God. We are changed by knowing Him. We are saved from our old lives; from our old habits; from our old way of thinking. He takes us from the pasture, from following the sheep and builds for us a house.

Father, thank You for finding us. Where we are. How we are. And thank for you loving us enough not to leave us that way.

The Timing

Esther 4 And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Timing is everything.

It is amazing to me how God orchestrates the timing of my life. Perfectly. For his glory and for His purpose. When we left California in April and drove home to Tennessee, I had no idea what God had in store for me this summer. So much has happened, not only in our family, but in us. So many works of reconciliation. So much going on with our kids. One child got married, one got engaged, one bought a house. So much has happened with this blog and with the possibility of it being put into print. The trip to Israel and the hope of a future with that work. All a part of God's timing for me. For us. Divine appointments. Interventions of God's will on my own. God has so interrupted my life and, like always, improved it immensely.

How could I have imagined the wonderful works that the Lord would accomplish? He is always more than I expect. More than I deserve. More than I can imagine.

Today, we are in North Carolina, by the sea. It is beautiful. As I sit looking out at the changing leaves, the changing season, I wonder what God has in store for me next. Is this season of my life over as well? When we were driving home in April, spring was coming to life in the south and it was a beautiful thing to witness. It was as if I was seeing life come into being. I was unaware that life was awakening inside of me. Blooming. Blossoming life fed by the water of the Holy Spirit. This blog has been a documentary of sorts of the awakening of God in my life. It has allowed others to glimpse into the summer of my Pentecost. Life from death. Hope awakening.

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

As the world prepares to sleep for the winter my prayer for you and for me is that Christ would awaken in our hearts. Fresh. New. A flaming fire. An unquenchable thirst. A longing. May we never be satisfied with just being saved from sin. I want all of Him. A consuming passion for His presence. A never ending longing for the Word. A living, breathing passion for the work of the Holy Spirit. Awaken in us Lord. Stir us up in our spirits. Fan into flame the spark that was placed in us at our salvation. Pentecost, Father.

The light of Israel will become a fire and His Holy One a flame.

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire.

The Room

Matthew 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

At the beginning of the week I started a new project. I love new projects.

I emptied out the office where I am writing. I am turning it into a prayer room. A total makeover. I painted the entire room, hung new shelving and bought new furniture. I framed pictures from Israel and everything is looking fantastic. It is beautiful. I worked so hard all week to get it done as quickly as I could so I could get back to writing.

In fact, I worked so hard that I really didn't have much time for anything else. I found myself distracted during our Bible study this week; not really paying attention. Anxious to get to work so that I could get finished and enjoy my new space. After a couple of days I noticed that my prayers felt kind of flat and that when I would try to write it just felt forced so I would put it away thinking that I would pick it up later when the room was done. I attributed all this to being out of sorts since my place of quiet time with the Lord was under construction. I felt sure that when everything was back to normal that everything would be back to normal.

Yesterday the room was finished enough that I was able to move back into it. It looks great and I was so excited.

I sat down to write and....nothing. I read my Bible for a while; I prayed. Nothing. I thought, maybe I just need to worship, so I did. I wrote God a note about how awesome He is. I meditated on His goodness. I went to church today and, still, nothing from the Lord.

Until I read these verses. Scribes. Pharisees. Hypocrites. This can't be for me, can it? Lord I love you. I read, I pray, I worship. Not me, Lord.

And so He speaks....The writing was a gift Connie. A gift for my beloved one who was content to sit and listen. Who wanted ME. First. Foremost and above all. Do you still? Did I ask for a new prayer room? Did you even notice that I had gone as you breezed by Me every day? How long did it take for you to realize My absence? Two days? Three?

Oh Father. I am so sorry. And so foolish. How could I prepare a room for You while ignoring my relationship with You? You dwell in my heart, in my soul. Not in a room made with hands.

The prayer room is beautiful. And God desires good things for His children. Nothing wrong with that. But my heart was in the wrong place. My relationship with Him is above all things. It has to be my priority. Hearing from Him has to be my greatest desire. He is my portion. He is my prize. Not a room, a relationship.

I am writing again, obviously, but only after the Lord confronted me with these verses. And I agreed with Him. My cup looked pretty on the outside but the insides were full of greed and self-indulgence.

The Laughter

Psalm 133 Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.

When we arrived at Shevet Achim in Jerusalem there were seven families living at the house in various stages of recovery from heart surgery. Seven families sharing one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom, one bedroom, one TV. No privacy, no car, no air conditioning. These families were away from home; away from their spouses and other children. They are in a foreign country, with a foreign language, religion and culture. They were in essence in the land of their enemy. And do you know what sounds drifted most often downstairs to the staff quarters? The laughter of children, brothers, dwelling in peace. Cramped, hot, unfamiliar. Amazing.

Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.

I am missing them today. I am uncomfortable today. Unsettled. Out of place. I am in my own home, fire in the fireplace, warm, fed, physically well. But restless.

Maybe one reason that life is hard is that we will never feel totally at home here. We are not at home here. For a follower of Christ this is a foreign country. The culture is different, the currency is odd, the language is unfamiliar. We are away from our spouse and our real home. Something is missing. And as much as we accumulate and as many friends and good times that we enjoy, we are not completely satisfied.

God has placed eternity in the heart of every person and until we achieve that we will never be entirely whole.

A lesson can be learned from the families at Shevet Achim. This place can be crowded and unfamiliar. We can feel out of place. We can miss our husband and our real home. We are not completely well yet. Sometimes it is hot and we feel frustrated.

So, what do we do? Make friends. Play with the children. Pray to our Father for grace and mercy. And look ahead to the time that we will be at home, reunited with our husband and finally be whole. Until then let the sound of laughter drift upward to heaven.

Father thank you for all the good things in my life. For this summer, for this blog, for the trip to Israel, for my husband and our children, for our church and for our home. Thank you for placing eternity in our hearts. Thank you for the promise that one day we will all be together in a heavenly kingdom, with a heavenly body, free from sin. But most of all we will be in Your presence and will never be separated again. I love you Lord.

The Cost

Luke 14 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.

Loving someone always costs something.

I wonder...When God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit said, Let Us make man in Our image, had they sat down already and counted the cost? I believe they had.

Since God is not constrained by time, He is in all time and space currently. Hence, I AM. He always is present. The same is true in His name Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end so it makes sense that He could see the end of this age before the beginning began.

If I can let my imagination go for a moment I can almost hear some of that conversation....Let Us make man in Our image. They will fall to sin; they will be rebellious. A price will have to be paid to redeem them. Are you willing to pay it? Are they worth it?....Yes, they are worth it to Me.

And if I can, for a moment, give holy God man like qualities, I wonder if Jesus thought about that conversation when He told this parable. First sit down and consider the cost. Did He think of that in the garden at Gethsemane? Did He remember when the decision was made that He could finish what they were about to begin that first day?

Loving us cost. It cost a lot. Can we even imagine how much? Leaving all the splendor and perfection of heaven. His home. His Father. His heavenly body. His will, in essence. Humbling himself to flesh, humiliation, hunger, cold, fatigue, thirst, and the agony of the cross. I can't imagine how much it must have cost. I can't imagine thinking that we would be worth it.

No one will ever be able to say that Jesus didn't count the cost and that He was unable to finish what He had started once the foundation of the world was laid. No one can mock Him for an inability to bring to conclusion what He began. This Man, Jesus, began to build and accomplished His work.

Aren't you glad?

Jesus, Master builder, cornerstone...Thank You for counting the cost. For being able to complete what You began. In us. In me. Remind me of the cost of my salvation. A gift given freely to me yet so expensive to You. Flesh and blood. Life and death. Heaven and hell. Expensive. May we walk worthy of the price You paid.

Isaiah 28 Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold I AM the One who has laid a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation.

John 17 Father I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Genesis 1 Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.

The Voice

I Samuel 3 Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grown dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called to Samuel, and he said, Here I am! and ran to Eli and said, Here I am , for you called me. But he said, I did not call; lie down again. So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am; for you called me. But he said, I did not call, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am for you called me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down, and if He calls you, you shall say, Speak Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, Samuel, Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak for your servant hears...And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

How do I know when the Lord speaks? And how will I respond?

Probably the two greatest questions of my life; at least at this point. For most of my life this has not been a burning question for me. I was not listening anyway. Or maybe like in Samuel's time the word of the Lord was rare and there were no frequent visions. Or maybe like Samuel I did not know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to me. But now these are the questions that seem to matter the most to me.

Does the Lord have a distinct voice to you? Does it sound the same every time He speaks? Does He come to you in visions or dreams; and are you able to decipher His distinct sound over the random thoughts that fly by?

Samuel did have one advantage. He had placed himself in a position to hear God. Not only was he in the temple of the Lord; he was in the place of the ark of God. Close contact. Approximate. He was able to hear. He was willing to hear. He just lacked the discernment to distinguish God's voice from others.

One problem was that when God would speak, Samuel would run to Eli. Again and again. Unable to hear the tone of his Father, he ran to his mentor. His familiar source of comfort and instruction.

Strange that it took the man of God, Eli, three different wake up calls to recognize that Samuel was being spoken to by a heavenly voice.

The third time was different. Samuel was different. He was listening to the One who was speaking. And the voice of the Lord not only called to Samuel, He stood in his room. Not just a voice from heaven; a presence. God came down to Samuel to speak with him personally.

Once Samuel discovered who was speaking to him, and having placed himself in a position to hear; he had the right response to the Lord. Speak for your servant hears. Only then is he able to get clear direction from the Lord. A revelation. A prophecy.

I have read this story many times but it has new meaning for me today. This is one of the great mysteries of Scripture. Relevant in every age, in every situation and able to speak into every circumstance. So the Lord speaks to me today...Place yourself in close proximity to Me. Be available to hear. Learn the sound of My voice. Be willing to be in My presence. Listen to My instruction. And follow. Wherever. Whatever. Even when it makes no sense to you. Even when you are afraid. Even when you don't have the means or are unable to see the end results.

Whatever He tells you to do, do that.

Psalm 95 Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

John 10 The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, buy they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

Revelation 3 Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with Me.

The Hindrance

Matthew 16 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, Lord. This shall never happen to You. But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Harsh words. Especially to a friend. Direct. Truth. Jesus always spoke truth. Even when it stung. Even when it made no earthly sense. Unapologetic truth. As I was reading this I was thinking, Why did Jesus speak so harshly to Peter? What was He seeing in Peter that warranted such a strong reaction? It seemed that Peter was speaking only out of his love for Jesus.

Maybe it was this; false hope. A refusal to face the truth. Glossing over reality and avoiding the real issue. Because it was comfortable to do so. Sometimes it is easier to give false hope that to deal with the truth.

I see this often in oncology nursing. A denial of the inevitable. Usually not from the patient but from the family. Someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness; all hope is lost. All treatment is exhausted. And as this person is trying to reconcile themselves to the fact that they are dying, there is usually a family member who absolutely refuses to believe. They suggest more treatment, new alternatives, cutting edge medicine. Even as patients lay dying, they continue to spout false hope. Despite what the doctors say. Despite all evidence to the contrary they refuse to admit the inevitable. They are often critical of other family members for having no faith, no hope. And sometimes they hinder the patient from the task of dying. It is not faith or hope that keeps them pushing for life, it is the refusal to believe that anything bad can happen. It is the age old question of, Why do bad things happen?

Jesus came to die. It was the Father's will for Him to die. He had to die. And we should all be thankful for that. And while Peter may have had good intentions and great motivation he was a hindrance to Jesus. Denying God's will and perfect plan by refusing to see things from His perspective or to align himself with a heavenly design.

So maybe the lesson to be learned is this; Peter drew harsh words from Jesus because of his inability to reconcile his own plans to God's. If Peter was ever to be of any use to Jesus or to the church of the living God, he would have to learn to give up self to gain Christ. He would need to become willing to get in on God's plan rather than trying to get God in on his plans. He would need to see things from God's perspective. To set his mind on the things of God.

Romans 8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot. For those who are in the flesh cannot please God...He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Father teach me, like Peter, to look beyond myself and my own plan. Teach me to have a heavenly view. Give me the ability to see beyond the here and now; to look beyond the cross and see past the present suffering and to set my mind on eternal values.

The Proclamation

Jeremiah 7 Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord....Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. For if you truly amend you ways and your deeds , if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered!-only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of My people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to your persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by My name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.

II Timothy 3 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Numbers 23 God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind.

I know this is an ancient scripture and written to another people at another time but does it still apply? To me? To this country? To the present day church? I believe it does.

When I read, Do not trust in these deceptive words; my first thought was, One nation under God. And, In God we trust. Really? Is that reflected in our country's values or just an antiquated stamp on our money? Is it our battle cry or just a good luck charm? Do we steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to other gods and then stand in the Holy places, the house called by God's name and say, We are delivered? Only to leave the church and continue in our sin?

We are tolerant. Of everything. In our highest ranks of government. In our pulpits. On our televisions and in our homes. Indulgent. Self-absorbed. Materialistic. Insatiable. There is no fear of God before our eyes.

And how long do we really expect God to tolerate that? Are we already seeing the effects of God's discipline in our country? In our church? In our own homes?

Child molestation, adultery, murder, theft, hypocrisy and tolerance of sin in our church. Greed, power, lies, debt, abuse, sickness and murder in our government. Pornography, abuse, molestation, drugs, adultery, incest and rape in our homes.

Most of us do not have to look very far to see the effects of sin on our lives. We all know someone who has been a victim of some kind of aggression. A school shooting, 9/11, a robbery, an act of abuse or neglect, poverty or violence. Could not most of this be attributed to the fact that we have no use for God? Can we not see? Do we have no understanding?

The book of Jeremiah is a proclamation to the people regarding God's perspective on their ways and the fury of His wrath and punishment for their choices. It is a warning.

And you shall say to them, This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.

II Chronicles 7 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land...But if you turn aside and forsake My statutes and My commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from My land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this house, which was exalted everyone passing by will be astonished and say, Why has the Lord done this to this land and to this house? Then they will say, Because they abandoned the Lord...therefore He has brought all this disaster on them.

On our recent trip to Israel we had an opportunity to visit the West Bank. We had tea with a family that lives there and they shared with us many of the hardships of life in the occupied territory, behind the wall. The poverty, the fear, the kidnapping and murder of an Israeli soldier a few years ago, the daily struggle of getting back and forth through the checkpoint to work and their personal wishes for peace. We were told that this was the area in which Jeremiah proclaimed the word of the Lord. And I have to tell you that while we were driving through the area I was astonished and did think, Why has the Lord done this to this land?

Maybe it is time for those of us in the land of the free and the home of the brave to take a look at what can happen to a house, a church and a nation that turns it back on the living God.

The Chasm

I Corinthians 6 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

That should just about cover all of us.

There are some verses that stop me every time. If I am reading aloud I choke on them. And I just have to stop.

And such were some of you.

As I read the list of these sins I have to say, Yeah, that's me. And, Yes, that too. Oh yeah, thank you Father for that as well.

And such were some of you.

That is who I was. That is my life. And those kinds of people will not, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. For it is impossible for darkness to have fellowship with light. Holiness and sinfulness cannot abide together. Do not be deceived. It is not possible.

So that was the dilemma. A great gulf fixed between Holy God and sinful man. A chasm. On one side....light, peace, joy, glory, happiness, holiness, eternity and pure love. On the other....immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, thievery, greed, drunkenness, revilers and swindlers.

What to do?

And since we were unable to bridge the gap, God came to us. Gave Himself to us. He took His glory, His holiness, His righteousness and wrapped us in it like a mantle. Covering with His own flesh our sinfulness. He washed us in His blood. He sanctified us with His righteousness. He justified us with His holiness. Through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God. Amazing.

The King became sin for the servant. The honorable Husband forgiving the infidelity of His bride. Set free. From bondage. From debt. From sin. From death. From hell. Not because of any good in us. Because of good in Him. He became our good.

And what did we become?

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in Your body.
He became our good and we became His temple. Wonderful. Merciful. Savior.

Father You alone are good. You alone are wonderful. You alone are worthy of praise. Honor. Blessing. Worship. How unsearchable are Your ways and Your thoughts beyond knowing. How you love us is amazing. Unstoppable. Unchangeable. Unbreakable. Enduring. You are higher and deeper and better than life. We and all the earth reflect Your glory. We lift our hands, our hearts, our lives to the King of all Kings, The Great and Holy One. The Only One. You are God alone. And we will adore Your. Amen Lord Jesus. Amen God our Father. Amen our precious Helper, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Runner

I Corinthians 9 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

I wonder. What would God do with my life if I gave Him everything I have? If I surrendered totally to His will; if I was obedient in every circumstance; if I laid it all down for His kingdom? What if I stepped into His will, took every thought captive, brought every decision to Him in prayer? What if I held my life loosely before Him and surrendered completely to His purpose for my life? What if I allowed Him complete and total control?

What if I decided that it was not enough for me to just be in the race; what if I raced as to be the winner of the prize; first place and not just a runner up? What would that look like?

Maybe a better question is, Why haven't I? What could possibly prevent me from doing that, especially when I consider ALL that He has done for me? How could I ever give Him anything less than all I have?

The sad truth; the tragic truth is that it is frighteningly easy. It is the doing of it that I find difficult. Discipline is hard. Self-control is hard. Denying self is hard. The cross is hard. And doing it consistently is harder still.

It is true that as long as we live in the flesh we will never be perfect. But that is not the real issue here. I am not talking about perfection. I am talking about my will. Forget perfection. Most of the time I barely get to adequate. Not even a middle of the pack runner. Not a jogger. Usually I am a walker. Content to be drifting along in the back somewhere as long as I am not dead last.

Besides not everyone can win, right? Have you seen the professional runners anyway? They are obsessed. They ruin ice cream for everyone. Perfectionists. They are consumed. What if someone called me a fanatic?

The truth is that I am not self disciplined. I am in love with the thought of being a runner but not with what it takes to actually be a runner.

Maybe if I could see ahead to the eternal prize that is waiting for the runner I would feel differently.

Hebrews 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

And there it is. The motivation. A change in perspective. A cloud of witnesses in heaven and on earth. Cheering us on. Reminding us of what is important, really important. Eternally important. And that by throwing off the weights of laziness, worldliness and selfishness we are freed to run with endurance our own race, looking to the prize. The goal. Jesus. The One who ran before us in His own race. Running with joy. Because He could see beyond the here and now. He could see beyond the shame of this life. He could see beyond the agony of the cross. He could see the joy that was set before Him at the finish line. He could see His Father waiting at the finish line. So even though He despised the shame He found the prize worth racing for. He was willing to endure the present agony to attain the prize of eternal Lordship. Thereby bringing to His Father a host of heavenly runners. You. Me.

And He set an example for us. Run. Even when you despise it. Find a way to look ahead to the prize. Run to win. Run to Him.

II Timothy 4 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Now that is worth running for.

Father. Forgive. Me. When I am selfish I will remember Your selflessness. When I am angry I will remember Your suffering. When I forget, remind me. Help me to look past my own self, past the world, past my desires and failures and look to the finish line. To my prize. You are my prize and my portion forever. I will run to You.