Category: Belief

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Restorer of the Breach

The Message: Isaiah 58: 9-12
“If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.

I became so excited when I read this chapter I had to share it with you.  The chapter focuses on God telling the house of Jacob He was not pleased with their worship, and the fasting rituals. The people thought they had a lock on God’s favor, because of “their position”, and the fact they fasted and studied his word. But God informed they were wrong.  God was seeking compassion, generosity, and integrity from them, and a willingness to serve others.  True worship meant more, much more.
God wants a full-bodied worship from us as well.  Our worship should demonstrates our connection to Him.  If we truly love the Lord with all our hearts, mind, and body, then we give as He gave, and do as He did.  The result is a full life – strong – glowing with the power and love of Christ.  We become restorer of the breach.  The community will seek us out because the word will spread that we are healers, fixers, deliverers, renovator, and those dark, dirty, dank places will become communities of life, light, and love.
I love watching HGTV where restore the old and make it new and better. Our God did the same thing with us. He took the “old man” and restore him with firm muscles, and strong bones ready to build “new life” from the rubble of  the past.

Look at the verses again.  Read them out loud. Let the words remind you of its infallible truth.  God promised to give us a full life in the emptiest of places.  Like a spring which can never run dry; refreshing; giving life to those around us such will our lives be.  Beloved friends, it is time to come out of the shadows into the light of Christ, and take our rightful place as restorers of the breach.  God promises to show you exactly where to go, and He does not lie.  It is time to take the mantle as Restorer of the Breach.

 

 

http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/?action=getVersionInfo&vid=65

 

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Greatly to be Praised

I just returned from a mission trip to Uganda with my husband and pastor. Since coming home, my spirit has lingered in the state of praise in gratitude for the divine grace and mercy that was evident throughout the entire trip.  And yet saying “Amen, Hallelujah, Praise You, Thank You, Wow, Awesome” seems inadequate for what we were privileged to experience.  God’s grace allowed us this priceless opportunity and we felt His mighty hand. We witnessed it when confronted with forces set on delaying, and destroying the work.
Our hearts sang songs of joy when the blessings and gifts of love came upon not only us, but also those we came to serve. These experiences gave us time to see the Lord in expanded ways.  When the presence of God overshadows the mundane, the trivial, the commonplace you want to praise Him, and then have others share the experience.

You want others to see the joy, the light, the love, the goodness, and feel His presence; The heavenly Father, the Messiah who is our everything. You want the saints of God to cherish those sweet moments when beyond the veil you behold His glory. In these moments all life is transformed. Your eyes are opened to what is possible, truly possible when we praise and worship Him. The matchless Lord transfigures you, and sends your spirit soaring to new heights of love, and power. He is greatly to be praised.

As we visited Kampala, and the small village of Iganga, and felt God’s power and presence our lives were in awe of God’s grace. He is greatly to be praised. He is greatly to be praised for our salvation. He is greatly to be praised for leaving His arms open to receive us despite our sins. He is greatly to be praised for each breath; for each open and closed door; for everything good and perfect gift.  He is greatly to be praised for the joy unspeakable, and showing us how to live the abundant life.

I praised Him for allowing us the honor to serve him both here and aboard. For the opportunity to minister, teach, and mentor church leaders while leading a crusade in Uganda. I praised him for the healing, deliverance, the blessings He showered upon the pastors and congregation in Kampala and Iganga. I praised him for everything.

As I praise Him for our experience in Uganda, I am also praising Him for His priceless gifts here at home as well. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to see our first grandson graduate today, for the birth of our niece last night, for the honor and privilege of being a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter, friend and more importantly for being His child. He is greatly to be praised.  Thank you my Lord for being my all in all.

Today, praise the Lord for He is worthy to be praised.

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The Presence of the Lord

Jesus on the throne

“I am with you always.”

Matthew 28:20

“It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us.  It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life.  Put thine all in Christ; set all thine affections on his person, all thy hope in his merit, all thy trust in his efficacious[ powerful] blood, all thy joy in his presence, so thou mayest laugh at loss, defy destruction.”

Trust all thy concerns with him who never can be taken from thee, who will never leave thee, and who will never let thee leave him, even Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.  Lo, I am with you always, is enough for my [your] soul to live upon, let who will forsake me.” Charles H. Spurgeon

Rest in the blessed assurance that our Lord and Savior is always with us.  His hand of glory and power will secure us in the midst of waves, and storms of life.  Our God is more enough for us.  Enough for all our concerns.  Amen

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You’re Blessed

I love reading and studying the Bible. We have several translations, and study tools which help, with the aid of the Holy Spirit our understanding of God’s Word.  They also draws us deeper in our relationship with God. One of those translations is The Message by Eugene Peterson.  This morning I read Matthew the fifth chapter where Jesus shared the Beatitudes with his disciples.  After reading The Message, I had one of those epiphanies. You know the ones that comes to reassure, comfort and bring light.  After reading the passage, my spirit peacefully lingered on its meaning; I am blessed.  No matter what I am blessed, and can make it through. I am blessed despite the loss of loved ones. I’m blessed going in, and going out. I am blessed because God loves me. I am blessed. I am blessed.

Here is the passage.

Matthew Chapter 5: 1-12  The Message
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. (The Message)

These words and its meaning are so clear.  I know most Christians are familiar with The King James Version (KJV). I grow up reading it as well.  However, when I became acquainted with The Message I found it to be particularly helpful, especially when I’ve used it in teaching and in my personal study time.  It has enhanced my understanding of the Bible along with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Today, I was reminded of this simple, yet powerful truth that I am blessed.  And as soon as I embraced that fact, I knew I had to share it.  I sensed someone needed to be reminded as I did, that our awesome God wants us to know without a shadow of doubt how incredibly blessed we are.

So if you are feeling troubled, may these words remind you that no matter what happens you are blessed.

The Message by Eugene Peterson

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What is God Doing?

Boston, West Texas, Colorado, Columbine, Newtown, India, Iran, Iraq…..

What is God Doing?  The following is an excerpt from a daily reflection written by Eugene Peterson.  With all that has occurred during the past week, its message is quite fitting.

“What is God doing?  He is saving; he is rescuing; he is blessing; he is providing; he is judging; he is healing; he is enlightening.  There is a spiritual war in progress, an all-out moral battle. There is evil and cruelty, unhappiness and illness.  There is superstition and ignorance, brutality and pain.  God is …against all of it.  God is for life, love, hope, heaven, and against death, hate, despair and hell. [paraphrased].  There is no neutral ground in the universe.  Every square foot of space is contested.  [The enemy wants it all.] 

Just as Jeremiah was chosen as a combatant on God’s side [before his birth], so are we all.  No one enters existence as a spectator.  We either take up the life to which we have been consecrated, or we traitorously defect from it.”     We cannot say, “Hold it. I am not quite ready. 

We are at war.  Our God is in continuous and energetic battle against the forces of darkness.  What is God doing?  He is doing everything for his beloved.  

This was taken from Eugene Peterson, “Living the Message.” Harper Collins 1996

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Psalm 23

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever. Amen.

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Finding Strength in God

Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and makes me tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NRSV)

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. Psalm 42:11 (NRSV)

“You, O Lord are the source of all my strength, hopes and my dreams.”

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Aperio

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Aperio is the Latin verb which signifies “to open” like the petals on a tree. Resurrection Sunday is over, and residue of the celebration have been swept away for another year. So what is next? What do we do now?
Some will, like the apostles and other believers go and hold up in a room. Others will leave the city and walk away troubled because life didn’t happened the way they expected. Still others will continue in their beliefs that he was not the promised Messiah and return to business as usual. What will you do?
This is our time to blossom and to open; to explore the inescapable truth of the Resurrection. It does our Creator a disservice if we continue as before without joy and power. He kept his promise. He did exactly as was foretold.
Christ came and opened up the kingdom of heaven. He died so that we could have an eternal home with him forever.
To open (aperio) means to shed those “winter garments of unbelief, fear, and poverty mentality, and reveal the beauty of Christ. It’s time to put on the spring garments of praise and power. To open up to Christ in the newness of life. To open up to him in ways you’ve never ever done before. Conquer your fears. For Christ did not give you a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Don’t go and hold up in some bleak room of despair when our risen Lord gave you the keys to the Kingdom. Don’t walk away troubled, and not knowing what to do next. He gave us the Spirit who guides us into all truth and knowledge. Don’t return to business as usual. For behold, “I make all things new” says the Lord. (Revelation 21:5b)
This is not the same year as last year. This is a new day, a new year. This sacred, holy resurrection time is filled with His righteousness, His glory, and His incomparable love. So are you ready to Aperio– to open up and show His majesty to the world? It’s time to APERIO!!!

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Maundy Thursday

Last Supper

There is nothing like sitting down to a good meal of your favorite foods. The smells and aromas stimulate the senses, and we feel warmth, and comfort. Comfort food is said to nourish the souls as well as the body. But picture the final meal Jesus had with his disciples. A meal that was really in two parts. First the Passover which Jesus said he eagerly desired to eat with them (Luke 22:14-15). The meal was called the Passover because it represented the night when God miraculously delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and they began their journey from slavery to freedom.
It consists of
•A hard-boiled egg to remind the people of the brutality of the Egyptians and how with every tyrannical phase, the Jews only got stronger. Anything kept in boiling water will melt. On the contrary, eggs harden. It also symbolized the concept of a new lease of life.
•A variety of greens – Green is the color of hope and everything related to spring. This usually consisted of parsley sprigs and celery.
•A roasted shank bone of lamb – The lamb is a grim reminder of the number of lives lost and the blood shed for saving the lives of the others.
•Bitter greens and herbs – This is essential on the Seder (Passover) plate as it constantly reminds the Jews of their ill-treatment and misfortunes in the land of bondage. Horseradish is commonly kept on the plate for this segment. The greens would then be dipped in salt water and consumed.
•Matzah – The unleavened bread tells the grappling tale of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Its shows that they left in such haste that they didn’t even wait for the bread to rise.
•Salt water – is an essential component on the Seder plate, which reminded the Jews of the number of tears wasted and shed over agony and loss of lives.
•Haroset – This consists of nuts, apple, and a wine mixture that bears resemblance to straw. This reminds the Jews of the materials and the mortar used to build the Treasure cities for the Pharaoh. The only thing that kept them going through all the cruelty was a bleak line of hope that they would be ‘delivered’ to the Promised Land. http://www.happypassover.net/meal.html

In the midst of the meal, Jesus broke the news of his betrayal, and impending death. Sandwiched between the acknowledgement of God’s grace and mercy in delivering Israel from 400 years of bondage Christ shares “the dessert” of the meal the new covenant. The dessert is a commandment “to do this in remembrance of me.” Dessert is supposed to be tasty and sweet. It is meant to finish or complement the main portion of the meal. It signals the meal is over, and you can take a moment to savor the entire meal. This “dessert” was different, or was it? It was delivered at then end of the disciples’ meal. They had begun to question Christ about where He was going, and made declarations of loyalty. A good meal can led some to boast about themselves. The disciples were no exception. Surely, after being with the Master for three years, one of them was the greatest next to the Christ. They had seen the miracles, and experienced a level of prominence because of their association with him. But this dessert signified a change in the order of life. It paved the way for transformation, new revelation, and filled the gaps left by old traditions, and religious rituals. This dessert (the new covenant of in his blood) was the icing on the meal. Nothing would ever be the same.
Truly, no other meal prepared since then has been so filling; so complete. The disciples experienced a complete meal lavishly prepared by the Master with divine love, and topped off with majesty, power, forgiveness, and humility. In that one meal the keys to the kingdom were given. Romans 14:17, states “For the kingdom of God is not meat or drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

This is Holy Week. Maundy Thursday begins for Christians three days of recognition and honoring the sacrificial love offering of Christ. The Thursday before his death, Christ washed the feet of his disciples, shared a last meal, and gave them the new covenant. This is a Holy Day for believers. So go to the table, and eat the meal prepared for us before the foundation of the world. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Enjoy and give thanks for both parts of the meal. Bon Appetit’

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A Morning Thought

mountain-and-trees-394910-sw

I’m reading from the book “The Daybook of Grace” and today’s meditation comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:8;
“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
Put on the whole armor of God is a divine directive. God’s armor defeats the enemy; for we wrestle not against people, but against spiritual wickedness in high places. But nothing out there can defeat us, because of our position as “more than conquerors” through Christ our Lord and Savior. So no obstacle, circumstance, economic shift, or disaster – nothing can bring us down because of His amazing love and power.
So fully armed yourselves by being self-controlled, and clothed in faith, love and hope. Christ has done his part. He has provided everything needed for the day. And we can rest in the blessed assurance of His magnificent power and love for us. Thomas Brooks once wrote, “God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you.” Out of heaven’s storehouse receive these precious and powerful gifts for this day.