The Arms of the Sea

Have you ever stood on a beach just looking at the waves crashing, turning and churning right before your eyes? Standing on the sand of the beach, you can only imagine the force of that point of impact where the sea's arms reach out and begin to affect not only the surface of the sandy beach, but also the essence of the contents of the ocean's own substance. The sea and the beach meet in a collision that produces all that defines the character of the beach.

Have you ever risked standing in that point of impact? Oh, the fascination of what might be churning at your feet and the feeling of being suspended between forces that are wrestling for your will and attention. Attention? You best pay attention, and maintain your footing or you could soon find yourself swept into the fury of the point of impact or caught in an undertow that could separate you from the safety of the shallows of the shore.

This point of impact of forces, this place where the arms of the sea reach into the sands of men, is a graphic description of what it is like to preach the Gospel of Christ. Standing in the churning, Paul used this term translated “necessity” to describe his passion of heart as an Apostle in I Corinthians 9:16 - “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” For the churning arms of the sea is laid upon me.

The word translated “necessity” here has also been translated other places in scripture as “needs, distress, must needs, necessary, compulsion, constraint, hardships, inevitable, obliged” – literally it means “within the bend of the arm”. This is the place of the joining of two strengths … it is a place of vulnerability. It is neither the lower arm nor the upper arm. It is neither the sand of the beach nor the waves of the ocean. It is a place that must move, and therefore it can be a source of both work being done and pain in the process.

Can you see the heart of the issue? If you decide that you will not only hear the call to “Go and preach the gospel” but you actually surrender to the call, and preach. Once preaching, you will find yourself in the place of “necessity”, the arms of the sea. It has the strength and rewards of both Earth and Heaven colliding there. The reward of preaching the Gospel (that fastens itself to the soul) is hard to describe to the one who just stands fascinated by the sights and sounds and never puts a foot into the surge. Step into the churning, step into the surge! 

Every time I have the gift of the moment, to walk a beach after the arms of the sea have had its tidal dance, it is hard to take my eyes off of the beach strewn with new found treasures and relics that the churning has left behind. With the break of dawn, my heart wants to leave its nighttime safety to be the first on the site to search the treasure trove of surprises laid out for me. Though I am able to pick up the remains of the dance, there is an ache in me to stand in the churning and capture the treasures that will remain hidden in the churning. I know the best stuff is there, I can can just sense the missed moment and the treasure that could have been mine had I been there at just the right moment.

I know this picture will have some of us shaking your heads at the awe, the beauty, and the wonder that is found in standing in the place where Heaven churns the earth. Standing where God's spirit brings back to life the deadened heart of man is a reward in itself. This is the place where death is banished forever by the song of the Savior's story. This is a place that we have the necessity laid on us. Woe unto us if we preach not the Gospel!

Listen to the churning as a tattered clad child with bended knee and folded hands, lifts its fragile little voice to the God of all creation, and prays ...“Please, Come into my heart Lord Jesus and save me!” Here is where the collision of Earth and Heaven define for eternity the character  of this soul set free. This is the treasure, this is the reward that keeps the heart of a preacher aching to stand in that place where the churning unfolds. Stand in the churning!

“Deep calleth unto to deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.” Psalm 42:7

HLFA
Jeff

Just A Moment

Everything seemed “OK”, but the door opened and closed: the distance was determined, the house was emptied, the partnership dissolved, the shame arrived, the loneliness crept in, the pain was debilitating, the accusations began to fly, the health was gone, the dreams seemed over, the trust was gone, the covenant was broken, the truth was obscured, and the questions remained.

Life can collide and even collapse in “a moment” and everything has changed. Some changes leave scars and scares that last for a lifetime. Many moments have us spun around to the point that confidence is replaced by helplessness. Some moments do no harm, but leave us feeling that there is no going back from being odd. With time and distance these “moments” may become fading memories. Regardless, in these moments we need strong but tender arms supporting us. We need Jesus.

Isaiah 26:20 – “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” THE LORD IS NOT YOUR ENEMY. COME, you belong to Him. Enter into your innermost hiding place and secure all the low-hanging access doors to your life. This may seem to others a single unimportant moment, but outside of your innermost hiding place, indignation is working its way past your life. Stay there with Him until it has passed over.

Psalm 30:5 – “For his anger endureth but for a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” For that heavy scarey breathing type of anger lasts just for a moment; but His desire for you is a continual reviving springtime of life: sore weeping may come and lodge with you for the night, but the ringing proclamation of joy will be there at day break, hold on and let Him hold on to you.

Isaiah 27:3 – "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day". You are His special planting, his special vineyard, HE IS YOUR WATCHMAN AND YOUR CUPBEARER … if there is any one paying attention to your life for the purpose of harm, HE IS the watchman, the one who will protect you day and night.

Please, when you face a moment of disappointment do not call it quits. In a moment of confusion don't completely lose it. I beg you, that in a moment of joy and satisfaction, do not declare immunity and invincibility. Compared to eternity, a moment is a light affliction(whether bad or good). Where we allow it to carry our heart will determine whether it will become a weapon formed against us or a tool that can work in our favor. II Corinthians 4:17 – "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".

Oh if only we could see that the value of “a moment” is found in the opportunity to let go and let God have us completely. By waiting quietly In that moment, we might find … a tender unfolding of His provision and care for us. This “moment” may be a practice session for that MOMENT – that “twinkling of an eye” moment... spoken of in scripture (I Cor. 15:52) where we shall be “changed”.
The moments will begin to change us, but that MOMENT will capture us completely changed forever.
  
Everything seemed “OK”, but the door opened, the distance was gone, the house was full, the partnership renewed, the shame was banished, the loneliness not found, the pain forgotten, the accusations unfounded, health renewed, dreams secured, covenant proven, trust regained, truth alive and all questions answered ... because in that moment we will be HOME.

What a moment that will be!
 
HLFA,
Jeff

Open the Repository - Dream Again!

Years ago John, the Duke of Redding, had settled his royal family in the Burgh of New along the murky Hudson River. This settling took place during some of His royal sons and daughters formative years of searching. It was during this time of life when the young Marquess were invincibly but not invisibly working their way through their early teen years (just beyond cookie grabbing and well into pizza grabbing).

There was an interesting crew of merry friends that ran with the older Royal Reddings. This crew seemed to be the masters of finding something mischievous to do. If they weren't building forts to run to when they had performed non-chivalrous deeds, they were escaping from stupid near death “dares” or exploring abandoned dwellings to find long lost “treasure”. AND there was always an adventure to be had waiting for them in the Mysterious SA Repository Box.

Oh yes, the SA Box … Back in those days if people saw a bunch of kids scrambling in and out of one of those crazy flip-door, playhouse-like, repositories for used clothing... they would look the other way as if it was taboo to tattle on Royalty. It seemed like when possessions were given to Royalty in this fashion, the possessions were no longer thought of as being owned by the giver. And as for us, these abandoned magical garments were an open invitation to adventure, to find the perfect attire for our imagination escapades that would flow throughout our day.

Once inside this world of the SA Repository, strange colors and smells immediately challenged the senses. There we would find ourselves armed with a boutique full of amazing choices to fulfill our desires to “BE” fashioned in the image of our dreams. We could transform ourselves (with the help of this treasure house of wardrobes) to higher levels of peerage. Here is the kicker though, we all seemed to try to dress to impress The One, The Very Best … “Wait until my Dad sees me”. What did the Marquess of Redding say? “You heard him, wait until my Dad sees me!” We all wanted our Dad's to be proud of us, or at least get a good laugh because of us. Really!! We loved to see and hear Dad laugh.

Though this was an increasingly rebellious time in our lives, some of us still would not cross the line of disrespect for the sake of our own entertainment. Perhaps that was the salvation of our days ...at that time in our lives faith was small but the investment in the simple things that God commanded (Honor your Farther and Mother) became the foundation for our lives, and created openness when the mystery of His Will was made clearer. Though later in life paternal relationship disappointments would come, we still chose to honor and love... “It is what Dad and Mom would have wanted!”

We pause from a brief informational message from our sponser - "What God Wants!"
{God's Will in the old testament is defined by the Hebrew word “Ratsown” -which means pleasure, delight, favor, goodwill, acceptance, will , desire, self-will. Psalm 40:8 - “I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is written within my heart”.}
{God's Will in the New testament is defined by the Greek word “Thelema” , meaning “What one wishes” or “What one has determined shall be done” translated will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure. Matthew 6:10 – “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”}
 
The movements in and out of those repositories for “cool” used clothing is a little like our lives in Christ. We search in and out of the faithful truths found within the Word of God. We find there an amazing boutique of holy adornment free for our choosing. And the blessing grows on us as the desire to please our Lord grows with every excursion. Do we truly lose anything in this life by following hard after God's heart and seeking what He wants? Do we miss something important out of life by desiring to do what pleases Him? When we get to the end of what “we want”, we find it is old. We can't even begin to get to the end of what “He wants” because His desire for us has no end, and He makes all things new.  We are admonished to press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And as royal Sons and Daughters of the King we need to yield to His desire.

Come closely and peer over the outer court hedge and gaze longingly into the throne room as the King dubs His own (Taken from Ephesians 1:3-12). Listen as He moves the royal sword from shoulder to cheek, from cheek to shoulder:
I, Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth dub thee:
Blessed with all spiritual blessings,
Chosen before the foundation,
Preordained unto the adoption of children with full rights to the inheritance,
Accepted in the Beloved to be loved,
Redeemed by My blood, and Continually forgiven;
That you might be Holy, without blame, wise, prudently knowing and fully loving My will,
and unified before me in love;
According as I have chosen you,
According to My good desire,
According to My riches of Grace,
According to My good pleasure,
According to My purpose … to the praise of the glory of My Grace … and to the praise of My Glory, .. I DUB THEE CHILD OF THE KING … LIVE HERETO FOREVER.

O the riches bestowed on us because of His desire for us...bask in this repository.
Be ye Glad!
HLFA,
Jeff

Afterthought: For those who may think it too much of a stretch of the imagination to jump from childhood adventures that came forth from a Salvation Army Drop Box to the magnificent gift of Jesus' Grace bestowed on those who believe, I leave with an afterthought. My heart is daily breaking as I watch the joyless shallow existence of God's children who rarely exercise their imaginations to rise to Him in praise. We have left our imaginations in the repository of worldly sorrow and checked our dreams in at the break of every day. For those who have such a magnificent future, why are we so afraid to risk openly loving Jesus before a world so in need of seeing Heaven's Royalty vibrantly living? Why do we waste our days in silent guardianship of the truth, keeping it locked so deep within our existence that the world remains hopeless to us and because of us. “Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.

The Holy Undercurrent

Joel 3:18 – “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.”

“That Day” spoken of above ...is a day where there flowed out an abundance of life. “That day” the mountains would drop down an over-abundance of “New Wine” (freshly squeezed grapes producing uncorrupted juice spilling forth health and recovery). “That Day” the hills would flow with milk (the needed staple to strengthen those to continue their recovery). “That Day” the source or the fountain head of “Judah or Praising” would come forth from the House of the Lord. This fountain would cause an abundant watering of the Valley of Shittim (The Valley of Acacia or the Scourge).

The words “valley of Shittim” (if researched) will lead our minds and hearts to thought provoking events and places. The Acacia or “Thorned Tree” will bring us to the burning bush, the tabernacle, the ark of covenant, the base station for Joshua in conquering the promised land, the crown of thorns, the scourging … and sooner or later our hearts will rest in Jesus' sacrifice for us. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed”.

The undercurrent that creates this flow of life as pictured in this amazing prophesy, has its source in “that day”. As a result of “that day” there was a fountain head of abundant flowing life established in the House of God. If we can but submit our lives to the power of “That Day”, and allow “that day” to affect every area of our life, then our living becomes a portal of the abundant healing, recovery, strengthening, and fearless encouragement for others.

This life, although it is filled with movement and purpose, sometimes brings the snow, the ice, and the chill that brings a stillness to the lives of so many. I am not talking about weather … I am talking about seasons of life where we feel useless or are made to feel worthless in the circumstances we find our selves. Sometimes the feeling of uselessness is compounded by the abandonment that takes place by those whom we choose to count on for encouragement. This not to be forever, but it is a cold dark place that makes it hard to begin again.

A parallel thought is found in Psalm 147:18 – “He sendeth out His word, and melteth them: He causeth His wind to blow and the waters to flow.” Psalm 147 is an unbelievable song of provision, but there is a subliminal truth hidden in the undercurrent that I would like to leave with you. The power to encourage, to comfort, to recover, to heal, and to strengthen is not found in the world that has turned its back on God … it flows from Him and through those who belong to Him. Those whose hearts are downcast need Gods people to truly allow the undercurrent of “That Day” to flow through their lives.

(Oh, If I could shout the blessing of this undercurrent living into you with a simple Word) …. Where would Naomi be without Ruth, David without Jonathan, James without John, Nathaniel without Philip, Andrew without Simon Peter, Paul without Barnabas or Jeff without Joe? Jeff without Joe? 

Joe, my brother, was determined to love me “no matter what” when we were but toddlers. We were two peas in a pod but not because of Jeff, but because of Joe. We drifted apart a little as older teens because of sinful choices and friends attached to those choices. But the season came, Joe found himself in the snow, the ice and the chill that sin actually had brought into his life. Joe took a long look into “That Day” and saw Jesus' sacrificial love for him, heard the Word, melted before Him and the Wind of God's change began to blow as the water of life began to flow through him. That love for others began to stir passionately in Joe as one by one he led his family to Christ. Joe let us see “that day” through him and in one night both my future wife and I, and other family members heard the Word, melted and God's Wind and Water began to flow through us.

Oh, If I could shout the blessing of living into you with a simple Word, that word would be LOVE. Not the noun that the whole world sings about, but the Heaven sent verb that is willing to lay down its life for a friend. For God so loved the World … so now, should we.
Begin to Love with the greater Love that God wants to pour through us.

“That Day” … from the scourging … to the surging... through us ... to them ... for Him. Amen!

HLFA,
Jeff