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