The Sermon

Luke 6 And He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. An all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power had come out from Him and healed them all.

And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said,

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

I wonder if the people gathered to hear Him were just a little surprised at the beginning of this sermon. I mean, here they were, this great crowd of people that were gathered, and here HE is, healing, casting out demons, performing miracles....He had their complete attention. You can hear in Luke's words as He sets the scene here that Jesus is on the verge of saying something so profound and as He lifts His eyes to the crowd they must have been anticipating His next words...

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven...

And there is one of His greatest abilities; to turn our hearts toward eternity.

Jesus did not promise them an earthly kingdom where they would never be hungry or sad again, He did not promise them fame or freedom from illness. He did not say that He would hang around forever to make sure that nothing bad ever happened in their lives again. He gave them something better. Hope.

You have the kingdom of heaven waiting. You will never be hungry again. You will laugh again. This life will end and you cannot even imagine what is waiting on the other side of temporary. There is a day coming when all things will be made new.

The miracles were temporary. Healing the sick or blind or lame is temporary. He was offering them something so much more, so much better.

And for the ones who stayed around, until the end and believed...they received the promise, fulfilled.

It won't always be like this. There is a day coming when all things will be put in order. You may be hungry now, you may be weeping now, you may be suffering now for His name but something so much better is coming. You will receive the promise, fulfilled.

The Mountain

Luke 6 In these days He (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles.

So what do you think Jesus was praying about?

All night.

A couple of things occur to me...When was the last time that I spent all night in prayer? And, If Jesus needed to pray all night before making an important decision, how much more do I need prayer?

So what does prayer really do when it comes to making decisions? Usually we pray for a couple of reasons. We pray to thank God, like before a meal or when we receive a blessing; or we pray to ask God for something like to heal us from illness or to provide us with a job or a home or some monetary blessing. But as for me, at least, I find that I don't usually bring my decisions to Him and as I sit here wondering why that is, a small voice whispers in my heart, Because this type of prayer involves being quiet and waiting on your Lord to speak. Oh....yeah, I guess there is that.

I want to bring my list to God of all the things I need for Him to do for me or give the obligatory thank yous that I know He deserves but to bring my decisions to Him, to lay my plans before Him and to sit quietly and listen and obey....well, that's different. That's hard. That requires time and trust and patience.

So maybe that would explain some of my past decisions and their poor outcomes.

It really comes down to who is in charge of my life. Me. Or Him. It is a matter of control. Will I follow where He leads or just run on ahead on my own? Will I move when He says to or drag my feet? Or will we walk together through this life?

Will I hold myself and my plans and decision up to Him with an outstretched arm and an open hand and say, Here it is Lord, all of it. What would You have me do?

Even if it takes all night.

Oh Father, teach us to pray and to be silent and wait for You to speak. Sometimes I am in such a hurry that I just pray and before You even have time to speak I say Amen and run along. Teach us to patiently wait for You Lord, for Your voice, for it is Your voice that we long for.

The Baptizer

Luke 1 And the child (John) grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 3 The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The road to salvation is paved in repentance.

Curious. John the Baptist was living in the wilderness until the power of the Lord was given to him to proclaim that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ. His message was not one of celebration but of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I tell you God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire...I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.

I Peter 4 For it is time for judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Matthew 3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Before the good news of salvation was preached, before the miracles and healings were witnessed, before they were baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit, the masses were called to repentance.

Maybe that message might need to be spoken again. Look around....are we in need of repentance as a nation? As a people? As a church?

His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor.

So He speaks to my heart today....

Do you want to see Me? Do you want to witness miracles? Do you want to be baptized with fire and My Holy Spirit?

It begins with repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

Father, I invite to clear the threshing floor of my heart and life and I must admit that it needs a thorough cleansing. I am not satisfied only with salvation. I want more Lord, more of You, deeper truths, a fresh baptism of fire and light, to be consumed with You Lord, to witness miracles and see Your kingdom come. I want to walk with you in honesty and truth. I want my life to count for You, Father.

The Giver

Luke 1 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He swore to our father, Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Sounds like a declaration of independence, doesn't it? O that the land of Israel would make it so. They would see a state of independence indeed!!! If only they would turn with one heart to their God we would see miracles from heaven, shouts of praise from angels innumerable, the whole earth would be filled with praise.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!!

Someday.

I have been reading (again) Catherine Marshall's, The Helper. The following is from this work...

Indeed, so long as we seek the baptism of the Spirit with ourselves primarily in mind-for our spiritual growth, for our peace of mind and joy, for our prayers answered-then the Helper always withholds a measure of Himself....The Holy Spirit will not come to us in His fullness until we see and assent to His priority-His passion for ministry. Are we ready to give ourselves to others?

Luke 1 The sunrise shall visit us on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into way of peace.

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

Matthew 5 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

He is given to us to be given away!!!

Luke 6 Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over it will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

He was given to me, to give to you.

Will you receive Him?

Lord pour into us, for service, for sharing. To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The Believers

Luke 1 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.

Genesis 15 And Abram believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.

Mark 5 Do not fear, only believe.

Romans 10 Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved.

Believe. Believe. Believe.

From promises to miracles to salvation. It all hinges on the act, the CHOICE, to believe. It is a step out into the unknown. It is required. And it is also rewarded.

Why do you think that God asks us to believe in things that are impossible?

Maybe it is to show us that nothing is impossible for HIM. Maybe it is to show us that without Him we face impossible situations and circumstances alone. Barren. Without hope.

Blessings are received when we believe God for impossible promises. Miracles are witnessed when we believe God can perform them. The dead are raised when we believe that God has the power to raise them. And hearts are saved when we place our trust in these truths and believe.

If I want to see God work the impossible in my life then I need to believe in what He has promised me.

What great word have you from the Lord?

What impossible promise is He offering to you?

Do you believe?

Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.

Do not fear, ONLY believe.

Hebrews 11 Without faith it is impossible....

The Vision

Romans 8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds of the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For the mind set 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 to God, for it does not submit to God's Law; indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend, Margo, and the question came up about when I might return to Israel. And suddenly in the middle of this light hearted, enjoyable lunch, my soul was pierced by the Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Why are you sitting here instead of in Israel?

And in a moment of clarity and honesty my heart replied, Because of my flesh.

For the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Always the flesh.
Forever, it seems, is the flesh.

This morning I had a vision....


I am sitting in a study in Jerusalem, a simple, beautiful room with stone floors and walls, with a desk placed in front of a window that looks out onto a small courtyard. I am writing my book by hand in a large leather journal, in its entirety. I am at peace.

And into this peaceful vision, He speaks....

This is what you are trading to live in the flesh.

And I am undone by this truth.

Again and again I am faced with the knowledge that I am not living the life intended for me because of a lack of faith on my part, an unwillingness to trust, to let go of my stuff, to open up my fists and release everything to Him.

Romans 7 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate...For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out....So I find it to be a law (habit) that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.....O wretched man that I am!! Who will deliver me from this body (flesh) of death? Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

(and I love this next verse, ready?)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Thank you Lord for that)

Do you ever feel this way, that you are missing it? Why do I keep coming so close and backing off? I sabotage myself and, worse, His plans. Why can I not just do what I should?

Maybe because my mind is set on the flesh.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.


Father....You know.

The Indifference

Matthew 7 And then I will declare to them, Depart from Me. I never knew you.

Just imagine....If you knew for certain that Christ would return in ninety days, that the Bible was true in its entirety, that anyone whose name was not found written in the Lambs Book of Life, anyone who had not been saved by an act of faith in Christ's death, burial and resurrection, would spend an eternity in the torment of hell....

If I could make you believe this and could convince you that you had ninety days to set your life in order and to make sure that everyone you know and love would be ready what would you be doing right now?

How would you spend the next ninety days? Would you spend hours in front of the television or the computer? Would you read long romance novels or horror stories? Maybe you would run up all your credit cards at the mall or add a wing onto the house or shop for a new car. None of these things are really bad, right? But these are things that people of leisure do, and we only have ninety days left, right?

Who told you that you have ninety days left?

What if you only have sixty or thirty or ten? What if someone important to you only has one day left, what then?

This is the thought that is haunting me today. And here is the question that I must ask, What are we doing, you and I, that really matters? What impact are we making on this world for eternity?

And what if we don't have ninety days?

Matthew 7 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 6 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven where neither moth or rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Do we really believe that Jesus might return at any moment? Then why do our lives not reflect it?

Father I believe that I am guilty of the sin of indifference, just spending my life as if all was right in the world, content to work in my house or in my garden or to go to work to earn money to work in my house or in my garden, to while away the hours of time like You might not ever return and that somehow everyone that I know and love with magically end up in heaven with us and that we will all live happily ever after. Indifference to my neighbors, to Your voice, to Your plan, to Your Holy Scriptures, just living life for myself like it will never matter later on. Father forgive me. Place within the hearts of Your people a burning conviction that what we do with our life matters. It matters how we live. It matters how we spend our time. It matters if we share You with others, O God, drag us from this tendency to live a self-indulgent, self-centered, self-serving life with barely a glance toward heaven. You matter Lord. You matter to me.

The Watchman

Ezekiel 7 And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel. An end! Enough!....Disaster after disaster! Behold, its coming. The times has come; the day is near...The sword is without, pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword; and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devours....They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders....According to their way I will do to them; and according to their judgement I will judge them, and they shall know that I AM the Lord.

Have you watched the nightly news lately? Lies. Drugs. Murder. War. Disaster. Famine. Disease. Rape. Pornography. Scandal. And usually this is followed by the fashion world, the self indulgent lifestyle of the fabulously wealthy who seem to live their lives without consequence. Occasionally there are stories of people who make a real effort to make this world a better place to live but mostly it is all about the destruction our government, our environment, extinction of our species of wildlife, destruction our natural resources and threats to our economic well being.

Maybe we are beginning to reap what we have sown. Maybe God is saying to us as a nation, as a race, as a people, as His creation, An END!! ENOUGH!!!

How can He bear this world? Children exploited for sex and traded for drugs, murder in every city on the planet, rape of women caught on film and distributed for profit, drugs so addictive that people will do anything, risk thing for another fix, governments corrupt from the head down, greed like a beast tearing at everything and everyone, stopping at nothing to get ahead, debauchery of every variety tolerated across the board. How LONG, O Lord???

Romans 11 Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have demolished Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life. But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

Romans 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Hebrews 4 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Bones

Ezekiel 37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley, it was full of bones. And He led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know.

And so He speaks to me today....Can these bones live?

When God came to me I was not "messed up". I had not "gone astray". I was not "backslidden". Even the term "lost" is not adequate. I was dead.

Dead to God's voice, to His Spirit, to heaven. My eternity was bound to have been spent in hell. If you do not know the love of God, the voice of God, the salvation and forgiveness of God; you are dead as well. It really is just that plain and simple.

God, as it were, introduced Himself to me. Can you BELIEVE that? When you read this does it resonate somewhere inside your own heart? Does it take you back to the day that you met Him for the first time?

He steps into our lives and makes us LIVE. He raises us up from the dead. He joins us bone to bone. He brings sinew to our bones and flesh to our muscles and breathes into or bodies the breath of LIFE.

Just as it was with Adam so it is with us all. From the dust....where we are....LIFE FROM DEATH!!!!!

So if we can go one step beyond this...As we were once dead, now we live. Our lives are changed. Our destiny is changed. Our eternity is changed. We are already in His presence. Day by day, moment by moment being brought into His presence and conformed to His likeness. We are BECOMING more like Him. As the seconds tick by we are leaving this place and entering into the next life. Can you feel it? Can you feel this temporary giving way to eternity? Can you feel your spirit soaring upward, climbing, reaching, longing for His touch? Can you BELIEVE this? It is happening.

Ezekiel 37 Then He said to me, Prophecy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord....I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall KNOW that I AM THE LORD.

Ephesians 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.....BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The Seeker

Psalm 32 O taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Oh fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack. The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

What an awesome promise. Even more wonderful to see it lived out in your life. Such is the life of the seeker. He is not just words in a book, He is a living, breathing, promise keeping God.

As I picked up my Bible this morning I was thinking about how grateful I am for my life and how good God has been to me, how faithful He is to his children. I am content. I am healthy. I am happy. I am at rest. And even when I am in the middle of storms, He provides....everthing.

Seek peace and persue it....

The Lord has shown us the way to peace.

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

There is an old song that comes to mind and goes something like this...Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Are you lacking peace or contentment? Stay your mind on the source of what you are longing to find. Seek the One who provides all that is needed.

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing....Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all...The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Isaiah 26 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.

Father I am thankful for times like this when life is calm and praise is easy. Thank you for being ALL that is needed in life, for being an anchor in times of troubled winds, for being a comforter of the broken, for being light in the darkness and for being a faithful friend at all times. As we seek You, be found Lord. Reveal to us our greatest treasure....Yourself.

The Camp

Genesis 32 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that You have shown to Your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

When I look at my life now, when I see it all laid out before me like a story, the blessings that the Lord has given to me, there is such an overwhelming rush of gratitude that I can hardly contain it.

We have been home for a couple of weeks now and it has been so sweet. Keeping Jamie's girls, going to Silverdale for Sunday worship, dinners with my family and friends, looking forward to seeing Jodie before his deployment and seeing his child growing in Cortney's little belly, camping in the mountains of North Carolina with friends from Germany, Beth's bridal shower, watering my yard, fire in the firepit late at night.....gratitude.

I remember how I got here and the circumstances that brought me to this place at this time. And those memories make me grateful, so grateful for what I have now.

The Bible says it best by saying, That for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. The ability, through hope, to look beyond the present, to the future. And again, the Bible says that this present suffering is not worthy to be compared to the joy that is laid up for those who love Him.

There is little suffering in my life and certainly nothing compared to the cross but I do not want to forget what is behind me. I am no longer defined by my past but I cannot deny that I am somehow shaped by it. I would not chose to change a moment of it if those changes would alter what I have.


I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that You shave shown to Your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

I know where My help comes from. It comes from the Lord. So today I will say to You Lord, Thank You. Thank You. Thank You for Your goodness and mercy toward me. For my salvation, for my family, for my church, for our friends, for our freedom, for laughter, peace, contentment and happiness. Everything I am and all that I have is from You, by You, for You.

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.

The Caress

Mark 14 And they led Jesus to the High Priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter followed Him at a distance....

And so He speaks.....

I would have you near Me, Connie. Always. Close enough to touch. Close enough to hear My whisper. To dip your bread in my plate of oil and spice. Recline at My table and engage in conversation with Me. Really live within My presence. Exist here. Dwell here. Tabernacle here. With Me.

Stare into My eyes and in doing so find the meaning of your very existence. I will reveal Myself to you. It is your highest calling, knowing Me.

This cannot be accomplished by following at a distance.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

As we grow closer, as you grow in Me, I will give to you more of Myself. More understanding. More knowledge. More joy, contentment and rest. Sometimes you will face loss or sickness or death but do not fear. I AM.

Yield to Me. Everything. Then I will fill you with My Spirit. He will awaken anew in your soul, Connie. He will be as a burning flame. An unquenchable fire. Lightning, thunder and rainbows of light.

Are you ready? Are you willing?

Then come closer. And see.

And he (Peter) broke down and wept.

The Garden

Mark 14 Abba...Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will....Abba....Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will....Abba....Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will....It is enough, the hour has come. Rise let us be going.

What will you do when faced with the most difficult struggle of life?

So much can be learned about the character of Jesus in these last few quiet moments in the garden called Gethsemane. The tender familiarity with which He addresses His Father. The recognition of the fact that His Father was able to deliver Him. The willingness to bring the most important decision of His life, of the ages, to His Father and the obedience to follow His Fathers' plan.

Abba? Father? Please....

The grace to know when God has spoken contrary to our request.

My grace is sufficient for you.

The strength of character to say, Enough. The hour is come. Let us be going. The courage it takes to align our will with His.

Are you facing your greatest fear?

I meet people in my work who are in the middle of the garden of Gethsemane. New diagnoses of cancer. Last resort drug regimens. Research therapies. Learning that there is nothing left to try. From chemo to surgery to radiation and in many cases to the end of life.

Do you find yourself in the garden pleading with the One who is able to deliver you?

Just know that you have a High Priest who is acquainted with sorrow. He endured the cross for you. He understands whatever you are facing. Fear. Loss. Pain. Disease. Death.

We can learn from His example. Let your requests be made known to God. Plead your case before Him. Then align your will with His.

It is enough. Rise, let us be going. The hour is come.

Father, Abba, life is often hard as You know. Remember us Lord for good. Be merciful to us. Be with us in our garden.

The Aroma

Mark 13 She has done what she could, she has anointed My body for burial.

My friend Margo just returned from Jerusalem and she brought me a bottle of Spikenard from Basam's spice shop in the Old City. It is a treasure. A favorite of mine.

The bottle had leaked a little inside the bag and even through the plastic its smell has permeated this prayer room; this holy fragrance, filling my house with the aroma of a Savior. I feel unworthy of its presence.

If I close my eyes I can imagine the scene....And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon, the leper, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over His head....She has done a beautiful thing to Me.

I can imagine that the flavor and odor of the spikenard would have clung to the hair and skin of our Lord during the agony that was to come; that as His flesh was torn and beaten that the aroma would have been released from His skin and that maybe it's smell would have taken Him back to one of the last acts of kindness that He would know on this earth. One moment in time when He allowed Himself to receive a luxury. One of the only times when we see any indulgence for Himself.

The story, like the fragrance, is lingering in this room. Heavy. Thick in the air. Very costly.

Can you see Him there, reclining at the table? To me He wears linen. Oil dripping into His hair, His beard, trickling slowly to His shoulders, chest and back. Seeping into His pores. Filling the entire house with the memories of its Lord.

It is strange the way that smells take us back to memories. Pine reminding me of Christmases past. Warm bread reminding me of my mother's cooking.

Spikenard reminds me of Jerusalem. When we were there the second time my hair was very short and at night when I would shower I would rub a little of the oil into my hair. When I would turn over the smell would be released. I dreamed often of the Lord in Jerusalem and I believe it is because I wore His fragrance in the night. Thoughts of Him in my sleep stirred up images of Him.

It is a sweet thought that during His passion Jesus would have been taken back to a moment of comfort by the smell of spikenard on His skin and in His hair. One moment when a woman did what she could and offered her best to the Master.

Lord Jesus fill this house, this room and this life with Your presence. Your fragrance. Your aroma. Live here. Speak here. Linger here for You are my desire.