The Supplies

Romans 15 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do so, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

I am falling in love again with all the attributes of my Father, my friend. His traits are altogether lovely. He is mercy, faithfulness, truth, gentleness, kindness. He is fair and He is practical. Yeah, He's practical.

I arrived safely in Tel Aviv, Irael at Ben Gurion last night, although for about 3 hours overs the ocean I was not sure I was going to. It was "bumpy" and I was traveling alone. I didn't cry but I got "prayed up" as we say. It felt good to land. It felt good to land here. Almost familiar now. An easy check in to this country that I find myself to drawn to. I was picked up by Mary, Donna and Gaddy and we made the drive together up to Jerusalem :) which I love. A warm Israeli night. Pleasant. New friends. Old friends.

Dinner was a fabulous homeade chicken soup that they could not have known how much I needed. I am still nursing a cold. I was introduced to three of the children and their mothers at beditme meds but I'm jet lagged so we can't really count that as a proper introduction. They have been told that the US nurse is here. The "sister" in Kurdish.

This trip is different already. I left about 40 pounds of useless personal things at home this time and opted to bring some much needed supplies. Maybe I am growing up, a little. Forty pounds worth, anyway. It is an odd assortment that we unpacked. Some medications, blankets, donated clothes, some medical equipment, hot chocolate and toilet paper "to go" :)

So after a much needed shower, greetings, introductions and ambrosia for dinner, I settle in with my new roomies and hope to hear something quick from the Lord :) I am very tired. I just happen to pick up where I left off yesterday in Romans and find these verses...

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do so, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

Only God can breathe out Scripture that is useful. Every day. In every situation. Only He can know what we will need to find in Scripture every day. In every situation. That is a miracle. That He meets us in His Word every time is a miracle. Just another reminder that He sees us. He knows us. He understands us and what we are facing. He forgives us when we're tired and we say Lord speak quickly, I'm fading. He can say so much in a moment.

I owe a debt to the forefathers of this land. To them were given the Words of Life. They received through the work of the Holy Spirit, through the life of Jesus Christ and through encounters with God the Father, the Holy Scriptures. And their hearts were hardened so that we might be grafted in. We owe our very lives to them. We owe them our salvation in a way.

They owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

And with that thought I am able to drift gratefully to sleep.

It is morning now even though my body is telling me it is not. Day one of a new adventure here. Another journey into my life and walk with the Lord and I cannot wait.

The Ceremony

Romans 10 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent...So, faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of God.

On the day that I graduated from nursing school we had a pinning ceremony. A separate graduation for nursing where we received a pin to certify our completion of the nursing program. It was one of the greatest days of my life. A pin was placed on my uniform by my nursing instructor like a badge of honor. Like a gold medal. Like a coat of arms. I spoke before the crowd that day of the faithfulness of my God who had brought me so far and our chaplain (and we were the first class to ever elect one) sang, Love them like Jesus.

We were, for the most part, a spiritual group with almost every single student claiming the name of Christ. We prayed collectively before every test, every time, for two years. It was our goal to let the love of Christ be shown to others in our work. We would vow to present ourselves to our chosen fields and practice our skills in the love of Christ. It was a noble idea. A noble profession.

And this is where it gets a little tricky. Because I really liked that idea. Just go to work and love them in Jesus name. After all, does not the Bible say that if you offer a drink of cool water in His name that there is great reward in that? So bear with me for a moment.

Truly it is not enough, just in and of itself, to love like Jesus. It is just the beginning. For if we love others in His name but they never are lead to the knowledge of how to find Him what have we really accomplished?

How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?

Jesus' greatest commandments were to love the Lord with all you've got and to love one another. But what does it say? That the law is fulfilled in the loving. The rest of the law is pretty much action. Acting out that love. The love of Jesus was an active love. Always pointing the way to His Father. To Truth. To eternity.

If we just love, just to show kindness it is not enough. We must lead them to the source. The chorus of that song says, Love them like Jesus. Carry them to Him.

I learned something about myself in just having this attitude in my work. It is easier for me to say in my heart, Lord as I work today, I will work in Your power, You strength, Your wisdom and Your love. My work is for You. I will treat my patients with the warmth and gentleness and kindness that You have shown me. That was the easy part. It got a little tougher to open my mouth and begin a conversation about where their heart was with the Lord. But it is their heart that He is after. So I learned that loving them like Jesus was a reward for me but that it really didn't benefit them that much. What they really need, what we really need, what the world really needs is a Savior. Not just to be loved.

It is a start. It plants a seed. It shows a changed life. It is the greatest of all commandments. But without the knowledge that leads to Christ, it is just not enough.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.

Father, this is just another area of my life where I would withhold myself from You. I want to do the least I can to get by. It is uncomfortable for me to speak sometimes. It is just easier to love and hope that they see You in my work. In my attitude. But that does not lead to salvation. It might lead to curiosity, it might start a conversation but at some point for it to really matter, it must lead to the truth of who You ARE. And how will they know, if they never hear. Love without knowledge or truth is really just good works. I don't want people to think that I am just nice, or a friendly person or a conscientious worker. I want them to know that these attitudes flow out from a relationship with YOU. Teach me Lord to open my mouth and share with others the life changing truth that leads to salvation through faith. Through hearing. Through the Word of YOU.

The Zealous

Romans 10 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

If this statement were not so tragic and true it would be funny. The first thought that came to my mind was random and very southern. She is runnin around like a chicken with her head cut off!

So, I am guessing that the topic for today is "busyness". Without direction or purpose.

I am trying a little different approach to Scripture reading these days. Many verses, like the one above, are written about a specific group or about a specific event. So I think that sometimes I see these verses as not really being applicable to me personally. Then I read this verse again...

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.

So, considering this, what does a zeal for God without knowledge mean to me today.

Busyness has always been friend mine. Ken says that I clean like someone who is being chased. I love to be busy. So for the last couple of years one way that I can tell that the Lord is preparing me for an Israel trip is that He quietens me. I just suddenly stop. I spend hours sitting at my desk or curled up on the sofa with my books and computer. It is as if He is resetting my internal clock for Israeli time. It is also a time of needed rest and being filled up with Him and His Word. It is in preparation for being busy in Jerusalem.

It is strange that in the last few days I have had several invitations to coffee. And can I just stop right here and say that the thought of having coffee in Jerusalem is healing to the soul. One invitation is from a lady in Germany whom I have never met or corresponded with until today. But for someone like me having coffee is the opposite of busy. Having coffee is time consuming. It is relaxing. Enjoyable. Just the thought of it makes me peaceful. And what about all the work that needs to be done while I am languishing away in a coffee shop?

And so He begins to save me from myself and speak to my heart about His heart. And His heart has always been about relationships.

What do we see most often in the gospels? Jesus building relationships. At weddings. At the well. Over dinner. In the temple. By the Sea. Reclining at the table. Investing in the lives of others.

And so we come to the truth of the matter. Work, for me, is a way of not getting involved. It is not personal. It is a task that must be completed and that is easier for me than sitting down face to face and opening my heart and life up to another person.

But that is exactly the way that He would have me live. He would have me get involved, not with just the work, with the people. The work belongs to Him.

Psalm 127 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil, for He gives to His beloved even in sleep.

Father, thank You for teaching me about priorities in my life. Your priorities. Your perspective. Thank You for teaching me about myself and all areas in my life that I would keep from You. Hide from You. And how silly is that, the thought that I could keep anything from You is an example of how incorrect my thinking can become. It is people that you are after. Hearts and souls. Thank You for showing me that they are found through relationships. To everything there is a season, right? Time for work, time for rest, time to pray, time to love. And time is short. Help me make the most of my days Father, for Your kingdom. For Your glory. For Your children. And Father, thank You for telling me that I am worth knowing. Tear down the lies Lord and show me how You see me. I love You so much.

The Source

Ephesians 6 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore.

An there it is in black and white. The answer to many of life's questions. The cause of most conflicts; the source of much confusion; the root cause of jealousy, bitterness and anger. It is so simple. My real conflict is with my real enemy.

Bless our hearts. It really is a miracle that any of us make it through this life. Most of us carry such heavy burdens of personal baggage from our past in the form of past failures, abuse, guilty consciences, to inner thoughts of weaknesses or physical flaws that haunt us. Add to that just the stresses of life, good and bad. From busy parenting to the responsibilities of owning a home, to traffic and budgeting in a tight economy. Along with that we face illness and injury or loss of loved ones from disease or death. We juggle jobs, families and faith. And if that is not sufficient to cause a mental breakdown....

I Peter 5 Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

We have a formidable enemy, capable of plaguing mind and body, and his desire is to crush you. To destroy you. And if you want to really feel the fire of his fury determine in your heart to commit your way to Christ.

But what if during our struggles we were given a change of perspective. What if we realized that we were not really battling our families, our coworkers or our neighbors; we are really in a battle with our true enemy, the devil.

For we do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

If you claim the name of Christ you have a powerful enemy. He lives to cause discord among the brethren, among families and within your own thoughts. He longs to draw us into conflicts and confusion, doubt and fear. He is the stealer of happiness, peace, contentment and joy. He hinders the work of our church and personal ministries.

But you have an all powerful defender who has equipped you with armor and sword for your defense.

Ephesians 6 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit.

Father when I feel conflicted within myself or with others, when I feel overwhelmed with this life, when I grow weary of my emotional baggage, I ask that my Helper will remind me of this truth. My real and only enemy is the devil and he is temporary. I also have an anchor and a set of armor given to me by my all powerful Father. And having put it on and having done all to stand, stand firm therefore in His strength.

The Relationship

Philippians 4 For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Are there any greater joys on this earth than peace with others and contentment within ourselves? The lack of these has been one the greatest difficulties in my life. Peace and contentment seem to ebb and flow according to the circumstances that I find myself in.

So where exactly do we find peace?

Isaiah 26 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You.

Never is this more of a struggle for me than when I am in Israel. Maybe it is because there is so much at stake for me there.

I am returning to Israel this weekend and in my attempt to get "real" with the Lord I will ask Him, for He is the only one who knows, How do I find peace and contentment in my life in every situation? How do I keep my mind stayed on You?

This is where He must be more to us than words on a page. He must be real. He cannot just be a wonderful story in book.

So in answer to my question He leads me to the book of Matthew.

Matthew 11 Go tell John what you see; the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me....What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet...But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.

What did you go out into the wilderness to see, Connie? I have already healed the blind, the deaf, the lepers and raised the dead. I have already given the Good News. What then did you go out to see? Were you looking for a soft place to land? A prophet to perform wonders and miracles? Were you hoping to find peace and contentment on the streets of the Old City? Do not think childishly. Do not say, I played the flute and no one danced.

You will not find Me in Jerusalem or anywhere else until I cannot be found by you in everything. You will not find Me by working for Me or writing for Me.

You find Me in a relationship.

Day by day. Until I become more to you than anything else you will never find true contentment and peace because I made you that way. You cannot cultivate these things within yourself, they are gifts that flow from My Spirit abiding within you.

I have prepared everything for you. All you need to do is walk in Me. Live and breathe in Me. Draw strength from the relationship with Me. I am peace and contentment. It is not found. It is lived.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

From Frances J Roberts' Come Away My Beloved For when I am to you more precious than all else; and when you love Me more than you love any other, then shall you know complete satisfaction.

Father as I prepare to leave, as I am packing my suitcases, would you place in my heart the gifts that You would have me bring to Shevet Achim, the things that You have desired. Laughter. Joy. Peace. Happiness. Contentment. Worship. Willingness. Love. Send with me the gifts of the Spirit and the ability to let You move in out of my life freely and abundantly.

Father you know this heart of mine and how it is diligently seeking You. Thank You for being found Lord. Thank You for showing me my heart and Yours.

The Ordinary

Romans 4 He (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

I love these verses. They contain so much truth that you could teach, preach and disciple for weeks on end just from these verses.

Abraham had been promised a child from the Lord. A legitimate child from his marriage to Sarah. So, what are the chances that a one hundred year old man and a postmenopausal woman will conceive?

Not very good.

But when God steps into our lives He takes up all of our limited resources and He breathes into us the power that created this world and raised Jesus from the dead. And our lives become a living creature. A walking, breathing miracle.

As I was reading these verses I began thinking about the way in which Jesus stepped into my own life and that weekend that completely changed my direction. I remembered the Monday morning when I came back to work and announced to my friends that I had met the Lord over the weekend and He had told me what was to come in the future for me, how I would become a nurse and how my life would be changed and that I would travel to Israel and He would provide a place for me there. I remember looking at their faces, mouths open in disbelief, right before the quiet turned to laughter. They thought I was joking. Or crazy.

But they were considering the flesh. And the flesh wasn't doing so good.

The flesh was a high school drop out. A teenage pregnancy out of wedlock. A couple of failed relationships. An addiction. I was a person who had never been on an airplane and rarely had acknowledged the existence of God. And I won't lie to you now. It has been a long and difficult road. I still live in this flesh. It has been a mixture of success and failure; struggle and triumph; blood, sweat and tears along with a few temper tantrums. And when I attempt it in my own strength it is an impossible disaster.

But living on the inside of me is the Holy Spirit; the exact replica of Jesus Christ and God Almighty. He is the essence of the power that raises the dead. And when I consider my own body, as good as dead....I consider Him. I trust Him. I believe in Him.

Every time I falter He is there to encourage me to try again. When I take a step of faith He becomes firm ground under my feet. In times of difficulty whether it was going to court to regain custody of my children, finding the courage to take the GED, needing strength to work full time and go to college at night, the excitement of applying for a passport, the feeling of accomplishment speaking at my college graduation, telling of His faithfulness in every circumstance... In every trial He is there because He is faithful to do what He has promised. I have no faith in my own abilities but I am fully convinced that God will complete what he has begun. In me.

We are the pinnacle of God's creation but aside from Him we are powerless. He brings the extra to the ordinary. He wants to do extraordinary things in each of us because He is an extraordinary God. Wherever you are. Whatever you've done. He wants to give you a kingdom inheritance.

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body...or Sarah's. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God...he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.

That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Amen? Amen Lord. We count You as faithful and true. Lord remind us who we are. We are YOUR children. We are the KING'S children. We have a kingdom inheritance sealed in the heavens that never fades away. The power of YOUR life lives in each of us who call on Your name. The power that enables men to walk on water, heal the sick and raise the dead lives within our very bodies. Rise, O Lord, and shine. Reveal Your glory to us. Lord help our unbelief and increase our faith in YOU.

The Worshippers

Revelation 4 HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crown before the throne, saying, Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.

This morning as the choir was singing I was sitting in my seat listening to the words of their song and my heart started to pound, my pulse raced, my breath quickened, my eyes teared and as they started to sing...

When I come before His presence I humble myself; I lift up both my hands and I begin to worship Him. I worship Him.....For what He's done for me.....Redeemed and set me free.....Just because.....Just because You are God.

I found myself on my feet, both hands up high, tears streaming down my face, shaking from head to toe....worshipping Him. For what He's done for me.

John 19 As He was drawing near-already on the way down the Mount of Olives-the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.

That is how I felt this morning. When Jesus comes near, when we see what He has done, when we realize who He is, praise should be our natural response. Worship is in response to being in His presence.

Why do you think it is so important to worship?

Maybe part of the answer to this is that it brings our hearts, our minds, our souls into agreement with His. When we worship our focus is on Him and what He has done. We acknowledge His worth. We stand face to face with what He has accomplished. And He does everything with excellence. In those moments we honor Him for who He IS. We bring ourselves into a place of humility before Him. We assume our rightful role and we agree that He is worthy of our praise.

If you want to see me weep openly, ask me about what He has done for me. He brought me back from the dead. He saved me. Literally. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Financially. ENTIRELY. I was dead to everything. He became my life. He is my good. He is my restorer, my Helper, My Savior. He is everything. And He is worthy.

Worship is our acknowledgement of who He is and what He is worth. To us.

Father how can we ever measure Your worth? The universe itself can never contain Your glory. May our lives reflect the gratitude that we feel in our hearts for what You have done for us personally. I don't know what You ever saw in me Father but I am eternally grateful that You loved me. You loved me enough to make Yourself known to me, to engage in a relationship with me, to begin to do a work of change in me and when this life is over, when this flesh has failed, You will bring me safely into Your kingdom and into Your care for all of eternity. If you had done nothing but that, it would have been too much. But You give more and more and more.

For what He's done for me. I worship Him.