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