Floundering?

Lonely, cold, dark, damp and boy does it reek!

Back-sliden and lost, depressed, anti-social, bitter in thought and speech. Lethargic and we just want to sleep.

This is the slow dark cold spiral that

 leads to death that the enemy of our soul desires for us. first and  foremost it renders us ineffective for the Kingdom. We don't want to be around anyone and if we are our witness is lousy.

Jonah learned this lesson when he chose to ignore the calling of God, leave his post as a prophet and run away so that he did not have to confront those God wanted him to prophesy to. 

   Jonah, like us all, had a wrong perspective of God and wrong perspective of the lost. He did not see God's compassion for the lost and all he could see and hope for was God's judgement rather than His mercy and grace. He also seemed to have a wrong perspective about his own witness. He thought he could turn it off and on... but alas our witness is out there be it good or bad isn't it?

   It was a downward spiral for Jonah. Note that he went down to Joppa, down into the lower pars of the ship, down into the belly of the great fish. He purposed to get away from God. (as if that were possible) He lost communion with God and unable to hear His voice. Isn't that the way... It is not a matter of where did God go?... when it is us who moved away. 

   God had to speak to Jonah through the storm and  the heathen because Jonah had lost his power in prayer,even his desire to pray. He had lost all spiritual energy... all he wanted to do is sleep; and was able to do so even with all of the chaos of the storm and the crew around him.

 Depression does that doesn't it?

   God uses the heathen crew members to bring Jonah out of his funk. They put Jonah in the position of having to review his circumstance... after all it stemmed from disobedience and sin didn't it... and we don't sin in a vacuum... it always affects others. 

He has to admit who he is, What his occupation is (was), Why he was where he was and where he was supposed to be... and why God was thrashing the boat about. His witness was shot and he was responsible for the crew's peril. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and even that took some convincing... actually we notice the unbelievers praying and offering sacrifice to God and the servant of God... not.

   Once in the water Jonah still is not crying out to the Lord. So God sends Moby Dick or whomever to swallow up our hero. Jonah I'm sure thought this was the end for him yet it still took three days for him to come around to cry out to God. 

We get so wrapped up in our stuff sometimes. God is trying to get our attention...but NO!

Jonah 2 (NKJV)

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.

2 And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.

3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head.

6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God.

7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

8 “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”

10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

It is necessary to have right conception and perception of God. That and the fact that I have to get over myself... I can't speak for you but usually when I am in a spiritual funk it is because my pride is stinking up the joint. Sure others get involved... they hurt me, or cheat me, or whatever but ultimately it gets down to selfish pride and where I am with Jesus.

So I'm sick of being whale puke and and my walk stinking of old anchovies... how 'bout you... maybe that's why my hairs turning white.... Lord I come to you crucifying the old man again. reckoning this old man dead... again.

Psalm 95 (NKJV)

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also.

5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:

8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.

10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’

11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

This Morning I Read

This morning I read.......

I don't usually open e-mails or Facebook or anything like that until after I spend time with the Lord, read my devotionals, Daily readings etc

This morning I was bad... or was I?

  This morning I read a response from someone I tagged in one of those obnoxious lists. 

She seemed very blessed by my comment about her. 

That was cool but all I could think about was that she is a single mom who has raised three boys (young men). I can see that this has been a real struggle for her...  and and yet she is seemingly doing well in her walk with the Lord. 

  She is not alone, there are so many women in her shoes, who for whatever reason have had to do the job of mother and father. We have a dear single mom here in our fellowship and I want to take care of all of her burdens, but I can't.    While on her sight I read another note (from a friend)on her page that crushed me...

When can you determine enough is enough?   Is it not enough to hear that beautiful beat inside of you become nothing?

  Is it not enough to finally grasp the idea of creation and learn to embrace it then it all be stripped away from you in mere seconds?

  Is it not enough to have that reality of creation being taken from you completely and for your heart and soul to lose its meaning, while you simply take a drugged nap?

  Is it not enough to watch your strength slowly grow weak and depend on you?

  Is it not enough not to be able to do anything for your, now weak, strength?

  Is it not enough to watch the lid of the box of death slowly close over your life’s beauty?

  Is it not enough to not be able to let reality set about the absence?

  Is it not enough to get that phone call where you are belittled to nothing?

  Is it not enough for the haunt of those words to not only follow you your whole life but to be accused of the same terrible things?

  Is it not enough to be swept under a rug and easily forgotten by an idol and sibling?

  Is it not enough for the realization to sink in that that same accusation will forever be involved in your life somehow and in some form?

  Is it not enough to be told that you will never have a time when you will just be normal?

  Is it not enough to just want to be normal?

  Is it not enough to wake up everyday and wonder if you’re going to hurt today or if everything will be okay?

  Is it not enough to wonder if you will ever bear that gift of life and fulfillment again?

  Is it not enough to be betrayed by a friend, sister, aunt with such harsh cruel words of evil?

  Is it not enough to just want to scream at the top of your lungs the anger that is inside of you towards the world?

  When IS it enough? When will you BE okay? When will you get a BREAK?

  When will you just be able to be.  (name withheld obviously)

 I wanted to fix it. 

 I wanted to wipe away the pain. 

 I wanted let her know that there is someone who knows the depth of her sorrow. 

That He knows... 

 He knows how much is enough. 

 He sent His only Son only to watch as those He loves mocked, jeered, spit upon, beat, shouted  Hosanna and Crucify Him in nearly the same breath, that whipped and tore His flesh, and hated Him. 

 He knows how much is enough. 

 Everything!

 Everything was what it took. 

 Taking upon the sin of the whole world. Bearing the burden, the penalty of sin for all of mankind. The suffering that takes place because of sin entering the world, sickness, disease, death. 

Is it my place to fix anything? 

 

This morning I read in my Chronological Bible, in Leviticus, about the Cleansing after childbirth,contagious skin diseases, boils and burns, contaminated clothing, and the cleansing, ceremony, and sacrifice necessary to be ceremonially clean...   I thought about how sick this world is; about the body of Christ how anemic we have become.  How cheap we have made the Grace of God by sinning over and over and not truly agonizing over what it cost God to free us from the bondage of this sin.  We wipe clean the blood on our hands with His Grace as if it were a "Moisty Towelette" like you get at the rib joint and toss away when clean.

This morning I read in my Tozer reading 

"... If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is here. Christ is risen. The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological truth. It remains for us to turn it into Joyous Spiritual Experience (emphasis by me) And how is this accomplished? there is no new technique; if it is new it is false. The old, old method still works. Conscience fellowship with Christ is by faith, love and obedience. And the humblest believer need not be without these."  

" He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." john 14:21

This morning I read Psalm 20 in preparation for tomorrow... Psalm 20 (NKJV) 1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;

3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose.

5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.

This morning I read that God is sovereign, He is on the throne, He is in control, and though there is trouble, and heartache, and pain... we have a Hope, we have a finish to this race and it is Glorious. We have a Daddy who loves and desires to comfort us through our hurts rather than remove us from them... 

Some times He calms the storm 

With a whispered peace be still 

He can settle any sea 

But it doesn't mean He will 

Sometimes He holds us close 

And lets the wind and waves go wild 

Sometimes He calms the storm 

And other times He calms His child 

(Scott Krippayne)

What did you read today?

Face Down

I had to post this mornings Devo...

from "Tozer on the Almighty God"

"And Abraham fell on his face and God talked with him..." Gen 17:3...

   Think about the reality of Abraham's experience. Abraham was consciously aware of God. His presence and His revelation. He was aware that the living God had stepped over the threshold into personal encounter with a man who found the desire within himself to know God, to believe God and to live for God.

   See the effect of this encounter on Abraham. He was prepared to pay any price for the privilege of knowing God. For certain he recognized the lofty, holy character of the Creator and Revealer God.

   The Scriptures declare, "Abraham fell on his face" as the Lord talked with him (Genesis 17:3). Abraham was reverent and submissive. Probably there is no better picture anywhere in the Bible of the right place for mankind and the right place for God. God was on His throne speaking and Abraham was on his face listening!

   Where God and man are in a relationship, this must be the ideal. God must be the communicator, and man must be in the listening, obeying attitude. If men and women are not willing to assume this listening attitude, there will be no meeting with God in living, personal experience.

  Oh Lord, give me an attitude like Abraham's that I might have a listening, personal experience of You. Amen

Too often I find myself in the position of the speaker...  Offering my quick thought on what God should be working on today... how arrogant!

Lord teach me to fall face down and see you as you really are. Thank you for not dismissing me because of my arrogant, selfish ways... 

-and Peter- Mark16:7

Have you ever felt like.... -and Peter-?

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This is, of course, an excerpt from Mark 16:7 where the angel is explaining to the Marys that Jesus is no longer dead but has risen...

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Now some have said that he is singled out because he is the leader of the disciples... I don't think so.

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Could it have been because the women would have excluded Peter from the group because of his denial of Jesus as He had prophesied?

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Could it be because Peter would have excluded himself because of the shame of denying Jesus?

I, like most, go along with this theory; he was in need of restoration. 

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I would add that it was also put there for me...

For those times when I feel like I have blown it and there is no way God could ever use me.

I don't even have to have done anything specific. 

Sometimes I feel like a giant dust bunny under the couch... no use, no purpose, no value... no one really knows or cares what you are... just wishing the Hoover would suck you up so you would just go away.

(sorry that's how this mind works)

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Peter needed to know that Jesus wanted him there. 

I need to know Jesus wants me there in that place where He meets up with His disciples. 

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.      1 John 1:3 (NKJV)

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14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2Corinthians 13:14 (ESV)

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I need to know that God delights in me.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.

20 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.  

 2 Samuel 22:2,3,20 (NKJV)

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The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.     

Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.     Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

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Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!...   1 John 3:1 a(NKJV)

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So "-and (your name)-",   If no one has told you lately... Jesus loves you, God delights in you and desires to meet you in that secret safe place and have fellowship with you... Open your mind, heart, and Bible and Fellowship with the Creator of the universe... your Daddy.

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real bunnies in the park, in the snow, after midnight, no flash

not great... but a fun shot

Truth...What is Truth?

We, our Thursday night Bible Study, Just began  the Truth Project last night. Patti and I have gone through this project at our home church in Grass Valley. It really is a well put together presentation. It is very biblically based... That is it's whole point... It is very thought provoking... It can keep you up at night... 

"That's really the question now, isn't it?" was a comment from one of the men in our study. He has been a Christian for many years, in his 60s, and he stated that this program put things together in a way he had never heard before. 

Scripture upon scripture conveying that TRUTH is vitally important... that it is directly important to Salvation... That the Word of God is Truth, That we are to Worship in Spirit and Truth, That Jesus is The Way and the TRUTH... , God is TRUTH. God, His Word, Jesus, these are the standards that we compare everything to to determine their validity.

Yet don't we find ourselves like the father of the demon-possessed man who when Jesus told him in Mark 9:23 "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes". To which he replied, and I must also reply, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"

If I truly believed what I propose to believe, I would make a huge impact upon everyone I come in contact with. Now I'm not all depressed and thinking that I have been rendered useless because I now know that I do not believe as I aught... but it does give me pause and make me realise that this is to be one of the focuses in my time of prayer with The Lord. Knowing that Prayer changes me I can ask "Lord help my unbelief... cause me to know that I know and act upon what I know to be true."

Maybe this is just me... But then... if every other Christian out there Truly Believes what he believes is really real... then this world would be a very different place... we would turn this world upside down like the Apostles of old.

below is the trailer for The Truth Project...   Blessings

Monteiths in Scotland

What a blessing it was to have the Monteiths come and visit with us last week!!!

Last Wednesday and Thursday Patti and I had the privilege of spending some time with Pastor Louie, Cheryl, Lindsay, and Kelsey Monteith. The are all involved with GO! Ministries, our sending organisation. 

Lindsay was off to Bible College in York so the whole family came to get her settled.

They took advantage of the time to visit a couple of Go! Missionary families... Patti & I, as well as Scott & Danielle Key in Shotts, Scotland.

Patti and I traveled with them to Shotts to see the Keys. We got to sit in on their Bible study and meet the awesome folks they are ministering to and with.

Its so encouraging to see these young Brothers and Sisters on fire for the Lord and wanting to reach their communities for Jesus.... 

We spent part of the day in Stirling visiting the castle and taking in the beauty and history of the area. I still get overwhelmed by the vast history here. Besides... What little boy didn't imagine himself as a knight in shining armor fighting dragons and the dreaded Black Knight... but I digress...

It was a great source of encouragement to spend the time with Pastor Louie and Cheryl. There was no real agenda, but just time praying together and sharing what the Lord was doing here and hearing what the Lord was doing with missionaries elsewhere was just what we needed. We also got to know them better and really feel that they are persons we can turn to if the need arises. 

Kelsey and Lindsay working their compassion skills on the locals... 

it looks like flirting to me....

The Monteiths had the opportunity to meet a number of people from our local congregation, and worship the Lord together with us Thursday evening. Isn't fantastic how we can come together and worship and pray like we are family and yet have never met before... God is so awesome. 

Note to self: Save the list of GO! Missionaries to desktop and pray for at least one each day... Get e-mail addresses and send letters of encouragement at least once a week.

God is right, Tozer, wonderings on sovereinty

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  Revelation 1:17-18 (NKJV)

Tozer writes:

  "Along with John, every redeemed  human being needs the humility of spirit that can only be brought about by the manifest presence of God. 

  This mysterious yet gracious Presence is the air of life eternal. It is the music of existence, the poetry of Christian life. It is the beauty and wonder of being one of Christs own - a sinner born again, regenerated, created anew  to bring glory to God. To know this Presence is the most desirable state imaginable for anyone. To live surrounded by this sense of God is not only beautiful and desirable, but is imperative!

  Know that our living Lord is unspeakably pure. He is sinless, spotless, immaculate, stainless. In His person is an absolute fullness of purity that our words can never express. This fact alone changes our entire human and moral situation and outlook. We can always be sure of the most important of all positives: God is God and God is right. He is in control. Because He is God, He will never change! 

  I repeat: God is right - Always. That statement is the basis of all we are thinking about God."

Lord, I bow at your feet and acknowledge Your sovereignty. I know you will do what is best for me because You are always right. Amen.

I include an excerpt form my daily devotional today because it caused me to consider the sovereignty of God... not question it mind you... just ponder it...

I got good news last night as I spoke with Jon, Dana, Rylee and Hannah. The hematoma that was a concern to Dana and the baby she is carrying is gone. What a blessing and answer to prayer that is. We praise you Father for your Grace and provision.

We have also been praying for others with life threatening illnesses that are getting better, and others are not. So while I am rejoicing over prayers answered in the positive, or according to my liking and approval, I must also mourn with those who have answers less to their liking. I think of one close to me whose daughter just recently had a miscarriage. 

Could God have changed the outcome...? of course... but He did not... and though we mourn with Erica and Sean for the loss... we recognise that our Lord is sovereign and knows, allows, and does what is right. Why is it contrary to what we think is right? We may or may not ever know. but what we must remember is that He is right.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Lord though I dont understand your wisdom and righteousness I recognise that you are sovereign, you are just, you are merciful, and gracious. Thank you for loving so much that you would take an active part in our lives. and that you have a plan for each of us. amd you are working out that plan through us.