His Love, Our Identity

It was a long way from the angel's song, the shepherd's awe, the wise men's visit, the Star's shine, and the manger's humility -- but The Unfolding moments were the culmination of the events that overshadowed the Birth. The Passover was near: preparations were in place, Glory was to come, the traitor had been treated as the guest of honor and had left into the night ... The inner circle was on the edge of the cliff, while the world was being prepared for the reception of the idea of "Crucify Him!"

"Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet in a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:31-35

Under these circumstances the "Little children" of the Kingdom were being prepared for their change, their royal robes, their new identity, and their place in the world: Jesus' Love extended to one another.

Christ Follower: Our ethnicity, our nationality is His Love... though We will live as strangers and pilgrims.

Lovers of Jesus: Our supernatural color is Love... O Rest in the difference of the Color of His Love.

Kids of the King: His banner over us is Love... Humbly but securely let Him fly it over us.

His Love should be what overwhelmingly adorns and defines us. 

The problem is that we think that we thrive within our critical view of other's failures and suffering. Our exploitation of God-events in our lives should be for the sole purpose of drawing us closer to him, not as an advertised example of "this is what you get when you are right with God"(How does that work for a faithful servant who is suffering with a terminal disease?). 

It may be a security issue: Are we secure enough in what His Love is doing for us, that we are not threatened by God blessing someone else. Are we sure enough of His leading, that the mandate to love others is not measured by what always appears to be bad timing and fumbled words: His Love will always reveal itself as -- "We will be the eternal interruption".

Psalm 133 --- His Love is the bond of Unity! 

Merry 10th Day of Christmas! 

HLFA, 

Jeff

The Shadow Ache

He appeared to be no more than a Shadow. For so many years he had maintained vigil at this spot, at this particular time of year, while the ebb and flow of life passed him by. Rarely considered of enough worth to gain a stray care filled glance or a momentary attentive ear; he still positioned himself to smile and welcome all. He seemed relentless in holding to The Hope, the Hope that the long awaited promise might be made known in these days of fading light. Year after year, he would lift his voice to all within hearing range, and passionately remind patient listening hearts, "He is coming, do not fear, lift up your hearts for His Rescue, for He is near!"

Romans 8:22 - "For we know that the whole creation groaned and travails the in pain until now." 

The Ache ... "O there has to be a way out!" "Rescue me, deliver me, help me, save me, hide me... O Lord!" So many stories throughout the centuries that have extended from and led right back to the Cross. All of our stories will and must lead us at some point to the Cross of Jesus, for without that confrontation there is no forgiveness of sins, there is no everlasting life: there is no Hope for Heaven. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes unto the Father but by Me." 

Without the healing power of the Spirit of God through the Word of God in our lives "The Ache" will sooner or later lead to our bitter destruction. The sad thing is that it usually manifests itself in an increasing numbness and widening distance from the Voice of God. He doesn't stop calling, even unto our last breath...because "He is not willing that any should perish" ... But as we turn a deaf ear to His loving pleas out heart begins to harden; and the longer we habitually turn our eyelids upward, the easier it is to let His voice fade into the sea of devalued opinions and strayed God-void notions.

"The Ache" is the driver, the harsh connection within the futility of our own efforts against an unseen enemy that stacks the odds against us. "The Ache", is also the driver that can be empowered by God to keep our hearts, not only connected to Him (because we need Jesus, we need Him every breath of our life), but broken for others.Jesus is very intimately aware of "the Ache" - "Jesus wept." John 11:35 

As our High Priest, He has purposely positioned His emotional response within the groanings of our infirmities, in the intimate knowledge of our inexpressible feelings. Romans 8:26 - "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Fear not "the Ache" - don't hold back the tears - reach out for cleansing so that you can arise with the song of the Spirit. 

"O Sing unto the LORD a new song, sing unto the LORD, all the earth." Psalm 96:1 

Our fragile broken song is so needed in these days of truth jilted by arrogant doubt, and light hampered by selfishly dark improv. Let us rise up and welcome the Coming King in the Spirit that He has imparted to His rescued aching kids.

Merry Christmas and God Bless everyone!

HLFA,

Jeff

Until These Camamities Be Over Past

Psalm 57

Vs. 1 - "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over past." 

And the battle unexpectedly erupted in a furious clash of uncontrollable emotions, indistinguishable expressions, inaudible exclamations, and a blinding flurry of defensive and offensive movements. In totality, all strength was expended beyond the man; and then exhaustion overtook the scene as it melted into a smoky mist and a narcoleptic silence. I awoke with that feeling of "I can't catch my breath" type of panic.

Vs. 2,3 - "I will cry unto God most high: unto God that performs all thing for me. He shall send from Heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and truth."

The night had long blanketed us within the stench of burning garbage (or was it flesh?); my sleep was violently restless with dreams filled with the cries of the innocents. Not daring to open my eyes, I cried out fearfully but without a voice, I had fallen mute ... Because I knew not my bearings in the thick black of this abandonment, fear had gripped me in a choke hold. 

My eyes were challenged by what I saw in the pale morning light... Shockingly -- Vs. 4 - "My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." Even with this fearful unfolding vision sending terror through my veins, strangely there was something rising like churning waves of melody, harmony and rhythm from my innermost being; though frail in its delivery, it had begun: I cried - Vs. 5 - "Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, let Thy glory be above all the earth." 

Vs. 6 - What was this that had caused me to awe? "They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: that have digged a pit before me, INTO THE MIDST WHEREOF THEY ARE FALLEN THEMSELVES. SELAH!" 

The trap laid for me was now their adversity - the roar, the threatening, the peril of being held between pity and cruelty had almost overwhelmed me against the blaze of their unbridled passions...was now stifled in the pit prepared for my demise. I was free!!!

Standing there in the midst of my enemy's defeat, the song began to crescendo and it began to take wings and rise: Vs. 7-11 - 

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed:

I will sing and give praise. 

Awake up, my glory;

Awake, psaltery and harp:

I myself will awake early.I will praise Thee, O LORD, among the people:

I will sing unto Thee among the nations.

For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, 

and Thy truth unto the clouds.

Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens:

Let Thy glory be above all the earth."

For those of us who stand in peril - arise and sing of His deliverance!

For those of us who stand in darkness - cry out for the Light of His Love!

For those of us who have been freed from the threat - Let us Arise, and exalt our God and Savior ... Let His mercy and glory shine through us!

HLFA,

Jeff

PS .. Dec.1 - Happy Birthday Mammaw, Mom Ruth, tasting Heaven, rest. 

        Dec. 2 - Happy Birthday to my brother David - Standing in the Promises, don't give up.

"I am not a Christian"

"I am not a Christian!" - quoted from an interview of a notably famous persona in the Music industry. The interview was almost interesting until this statement was made, then the persona seemed to lose focus and fail to connect with relevance... Duh!

What an overused, cowardly, politically correct phrase: "I am not a Christian!" For so many who think that this makes them more neutrally acceptable and noted as "educated", they have actually stigmatized their lives... Especially when they try to quote Jesus' Words as "Someone once said". Wow!!! "Declaring themselves to be wise they became fools."

Oh, I understand the historically warped and irrelevant events of the past that have been unearthed by self-proclaimed experts in their field; dusted off, and polished in an insidious way too bend the events' actual history to create a hatred for the term "Christian". I also, too keenly, understand the inerrant wicked evil that loves the darkness and hates the light, but appears to the naïve in our generation as an "Angel of Light". This entity is powerfully persuasive in his portrayal, master in his lying presentation, and viciously accusatory of the followers of Christ. He makes sure that true believers take the fall for events where wolves in sheep clothing hid their sin under the guise of the Cross. 

We live In such an arrogantly ignorant time in History; a time of literal educational suicide: where current and historical events can be virtually altered to create unbelievable biased public opinion. Many swayed by the media are taking the cowardly way out by not identifying with the term "Christian" but making claims that they are very knowledgeable of the Bible. 

I have a feeling the title may have made you wonder about what was going on in my life. There have been times in my life where I have observed good, trusting, and giving people being hurt by those claiming that they were Christians; and to boot many of the scarred scenes seem to have been inflicted by those in ministering or ministry situations. I can understand at a personal level why someone would not want to identify with the abusers; but those of us who are Christians because we have been crucified with Christ (never the less we live, by the Faith of the One who loved us and gave His life for us)... are following Jesus, and hopefully our identification marks are "kingdom" commendable. 

There are only 3 verses in the New Testament where the name "Christian" is called out: 

- One time in Act 11:26 where "The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" ... because they gathered together as a called out assembly to learn and followed the teachings of Jesus Christ"... more than likely they marked by "love for one another and others" and thus Called Christians (Note: they did not call themselves Christians). 

- Second Time ... Acts 26:28 where King Agrippa responded to Paul's passionate Gospel persuasion "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian". The name "Christian" now being identified with the sacrificial obedient following of Jesus Christ... for what ever personal reason, King Agrippa had not the will to take on the that stigmatic snapshot of life. 

- Third Time ... I Peter 4:16 - "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." Peter knew what it felt like to deny Jesus, and wasn't about to let other believers make that mistake by suffering as a "love promise" breaker. The believers choice to sin puts Christ's name in jeopardy of being undesirable instead of irresistible by His Spirit and Love.

Let's raise the bar of His Love through us - let others discover the goodness of God that leads to repentance - and do everything to stay close to Jesus; but if we fail and fall- and we will at some point in time... I John1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

Perfection is not expected - but integrity (transparency in our struggles, our open reflex to trust Jesus, and a humble admission when guilty) is a great place to start when under the scrutiny of seekers. 

We will always have adversaries, God will take care of them. 

Let's long for others to see Jesus in us! 

HLFA, 

Jeff 

PS - I AM A CHRISTIAN - early in my walk with Jesus, I was told by a Satanist that I was and that being a Christian was my weakness (though he was physically terrified of me).

Oh yeah? Oh yeah!

The Judaean night was as brisk as the season had promised, bringing with it the cool evening dew and clear night sky. His station in the field though: was not his choice ... It was the luck of the youthful draw. "It is your job tonight!" ... He heard his older brother Eliab, say over and over again, night after night. So "Beloved, David" submitted to the care of the flock.

On the night, of the day, that his three oldest brothers joined the army of the King; "Beloved" sat alone in the field, head bowed in sorrowful abandon, he spoke prayerfully ..."Is anyone mindful of me? Does anyone remotely care that I exist?". At that moment as he might have drifted into a tearful nap, he felt the warm brush of a lambs tongue against his chilled cheek; opening his eyes and wrapping his arms around the little lively body of the lamb - He reveled once again in the memory of the power of that childlike faith that had slain the bear and tore the lamb from the jaws of the lion; He lift up his eyes and voice to the skies:

"Your amazing Heavens declare Your Glory, O God; the way you have laid out your shining ones, undeniably, shows your Artistry. Day talks to day and night to night as your eternal knowledge is being spoken. There is no speech nor language, where the voice of these shining ones is not heard." Psalm 19:1-3 

This same Childlike faith had no issue taking on a 'larger than life", threatening, entity that cursed the Eternal Source of his Love and the objects of that Love... The God of Israel and His people; and that battle lasted only moments with God's giant-killing-guidance-system empowering a small smooth stone to embed itself in skull of the Giant. The battle was won by a Child-like faith that submitted to the God over All.

It is hard, with the "older and wiser" eyes of adult-kind to see the true power of the innocent faith of a child. The purity of knowing, that the God of the impossible "can and will" perform valiant acts of Love in our favor, is the reason Jesus would say "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven". 

Before a child is corrupted by the psycho babble of an adult (who only believes as far as his fear will allow him) ... Fear forces the child to become dependent on One stronger for protection, and that fear becomes the launching pad for "My Daddy is bigger and Stronger than yours!" Oh yeah? Oh yeah!

Listen to Matthew 18:3 again, devotionally and see your faith strengthened. The dialogue was set up by a question, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom?" And Jesus set a small child in the midst of them to make the point clear ... "Amen, I eternally say unto you; unless and with no exception, that you allow God to turn you around so that you are no longer caring about your former "missed-mark" direction; and come into His-story... Onto His stage ...as His toddler; you shall not even begin to entertain the potential of the God possibility of the Royal Power of the Vaulted Expanse (Heaven) ... Conferred on His Kids with all of its splendor and dignity." 

The Key - Let Him convert us from our rebellious selfish will ... and convert us to His lavish love ownership ... And begin to truly belong to Him!

If ... We are His ... Let this truth sink in ... We belong to Him!

And the Giants will fall!

HLFA,

Jeff

No First Name

Do we even begin to consider the treasures of Heaven that are loaned to us, while in this temporal place that we try to establish as our own? We search out the perfect community, that has the most potential for safety, accessibility, and comfort. We purchase our claim. We bring in the professional land surveyors, drive in the boundary stakes, set up elaborate fences and then boldly proclaim this mirage of a parcel is our own. We build a house on the sand, and stress the ever fading "curb appeal" to gain admiration from all that pass by. We garnish our possession with sheds, garages and vehicles that also state that we are "somebody". 

How could we fail in a community called "The Place of Fragrance".

Nine long months of waiting ... Longing ... Dreaming... Living within the precious promises and love of their Father. Timaeus and his wife were expecting no less than God's best. For they had heard His voice, they had performed their vows, they had opened their hearts to the needy and downcast, and they were "all in" for God's plan ahead for their lives. As one in Him, and His purposes in heart... There was No turning back - they proclaimed "only blessings ahead!".

The day finally arrived ... The window of Heaven opened with the beautiful fragrance of eternity as Timaeus' wife labored intensely to deliver their bundle of Joy. Oh such a beautiful baby boy (at first glance)... But then the joy of the moment was interrupted by the sobbing of the midwife, for the little boy was marred ... He had no sight - HE WAS BLIND!. 

In that moment of great disappointment ... All the choices for given names that were attached to parental dreams were no longer important; for who has great dreams for the blind and what namesake even begins to bring encouragement? So the boy was called the Bar(Son of)-Timaeus. And by this name, his father took the blame, and shouldered the proclaimed curse.

Oh, if only they had known the glory that was ahead for this blind boy without a real first name. 

Oh, If only they had known of another little Boy that had been born about 18 miles away in a town known as the "House of Bread", who would bring to light the gift in store for this boy born blind. 

Oh, If only they had known that this little Boy from the House of Bread would take on the curse via a greater curse - "death on the tree", and that He would lift the curse from their little blind boy and the curse of Sin from the world.

Although Bar-Timaeus could not see, the misty veil of physical blindness had not completely removed hope from his listening heart throughout the years of begging. He had heard and waited on the Lord, and today his heart would be overwhelmed. This was the day! 

He heard the crowds murmuring at the purposeful steps of Jesus as he came through town. And Bar-Timaeus waited, as always, at the exit gate knowing just what he would say; ... Sensing Jesus was near: he cried out - "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Although his peers tried to squelch his crying, he just cried out the more ... "Oh, Son of David(the Beloved), have mercy on me!" 

When Jesus stopped and called for him, the crowd stopped and changed their tone from a harsh "hush" to a helpful encouragement. Within the heart of this blind man there was absolutely no hesitation to come... he left his outer garment behind, potentially with no intentions of going back. 

When asked what could be done for him... Reflexively he cried , "Lord, that I might receive my sight!" ... (Lord? There must have been a holy hush from the crowd in anticipation of what would transpire next, Lord?):In what ever delay was perceived, one thing was certain, Bartimaeus (Meaning Son of Timaeus ... No real first name), and his family now stood on the threshold of the blessing that was waiting in store at that intersection of faith. Here in that waiting and longing mode to be freed from the curse were the seeds of hope to be fulfilled. Jesus would call it Faith.

Mark 10:52 - "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed (continued to follow) Jesus in the way."

Let's not spend our days under our own self proclaimed curse of life; Let's Open our eyes; and claim the Glory and the Power of the Gift of God's Grace on our situation. Whether we find ourselves in a life altering set back, a life long handicap, a broken relationship, an overwhelming hardship, a life threatening illness, a debilitating pain, or a deep depressing failure ... Let's not lose sight of the power of His Name. Call unto Jesus, the Son of God! 

Living under the curse of our circumstances is like being a blind child in oppression, with no real first name! For there in no other Name under heaven, given among men, whereby we Must be saved ... That Name is Jesus.

Faith in His Name can make us Holy, Wholly, Whole in Him. 

Praise His Name and Live!

HLFA,

Jeff

Established; Relinquish

Strong and sturdy, rugged and true, stylish and festive, ardent and faithful, set like a flint, endowed and performing, ... The basic human element is the same, but the descriptors are a dream's desire to have recognized and declared about our lifestyle in the presence of our peers. No one has a goal to submit to suffering; no one dreams of the wonders of persecution; no one cries out to be abused and misunderstood. We all long for appropriately rewarded results for our efforts to put others first and to love others in a selfless way. 

To many, these moments of strength and prosperity are seen as a blessing , but to God, who is with us on the mountain as well as in the valley-- this is an opportunity for us to know Him with only the blessing and our pride as the distraction. Don't compare, don't complain, be grateful and know Him deeper.

Teachers of truth, be very careful not to heap unnecessary burdens on others because of your perception of God via your history with Him. Your story is not "the" example though it is an end-sample; and stories of encouragement of God's goodness should be declared. But His Goodness is not tied to steps of success or ingredients of a foolproof recipe. His goodness is tied to His faithfulness.

Every life is unique; and the Divine pattern for a solitary life is hidden in the mysteries and love troves of a God who has loved us even before the miracle of life in the womb.His plan for us is to be that pure and spotless object of His desire to love us. We cannot become that perfect desire without Him.

This Love Divine is what set the stage for the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Jesus that would pour grace and mercy into our faith adventure to know Him. To say that following Him is guaranteed to bring tangible wealth or unwarranted sacrifice is a philosophy of a one sided opinion that will either motivate or discourage others in their unique walk with Him. To espouse and isolate either of these philosophies, will bring a personal pride that literally sets up an almost violent wall of judgment to any opposition to that espousal (We will defend what we espouse).

The only guaranty is that He loves us in and through whatever state of comfort or pain that we find our adventure taking us. Just "declaring" the truth of where we stand will only feel right until the situation changes... And it will. To have a grateful heart that glorifies Him, whether we "abound or abase" is learned while His Word is transforming us in His process, that makes us less and less like the world and more and more like Jesus. (Sorry no magic wand of instant glorification while we are still on this walk ... on this side of the Veil.) 

Broken and shamed, bruised and abused, handicapped and limited, scarred and ashamed, immobile and unlovable ... To some this would seem to be a curse, but to God, who is with us on the mountain and in the Valley -- this is also an opportunity for us to know Him with only our pain and pride as the distraction. Don't compare, don't complain; be grateful and know Him deeper.

A few verses to meditate on in the middle of these philosophies:

Isaiah 40:1-2 - Comfort is in the Lord - Wait on Him for strength for every season of life 40:31.

Matthew 11:28-30 - Life on this side of Heaven can be both exciting and unbearable - Take on His Yoke, knowing Him creates the lift.

Matthew 10:38; 16:24 - These passages continue to be misunderstood and philosophically bent by perspective and usually carry an "either or" bias instead of a "both, and" humility to learn. The "Cross", our cross... is way beyond just the thought of suffering and sacrifice. 

No matter what state we find our selves - through the Word and the Spirit: the Fruit of the Spirit will allow others to see Jesus through our temporal situation and will allow us to see Jesus the temporal situations of others. 

A devotional Hint in digging for treasure: -- our "cross" is moveable, already upright, it is where we take our stand, our defense, life's emphasis, it leaves us with no choice, and must go with us in Following Jesus (combine the meaning of stauros and histimi - "both, and", and pray How much of my established life do you want me to relinquish?)

HLFA,

Jeff

Perception

"A Great abuse in the Kingdom is caused by self ordained grace brokers, who set themselves up as noble dispensers of Salvation only offering mercy, truth and forgiveness to those who naively measure up, pay the entry fee, and follow with blind loyalty. The greater abuse is those who think that the viral nature of these shame mongers has no effect on them. BUT The greatest abuse is caused by a generation that closes the doors of their hearts to the soiled and scarred, and declares that 'No one infected gets in here!' " Exert from the Scarlet Sinner, Tower Observations. 

"As love came a sauntering somewhat in my direction, I closed my eyes, and opened the desires of my imagination … longing for love to hesitate its passing, touch and acknowledge my existence. As love passed by without even the offering of a shortened distance or a wisp of a passing breeze, my heart retreated further from the hope of ever truly knowing love." Exert from the Scarlet Sinner, Non Access. 

Cowering in a damp, dark corner of most lives is a small dirty abused little child. Hiding for fear of reprisal of any movement or sound that it might make. This fear-filled little blurred image of humanity has been trained to be voiceless and therefore faceless. "Wrong!" has been shouted in its face more than its birth name. Being still and quiet minimizes the provocation of open shaming and ruthless beatings; beatings that have no rhyme nor reason in their frequency and duration. Dare not step forward, dare not make a sound … that would potentially mean days of dealing with open wounds, internal bruising and growing painful infection. 

There is a lie that hovers close to the sound of the roaring lion … "Worthless!" The hater of God, and enemy of our souls, does everything he can to nullify our existence by getting us to agree that our scars make us worthless. Satan is relentless at this effort because he knows that the "Scars" of the Savior shout "It is finished", and that our scars are His treasure ready to be revealed for true worth and a power filled life … But only when Connected to Jesus. 

Psalm 27: 1-4 - "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." 

Oh, if only the "Called out" assembly of God, the true Kids of the King, would quit pretending that they have no past, no pain, no tears, no skeletons, no scars. True power in this life is found in our transparency that JESUS shines through. Our BC is in His hands as much as our AD. "Live" understanding that all of our life has been redeemed, and the only thing that is worthless in the woven tapestry of life(counted as"wood hay and stubble" in eternity), is what we selfishly keep for ourselves.

Our scars are not our own, they have been bought with a great price; they are His: Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are God's. 

HLFA, 

Jeff

The God Moment

"Save me, O God; for the waters are come into my soul."

"I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me."

"Save me, O God; for the waters are come into my soul."

"I am weary of crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God."

"Save me, O God for the waters are come in unto my soul." Psalm 69:1-3

A maddening cycle - Five days of no sleep, running on high octane drug energy, crash for 48 hours and then right back for more because of the addiction controlled choices that were chained to the soul of the oppressed man -- Names like Lori and Carley, the most precious names in the addict's world, are left in the consequential crossroad, and the trash pile of broken dreams all because … Daddy knew the way back; the way back to hang with the wrong friends as he sensed the unforgettable smell and twin wicked longing for that unquenchable taste for the forbidden. That momentary choice was only 5 days in the past -- and Now he was coming down and crashing in the sickness and gnawing need for "more"... There was a slim ray of light for a "God Moment". But would it come?

The world that was mostly normal, now had been transformed into a maze of deception that is so full of lies, smoke screens and misunderstanding that no one could be trusted. True friends fled for their own protection and preservation. Enemies and pushers would show strange illegal compassion and strong reparative counsel … But there was nowhere to turn for deliverance, nowhere could hope be found, or so it seemed … There was still that tiny flicker of light that could produce a "God Moment"...Though none deserve it … God will bring it! 

"Jimmy, Jesus Loves you" (haunted his memory but brought no lasting healing) … Jimmy, look! … Jesus is pictured in the painting that is on your wall, right next to your bed. Remember to kneel and pray in the beginning and the ending of each day... This was lost in the ashes of addiction's guilt and shame. {He knows you have been ashamed to look at the picture for Oh so long. But He has borne and will bear your shame because "that little boy you once were" in desperation called out to Him. Because of your helplessness and your great eternal need - His love for you puts the responsibility and obligation to rescue on Him, for He alone is able. And his plan is already in motion … There will be a God Moment and you won't miss it!} 

There was that moment - "Why did you call me, did someone tell you what was going on?" 

God touched a tender heart to reach out to you, and His hand guided the timing. There was that first strange business related point of contact, but on the other end of the phone the voice said, 

"Jimmy's not here, he is real sick". 

The very disturbing "follow up" call to you was the same - you had a tough time even verbalizing - 

"Man, I am real sick and can't talk right now" and you hung up. 

This just intensified the concern of a servant (who also had been so sick that he couldn't talk at one time), who was now thrown into the "Spirit's compassion mode" with the gnawing question while the phone went dead … "What can I do?" . There was that resolve to call Jimmy at a later time; and God would make sure of it.

Then came the news - Jimmy had missed so much work that he lost his job. Jesus said "Pray for Jimmy!" The broken servant began to pray and planned to call. Days went by with slipping and racing time, always stealing away the opportunity … Leaving the broken servant's heart with that empty feeling of the weight of guilt, because the call wasn't made, and delayed every day for a week.

NOTE: But God Moments are a culmination of His Hand guiding human delays, emotional hesitation, forgetfulness and the Spirit's strong unction that shouts "Now" to the soul of a servant. And all of these worked in God's favor for the momentary rescue of the wandering child. 

The call finally went out to a nameless voice mail, and moments later Jimmy called back but the call was missed. But the servant anxiously returned the missed call to step into a God Moment.

Jimmy broke down … Vulnerably, he opened the truth of the shame that he was facing and the deep mire of untold years of cyclical addiction that he was stuck in. He was so embarrassed and so confused as to how the call came, and just as he was "coming down". Any earlier and he would have been too high to reason with; any later, and he would have been in an almost coma-like 48 hour "crash" sleep. 

With a few choice words of compassion from the Word of God … Jimmy was ready to cry out for eternal help; hoping that there would be a rescue for him. Tears were more prevailing than words. He didn't want to lose his wife, his child, his life … His soul. His frail attempt to cry out resulted in only two words - "Dear Jesus" as he melted into tears. As the soul of the servant prayed as he felt the brokenness of Jimmy's life and heart, the Spirit joined the sobs of Jimmy's soul as he cried to the heart of the only One who could truly deliver Jimmy … Jesus. 

Childlike, Jimmy put his trust in Jesus.

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken? Why art Thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?" Psalm 22:1. 

Jesus does love Jimmy, He fully understands the robbery of a soul ransacked by addiction's selfish greed. - Will you join in a season of prayer for Jimmy? Just commit to pray for him every time the Spirit reminds you of Jimmy's name … Pray for Jimmy's deliverance and restoration. If you are touched, this is your time to join in a "God Moment". 

Dedicated to a brother who desperately needs our prayers.

HLFA,

Jeff

Show Us the Cross

There is a strong desire in our days - especially in our times of corporate worship - to hear from heaven -- to know God in a special way . It is declared from pulpits and worship stages every time God's people are together, and in the faltering hyped revelation of our worship there is a constant reminder of the fragile nature of this life and the constant threat to our mortality. 

It is so evident: Our modern day enemies are poised at every corner of our lives wanting to devour us, via either an internal assault on our hearts pushed by the flesh revealing media, or by the threat real and eminent danger of terroristic personal physical harm - "destroy the infidel". 

The Jews at all levels in Jesus' day had felt somewhat the same pressure, and were reminded of a need for a "deliverer" every day. The Deliverer had arrived and was right there in their midst, unrecognized but for His miracles. For there were those who had mastered the art of profiteering on the fear and pain of those of simple child-like faith and veiling the truth being revealed. Remember: All through the ages God has been in the business of reaping havoc on those who sold or hid the way of salvation, but more intensely at this "fulness of time" intersection in the His-Story --- Now the arm of the Lord and the Glory of God would be revealed. 

Show us, show us Your Glory 

Show us, show us Your Power 

Show us, show us your Glory Lord! 

Open up the heavens 

We want to see you 

Open up the floodgates 

A mighty river 

Flowing from Your heart 

Filling every part of our praise. 

The crowds of the common man seekers would gather to watch in wonder …once withered dried hands now supple and moving in praise on the Sabbath; lame legs with strength to leap in a dance of gratitude; Hollow Empty eye sockets now filled with seeing the wonders that were only heard; deaf ears opened and in tune to the voice of the Master: that once had been longing to know the reason for the smiles attached to the vibrations felt; fevers fleeing from the strengthening frames once racked in their grips; demons screaming for fear of the dark flaming Eternity attached to their future fate; prisoners of every manifested addiction were set at liberty; and those who sat in the darkness but longed for the light were now Seeing the Hope of Heaven... But there were those who loved the darkness because their deeds were evil, and their hatred of the light was now converted to unbridled insanity. 

The halt, the maimed, the lame and the blind were prime candidates, perfect targets for Love because there was no where to turn but Up; but those who were so close to the Word in their lips but so far in their hearts, were prime candidates and perfect targets for the god of this world's heart blindness … Especially those who would not believe. "Crucify Him!" Became their mantra as blindness kept them unaware of what would fully reveal the true Power, Glory and Majesty of God... Inadvertently and unknowingly they were pulling back the curtain of revelation because of their rebellion against Love.

Seeing His works - Mark 3:6 - "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him." 

Seeing His Works - Matthew 12:14 - "And Pharisees went out, and held a counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him." 

Hearing His words - Mark 11:18 - "And the scribes and the chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him; for the feared him, for all the people were astonished at His doctrine." 

Their blind choice - Luke 23:23 - "And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them and the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required." 

Show us, show us Your power...Show us, show us your Glory.....And the singing died off because His Power and His Glory in His death on the Cross was not what we expected. But unknown to Hell's rebellion, it was exactly what God required and what lost mankind needed. 

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14,15 

"Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the LORD of Glory." I Corinthians 2:8 

We need to stop our crazy times of praise and worship that expects "Who knows what" to come down from Heaven just to make us feel exhilarated and utopian … And stop: be still, and cease our selfish squandering of the gift of life...And truly See the Power and the Glory -- the Salvation of our God!

Focus the imagination of our hearts on the horrendously bruised, bleeding, and battered body of our Savior that was brutally spiked to rough Roman cross created for unrelenting discomfort and torture. (It should have been ours - but our sacrifice would have been a waste in the sea of eternal need, for there is no other shedding of blood, no other propitiation, no other satisfying sacrifice... but His.) See Him in His anguish for us. Let His Words from the Cross grab our souls and ring out within us until there is nothing we want more than to be totally identified with Him. 

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, it is the power of God!" "And we beheld His Glory - the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth!" "I am crucified with Christ!" 

What more Glory and Power and Majesty do we expect than Jesus' Death and Burial for our Sin and His Resurrection? And if the Father did not hold back the giving of His Son, How much more will he give us all things that pertain the life and eternity? 

Let us Passionately desire to know and follow Jesus Christ: Crucified, Buried ,Risen, and Coming Again! 

He has shown us His Power, His Glory - His Salvation -- wake up, rise up and live uprightly in Him! The Windows of Heaven are open, the floodgates are open and flowing from His Heart to fill every part of our life of Praise because of His Cross. 

Go for it (don't just sing it)! 

HLFA, 

Jeff

The Gentle Giant - A Bedtime Story

A Bedtime Story: The Gentle Giant

It was sort of a Death Row, or so it may have seemed: Imagine the walk down a darkened corridor in an isolated wing of an elderly care facility. Curled into a fetal position, the elderly sojourner seemed to be lost in his dreams insomuch that he wasn't even waking for the call to dinner. The call seemed to bounce off of the walls, never to entertain his deafened ears, until a young custodian ventured into the room and gently touched the elderly man's shoulder with his massively strong hand and whispered "love is waiting for you". 

Almost magically, the elderly man's eyes fluttered and the color appeared in his cheeks. An immense overcoming smile grew on his face as he stretched out his curled frame and reached until he found that hand of the one that had whispered so gently. A healing comfort was found there as the custodian seemed to breathe in the mutual fears and failures that may have haunted the sojourner. The look on the custodians face was one of deep compassionate sorrow as he gently assured the elderly sojourner "love was now here!"

If they could speak, the massive gentle hands would tell a chilling story that could have taken this Gentle Giant another direction, had those hands not been offered to a the "Nail Scarred Hands"; the Saints and Angels rejoice the "Love is always near!". 

Childhood physical, verbal and mental abuse was always prevalent in the giant's childhood home. His accelerated growth and gawky mannerisms were always the target of malicious shame and shunning. Tears were his companion so many nights as his broken heart would be pillowed for the night; morning was an unwelcome guest as he would try hard to be hidden from the on-lookers that greeted him with dismally confused expressions and unreasonably long stares. There were not many hiding places for someone his size.

The turning point for his life … was strangely enough found in a walk through a narrow alley that he would follow to try to be invisible on his walks between home and school. On one of those stealthy walks, a small ragged looking dog appeared from behind a pile of filthy garbage and lunged at him threatening to cause him harm. Instinctively he swung around, his massive fist connected violently with the jaw of the little dog and sent it soaring into the air. In that split second as the dog was thrown back into the pile of putrefying garbage whining in pain, he felt a confusing mixture of power with privilege and sorrow with compassion. His broken young heart knew he had to make a choice, but a heavenly catalyst was needed to move him the right direction.

Confused by the reaction of his devastating reflexes, but paralyzed by the wounded dog's pitiful whimpering … He stood motionless and shaking as those late night tears now found their way to his daylight. "Oh Somebody please speak to my heart from Beyond the wounds of my soul!" 

At that moment a small dirty child wandered from one of the recessed doorways of the alley and ran over to the crying little dog. He cradled the battered little body in his arms as he looked up at the giant saying "Can you help me mister? This doggie is hurting and needs our help, and I need your help." 

Crushed by those sad, dark and piercing childish eyes,the Gentle Giant fell to his knees and placed one hand on the shoulder of the child and with the other he gently stroked the little dog … almost instantly the dog curled in comfort under the massive hand of the giant and timidly licked his hand. The Little child began to pray and praise a name that the Giant had heard hint of but never had he realized the reality of the power of this name until now … "Jesus". 

The Giant found a new found reason for his life as he felt a Washing From Above overcoming his emotions. This began his passion search for Salvation and Purpose in this new found connection with heaven through Jesus. 

O that we sojourn every day to finding a way of showing compassion where the only reciprocation is the Love from Above. That selfless out pouring of His Love through our words, expressions and actions is an amazing way to pattern a life. 

Looking to connect others to Eternity by focusing the vision to only see the cost of Calvary for the Soul; "O How I Love Jesus"...sang the Gentle Giant. 

"And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23 

HLFA, 

Jeff

Never a Pariah

("Pariah" - go to a dictionary and check out what this word means if you don't know) 

Life had become D.O.A. 

Life was daily draining in preparation of a conception that would never happen. No joy at the end of a strenuously painful delivery …Twelve long painfully embarrassing years... Doctors had drained all of her resources and yet, she continued to bleed and be drained of life. She was deemed unclean, untouchable, exiled from society, living under the scrutiny of all strangers, friends and loved ones … Literally bleeding to death and walking "as dead" to the rest of humanity. BUT touching the border of His garment from behind brought her from the status of the despised Pariah to a Favored Daughter in the immediate, desperate, virtuous contact of the moment. Luke 8:43-48 

Jesus is who we need at any given moment of our lives. It appears though that when all is good He is not needed … But He does not hold that against us. He knows that life has ebb and flow and is stained with growing conflict and increasing frequency of pain. He is the promise and the fulfillment of all things needed, wanted and desired. 

For so many reading this … We are either in great need or we will face a great need in the future. That need may or may not distill our mode of life to a D.O.A status, but loneliness and rejection may be the overwhelming emotion ruling our lives; these feelings can cause a paralysis of dreams that creeps in and drags our hope into the mire. This is the point where we want to give up because we are sick of living in pain and can't go on... Reach out to Him, touch the hem, grasp the border, hold the "promise fringe" of His garment, His virtue is there for us. 

Psalm 108:8,9 reveals some very important places of life that belong to Him, and we need not bear that time and place as a Pariah{an outcast}. 

"Gilead is Mine;" 

-- The "rocky places", where life's conflicts collide with the Faithfulness of God - the witness stones are piled from the conflict as a memorial to God's Goodness and we are caused to remember His rescue; this Gilead is His. 

"Manasseh is Mine;" 

-- Some times we are caused or allowed to "forget", and the breach is forgotten by His desire to heal us; this Manasseh is His. 

"Ephraim also is the strength of mine head;" 

-- Many times repentance becomes a "double ash heap" as our sorrow is mingled with Calvary's deep acquaintance with our sorrow; trust that the eternal investment brings God's blessing of double fruitfulness; this Ephraim is His. 

"Judah is my lawgiver;" 

-- When the moment arises for us to "praise", blessed praise is like the shooting out of arrows (with no expectation of return); this Judah is His. 

"Moab is my wash pot;" 

-- All of us will come to the place of "our father's failings" … Is my "thorn warmed pot for washing". The catastrophic events of a marred character are the places prepared for our cleansing. The thorns, that can choke and hinder our forward, joyful movement, can by Faith's purpose … become the fuel for the fire that warms the water of Word that washes us for usefulness. This Moab is His. 

"Over Edom will I cast out my shoe;" 

-- Oh, the scar that can be caused by being disowned; the "red" scar is always tender, it can be rubbed or worn even to a deeper bleeding red … As we are told that we have No vested part, No one responsible, no one cares, and/or there is no one related to us to deliver us: He embraces our scar and loves us as His Own. This Edom is His. 

"Over Philistia will I triumph." 

-- We may become the "sojourners" who have rolled in the ashes and remains of mourning... but He will send the Blast of the trumpet of victory, a Shout of triumph over our wandering. This Philistia is His. 

Hear and know, and never be afraid to imagine our God reaching, touching, and holding us in our pain … He aches deeper than we will ever know. As we, so many times, repulse from the very Touch that can heal us …know this: - He does not turn from us just because our pain despises the things of faith. - He never leaves us though we may have turned and walked away. - He never forsakes us even though we forsake Him when healing doesn't happen when we think it should. 

All Healing is His -- every rocky place, every forgetfulness, every repentant moment, every praise, every scar, when we are abandoned, and in all of our moments of wondering and wandering … As His children, birthed by His Blood... We are His and He is ours. 

Glorify Him with grateful hearts full of imagination of His Love interventions. 

We are never a Pariah, but a dear Son or Daughter: 

Trust His Love! 

HLFA, 

Jeff

The Artist and the actors

"O come"... 

(enter in with purpose, with direction, with strategy, with the focus to love and be loved; This Is Imperative). 

"Let us worship," 

(" posturing ourselves in homage and acknowledgement of the Superior" -- Worship is reflexive. It is reciprocal, has a past beginning, but has become a process of progressive purposeful growing desire; due to the imperfection of the initial and continual actions, there will be a need for repetition because of the reality of a transformation in the future ... This forward focus transforms and colors the present relationship - and worship grows)
"And bow down:"
(bend, kneel , bow, crouch ... Position ourselves for reverence ... Ongoing imperfect but intentional positioning) 

"Let us kneel" 

(to kneel in adoration … Position ourselves in adoration... Ongoing imperfect but intentional positioning) 

"Before the Lord Our Maker." 

(Who in postures Himself in the making, the holding, and the molding, us in His Love) 

Psalm 95:6 

The Heart of the Artist's Eye was captured by a certain lump of clay... Nothing special to the casual glance of the actors passing by. The Artist's vision of Love had him reaching his hands into the mire and rescuing the lump from the "bog of lost dreams". As the actors of the Kingdom looked on wagging their heads in unbelief and astonishment, The Artist continued singing, lifting, sifting, cleaning, and separating the clay, while at the same time starting the creation of a unique and timeless masterpiece connected to His heart: He so loved the Dream. The lump of clay lifelessly dripped a slimy path of the mire as the Artist carried it to the Wheel. 

The actors pretended to look the other way. 

Placing the clay Dream on His Potter's Wheel - The Artist felt the growing pain of the clay's infirmities. He spoke the command of Love - COME! ...He began by breathing His Breath of life into the formless lump of the Dream. The Dream trembled and bowed in submission to the overwhelming power and perfection of the Life contained in the Artist's Breath of Love. The Potter's wheel began to turn. 

The actors yawned with disinterest. 

Under the progressive intentional turning of the wheel, and gentle pressure of the Artist's Hands, there was a continual exposing of the Dream's flaws. But this labor of love also began revealing the beauty as the Dream started to revere and realize the value of the Artist's intervention. More and more in a growing reflexive manner, mutual love would melt and transform reverence into adoration, and the Dream would be seen as "being" part of the Artist's Kingdom; and not just "acting" the part. 

The actors fell asleep with apathy as Miracles in the Kingdom continued to transform willing hearts everywhere. 

Note: Worship cannot be captured in a time, a generation, a place, a musical style, a religious tradition or a particular people group. It cannot be contained or controlled by mere human will, because it is drawn out by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Worship is the "bowing of the will of the believer" in reverence and adoration to the devotional dependence on the LORD for all things. It is the continued revelation of the Artist that will empower itself in the reflexive responses of Reverence and Adoration, and manifest itself in thanksgiving, praise and joyfulness; Songs will be written and sung from the heart of worship that will join His mighty singing over us. (Worship in not solely founded in the corporate moments of song or of all people, when alone. we are truly alone.)

Warning: In every generation there has been "parallel, powerless, worship" that has to be kickstarted by the manipulation of human empathy and a flesh fed desire for a touch from eternity. Although the desire to know God is good in itself, because this Pho-worship has a momentary release, it may be recklessly capitalized on and flagrantly marketed to profit from the naive and suffering little ones of the Kingdom. Don't be caught up in the feeding frenzy of guaranteed worship for sale or for hire, you may get caught in the overturning of the money changers tables.

As the curtain of life is lifted, 

The actors are back on the Stage powerlessly performing … 

But the Dream is fully alive in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God, living the life of Worship. 

"Thou shalt have none other gods before Me." 

HLFA, 

Jeff

The Causing

There is a moment by moment "Causing" within the fabric of our temporal world of living. Because this life is really just a "fleck of a moment" in the grand "Time of Love" from eternity, the intrinsic Value of eternity will keep flashing God's loving kindness and faithfulness through the fading light of the present. This "Causing" is a powerful driver of soul emotions that can lead to full release and freedom of thankfulness resulting in the intentional singing of God's praises; or if the "Causing" is pushed back against, it brings on stress and bondage that is caused by a tainted spring that is fed by wickedness and spread by the flourishing of the poison of iniquity's sorrow.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most High: to shew forth Thy Lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound." Psalms 92:1,2,3

What we don't see behind this and many other passages in scripture is that the "giving of thanks" and the "shewing forth" that men do is caused from Above.

Literally ... Hype is not necessary in the Kingdom if the tender heart is in tune to the "Causing". Hype is usually a product of a heart that has sensed the tender reflexive responses to eternity, and instead of "being still and knowing that He is God", and joining the "causing", (which may have an unknown and potentially fearful response) the worship actor will pretend to be part of the revelation celebration, but without the true releasing power of the "Causing". 

FOR A MOMENT: Get the picture of a sanctified imagination scene behind the "Causing". Sin truly has ravished the fabric of the Soul's creation. 

The scene appears to be similar to that of the bombed out ruins of a war town city. Smoking, smoldering wood, hay and stubble, strewn about as if a wild uncontrollable beast had wandered destructively into the former beauty and cast its charred fragments in all directions. Imagine the stench in the air … Like someone burning the foulest garbage that could be concocted from neglect and ignorance. The scene sorrowfully broken … bows before the stench,the devastation and the destruction of former comfort and safety. Tears well up and are ready to fall.

Looking upward only produces watery eyes and a burning of the lungs. There are no blue skies, there are no comforting warm rays of the sun, and definitely there is no filtered refreshing breeze of relief. If there was any hope it is now charred and scattered about the ruins. Truth is all but lowered into a cold tomb of unbelief … BUT WHAT IS THIS?

Amidst the battlefield arises a faint but intentional glitter. A hope filled shimmer of gold, silver and precious stones. A "little one" stands tall amidst the rubble. There appears to have been a sheltered clearing pushed aside by an unseen but powerfully gentle Hand. This Hand has created a stage of sort. A celestial light bathes the small circular area this "little one" begins to joyously twirl in a dance and to psalter a melody, both with the purity of innocence and the sweetness of faith. This grateful dance and song of praise cause the very gates of Hell to begin to tremble at the power of the response to the "Causing".

The joy filled tears of Heaven begin to fall as the cleansing begins in every direction where the heart can sense "The Causing". Battered forms rise out of the ashes and shame in response to the song. "The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on High is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies as very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever." Psalm 93:3-5 Praise the Lord!

O let the Causing move us 

to a pure and grateful song 

O let the Causing move us 

for There is the battle won.

HLFA,

Jeff

Hear My Heartbeat

Righteousness as vindicated, justification in controversy, deliverance to a prosperous victory: He weighs out what is right for us, and measures out what is just so that His people, by merit of His "covenant by sacrifice", can enjoy His salvation. This Heaven sent, fully empowered Righteousness shall move in amazing ways before His Face; and will appropriately fashion our purposeful placement in the way of the rhythmic pulse of His Steps. He is the beat, the pulse, the anvil, the anvil stroke, the footfall of our life, The Heartbeat … Walk with Jesus.

Awake to rhythm in His steps …"Once, twice, thrice, as His time on our time... At His repetition, at our pace, at His occurrence, His once, His now … Now; now at length, at one time...at another, with us in His Heartbeat." Being sensitive to His foundational "Life Beat" is the liberation of the joy of our life. Breathe in the daily newness of His path.

"Righteous shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps." Psalm 85:13

Oh that negative voice that would always taunt me from out of the depths of my pain; it was always trying to drown out the sound of His footfall. The voice of the pain would strive to usurp and steal the power of His authority over me. It would cause me to hesitate in staking my claim on the blessings that You would place before me. I would curse my day in the beginning instead of praising Your Name, because of the pain, because of the gnawing ache. 

The pain would constantly growl "you are a cripple" and in total agreement with my momentary halt-ness; but You cry "You are whole!" and Your cry pleas with my faith to only … Trust. So I will.

I would always pillow my head with full intentions of stretching out to praise His mercy and listen for His footfall early upon my next awaking; but pain and doubt are always ready to greet me. Falling on the face of my heart, the treasure chest of Your word opened before my brokenness … The truth was evidently proclaimed before, doubt was tearing at my ability to believe; then I quieted my soul to sense the meeting of Mercy and Truth, and tearfully watched as Righteousness and Peace embraced and kissed. 

But how can this be? Truth and Righteousness were the adversaries of my failures; and wasn't pain the proof that I was outside of the blessings of Mercy and Peace? I cried out, Then I heard the Footfall … And I felt His righteousness lift and carry me. Strength was returning as I was gently placed in His safety, and my eyes were once again opened before the terribly wonderful "Place of the Skull" … I heard the pounding pulse of the hammer and the sharp ring of the nail, I saw the blood, and shuttered at the pain that Eternal Love bore there for me. His Now was my now … Once, twice, thrice I heard the Footfall. I now stretched my handicapped frame in praise before Him and Grace kissed me. I am whole. 

"Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because Thou hast holpen me, and comforted me." Psalm 86:17 

HLFA,

Jeff

"He heard my fragile heartbeat, 

and paced His Heart to mine … 

Behold, now, I hear His heartbeat, 

O to know, Love Divine." 

Exert poem from The Scarlet Sinner

The Archer

"The dream began with a blinding flash of pure white light, and an explosion's impact right near me. I sensed that all my loved ones were in proximity but because of the smoke, fire and rubble I could only see images: nothing was clear. I tried to run but only to find myself falling. I tried to cry out but my voice was no where to be found. In the distance within my reach, I saw a skillfully crafted bow next to a sheath full of arrows that glistened in the few rays of light that were left in this battlefield scene.

I looked to the left and to the right of me, and saw others with bows that were bent carelessly wrong causing their arrows to actually fly off in perverse directions, even at the peril of their loved ones, instead of at the enemy. In the flashes of light, I saw that the misguided archers would look toward Heaven and their targets with their eyes closed. I had almost succumbed to the same posture had it no been for the pleas of Your Spirit and the Precarious Safety of Your Cliff. I reached for the Bow and Quiver realizing the Battle was His." - Exert from The Scarlet Sinner. 

Hosea 7:15,16 "Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt."

Can we acknowledge that He is our Strength in this temporal fragile time of potential injustice? Remember the enemy truly has no weapon that can be formed against us, but those deceitful bows can threaten and reap havoc on our joy in the journey.

Psalm 78:56,57 - "Yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God, and kept not His testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow." 

Can we turn away from the attempts by the enemy to scar us: with his arrows of deceit that are hurled our way from broken and twisted bows? Remember the enemy can't win unless we let him preoccupy our conversations and recollections with the lies fabricated by the deceitful bows.

Terms like "He is a straight shooter" do not have the same comforting affect on me as possibly some others... To me straight shooters can also choose deceitful bows as their choice weapon of deception. Their arrows may not necessarily fly in our direction, but they do scatter and scar our thoughts and plans for the future. I have seen so called "straight shooters" over the years just turn out to be thoughtless selfish bullies, whose eye teeth desire to rip the poor from their possessions and whose eyelids are turned upward in attempt to discredit the Most High. 

• A true leader cannot and will not be disconnected from Eternity.
• A true leader is not afraid to love and be loved in the face of adversity.
• A true leader will strengthen weakened hands and support feeble but loving stands.
• A true leader will strive to remove the deceitful bows from the armory of broken dreams.
• A true leader will deal hope from the Truth to those who have been wounded by lies.
• A true leader will do everything in his or her power to deliver the broken to the Captain of their souls.

Why do so many leaders succumb of the lies of the roaring lion; inclining to believe that success is a ladder formed out of the dead bodies of those... naïve enough to trust, who were in the way, and became stepping stones to the leader's personal prerogatives? Survival of the fittest?? The easy way out??

Let's rewrite the definition of success as: "becoming a strategically skillful stepping stone in the eternal life of others"; a lively stone that will breathe new life and vivid direction into the future of those who are humbly trusting God, encouraging and empowering those who desire to be ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope that is within them. 

This is the life of the Archer of Love: The one whose heart reaches for God's best Bow and truth honed arrows, and carefully takes aim with truth to defend the helpless and bring renewed life to God's disheartened warriors. 

This is the way of the Archer of Hope: The one whose heart sees beyond the bitter scars and charred battlefield remains, and skillfully casts a new and lively vision of encouragement to those deemed unworthy by cruel leadership and by the battles of the past.

This is the Life of the Archer of God: The one whose fullest devotion is to his or her Most High Captain. The one whose lips flow with the Song of Jesus, and whose life emulates His love.

Be His Archer!

HLFA,

Jeff

Aha Kingdom Actors

You have probably met the "I'm truly blessed" actors that hang close to the Kingdom like vultures hanging close to a dying animal. Yes, Jesus alerted His disciples to these "birds" in the branches .... in the parable of the mustard seed. They are polished, refined, and savvy in the affairs of men. They are experts in the art of squeezing profitability out of the penniless. With a high and mighty demeanor, they "squint and gnats and swallow camels" while laying the "Aha, aha Burdens" on the meek and the lowly suffering pilgrims of the Kingdom.

Though they promise health and wealth through the sacrifice of the same, dare they risk any investment of their own? They are extortionists of the cruelest kind, because they prey on "the halt, the maimed, the lame and the blind" of the Kingdom. They are quick to point out that suffering is a result of a character flaw and a curse on the choice of life of an individual. They step on to the stage of life with a putrefying performance of vindictive pride... All shined up and full of positive smiling candor ... They will unashamedly hold themselves up to for the suffering to "Aha, aha - behold, we are pain free!"

Whether these profiteers are physically in our faces or they are in the oppression of our accusatory memory grid: they seek to extort the life and the ability to truly live from our souls . They criticize, demand, examine, inspect and expect homage from our souls while reminding us of our pitiful situations.

While they intensely seek our souls for harm... they are unaware that our groaning is heard and felt by an Advocate for our defense Who will rescue us. And all through their "Aha, aha performances they are accumulating internal guilt and amassing obvious confusion that will eventually turn them backward for the full reward of shame. 

Conversely - the Humble of the Kingdom are seeking the King with grateful expectations, love discovery inspections, and sustaining grace revelations that cause rejoicing and gladness in their King. Notably and openly He is their Help and Deliverer by His Salvation... Let Him be magnified! Though their faith is renewed Daily by His Faithfulness, Their prayer is still childlike in its plea - "please don't delay" - "Come Quickly, Lord Jesus". 

"Make hast, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying." Psalm 70:1-5. 

Read His Word ... Meditate on His Word ... Believe His Word until it drowns out the Aha, aha Voice Of the curse prophets of this generation and the discouragement of our own lied to hearts. 

Listen, Believe and Live! 

Jesus is our Shalom!

HLFA,

Jeff

Faceless Enemy

Psalm 59:1,2 - Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, save me from bloody men."

We will rarely see it this way, because of this life that is bound by gravity, but the enemy is not Flesh and Blood (Even though a face and a name might be breathing out threats right in our face) ... But the enemy we wrestle with is - Beginnings, Choices and Voices. 

(In the passage above) David, in the midst of the "people" that are lurking in the shadows and the dark places with mandates to slay him, sees beyond the flesh and blood and unveils the real culprit behind his troubles... In Psalm 59:2 he makes a statement that could be conflictive even for translators: "Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, save me from bloody men." Devotionally translated "Cause me to be snatched away, pulled up and out ... Away from the doings, the makings, the workings of sorrowful, idolatrous, wickedness; and deliver me from the murderous "stilling of the blood" desire of fallen man."

This is truly a faceless enemy. Behind the scenes in the shadows of depravity... there breathes a faceless entity that hounds the heart of mankind. It plants suggestions, desires, and images that create strong emotional ties to our fallen reflexes, which in turn derail us from the beseeching of the Spirit of God. Our flesh always wants to blame "somebody". That is why Jesus took the blame, the shame and separation so that He could be our Deliverer. Psalm 54:7 - "For He hath delivered me out of all trouble: mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies."

We have been accused: "Oh, you are so arrogantly presumptuous, assuming that God will deliver you via His Goodness!" What a viscous soul wounding statement as we are looking toward God for help! It is tough because we catch our selves being stared at by those that love us, only to hear our own voice bark out … "What are you looking at?"; and the tone of our Voice that carries that message usually is terse and biting. So immediately egos are bruised, and we all are embraced by the enemy - "rejection". 

We are no longer allowed to admire, there is no time allotted for that. By the time we stop to smell the roses the bush is retreating to its winter positioning and our noses will no doubt be stung by thorns.Psalm 58:9 - "Before your pots can feel the thorns. He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living , and in His wrath." 

God hates these "workings" that separate us from knowing the fullness of His Presence. He is touched and angry... as the crippling feelings of sin's infirmity arise in our fragile frames caused by these "workings" of iniquity. He wants to free us from the futility of the "people - flesh and blood" wrestling matches. People are not the enemy.

Psalm 59:4 "They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help, me, and behold." The killer is... that even though we may be innocent of many things - trusting God will always be our fault and that Trust makes us the target of Evil.

Here is a retaliatory statement that sounds fair, but is not totally true when placed in the light of scripture - "It's okay to dislike someone, but it is not okay to disrespect, degrade, and humiliate that person." Can we see the subtle lie that is woven into this statement; the statement plays on fairness but is misaligned with God's righteousness. 

How does this statement line up with Jesus' words "Love your enemies (people)"? Matthew 5:43-48 --- read it through and remember that the word "perfect" in verse 48 means "complete, wanting nothing". It is not OK to dislike someone. 

Psalm 59:17 & 1a

"Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense...

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense...

For God is my defense: "Deliver me from mine enemies"

And the God of my mercy.

For God is my defense: "Deliver me from mine enemies"

And the God of my mercy...

The God of my Mercy...

The God of my Mercy...

O the God of my mercy is the God of my defense." 

The Faceless enemy is defeated when we are giving our retaliatory moments to the God of our defense and mercy … He gives us the power to see that our enemy is not others. 

Hate the workings of wickedness … but love the people... love your enemies. 

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45 

HLFA, 

Jeff

One Step Could Change You

July 20,1969 on this day the US, by God's Grace, landed two men on the Moon, and on the 21th Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the moon (Buzz Aldrin Jr. stepped on to the moon also 20 minutes later). Oh those days were so different, people actually prayed and praised God without fear of offending someone. Phrases like "God Bless" "Creation" and "God willing" we're shared without inhibition. It was almost like that "all" knew that God was in charge of the protocol. 

Dive into the history of the prayer and the amazing "despised people" people that God raised up to work through this mission. Stop listening to our modern day skeptics and history "lie weavers", who climb into the garbage cans of their own bitter doubts and the stench of their "dead bones" closets. They know full well the historical safety of the shadow of the Almighty, but have no personal experiential clue to the rewards of the trust in the greatness of the hand of God. 

Psalm 51 may be appropriate for a nation to read (out loud on their knees), who would sooner slander and curse leadership than pray for miracles... Which are found in God's department of Grace.

The Nation has changed by the spirit of the prince of dark influence, within the realm of man's curiosity to be his own god. Have we changed with the tide of darkness? Are we adorning ourselves with the fruit of the Antichrist " lust, dissatisfied unrest, impatience, rambunctious cruelty, mistrust, crudeness, and characterless indiscretion {Read Gal. 2:22-23 in comparison}. Out of this spirit proceeds all the seeds and plans for (Galatians 5:19-21) … Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditious, heresies, envying so, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: ...they which practice such things are outside of the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. (The list above sounds like an outline for our current daily media to search on for news to report).

"Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty.""But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:17,18

AND/OR are we changing by becoming less and less like the adorning glitter of this planet and more and more like Jesus?

- What would you think of a life that had power to omit things that have nothing to do with a love relationship with God? 

- What would you give for a life freeborn from Above that was no longer in bondage to the shameful and chain-full life without God? 

- How who you feel about positioning yourself in the style of Heaven, as a rebellious advocate of loving obedience to the Word of God?

- Instead of trying to profiteer from the life that totters so close to destruction that it doesn't even remotely resemble the heart of Heaven, why not truly Live the Abundant Life?

If "His mercies are new every morning," who are we to hold malice, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness against an offender: Stranger or brethren? There is a problem in the Kingdom with those of us who have chosen the "me god" over My God and create our own personal system of excommunication, separation, and isolation. 

Let's look at a judgment cry to some of the obvious symptoms:

Hey filthy talker! Your lips are profane as they proclaim your are a "tough guy" or an "edgy" Christian; and that your particular style of grace gives you license to spew the verbs of hell if needed... Jesus' lips would not utter filth and lewdness.

Hey lewd thinker! Your mind is soaked with rebellion against the scriptures or you have stolen things from the Word of God that you can warp to support your addiction. You reflexively shun as "archaic" any of His wisdom that creates conflict with your "My Way" ideals. Jesus thought, spoke and lived His Father's Words.

Hey anger monger! You have all the justification for revenge and hatred while you grow even angrier as forgiveness and peace alludes your hardening heart. Jesus taught us that hate filled anger was murder.

Hey defamation lover! You continually give your faith to lies in order to appear elite and higher educated than the "simple minded idiots" that chose prayer over gossip and slander. Jesus prayed in the garden to make it to the cross, so he would die for your sins and those you slander.

Hey hypocrite detector! The stage you stand on, is sinking sand while you point out the faults of others, purporting to be standing on a rock of offense instead of the "pansy" lifestyle of those who love and forgive too quickly. Jesus acted out the love of the Father with every moment of His Life; You probably still can find fault with Him if you pervert Love too far.

Do we really think that there is a loop hole in the clauses of scripture that command us to love, to forgive, and to tenderheartedly be kind? I am so glad that God's Love is unsaleable, unscalable, unoffendable; unrelenting in in His power to love and keep us and relentless in His Love to free us... LIBERTY is ours if we just clearly see what our sin did to our Savior and what it does to our ability to fully experience all of His eternally extravagant love supply to us and through us.

O the Rich Man may have thoroughly despised the wretched Lazarus as he ate from the crumbs that fell from the Rich Man's table; but when the tables were turned at death, the Rich man's perspective from the flaming torments of Hell was quite altered. The Rich man's envious thirst was unquenchable as he desired just a cooling drop of water from the finger of the wretched Lazarus, who was now secure in the extravagant comforts of Paradise.

If you see the Cross of Jesus as salvation, why do you choose to live so close to Hell? Is it possible that you are being changed, but not by the Word of God?

Take note: That by 1976 there was already a self-published book that attempted to purport the theory that the moon landing was staged. It took all of 7 years and the doubt was being published as "a Hoax that cost taxpayers billions of dollars". What spirit was this preying from and on?Be careful that your disappointments do not turn your heart away from the truth ("Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.").

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." I John 1:9,10

HLFA,

Jeff

"I'm Sorry."
"I forgive you."
"I love you."
Use these gifts without inhibition.
Annihilate "My Way".