coccus ilicis
If you have some time to invest in your heart...when reading the Word:
Ask questions in prayer, open your heart to His, look and wait for the inevitable...
It may be hard to imagine but during a few minutes looking at the snow (yes snow on Oct. 29th),
and thinking about an obvious passage of scripture...
Isaiah 1:18" Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool".
"Come now (walk with me) ... let us reason" called to my heart.
I jumped onto the Net and was led to a fascinating study of the "Crimson Worm"...
(tola'at shani - crimson worm)
This led to sooo many treasures of the Heart that I actually was led to weep over the nation of Israel. (What?)
NUT SHELL OUTLINE:
1. There is a worm that climbs a particular OAK (in the Mediterranean Region) by itself. (Destiny)
2. It attaches itself to the tree.
3. Its purpose is to die.
4. In the process of its death, it births offspring.
5. While the Worm dies it secretes a crimson-ish/ scarlet colored fluid which fully covers its dying body and its offspring.
6. After 3 days, it will curl its head to its tail in a manner that will almost form the shape of a heart as the offspring are released.
7. Then the little pea sized sack will turn to a waxy white.
8. The timing of the removal of the Crimson Worm (by humans) - will either produce the key ingredient for a "Temple" dye or a wax that will be used in an shellac that has amazing preservative qualities.
Think about the Gospel and let the little outline sink in. If your imagination will allow you to see how God uses such seeming insignificant details of a worm to tell about His glory, you will once again stand amazed of the way all creation points to His Story.
But here comes my heartbreak!
Google the above words and read what was going on in July at "The Temple Institute" ... and read.
Such in depth study, organization, timing and care...to do what???? With great devotion be able to
accurately recreate the "stain" needed in the Holy Temple garments and items of Hebrew Worship.
I ache because the "Worm" shouts JESUS...but in the devotion to Biblical Tradition we miss
THE WORM ON THE TREE to harvest the worm on the tree. Though their eyes are wide open, their
searching so devotional, they could be so blind to the deeper truth to the Worm on the Tree.
Read Psalm 22 at this time if you can...pause at verse 6:
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
In your devotion to the things of the day...don't miss loving and being loved by Jesus.
Shalom,
HLFA,
Jeff
God's Heart Will Take You to the Cliff
I hope you are one of those folks who just ache to know Him.
One of those alien-like wanderers who see God's mercy in everything.
We read about David and God's statement in Acts 13:22 about David's positioning of himself in relationship to God's Heart...
"David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill (5692) all my will."
Quit staring at the fallen giant, the adulterous affair, the murder...
Quit staring at the bloody hands and the "chilled body" end.
Get out of your religious condescending comfort zone...stop judging to condemn and start delivering...start rescuing...start loving.
Your times of personal disappointments and suffering are an opportunity to hear the call "position yourself under my heart...there are bigger things at stake."
Jesus...sharing the truth of His own rescuing character in the synagogue of His own home town; stirs the crowd to carry Him to the edge of a cliff. The purpose of the crowd?...End the madness.
(Anytime you walk beneath the Heart of God...you will be misunderstood...FEAR NOT HE IS THERE).
Prophetically speaking - David revealed the character of God in Psalm 71 by the descriptions of His protection...look...think...be amazed at your God.
Psalm 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, (Be thou my Cliff Dwelling Place)
whereunto I may continually resort (where into I may perpetually come and go)
thou hast given commandment to save me; (you have commanded "everything" to deliver me)
for thou art my rock and my fortress. (for You are my "Cliff" and my stronghold of victorious supply)
He will take you to the Cliff...you will find refuge there ... He is There.
Desire to be beneath His heart, He desires you there.
HLFA,
Jeff
One of those alien-like wanderers who see God's mercy in everything.
We read about David and God's statement in Acts 13:22 about David's positioning of himself in relationship to God's Heart...
"David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill (5692) all my will."
Quit staring at the fallen giant, the adulterous affair, the murder...
Quit staring at the bloody hands and the "chilled body" end.
Get out of your religious condescending comfort zone...stop judging to condemn and start delivering...start rescuing...start loving.
Your times of personal disappointments and suffering are an opportunity to hear the call "position yourself under my heart...there are bigger things at stake."
Jesus...sharing the truth of His own rescuing character in the synagogue of His own home town; stirs the crowd to carry Him to the edge of a cliff. The purpose of the crowd?...End the madness.
(Anytime you walk beneath the Heart of God...you will be misunderstood...FEAR NOT HE IS THERE).
Prophetically speaking - David revealed the character of God in Psalm 71 by the descriptions of His protection...look...think...be amazed at your God.
Psalm 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, (Be thou my Cliff Dwelling Place)
whereunto I may continually resort (where into I may perpetually come and go)
thou hast given commandment to save me; (you have commanded "everything" to deliver me)
for thou art my rock and my fortress. (for You are my "Cliff" and my stronghold of victorious supply)
He will take you to the Cliff...you will find refuge there ... He is There.
Desire to be beneath His heart, He desires you there.
HLFA,
Jeff
Look Through the Window...Beyond the Doing
Look through the window...where does all our "doing" lead?
DO - DOING - DONE!!
Sure, it is in the "doing" that we connect with people for the most part.
Questions like "what do we have in common?" "What do you do for a living"..."Where do you work?" come up quite often. It seems to be a necessitous way of life in the world.
But remember "You are in the world but not of it."
{Now - here is the tricky part...LISTEN...listen beyond your bias settings...listen beyond your fear threshold...Be still...hang on to a blessed thought that is coming for you...if you want it. Answer this small question after the HLFA discourse -- What have I learned about my God?}
I Kings 19...Tells the story of Elijah's moment of truth with God. This story has captivated the hearts and minds of the theologian as well as the layman since its existence. Elijah has had an amazing victory in the "Garden-land" of Mt. Carmel...in the process of his "Do-Doing-Done", he is wiped out. There is now rain again in Israel, but after slaying 450 prophets of Baal at the Winding brook Kishon he is more than exhausted; and the "threat of his undoing" by one miserable wicked queen has him turning-in his servant and crashing under a juniper tree. When given angelic sustenance...he heads into the Desert to The Mount (you know "the Moses place"). He finds a cave, and with the cave is faced a decision: to stay for the night or to set up house keeping. To "do" for the moment or be lost in the "doing".
(Had to set the stage a little because this is the part of the story that fascinates the soul the most):
The "Word of the Lord" comes to Him...
"What doest thou here, Elijah?"
What part of this phrase do you hear?
"What doest thou here"
or
Elijah?
The focus of God was not the "doing" it was the name...Elijah!
My focus on the "doing" takes me to the "done", and "what next" just wears me out. It is a mean circle that hits me every day and finally all my doing will be done. Then what do I have? (kind of Ecclesiastical huh?) Vanity of vanities all doing is vanity.
The voice heard from the Cave said this: " Elijah - go forth - stand - behold". He was going to have an opportunity to meet with God...out side of the cave.
Wind (forcing destructive animation all around from above)...God's here ???? nope.
Earth Quake (forcing destructive animation all around from below) God's here ??? nope.
FIRE (woe --- the heat will always change something forever) God ??? nope again!
Then something happened that caused him to cover himself in his mantle and listen:
most of you could tell me the next line ... but let's see what comes from this still small voice.
Elijah hears a "still - small - voice"
"Still": almost silent, calming, stilling, astonishing, cleansing.
"Small": thin, small because of a crushing, a pulverizing to become like dust.
"Voice": a particularly significant voice, a sound almost musical, light and encouraging.
The voice said...(Note: repetition is the key to knowing what is important to God).
"What doest thou here...ELIJAH?"
Yes, we do connect on an important level on this side of Heaven because of the "doing".
But God connects with us forever He desires us...He knows the sweetest thing that pierces our cold weary hearts and brings us to His side, is His Voice...calling our name.
"Adam" ... where art thou?
"Samuel"!
"What doest thou here..."Elijah"?
"Mary"...
Look beyond the window of "do-doing-done" and hear Jesus calling your name.
HLFA,
Jeff
DO - DOING - DONE!!
Sure, it is in the "doing" that we connect with people for the most part.
Questions like "what do we have in common?" "What do you do for a living"..."Where do you work?" come up quite often. It seems to be a necessitous way of life in the world.
But remember "You are in the world but not of it."
{Now - here is the tricky part...LISTEN...listen beyond your bias settings...listen beyond your fear threshold...Be still...hang on to a blessed thought that is coming for you...if you want it. Answer this small question after the HLFA discourse -- What have I learned about my God?}
I Kings 19...Tells the story of Elijah's moment of truth with God. This story has captivated the hearts and minds of the theologian as well as the layman since its existence. Elijah has had an amazing victory in the "Garden-land" of Mt. Carmel...in the process of his "Do-Doing-Done", he is wiped out. There is now rain again in Israel, but after slaying 450 prophets of Baal at the Winding brook Kishon he is more than exhausted; and the "threat of his undoing" by one miserable wicked queen has him turning-in his servant and crashing under a juniper tree. When given angelic sustenance...he heads into the Desert to The Mount (you know "the Moses place"). He finds a cave, and with the cave is faced a decision: to stay for the night or to set up house keeping. To "do" for the moment or be lost in the "doing".
(Had to set the stage a little because this is the part of the story that fascinates the soul the most):
The "Word of the Lord" comes to Him...
"What doest thou here, Elijah?"
What part of this phrase do you hear?
"What doest thou here"
or
Elijah?
The focus of God was not the "doing" it was the name...Elijah!
My focus on the "doing" takes me to the "done", and "what next" just wears me out. It is a mean circle that hits me every day and finally all my doing will be done. Then what do I have? (kind of Ecclesiastical huh?) Vanity of vanities all doing is vanity.
The voice heard from the Cave said this: " Elijah - go forth - stand - behold". He was going to have an opportunity to meet with God...out side of the cave.
Wind (forcing destructive animation all around from above)...God's here ???? nope.
Earth Quake (forcing destructive animation all around from below) God's here ??? nope.
FIRE (woe --- the heat will always change something forever) God ??? nope again!
Then something happened that caused him to cover himself in his mantle and listen:
most of you could tell me the next line ... but let's see what comes from this still small voice.
Elijah hears a "still - small - voice"
"Still": almost silent, calming, stilling, astonishing, cleansing.
"Small": thin, small because of a crushing, a pulverizing to become like dust.
"Voice": a particularly significant voice, a sound almost musical, light and encouraging.
The voice said...(Note: repetition is the key to knowing what is important to God).
"What doest thou here...ELIJAH?"
Yes, we do connect on an important level on this side of Heaven because of the "doing".
But God connects with us forever He desires us...He knows the sweetest thing that pierces our cold weary hearts and brings us to His side, is His Voice...calling our name.
"Adam" ... where art thou?
"Samuel"!
"What doest thou here..."Elijah"?
"Mary"...
Look beyond the window of "do-doing-done" and hear Jesus calling your name.
HLFA,
Jeff
Real Lasting Joy
Joy to the World
...what in October?
For some reason I get a little irritated when so-called Christmas songs show up outside the setting of Christmas. The mad dash of retail to get to "Holiday" sales announced before their competition probably has made me respond so badly to the idea of Christmas songs in October. Please don't try to help me with this just yet. AND don't try to explain to me that "Joy to the World" is not a Christmas song ( not needed). I have to find Joy not just in a season, not just in an event, not just in a gift or a fleeting moment of bliss.
...what in October?
For some reason I get a little irritated when so-called Christmas songs show up outside the setting of Christmas. The mad dash of retail to get to "Holiday" sales announced before their competition probably has made me respond so badly to the idea of Christmas songs in October. Please don't try to help me with this just yet. AND don't try to explain to me that "Joy to the World" is not a Christmas song ( not needed). I have to find Joy not just in a season, not just in an event, not just in a gift or a fleeting moment of bliss.
I'm just like everyone else longing for His coming...
I'm just like all of His kids who love to win the lost...
I'm just like the entire world that is trapped in a daily dying body...
I desire Lasting Joy...
I desire Lasting Joy...
I hate to be so down at times. I would love to rise up and shout for joy with a shout that would cause my troubles to flee at the presence of His immediate deliverance.
Psalm 5:11
Psalm 5:11
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
let them ever shout for joy,
because thou defendest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Here is a quick thought to think of...it is anchored in the truth that is duplicated over and over in scripture but stated in so many different ways...There has to be a plan or effort put forth to open the avenue for JOY. It doesn't happen without a choice and it doesn't happen without a resolve to make the choice.
Here are some simple steps to Joy...
1. Study His Word to Know Him (not to correct others)...learn about His Character.
2. Trust Him...as you learn of Him (Can't trust a stranger).
3. Love Him...openly... sharing that love with others(as you learn).
4. Let Him...defend you...with grateful acknowledgement (thanksgiving is not just a holiday).
5. Wait on Him...cooperate...quit trying to do His job (He offers everything...just receive).
Psalm 5:12
Here are some simple steps to Joy...
1. Study His Word to Know Him (not to correct others)...learn about His Character.
2. Trust Him...as you learn of Him (Can't trust a stranger).
3. Love Him...openly... sharing that love with others(as you learn).
4. Let Him...defend you...with grateful acknowledgement (thanksgiving is not just a holiday).
5. Wait on Him...cooperate...quit trying to do His job (He offers everything...just receive).
Psalm 5:12
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
(Devotional clarification to encourage you)
For Thou, Jehovah(Jesus),
will kneel near and praise those vindicated and justified by You,
You will surround them with acceptance,delight and goodwill
that will provide a protection like shield of thorns.
Think about the clarification...shield of thorns?
Can't you see His focused desire to love you, and to love you openly?
Reciprocate!
Joy to you!
HLFA,
Jeff
A Passionate Buy Back of Time to Know His Desire
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15,16,17
Several weeks back you received an "HLFA" with the weird topic of "Christian Acrobats"...discussing the Greek word for "circumspectly". This week I'd like to focus on another attitude needed to get to the Goal of "knowing God's desire for you".
It is amazing the focus of some of our modern day beggars???? (Where did that come from?)...
This week because of Company travel, we (my wife and I) were able to drive by "A Lady and Sons" (Paula Deen's quaint restaurant in Savannah, GA on the corner of Whitaker and Congress). All we wanted to do was stop long enough to capture a picture of the spot and move on. After wandering through the maze of "every block has a square" Savannah,we arrived at our destination. AND WOW ...There was one (only one) "no parking, drop off/ pick up only" space right in front of the restaurant on Congress. It was just waiting for us so my wife could step out out of the car, snap some pictures (drop off/pick up perfect) and we could speed away.
I noticed an unkempt gentleman standing right near where my wife would have to place herself to capture the pictures. I watched her from the drivers seat as he approached her and began to carry on a passionate conversation with her. He showed her something from his wallet and I watched as her eyes took on a compassionate look that she quickly started directing my way. Finally she shot the pictures and approached the car.
Rolling down the window to hear what her eyes might be saying, she pleaded "He is a veteran and would really like a Submarine Sandwich???" We were now in a point of decision ...I looked at the "gentleman" who didn't seem the least bit concerned anymore and just passionately told my wife to get in so we could go. There are a couple of observations that made me think in the direction of the scripture starting this Message:
Most of us are pretty much caught in the situation of this "beggar" though we might not admit it:
1. He recognized the potential that my wife might have the resources to get him to his desire.
2. He "momentarily" gave a passionate heart throbbing, tear jerking request.
3. Though he captured the heart of his listener, he seemed to quickly lose interest in the request.
4. We were able to drive away and he didn't even seem to be remotely affected by our departure.
Here is where we get disconnected....
1. We recognize God has the Resources...abundantly!
2. We may even have a passionate need for the supply..overwhelmingly!
3. God's Heart is always captured by our needs...but our eyes soon glaze over with distraction.
4. We get so engrossed with out own plans and affections that we don't even notice Him, there.
We don't passionately invest in the buying back of time cause by Understanding His desire for us.
Walk with purpose for Him.
Buy back the wasted years.
Passionately follow after His desire.
His desire for you is far more than a Submarine Sandwich.
HLFA,
Jeff
Ephesians 5:15,16,17
Several weeks back you received an "HLFA" with the weird topic of "Christian Acrobats"...discussing the Greek word for "circumspectly". This week I'd like to focus on another attitude needed to get to the Goal of "knowing God's desire for you".
It is amazing the focus of some of our modern day beggars???? (Where did that come from?)...
This week because of Company travel, we (my wife and I) were able to drive by "A Lady and Sons" (Paula Deen's quaint restaurant in Savannah, GA on the corner of Whitaker and Congress). All we wanted to do was stop long enough to capture a picture of the spot and move on. After wandering through the maze of "every block has a square" Savannah,we arrived at our destination. AND WOW ...There was one (only one) "no parking, drop off/ pick up only" space right in front of the restaurant on Congress. It was just waiting for us so my wife could step out out of the car, snap some pictures (drop off/pick up perfect) and we could speed away.
I noticed an unkempt gentleman standing right near where my wife would have to place herself to capture the pictures. I watched her from the drivers seat as he approached her and began to carry on a passionate conversation with her. He showed her something from his wallet and I watched as her eyes took on a compassionate look that she quickly started directing my way. Finally she shot the pictures and approached the car.
Rolling down the window to hear what her eyes might be saying, she pleaded "He is a veteran and would really like a Submarine Sandwich???" We were now in a point of decision ...I looked at the "gentleman" who didn't seem the least bit concerned anymore and just passionately told my wife to get in so we could go. There are a couple of observations that made me think in the direction of the scripture starting this Message:
Most of us are pretty much caught in the situation of this "beggar" though we might not admit it:
1. He recognized the potential that my wife might have the resources to get him to his desire.
2. He "momentarily" gave a passionate heart throbbing, tear jerking request.
3. Though he captured the heart of his listener, he seemed to quickly lose interest in the request.
4. We were able to drive away and he didn't even seem to be remotely affected by our departure.
Here is where we get disconnected....
1. We recognize God has the Resources...abundantly!
2. We may even have a passionate need for the supply..overwhelmingly!
3. God's Heart is always captured by our needs...but our eyes soon glaze over with distraction.
4. We get so engrossed with out own plans and affections that we don't even notice Him, there.
We don't passionately invest in the buying back of time cause by Understanding His desire for us.
Walk with purpose for Him.
Buy back the wasted years.
Passionately follow after His desire.
His desire for you is far more than a Submarine Sandwich.
HLFA,
Jeff
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