Someone is Looking On

A New Year is at our door... A new opportunity, for a second chance... For all! O by the way, every new moment, every new breath is a fresh opportunity to leave the past behind, and walk aligned with the thinking of God. O to Walk with God aware of His full Blessings!

It all starts with a total reliance on God's Word -- it has been said: "God says it, that should settle it!" Many of us read only the scripture that confirms our life style and keeps us from the discomfort of knowing that God may be saying something contrary to our liking. Because of willful, addictive choices, we find ourselves at a growing distance from the Word of God (rarely will we read it, and if we know it is being read, we tune it out). This is intensified as stronger desires for things that we know are "wrong" over take us. Instead of hi-lighting the scripture that destines good change and receiving it, we avoid it like the plague, creating a black sharpie note in our minds that says "note to self: avoid this truth".

Here is one of those verses that are very unpopular with generations that seek to be anesthetized on the Eve of a New Year, and long to impair their senses all in the name of celebrating:

"And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18

(Go ahead ... Read it again ... Carefully ... I double dog dare you!)

Here is the most pitiful statement that I have heard from pulpits lately - The Bible doesn't ever say "don't drink". How stupid are we? Remember this: Most stupidity is self inflicted by choices that run against the grain of wisdom.

(By the way: This chapter in Ephesians is an amazing attempt by God to give us every opportunity to break the chains of addiction and be free to experience the amazing life that He has for us; but... Have we shut down the blessings as we skip the "obvious" of this verse to... do our own thing?) Step back and read this chapter, and "Be ye followers of God, as dear children" ...vs.1

How many verses does it take in Scripture to give clear direction? ONE? 
And What do we do with entire chapters and long passages that obviously stand obstinate against our choices for personal pleasure (at the expense and risk of others ... Oh yeah, that child is in the baby seat as you drive impaired... But that's ok, you can handle it.) ??

And how many ecclesiastic dances are performed behind pulpits and in fellowship groups ... fueled by "modern enlightenment conversations" --- drink vs drunk, wine, strong drink, beer, booze, spirits, "we are now more educated", better translations, spiritual liberty jabber, wiser now, we must be socially adaptive in message???? ... How many sliding notes need to be sung to tip toe around the obvious accident scene or premature addiction related death ... as we toast to another family member who may also be taken prematurely by irresponsibility ... on the part of their own self-affliction or someone else's vise ... who thought they were in control, though impaired ... THIS IS JUST WRONG!

"Alcohol-Related Deaths: An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. First being tobacco and the second just plain old bad eating and bad health habits." But these are just statistics on reported incidents -- How many of us have had family members die - and/or their lives were shortened because an addiction to alcohol and drugs? Of all people, we should be the first to stop the drink!

LET's get this one straight before we tip the cup of poison to our lips to join the party already in progress.

There are no contradictions in scripture ... Just misinterpretations and misrepresentations by fearful teachers and quietly rebellious followers ...

A clarification Ephesians 5:18 for lovers of the Word: -"Qualify your decision to be filled with the Spirit by not following a life style that is wasted on wine intoxication... Be NOT intoxicated with an alcoholic beverage wherein life is wasted, but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD(sorry you can't have both)"

Now the verses following Ephesians 5:18 are purposeful in the Spirit ...BUT with a "boozed slant" they are ludicrous - Try to sing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs that come from a pure melody of unity of heart and spirit while inebriated. Try truly loving in submission while impaired. Booze is the best ingredient for true love, and great at keeping marriages together. Beer and wine is a great ingredient for raising obedient drunken children... Mom and Dad did it so it must be ok, they are Christians, right? Drunken parents never scar their abused children. Drunken employees are always the best workers, and booze keeps workplace accidents to a minimum. AND drunken, disrespectful employers make great leaders and create good work environments. And of course - Drunks are the best citizens and church members... DO YOU SEE ANYTHING OBSCENELY SAD and STUPID ABOUT BOOZE?

Let's begin 2018 by listening to God and leaving disobedience behind.
Let's Follow God as dear children.
Let's leave the "stupid" behind and move forward into the full blessings of God.

"Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

You may sense you are ok with a drink or two ... but trust me(or Him) ... you are the best without it.

Happy New Year -- Welcome prayerfully - 2018!
Someone is Looking On!

HLFA,

Jeff

"Pray-in" the New Year, don't "party-in" the New Year... Break the Chain!!

Do you want to see?

I don't think we want to "really see" sometimes ... I think we would sooner choose blindness of the mind than have our souls truly set on fire by the revelation of truth. The sum of earth bound mankind would rather have their "childlike attributes" tickled by tales of fairies and dwarves that magically drizzle blessings and miracles in their passing on good little boys and girls, than to have their perception challenged by the glimpses of glory that flash from Heaven like life changing solar flares of Grace's story unfolding. As we grow older we realize that we have built our taste for magic on the obscenely erroneous tales from the imaginations of mere mortals rather than diving in to the lasting riches of glory found in the eternal words of scripture.

I am not asking us to turn off the wide-eyed wonder of a child ... But I am urging us to build our excitement and anticipation for the miraculous on more than just twinkling lights, glittering balls, tinsel, bows and wrapping paper; let's fasten our hearts on the amazing mystical character of God: who loved the unlovely enough to hold back the horrendous destructive tide of righteous judgment by sending the most unexpected rescue ... "A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger".

The story actually started in the eons of eternity ... Long before the earth was ever formed ... Long before a peaceful garden was disturbed by the selfish and deadly choices of the crown of God's creation. The Father, Son and Spirit ... Elohim ... Purposed eternal love, engaged the purest wisdom, and launched Mercy, Grace and Truth into action. For mankind needed a rescue.

NOW ... Allow me to fast forward with commentary that draws cool flowing refreshment from The healing well of God's Word:

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name as Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the Angel said unto her, " Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God." "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS." "He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of his father David." " And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end". Luke 1:26-33

Imagination time: Years have come and gone, generations have come and then passed with the winds of time. Rebellion is still the way of life for most and the devoted few are all but gone. The Shofar has blown every year, to begin every day, but for the Sabbath, in the month of Elul. The cry of repentance and the desire for forgiveness has been raised to the Highest. But only now at the intersection of the lives of these conquering earthly kingdoms is there an almost oppressive feeling that something is about to happen.

A little one, a virgin ... unseen in her devotion ... has her world turned upside down when a Mighty Heavenly Warrior delivers a message the will cause the ages to pivot in an eternal decision. She chose to be the handmaid of God at the risk of social shunning and possible death. Now all the grace and glory of the ages is packed into a stealthy plan of attack on the kingdom of darkness. And at the time appointed Light will spring on an unsuspecting enemy... this Light will rescue the captives of darkness.

Now...Caesar Augustus... decreed that all the world should be "taxed" ... Pay to play census. Oh the arrogance of worldly kings -- tax "all the world" as if it was his. God uses the arrogance of wickedness to pull the final details of the plans of eternity together ... All the while the earthly leaders are blinded by their own ambitions.

After an approximately 100 miles, 8-10 day journey, "Great with Child", no room in the inn, bedding down in a cave-like stable ... A Star appears, a small baby's cry is heard, Angels announce the event to shepherds ... The shepherd worship ... And the rescue begins in a feed trough and ends up at an empty tomb.

Ages later, although the hype of materialism does a pretty good job of distorting the message of hope, the "Spirit's Song of a Soul Set Free" is unstoppable. Hearts still held at the gate of the spiritual jail cells are waiting to be set free. Jesus is still availing the rescue ... With a small broken prayer to trust Him, Heaven is opened even to the vilest of sinners. Christmas has come.

It is 2017 - and toward the end of our Elul ... forgiveness is available, where will your heart focus for the new year coming?

HLFA,

Jeff


Reference Section for the Studious:
Sixth month - "Elul" - the Shofar is blown on the first day and everyday day after except for the Sabbaths of this month until Rash Hashanah, first day of the following month, beginning of the Jewish New Year. During Elul - Psalm 27 was a focus as well as prayers for forgiveness-- The Shofar (Rams Horn) would blow calling men to "make a noise" Call all to Repentance(August-September time frame). Finding a Tender Heart.
Angel - Messenger one who is sent, envoy - Fit to deliver the seriousness of the message.
Gabriel - Warrior, Man of God - Forged to show strength.
Galilee - Circuit, turning and returning - Following a well worn path.
Nazareth - the guarded one - 100 miles from Bethlehem - Fending off rivals.
Virgin - marriage able, sexually pure woman or man - Found in God's favor.
Joseph - "Let him add" - increase - Fulfilling, submissively, the prophetic increase.
House of David - Dwelling of the Beloved - Following divine promise.
Mary - "their rebellion" - Found faith in the midst of the noise.
Lord - "Kurios" - supreme authority, ruler - Fact of final decision.
Jesus - "Jehovah is Salvation" - Face of God's Grace and Mercy with men.
Son of the Highest - Full eternal connection and privilege as The Son of the Most High God.
Father David - Father of the genetic line of the Beloved.
House of Jacob - the Dwelling of the Supplanter... forcefully opens salvation to all.

Beloved...

Beloved...O the vastness of the tearing chasm that is created in my heart when I see you struggle so. My tears veil the encouraging rays of the sun just as if a massive relentless storm was upon us. Your tears swell in a caldron of ever increasing sadness that reflects the sorrow of your countenance upon the gray sky's closing of Heaven above.

Beloved ... And, O I hear you. I truly hear you... As your words, driven by pain, cut away at the very fiber of my connected soul; and my tender Spirit, that perfectly interprets your groaning so, only magnifies your biting accusations to my hurt, while the echo of them ravages your spirit even more. Word by word ...you are shattering your hope way beyond contrite, and the roaring truth of your situation lays naked your affliction before all gazers (or so you think, and to your constant embarrassment).

Beloved... I feel every broken and shattered chord of your rain dove song. You sing as one that feels they have lost all ability to hear My voice of promise, touting that the promises are there for all others "but not for you." I watch as you fall into the restless sleep of the abandoned pilgrim.

THIS MOMENT WILL VISIT US ALL ... But be still in the night and wait for the Light of His love, His Song in the Night Season ... Be still and know that He is God, and with this knowing begin to praise and bless the Lord, who has not left you no matter how harsh your disappointment was with Him in your Season of Affliction.

In a season of intense abandon and unearthly suffering, Jesus cried ..."My God, my God ... Why hast Thou forsaken me?" But later in His suffering Jesus signed ... "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit." and cried "It is Finished!"

Psalm 16:10, 11 - "For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures evermore."

Let the truth in the midst of the Psalm soak our soul ...
Jesus: Will not leave us in a place of no return,
He not leave us without the praise of God,
He will not send us to be punished with the wicked,
He will not totally abandon us, nor exile us...
No matter how far sin degrades us... He still holds us in priceless valuation.
In Christ ... We are His "separated" "praised" "possessions"
insomuch that we will never see the pit of destruction ...
We will never experience the grave of the lost ...
He took our Hell on Him, so that we can experience the fullness of His Joy and His "evermore" pleasures.

Don't let pain grind lies into your soul that cause you to hesitate trusting God... You are His Beloved!

He is calling your name... Beloved!

Almost Merry Christmas 2017!!

HLFA,

Jeff

Deactivation Guaranteed!

The Ecclesiastes Life under the sun, under the Heaven ... Life without any eternal perspective ... Life without a Door of Salvation ... Life with eyelids turned upward ... Even when this living is synchronized with a personal righteous endeavor and a sacrificial attitude ... If it is but a "life under the sun", and NOT LIFE "IN THE FAITH OF THE SON" ... It is vanity. It is uselessly wasted.

Never is there a guaranty of the next heart beat ... Never is there signed certification of immunity without incident ... Never a promise for tomorrow... Sometimes the normal brings with it a life threatening monster that swings the unseen and unwarned sting of death; and we are gone. And at that moment all the most advanced security measures, the most meticulously studied health propositions are found to be anemic. Any accumulated prestige, all the well gathered and garnered wealth and possessions, and all the best laid steps to reaching our dreams ... Deactivated and left behind!

"Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern." Ecclesiastes 12:6 " Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7

... Why would Solomon paint the event that can deactivate man from life under the sun in such a poetic way? I truly think that if you take the time to read Ecclesiastes you will see "The Preacher" (every once in a while) allows the curtains of eternity to peek open momentarily by the wisp the Spirit's wind so that we would desire Heaven's perspective and not our own temporal tunnel vision.

"In God's hand" ... All positions, all possessions, all things related to success and failure, all information gathered for wisdom and foolishness ... Are in His hands. It is revealed that LOVE is also "in His hands" and stands out as something we can't begin to muster up or earn in a lifetime ... Real Love is in His hands. Does that threaten us?

He who fashioned us in His own image ... Knows what is best and is directed by His great love for us, to us and through us. If we are threatened, check to verify our connection."It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" ... Yes, there is a deactivation point for every thing on this side of Heaven... But just as sure as Winter buries the death of Fall ... Spring has always ushered in new life and hope of Summer.

If we hear the Voice of the Spirit in this entire matter, we will know that "in Christ", our Fall here may cause a Winter for those mourning around our shell that is left behind ... under the sun; but for those in the Son ... They rejoice in the Hope that We already have been ushered into the eternal Season of the Son.

"In His Hands" is not a Holy terror to those trusting... but an awe filled reverence ... So fear! - Live in awesome respect for - God; and keep, trust, guard and give life to His commands ... for they are His Love directions and life appointments that allow us to have Heaven opened to the eyes of our hearts. Doing is not always keeping (think about it). The Keeping is guarding within the assessment that the value is precious and priceless.

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and "keep" His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be bad." Ecclesiastes 12: 13, 14

Without Jesus ... There is no Way, No Truth and No Life and no Heaven ... And This brief stint on this terrestrial ball is the vanity of all vanities. Deactivation without Him is eternal death in a Devil's Hell. Why would we not choose to stand in awe and trust of His sacrifice that opens Eternity for you and me?

Deactivation here ... Reset ... Reactivation There ... Only in Christ.

HLFA,

Jeff

Before - Beyond - Exceeding

Before - Beyond - Exceeding

Risk? In Matthew 25: 14 -30 The only one taking the risk was the "wicked servant" - God gives every man a valuable gift of a measure of eternity to respond to ... There are two types of people in this passage - The "Saved" investors and the "Lost" hider. The investors are those who because of redemption see the value of the Gift of God and multiply it. Read this passage carefully (a week ago it was presented in a Sunday morning service by the Pastor in an attempt to teach risk ... But we may have missed the point in scripture) Matthew 25 ... Only those given the "talents", who were connected to the Master, would take up what is given....take the gift as theirs ...and multiply the entrusted investment to the glory of God. 5 doubled, 2 doubled, BUT 1 was hidden.

When we don't have the God given perspective of the "safety in the Lord" through His salvation ... In our "lost condition", we will see the Lord as harsh and unfair; which in the Kingdom is to not see God in it ... at all.

Why does the "risk" always have to be in the parenthesis of the church program and how is it a risk within the safety of the Kingdom?

"I was afraid" ...no trust in the Master's goodness... No desire to share the Master's joy. This parable of the Kingdom is a spot on target picture of the heart of lost-ness ....the biggest and most foolish risk is to not Know Him. The Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord - but to bury that gift - out of sight, out of mind carries with it the consequence of eternal condemnation. The cross reveals God's compassion on us and the resurrection reveals His power for us....why not move forward in trust. Why should we be shamed by what others think is risk?

Instead of risk minimization, risk management, or risk avoidance ... (All are characteristics of a "natural" not a "spiritual" life) ... Why not allow our hearts to be unchained from fear by the obvious limitless promises of the word of God?

Sad are the following verses concerning the Servant who hid the Gift...

Matthew 25:25 - " And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine." (This lost servant never took salvation for his own but buried the opportunity "in the earth" ... Why think of Heaven?).

Mathew 25:29 - "For every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." (The lost servant ... lost the opportunity completely).

Matthew 25:30 - "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Only the lost, unprofitable servants face this end ... Never are the "saved" cast into outer darkness).

Let's be saturated by some God perspectives and move forward in the courage that He supplies through His word.

Ephesians 1:19 (Grab all of this Chapter it is overwhelmingly powerful in our favor) " And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,". KNOWING JESUS!
Ephesians 2:7 - "That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." KNOWING JESUS!

KNOWING JESUS brings us into the constant festival of the Gospel ... We live in the joyful sound of His Death, Burial and Resurrection. Stay close to the Gospel!

Psalm 118:27 - "God is the LORD, which hath showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." O give thanks unto the LORD for He is good ... His goodness was carving the elements before us, His goodness goes beyond the exchange of our daily decisions and consequence; and His goodness is always exceeding our expectations above all that we ask or think--- because ... His mercy endures forever (in spite of what we may perceive).

But there can be a problem ... It exists because of our perception in the moment ... We will have to choose between Faith and Sight. Sight may suddenly sadden, but faith will carry us to the Father's future.

God is the LORD... He has shown us light and He is becoming our light ... Life in His presence becomes a vibrant ever flowing festival, especially if we fasten the festival with living weavings (of the encounters of our life) to the Altar of Sacrifice -- the Cross. Cherish the moments for this festival could be the last that we share on this side of Eternity.

"Jeff" ... "I am 85, not doing anything has me stiffening up...at least when I drove the truck I could move ... I want to drive 2 more years, and then that is it."

I asked "What then , retirement?"

Dad had no words ... Only a distant look...driving all his life made it near impossible to see the "then" after the "that's it."

As he got into his car he proceeded to break into an overwhelming emotional moment ..
"When life is young and you can go anywhere and do anything with the love of your life ... You never even for a moment imagine that it could be like this ... I am very disappointed with it all."
He continued, "It is not fair ... This is not what I imagined it to be, the pain is so limiting and the dreams are all but gone. Well I have to get back to the nursing home with Mom, see you later!"

"Dad ... Jesus is coming soon!"

His reply. "That would be ok!"

"I love you Dad!" ...

"I love you too, thank you ...Jeff!"

I watched as his vehicle pulled away with the "Jeff" still echoing in my mind ... I cried a bit as I stood there, realizing we may not do this again next Thanksgiving... BUT because of Jesus, eternity's prospects were still bright in spite of the momentary pain and seasonal tears. Of all the things in life ... That we "must" ... We must believe.

Each of us who awake to another day ... Are greeted with the festival power of every promise from His Word ... Start there, stay there until we move forward in victory, as He makes a way for us through our doubts and disappointments.

"Dad" ... "Jesus loves you and Mom so much. He is intimately touched by your feelings in this ... Look for and be grateful for the miracles as they present His glory to you daily (no matter how insignificant they may seem to others) and continue to trust Him in hope of His future."

HLFA,

Jeff

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

I Don't Want Your Toast

"I don't accept toast from strangers."

It was early morning in a remote town at a Gas Station-Convenience Store-Restaurant Combo -- and a working class man was accosted by a stranger at a gas pump - extending toast in his direction. The thought of the stranger was ... "I do not eat this, hate to waste it so I will offer it to someone ... Surely someone would love an offering of fresh toast ... Free".

Some surprises are not well thought out and become a little disconcerting to the recipient of the surprise. The event of the "toast offering" was quite out of sequence -- no relationship established, no need was discovered and a solution from left field was offered ... Would you have taken the toast from the hands of a stranger at a gas pumping moment?

We would like to think that God works that way...BUT ... God's surprises are way beyond "well thought out"... They are sent from the heart of God with the eternal intent to extravagantly love each and every one of us.

NOW THOUGH (and pay attention to this) There is an enemy with a temptation aimed at our "soft spot" ... Satan is the enemy of all of God's creation, and That original sin ("you shall be gods, determining what is good and what is evil) is our "soft spot" for his attacks. This "soft spot" is the target of the enemy that he knows ... binds us so deeply to self servicing decisions, and deep disappointment ... When penetrated it fights against time with a reasoning that has mankind chained to time and timing.

God works in behalf of us within the structure of our time and timing needs, but He is not held captive by our perceptions of the "when", the "where", the "what", and the "how" ... of our rescue. He is not bound by timing or time ... But His "Why" is so compelling: It is His "Love" that is unequalled, unparalleled, undiminished, unmerited, and unending... For us.

Do the following "seems out of sequence" verses bother you because of the order/timing in scripture?

"(It was that Mary which anointed the LORD with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)" John 11:2.

"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment." John 12:3

Look at the address of the verses above and think for a moment... The word revealed that the Father knew of Jesus' need for anointing for burial prior to Mary's offering. Wow!

Has our life with the LORD gotten to the place where it is like a mindless heathen worship ceremony with constant repetition and boring ritual; where surprises aren't even noticed because of the narcoleptic life style that we have chosen. Worship that is Alive is not a religious activity that we perform or a moment in our formal community church services where we gather together to "hype our faith" with our "cup of tea" songs.

Worship is our Life blood in Christ. Worship is our daily adventure into the goodness of our God. Worship is where daily bow our lives with the "dog lick" to open our hearts for the reception of His amazingly creative... Love rescue of our lives.

Matthew 6:8 - "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

The answer, the awesome well orchestrated rescue is already be on the way.

Living a life of ritual before the Lover of our soul is like a gas pump, dirty hand, unwrapped, toast offering to a King. The King will probably say ... "Depart from me with your toast... I do not know who you are; and I don't make it a habit to receive toast offerings from strangers."

Wash your hands ... Empty your life of limiting expectations... And like a child of wonder ... Get ready for Him.

HLFA,

Jeff

Matthew 6:51 - "And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered." This is where He wants us.

Timeless

What time is it? Isn't it strange that we all have a strong desire to never get sick, never grow old and make special moments last forever. We are all captured and controlled by the thought of time, even when life takes a turn for painful dereliction. We all secretly desire ... Not to die... But if we must let it be peacefully, painlessly and possibly in our sleep.

Time rules men. Our ever expanding limitless universe is like a growing monster alarm clock. Between gravity and sight things change to remind us of the race from day break to dusk's dwindling light. We have approximately 12 hours where our senses are subjected ever changing light; but there is an eternal light that can bring constant value and connection within those hours, not to mention rest in the night season. Jesus is that light,but if a man walks without Him, walking in the night, the guaranty is that he will stumble ... and he will fall.

"If only Jesus was here" this would not have happened in that defining moment? DO WE TRULY REALIZE THAT: Time has no bearing on the rescue of God; He never misses His opportunity to love us. AND His intervention will be glorious. He knows our times and our seasons but is not threatened by the changes because HE CHANGES NOT!

But for us:
The call will come ... It will shake and shape our world ... It will challenge our light, and it will tug furiously to close the curtains, to limit the rays of hope and to glorify the chains of darkness. The hands of time will forcefully extend grief and press unfounded worry into our already weakened frames.

The call came two days earlier ..."These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go that I may awake him out of sleep." John 11:11

Four days later ... "Jesus wept." He wept as he saw all the distorted dimensional crags and clefts of man's emotional hiding places. He wept .. But not because He was late with help as accused, but because of the inability of humanity in general to see that the Glory of God is not restrained by time and the measure of it. Jesus is eternally present... His "I AM" "Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already." John 11:17. (Seeing Him would bring the statement - "If you had been here this would not have happened.")

Understand this - In these moments of our potential deepest disconnect because of shock, grief, fear, and/or the feeling of personal abandonment ... HE places Himself "in the midst of the impact with us" in order to carry us to a place of greater security in faith. He does not "put us through hell to test our faith". Stuff happens because that is just the way it is on this side of Eternity's Veil and HE IS EVER PRESENT WITH US.

Time always limits the boundaries of our faith - prayerfully read the discourse between Martha and Jesus in John 11:21-27 -- See the weight of time on Martha's vision and how it stifled her expectations. Then embrace the pinnacle of the fulcrum of the conversation:
Jesus, "Do you believe Lazarus will rise?"
Martha, "Sure, he will rise in the Resurrection on the Last Day!"
Jesus, "I AM THE RESURRECTION!"

This encounter was going to be a violation of the sacred fences that had been planted long ago to bring be an anemic "hope" ally for our already fragile faith. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick:" Hope strung along, dragged along, delayed by "time" will chip away at the health of faith. Hope that desires Jesus will be a constant source of renewed life. "but when the Desire comes, it is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12.

Do you believe that you will be helped, delivered, rescued, or healed? Don't hang on to "when?"; desire "Him" ... Hear this -
"I AM the Help!"
"I AM the Deliverance!"
"I AM the Rescue!"
"I AM the Healing!"

What do we need in that moment of painful personal struggle?We need Him.

Rest, O my soul, He has this!

HLFA,

Jeff

John 11:40 - "Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God?"

The "Glory" is the decision ... And He has decided to love you.
Trust that Love ... Not the measure of your ability to trust in time.

He is the Solitary

He is the Solitary!

As I stepped out briefly into the crisp early morning air, there He was in all of His regal but quiet splendor , and all of His majestic sweetness. I sent a whistle into the silence of the moment and watched as creation lifted its head in a gracious response and paused to listen to the crown of God's creation. I lifted up a blessing their way, and turned as He engulfed me in that moment when eternity's robe parts revealing the true source of power and light and healing ... Brokenness.

Psalm 68:6 - "God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."
HE IS THE SOLITARY - WILL YOU RECEIVE HIM .

"I AM the way, the truth and the life; no man come the unto the Father but by Me." John 14:6. HE IS THE ONLY "LIFE" OPTION.

"And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: This is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." I Corinthians 11:24
HIS CHOICE WAS TO LOSE HIS LIFE THAT HE MIGHT SAVE US.

John 9:3 - "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
WE WILL ALWAYS FACE CONUNDRUMS ... WILL WE SEE THEM AS GOD OPPORTUNITIES?

The continued revelation of Jesus is found in the passive snapshot of the way God works...the invisible, becomes actual...realized as overwhelmingly more real than the current reality. Stuff is and stuff happens on this side of eternity that is no ones fault. Our choice is to blame God and man, or to see the "stuff" that handicaps as an opportunity that the works of God may be manifest.

Here is the key to experiencing the Blessings of God:
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hath his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." John 12:25.

Let's unpack the essence of this verse so that it can go viral in our heart and mind by the Spirit of Truth in the Word: He that is wrapped up in nurturing his own life by feeding and fueling the things connected to this life will ultimately tear down, weaken, and finally destroy our life; but he that hates his life, that is wrapped up in this world of adornment that is in opposition to life, shall guard it towards eternal life.

He is the solitary. He is the One.
Let us offer our chains and cease our rebellion.

HLFA,

Jeff

Storehouse or Ransacked

He had conquered his world and amassed his fortune. His lands, his streets, his buildings all carried his name, so that his family could be remembered for his hard work, forever. He was constantly tearing down warehouses and building bigger ones to store the content of his success. He even gave a token of his earning to the poor to appear respectable ... Until one evening at a family business celebration, just as the family was applauding his self praises ... A massive pain gripped his life. As his hand reached toward his chest and he fell into eternity. And his children took his place in the business and followed in his steps while quoting his sayings.

Psalm 49:13 - "This ... Their way ... Is their folly: yet their posterity approve their words."

They had conquered their part of "The World" and amassed their "spiritual" fortune. Their lands, their streets, their buildings all carried their name ... And their endeavors were always "To the glory of the Name." So that the world could see the greatness of the Kingdom of God, they were always building bigger and better "storehouses" to gather in those who had been won to their excitement. They gave a token of their success to the halt, the lame , the maimed, and the blind to appear compassionate in the Kingdom of men.

Until one evening at a family success celebration, just as the family was lifting up the loud songs that they loved so much, and self praises rippled through the gathering hall, a massive unseen and silent pain gripped the congregation as their hands were extended upward. Even while they offered proof to those around them that they were not ashamed, a deadly ache wedged deeply between their souls and their God. Change and Difference was always shown the door as the offspring of the congregation followed right after their predecessors, jostling for positions and congregational possessions while quoting the sayings of those who had led them.

Unknowingly, they had become the same giant mirage in the Kingdom ... bringing in to the walls of their success ...only those who they could comfortably fold into their subculture. "What's right will be done, but will be done only within these walls!" And all the people said "Amen!" Heaven shuttered with shame.

The Body of Christ, the Church, is THE "called out" assembling of believers who have full intimate connection with God through the LORD Jesus Christ. With that connection there is a clear purpose filled calling ... To "GO!" Into all the world with the Good News of Jesus. That connection and calling avails to them the non exhaustive supply of Heaven, and allows the follower to be fully whole in their redemptive work among men.

Why amass, hoard, squander and ration the provisions of grace that God so freely gives? Why have we become far too enamored with the glimmer, the power, the feelings and the sounds of our anemic offering of worship? Have we excused away the nail pierced hand that was knocking at our door because it always seems to toll in a moment of inconvenience.

- It is common knowledge also, that to truly allow Him in would mean we would have to bear the stigma of the suffering servant and bear the enigma of the thorn laden crown.
- Opening the door, though promised fellowship, will mean submission to the Heart for the broken and the outcast.
- And to have His full indwelling will mean the emotional risk of being ostracized by the weight of the cross.
- And standing in His stead means that we live on the "cliff"...
All of these images speak risk, discomfort and isolation ... But taking the step of faith to answer "the knock of the nail pierced hand" brings Him in to our lives so that we can then truly know Him and the power of His Resurrection.

Have we hesitated to answer His knock because we have washed our feet and are done for the day (we already gave at the office)? Inconvenienced to put on our work coat once again and to soil our feet is not the choice of the clean and comfortable, but it is the Way of the Lover. There is nothing that is an inconvenience for love ... "If I would give all the contents of my house for love, my house would be totally ransacked."

Song of Solomon 5:4 - "My beloved put in His hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."

Is our heart still moved by the thought that He wants to walk with us?

Unto the Lukewarm ... Because of self-sufficiency and self accomplishment ... "Unto the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans (people conquerors) write , These things saith the Amen, the faithful witness, the origin of the creation of God" (read Rev. 3:14-19) ; Get the picture ... The next verse is not to be watered down as comforting or challenging cliche; because it is a call to the popularly accepted church who has grown comfortable with its methods and walls. We think that the risk is to be more relevant to today, but the real risk is found in total dependence with the devotional walk that He calls us to. This devotion consecrates us daily to becoming more and more enamored by Him and less and less attracted to the decorations and distractions of the world.

Rev. 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."

Do we hear His voice ... Will we open the door?

HLFA,

Jeff

The Alley

Joy - continued ...

"Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever. Psalm 30:10-12

He is the only One who knows exactly how to support our weaknesses and leverage our strengths to give us life within the realm of the Favor of the Kingdom. He knows that the dust of the grave is praise less, and that His rescue and life giving activities can make us strategically noisy praise makers. With thanksgiving give great and loud praises of God's Amazing Grace.

Found within the starting passage is an amazing picture of the process of restoration ... A fall is inevitable; whether because of our lack that we choose to steal unattainable needs, or because of our ease in prosperity that we become self sufficient and we steal forbidden desires. The fall for believers ends up in the same narrow alley ... Guilt and shame and a need for cleansing; so there we mourn.

This is where we cry for mercy because He is the only one that has the HELP for our predicament: No human entity can set us free from the penalty of sin's fall.Glittering, flashing and deceitfully welcoming... Always ahead of them in the path of any sojourner, there will always be a captivating choice of direction. That choice, if scrutinized in the pre-adventure, would glaringly be found to be a seditious move of rebellion; but in that faltering moment of the flesh's weakness the choice usually is found to be a release.

Once the "high" of the moment has faded and fair weather friends have all slithered away, unfortunately, the fallen sojourner finds him or herself emotionally and spiritually restrained in a very dark and dismal alley. This alley filled with scars and sordid memories can potentially swallow up it victims and leave them helpless to hope. With hope gone all that is left is "the cry" for help from the Alley.

"The Cry" for the Believing Sojourner is a "God" moment ...when the cry is turned upward and Mercy is brought in abundantly by the Helper. The Alley of constraint becomes the altar for the exchange of "sack cloth" repentance for royal robes of forgiveness ... What was meant by the hater of mankind to be a conduit of execution, now becomes the stage for Redemptions Dance of Joy.

Oh wounded heart sensing your end... end your struggle here, and trust yourself to the merciful arms of Jesus the Redeemer.

The Cry at the edge of loss finds itself with rejoicing continued in the Alley of Joy!

HLFA,

Jeff

Surprise

7:15 AM is a great time in the morning for surprises.

In a non-home city, in an unfamiliar café, I was getting a jumpstart smoothie for breakfast. I was alone just for a moment with the girl waiting on me behind the counter... when an unkempt, unclean, disheveled, (obviously derelict) young stranger strolled in and began a hyper-speed conversation with the waitress...

{To capture his rambling please read the next string of words carefully but in a hyper manner:} " Top of the morning to you... Now I am not here to hurt myself or anyone here, and I am not expecting anything, and there are no obligation on your part because I know that every situation has its limitation. I, my self, have no money but these two pennies in my hand and the emptiness of my pockets ... So do not worry about having to whip up a special order; but if there are any scraps or mistakes that you were about to throw away that could provide me with a little sugar that could give me energy to begin my day I would be much obliged." ...

(Seeing that the waitress was shaking her head side to side and looking pitifully empty-handed herself , he once again tried to put her at ease) "Again there is no obligation and I only have two cents so don't worry if you have nothing to offer... have a wonderful day"

Then turning quickly to move towards the café door, the Stranger turned in my direction ... but not to address me, but just to open a dialogue with the air? ... "Ooooh, I enjoy rubbing these two pennies together, another two and I could do stereo ...(he finished with a chuckle)" Then he fixed his Eyes on me and said as he quickly left ... "Have a great day...Don't let anything or anyone rob you of your joy!"

....What just happened? I was trying to get my wits about me, sensing his need, and wanting to get him a smoothie; but he raced off and into another café so quickly that I lost sight of him. Moving on with my day I realized that this moment provided a very valuable "2 cents" rubbed ... near by me .

Joy is an essential ingredient to sustain life ... No joy, no hope... Potentially no life. BUT Joy, real lasting Joy is directly related to our relationship with God. and it appears that joy is something that can be lost by sin and selfish choices, but it can be "heard" once again; and real joy can be restored by the LORD (Read Psalm 51: It is an epic journal of the fall and return of the heart of the king ... Based on the sins of David and his restoration journey back to God's favor).

Joyless? ... Turn from your self-sufficient struggles back to an empirical reliance upon Him.

"Make me to hear Joy and gladness, that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice." Psalm 51:1

"Restore unto me the Joy of Thy Salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit." Psalm 51:12

Real Joy is ... To be continued ---

HLFA,

Jeff

Misplaced Identity

The world has absolutely no lasting welcome ... for all that is in it is the wasteful desires of the flesh, the fleeting lusts of the eyes, and the deceitful pride that defends our foolish excuses for our rebellious decisions. Shine and glitter it may, and it does offer a wide gate ... but that gate opens to dwindling pleasures that end in destruction. The god of this world and his cohorts can't be bribed, know no loyalty and show no mercy when the welcome is gone. Those given to the ploys of this mirage will soon find themselves as slaves feeding off of the left over slop from the excretions left rotting of other pilgrims who have also wasted away in the lie. Love not the world.

A follower of Christ still has to live under this world's oppressive influence with its manifold beginnings, choices and voices for sin. We need to be careful and prayer full that the God Breathed Scripture is not run through the filters of understanding offered by the world, but that the world is judged by the rightly allocated Word of God. More to be desired are His words than much fine gold.

Waking up after a crazy night in drug la-la land. The seeker found himself resting next to an old bookshelf - and one book in particular caught his eye. Just the leather cover and gold edged binding was enough to capture his attention and state its Royal standing among the other books. Trying to find out what all the hubbub was concerning this Holy book, he did the only logical thing he could think of ... Flip to the end of the story. Just as the words started to spark his sluggish imagination, a religious voice of reason barged in and said "Don't waste your time with that book, the writer had sun stroke and just wrote about the crazy things he saw. Let it alone ... Just the verbs of a crazy man. The book went shut ... For years.

Another day on down the road of his journey, after a strange night tangled in the darkness of a drug induced delusion, his soul was crying for change... And there it possibly was; a man handing out pamphlets addressing those he met with " need peace and hope? Read this and you may find it!" ... he continued this line of encouragement until the man's eyes caught the seeker coming his direction. Immediately the man turned and began running and screaming. The seeker confused, chased the man for several blocks until finally almost in desperation, the man through a large handful of the "peace and hope" papers into the air. The seeker stopped his pursuit as he felt and watched the shower of pamphlets raining down around and on him. As one hit the ground in front of him, he saw that it's front cover had a picture of that book ... that holy book. Drawing a quick conclusion, that book is why the man through it away... Must be worthless dribble.

"We interrupt our worship for a special announcement...now let's enter back into worship where we left it." This statement in this mornings church service caused me to chortle a little....Truly we are a mixed up generation that has little or no understanding of the Kingdom ... "Interrupt" real worship? And Is there an announcement that is more important than worship (maybe "Jesus is here" but that would just heighten the experience) --? "Enter back where we left it"? Sorry if I get a little frustrated with the children of the Kingdom when they congregate and lodge their faith on clichés and half truths pasted together to get an AMEN -or "APERSON" (to not be gender biased...).

Lately I hear a lot of good People say that... "Jesus said and meant" things that are really pretty fuzzy and slightly bent and sometimes just way out there? Perhaps the point is to quickly Comfort or Challenge with the word, so it is taken through a "expertly educated" paper shedder of sorts and put back together in a momentary palatable fashion? We don't want to offend the listener do we?

Also, There seems to be a movement afoot to discredit and belittle those who believe that the Bible, in its entirety, is the inspired Word of God. Instead of seeking God's face for a fit, we would sooner whiteout the "mistakes". There are even versions of the Bible that annotate and leave out portions of scripture as "not in the original" -- today we ARE FAR TOO EDUCATED FOR OUR OWN GOOD and our true devotion is to self and not Him.

Why don't we all start creating our own versions of the word -- tools required: scissors, trashcan and glue... that would totally eliminate accountability to anyone but our selves... we could be gods of our own world. OKAY we still swallow the tempter's initial lure.

OK ... Now, I kind of understand why we start hacking and whacking away at scripture although not one "jot or tittle" can be removed until all is fulfilled. Let's take a peek at the author or originator of this comment - "jot or tittle" - and see why:

Matthew 5:18 - "For Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." --- Catch this chapter in its entirety - let the power of the pieces fall where they may. Do not leave your brain at the door and... throw away the scissors, trashcan and glue!

1. Don't ever discard what you disagree with or dislike about the Bible. The Law was meant to reveal the tragic disconnect and depravation of man ... With a broken and contrite heart, you will find yourself fallen and in need of a Savior -- right in the midst of the law. "The law of the LORD is perfect converting the soul."

2. Don't pick and choose what laws you now have the right to obey or to break. Jesus fulfilled the law by His death on the Cross -- not for you to have liberty to Sin, but for you to experience the Liberty of Grace. Grace does not break the Law, it lives in the fulfillment of the penalty and the Law of Love. "The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

3. Don't negate accountability to God by assigning scripture to someone else, some other time, or some other place. Context is important but devotion is key. "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: "

4. Don't be afraid to not understand parts of the Bible. Many portions of scripture have a time for understanding ... and it may not be now. "the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes."

5. Don't strive to be right, your righteousness... which is Jesus... already exceeds the righteousness to the Pharisees. Trust the Lord and His Word... without apology. Explaining away or making goofy excuses for "why God said" puts you in the category of the foolish and slow to believe. "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether."

The clarity of our Identity in Christ is found in our daily devotion to His Word. A misplaced or distorted identity is the result of alienating ourselves from the Spirit by choosing our thoughts over His.

"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honey comb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalm 19:7-11

Then one whose heart was full of love for the Word of God and others, caught the Seeker, and through the Word ... led him to a saving knowledge of the Lover of his Soul, Jesus. There... the Seeker found his Identity. May 1973.

HLFA,

Jeff

"It is not what I think that matters, it is what He has said that matters." - The Scarlet Sinner

The Obvious and The Owl

Psalm 16:5 - "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance (the obvious) and of my cup (the Owl) : Thou maintainest my lot (choices) ."

Distanced- Yes, they were outcasts, but they had gifts and dreams just like every other pilgrim to hit the planet... Somewhere along the journey they missed the warning signs or just thought the signs were there for anyone else but them; and then it happened - their choice was wrong, now they were marked, scarred, tarnished and deemed unworthy, not necessarily on the outside, but they truly felt that everyone could see their indelible past indiscretions.

She needed someone to come beside her and help her through this. Every gathering of sojourners that she would try to join up with for encouragement, and possible recovery, seemed to distance themselves from her. "They all just seemed to know I was there but did their best not to make eye contact." Isn't this a lot like all of us at some point in time and to some extent?

He was distanced but could not see that distance was a two way street. Too soon, the same addictions that wreaked havoc in his life in the first place were once again adding even more distance from Love's true rescue. Any personal choice, especially the embarrassingly wrong ones, carries with it a monstrous pride and a paranoid prejudice that already sets the stage for isolation and depression.

A wind of hope began to blow their way: Excitement filled their hearts when they heard of a gathering of pilgrims who were former outcasts, who welcomed all and anyone into their family of "believers" ... including searchers and recovering outcasts ... Hallelujah, finally a safe haven, or so it seemed.

They had their doubts ...but ... they forced their selves through the doors of this assembly, but not without many warm hands extending their way and friendly sincere welcomes. So they opened their eyes wide while passing into this scene; and they thought to themselves ...What a great place, and such an awesome welcome ... Fabulous atmosphere, wonderful smiles, clean and bright surroundings, and now there was a high anticipation in their hearts for real encouragement. Every thing about the moment rang true to heart ... A flicker of hope was now alive.

Fatefully the "service" drew to a close as the lights came on and the crowd raced out the door. With moving chit-chat and not a concerned eye glancing toward them, their heart once again turned downward, and painfully fell under their self inflicted defects. They were able to disappear ... they slipped out unnoticed and away back in to the darkness of the distanced life.

She found herself lurking in the shadows of a street light in a painful emotional quaking. She wanted so badly to be seen for what she was becoming, not what she was. The LORD had become the prepared portion of the sum total of her life. And her cup was lifted up and waiting for all the LORD would pour into her life, knowing that LORD had attained her full attention and was now grasping and supporting all of her decisions.

In times past ... Surely his chalice had been lifted unknowingly to be filled with the dregs of sorrow though in the beginning the supply of the world was so attractive and enticing. His desires in times past were concealed in the nocturnal branches of his predatory thinking, and these unbridled would wait in a wide eyed fashion for the right moment to stealthily swoop in to capture the target of his lust. This was no longer where his heart's desire resided...

BUT people, good people still saw them as flawed and possibly contagious.

O their ache was like so many, how to fit into the awkward culture of the assemblies who were more worried about keeping the rescuers safe than "risking all" to rescue the fallen. These assemblies though "called out" into the deep, had traded their rescue devices for comfortable leisure pool floatation devises that carried superficial printed warnings like ...."not to be used for first aid or rescue purposes."... What?

Her heart was now pleading ...
His heart was now screaming ...
"SEE ME! ... LOOK ME IN THE HEART!"
"The LORD ...is the appointed value of my life in the presence of men, and the measure of my heart's desire ... that He is filling; He is holding me securely in all of my decisions!"

Although it momentarily felt as though only the streetlight had been listening, all of eternity bowed in admiration. And the LORD spoke deeply into the pilgrim's soul ... "My beloved".

HLFA,

Jeff

PS - Hebrew word for Cup also means "Owl" --- think about it.

I LOVE YOU

Wow... Invisibility, why is it that this super power only works when we don't want it to? The Visibility button always has a defect when trying to switch to that mode because of the need to be recognized for our worth. Now visible... we are in the way, and our name is used to club us into submission. What is the use of having a name if it is only used when correction or disappointment with us falls? How can it be that our name, chosen by our loving parents, should be taken so crudely in vain?

When our name is spoken only when there are disappointments, correction, or when there is need for something that only we can provide... Doesn't that seem like our name was destined only for cursing, degradation and not for Love (possibly that is what it means to take a name in vain). We have all heard from the mouth of so many (as well as our own) when faced by those moments of fake kindness after a hateful battering, "You are only being nice to me because you want something!"

We all have stood there ... with our face to the thankless task at hand when the object of our love entered the room. They came so near that we could smell the essence of their presence. We closed our eyes hoping and imagining what it would feel like if they just stopped for that moment, wrapped their arms around us, and said the words that we all long to hear ... I LOVE YOU!

How many times do we walk right by our God as He continues the mundane task of keeping us alive without even a moments acknowledgement of thanksgiving for His constant faithfulness and His never failing love? Why can't we bring ourselves to truly say to our God ... "I Love You!"

On any star light night, look up and stand still ...In the midst of the wind of a storm, stand still ...On the shore of that great ocean between us an eternity, stop and soak in the sound...In the midst of the bustling, teeming masses of humanity ... stand...And focus for a moment on the following ... amazing statement from scripture, letting it indelibly "love tattoo" your soul:

"I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live." Psalm 116:1,2

"I LOVE THE LORD"
- Fact: We need to let our character be molded and imprinted with a constant love communication for and to Him,
"BECAUSE HE HATH HEARD"
- Fact: His character is such that He is caused and moved to listen.
"MY VOICE"
- Fact: Out of all the myriad of sounds on this planet, there is a sweetness in knowing "my voice" - "our voice" has a place in all of the cries toward Heaven.
"And MY SUPPLICATION"
- Fact: My need - our need, for a gracious response is never misunderstood and is obviously clear.
"BECAUSE HE"
- Fact: He has not deferred my voice to another, nor my needs to an assistant.
"HAS INCLINED"
- Fact: Heaven and Earth is warped and bent to meet under the weight of His Desire for us.
"HIS EAR"
- Fact: His hearing is totally engaged in listening for our cry.
"UNTO ME"
- Fact: "Unto Me" ... as insignificant as we are in the grand scheme of eternity He desires us and looks for opportunities to answer in such a way that we know it is He who cares..
"THEREFORE I WILL CALL UPON HIM"
- Fact: I need to let my inhibitions dissolve away into unrestrained trust...as a child fearless to run to My Father.
"AS LONG AS I LIVE."
- This is LIFE... If I let go and trust God.

Because of His intense attention to our voice and our continual needs of living on this side of the veil ... because of His everlasting faithfulness ... because of who He is...
KNOW THIS,
He is caused to stretch out, even in awkward situations, to turn His ear UNTO Us; holding this knowledge near and dear to our hearts, will allow us to continually call upon Him as long as We live.

Here is my heart,
Here are my words,
Here are my groans,
Here is my silence;
Where is your ear?
Here are my thoughts,
Here are my scars,
Here are my fears,
Here are my tears;
Where are your arms?
Oh to know that You are more than near...
You are here!
I am waiting still,
Hold me.
I Love You!

HLFA,

Jeff

Cry out!

Each and everyone of us knew that we had run away with a fortune, didn't steal it... it was rightfully ours, but splurge was in our DNA. We just needed to sow our wild oats, every one does it at some point in time... right? Live it up was our mantra! (And we never meant to hurt anyone).

The most dangerous place for indelible scars would be our minds, for where the winged fortune took us to live it up... we will never live it down. The distance we traveled in the wrong direction was far greater than any of us had anticipated. It cost us way beyond the lint in our pockets, and was keeping us painfully longer than we had planned. We found ourselves in the midst of a treacherous, tempestuous sea of battles and the enemy constantly snarling in victory over our purchased scars and chains. The moldy crumbs of the bread of sorrows upon our blood stained fields have now become our daily hidden portion. And our "NEW" name which should declare victory, now seems to be inscribed in the mire of wasted time.

As these days of storm and wind beat upon our souls, we stand alone on the shore of a dark, distant, and merciless land. With our hands up-raised ... Just hoping ... Just longing ... Just desiring but denying ... the tender arms of Home that seem one step beyond our hope and miles beyond our willingness to believe.

We are a powder keg of anger and expressions of disappointment with Eternity's delayed response , and the constant "never" that explodes from our heart and through our lips -- are now our habitual negative reflexes to - "GOD WILL DELIVER US". Our crushed and wounded hearts reflex "never" with a snarl. Oh the pain added to the thought of answered prayer and fulfilled dreams... as We curse any offered encouragement when it is meant to bless us.

STOP ABUSING YOUR LIFE WITH NEGATIVE SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY - JESUS TRULY WANTS TO ACTIVELY LOVE YOU... BELIEVE!

"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses." 107: 6, 13, 19, 28 (4x the verbs are repeated) -- heart of the content: While wedged into a very narrow, stressful, pain-filled place, the cries for help will always be imperfect but stingingly honest. Regardless...God's rescue is not based on the degree of our measured honesty, it is based on the massive goodness of our God; He is waiting and ready to execute a "snatching away" rescue at the first childlike cry.

Problem: Your ever looming enemy ...brings you face to face... with a dagger of "THE FEAR" (a fear that your heart gravitates and even cultivates) stabbing you with a hopeless and believable outcome that paralyzes you. The enemy is a formidable foe who has always tramped around in the compromised battle zones where we didn't utterly decimate this insidious and ancient giant...and his threats are loud and ring true with our fear; but his threats it do not ring true with the faithfulness of our God.

Who is our champion ... Who of our choice? Fear or God? Why do we refuse to rely on the courage that comes from Above... From our identity with Jesus? Why do we let our fragile fluctuating self confidence from within speak words of fear and failure into our days?

IF WE MUSTER UP ENOUGH COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT PAIN RICOCHETS FAILURE BACK THROUGH OUR ACHING FRAME AND WE FALL ... We could be done!

And if we refuse to be "Spirit" encouraged, then we have nothing from Him to take steps of faith forward ... We could be done ... UNLESS "WE" ARE WILLING TO CRY OUT!

"Then they cried out UNTO the LORD in their trouble, and HE delivered them OUT OF THEIR DISTRESSES."

---I am standing here...please hold me so that I know I am held by You -- and then please fight my battle... LORD Jesus, AMEN.

HLFA,

Jeff

Crash Landing

"The plan for the days ahead seemed full of delights and promise, but something went tragically wrong. Unknown to us because our strong desire for self-satisfaction, the decision was to be one that would lead to poverty and destitution. We did not see that the decision was in direct opposition to the loving instructions of the Father. From our vantage point ... those instructions were meant for another time and another place ... definitely not applicable for today. So off we went on our fantasy filled flight ... no one warned us of the dangers of too high, too fast, too hot, too long, too much... and soon our magnificent vessel for the journey was reduced to a flaming ember heading for a crash landing right in the middle of the garbage dump of failed expectations... right in the middle of the Kingdom.

When we had finally been dragged from the catastrophe by a few reluctant rescuers - all condemning eyes were upon us, all hearts were hardened against us, and the door of love's opportunity was slammed in our face. We found ourselves on the other end of holiness ... we were now abhorred as unclean, set apart for shameful reproach, and holiness was a flaming sword being swung mercilessly in our direction. " Exerts from The Scarlet Sinner.

There is an amazing thing that God has provided for the entire world of "whosoever believeth" ... rescue from eternal damnation and a secure Home forever in among His Beloved. For each passenger of this flight of faith there seems to be the same promise but with it there is a paradox of "we are not there yet" and "I will fall, but He is with me." Sorry no perfectly smooth landing into the Kingdom, and every landing on this promise of faith will have repercussions. Have you ever pondered this thought? Could we state it this way ... that all of the landings in the Kingdom are crash landings?

The place where the temporal and eternal collide will be a catastrophic event. The repercussions in the world shaped by this event are weighed by the amount of shrapnel that explodes and flies upon the impact, and the "fame" or influence of the occupants involved. We have heard wishes for salvation for famous individuals throughout the years, "Oh, if only he or she were to get saved... can you imagine the amount of lives that would be affected for the glory of God." (Our prayers for all should be with fervent desire for their rescue from the penalty of sin, Hell Fire; other than that end to prayer ... we have no concept of the effect of anyone's crash landing).

There is a big flaw in this thinking that "fame saved" is the hope ... It is earthy and doesn't even consider the power of this Kingdom Upside down. God's Kingdom is where prideful personal fame is a spiritual handicap and a potential hindrance to kingdom influence; and the realized needs and humble gifts of servants are the keys to powerful spiritual leadership. Every man no matter the status, in God's eyes stands naked, wretched and lost until the crash landing takes place. Every man should be the target for the actions of real holiness not just a few.

"I am sorry for my sin. I am truly sorry for the pain it may have caused others." We have heard and even said these words at some point throughout our short journey on this planet, usually right after our crash landings. Fact though, we are rarely aware of the handicap and ineptness that the "crash" has infused into our lives. We know forgiveness "from above" because we always live in it (though we may not acknowledge it), but our ongoing conflict is how to allow the adequacy of the Grace of God to become the abundant help for our inadequate and powerless existence among the throngs of crashing humanity. How do we emulate true holiness? (now there is a word that can incite emotions)

Here is the challenge from scripture that you have heard leveled at us all from pulpits of frustration, rather than from the nursery of tender care: "But as He which called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy." I Peter 1:15,16 ... AND the dire shame is that holiness has become a club that people join to beat others across the head. ("I have a notion to join a club and beat you over the head with it!" Groucho Marx)

Here is a devotional dive into this scripture to give you a better view of HOLINESS.
"He who has called you - to name you; and has called you - by that Name... to be the bearer of that Name, is most sacred and set apart in His fostering and cherishing of His pure, warm, and tender care of you. Turn the world upside down by placing yourself as He would ... in the midst, in between, amidst ... and being sacred in your offering of tender care in all that you do... turning yourself back even to those who have no care for you.... HOLINESS."

True power comes from Holy Kingdom Leadership when believers enter the fragile garden of abandonment that was faced by Jesus and worship from brokenness. Take a moment and Read Psalm 89: 1 -37 , stop reading and praise God for His amazing secure provisions provided to His children via the One Beloved. NOW begin prayerfully reading Psalm 89: 38 - 51 ... feel the brokenness, the disconnect, the rejection, the abandonment, the disappointment, the cry, the plea, the hopelessness, ... there is no verbal "I love you!", no expressed "thank you!" , there is no "you are beautiful!", no "you are important!" ... there is only 14 verses of Questioning if God even cares if we live or die. Now comes the strangest verse to finish up this heartache: "Blessed be the LORD for ever-more. Amen and Amen." Psalm 89:52

He is in the crash site ... to offer tender care ... what about you?

HLFA,

Jeff

The Dark War

The unimaginable happened, his guard was down and he was overtaken by a fault and captured by the enemy. The Scarlet Sinner's heart rate began to race and sweet began to bead up on his brow... as the questions began to probe deeper and deeper and deeper in to the darkness of the warrior's subconscious ... he could only reveal the truth."

"With these tells, the enemy knew that he was close to cracking into the deepest secrets and that he would soon expose the treason and the hypocrisy of this fragile fake ... "It can't be!", screamed the enemy, "The deeper we probe the more we expose ... loyalty, truth, compassion and love." "It is like we are uncovering someone else's heart and mind!"

"Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple (ee-shone) of thine eye." Proverbs 7:2

"In the twilight, in the evening, in the black (ee-shone) and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire on an harlot, and still of heart." Proverbs 7:9,10

"Keeping and Hiding the Word in our hearts" is the simple but eternally effective guard for our lives. It allows us to keep and to be kept fully alive as we position our hearts and mind to royally welcome the Watchman of the Word deep into our darkness and deep secrets. Hiding the Word so deep that there is no uncovering of any ulterior motive or underlying purpose other than God's Word kept in hiding.

Verse 2 of Proverbs 7 opens to me an imperative direction for us to focus or meditate: We are to guard with continued observance ...the clear commands of God, and hide so as to conceal them from discovery... treat the laws of the Word as precious - the "Apple of my Eye" -

We have all possibly heard this term used as an expression of endearment and just thought of it as a way to express the precious nature of one that is loved as "The apple of mine eye" ... and we smiled a love smile and went on. This term has so much more to do with a foundational focus for life than we may perceive.

The apple, "ee-shone" in the Hebrew is described as the "dark center" of the eye or the pupil, the deepest part to gaze into, darkest or blackest part of midnight ... O we should want the LORD to so saturate our lives that the deepest darkest place is still adorned with the Word.

Please Lord, I know I will never be impervious to the temptations around me, and I will be over taken in a fault... but let that temptation be met with a deep, dark satisfaction with your Word that makes no room for sin.

Notes from the interrogator:"Though we peered long through the deepest and darkest window into his soul, wewere astonished to find only the images of an ancient torture site, and our suspect bowed over on his knees and weeping uncontrollably before whoever had died there. At this juncture of the interrogation, we deem it unnecessary to pursue guilt any longer. For the deeper we probe the closer he draws to whatever power that has drawn him to that place of suffering."

In my darkest moments, He will find me ... for I am the apple of His eye.

HLFA,

Jeff

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