All God's children

Church going isn't enough!

All God's children should know they are redeemed.

• bought with a price
• bought for a purpose
  

They should also know God's deliverance from evil.

• understanding more and more what God has done in their lives
• fully knowing the extent of his handiwork in transforming a sinful heart

Years ago the LORD awoke me from slumber and spoke with a loud booming voice, "You think you're lucky but it brings death."

I knew what I had to do. I had to give up this notion of luck (good luck, bad luck, etc). I had to destroy childhood leprechauns.

The truth is Jesus saves. I can't ever save myself.

He delivers me from evil. He delivers me over and over again (from before the crib to after the grave).

My God is GREAT!

I would be hard pressed to name all the wonders he has done in my life because the list is so long.

WOW! Isaiah 43 He makes a way for his people.

Pope Trail

I keep thinking about a wonderful bike ride in the High Sierras last summer. When I was on my way to Pope beach I rode through a forest of giant evergreens. Their enormous size reminded me of the planting of the LORD (similar to Psalm 1:3 and Isaiah 61: 3).

For me that day, these giant soaring trees represented the heroic and much sought after lives of "Giant Faith" men who truly lived-out the Gospel while entrusting themselves to a faithful creator. These giants of the Christian faith still do proclaim "My God is Great"; they do not represent the rebellious Goliaths with fist-shaking hands in the face of God. Imagine with me people like the Pope, well-known evangelists, Christ's early disciples, and famous saints throughout history.

One tree in particular caught my attention. It had been struck by lightening and split in two. Even though it physically suffered from a significant fire, much like any real trial, persecution, or attack against one's life, it remained alive and is continuing to grow strong in the shape of a "V". Now that, to me, stands as a V for Victory which our Conquering King has won over death! (in reference to 1 Corinthians 15: 50 - 58).

Similarly, I noticed there were other towering trees among these giants which had signs of real physical suffering including famine, drought, harsh winter seasons, and plagues/bouts of illness. Illustratively so, these suffering servants had the marks of their Maker:

• visible battle scars (I bid you come; Come gaze upon His wounds; See Christ's hands and feet),
  
• patient endurance (Like God, the Giver of Life, who patiently waits many years for those tiny seeds of faith, planted deep within the soil of our hearts, to take root, sprout and grow in due season.)
• perseverance (The kind that Holy Scripture tells us about; God is Faithful; He will never leave or forsake us; He will see you through any crisis; He loves you!).

This tidal wave come: the Alignment of the Saints

Just as water reflects the face, so one human heart reflects another [Proverbs 27:19].

So I ask you this question: Does your heart reflect the one who belongs to the world? Or does your heart reflect Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God who came in human form and gave his life so that you - dear Saint - might live?

Go ahead and seek Him to understand this tidbit of wisdom: A heart set on following the path of Christ is one that desires to act in obedience to God's word. And the willingness to crucify the flesh (i.e., one's sinful nature) is a cross formation inside the heart of thee.

Now look again inside your Bible! We are told that Jesus, by his very nature, is the true reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being [see Hebrews 1:3]. Therefore, Jesus Christ perfectly reflects the Father's heart (i.e., the heart of LOVE).

Plainly speaking, Jesus showed us God's perfect love and wisdom by learning obedience through what he suffered even unto the point of death on a cross[Hebrews 5: 8].

Do you see? The supreme act of LOVE is defined by the cross.

Jesus himself confirmed this word: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" [John 15: 13]. And He showed us the way of the cross.

Therefore I Conclude in this way: We will see God's perfect alignment of the saints when we, like the Israelites, choose to encamp around the presence of the Lord and become conformed to the cross (see Numbers 2 to draw your own conclusion and a picture of a beautiful cross formation).

And now for my very own pressing forward, and the desiring of the refiner's fire in perfecting my faith, I choose to reflect on this verse: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death [Philippians 3: 10].

Amen.

Please join along with me and all the other nameless Saints from across the sands of time and take up your cross to come into alignment with God's plans and purposes for your life. It's time for a tidal wave of Christ's perfect LOVE, which reflects the true love of the Father.

A Tribute to JC

iThank you for feet to follow you wherever you lead. . . So be it John 21:18 in my life!

This very day iUnderstand Revealed in worship and by hearing of God's Word (1 Corinthians):

1. We have received every spiritual gift in Christ Jesus.

2. God keeps us strong.

3. We have unlimited access to God through Christ Jesus.

For me, it's a reminder of God's faithfulness to guide us step-by-step like a GPS system.

- his spiritual Gifts

- his Presence

- his Strength

Even better than a cat, he gave us His Son so that we may have opened ears to hear. See also John 10:27

Open Reflection

My Child, I want you to answer the call...

Red Bird, Red Bird what do you see?
I see My Rabonnai smiling; shining down on me.

Rabonnai, Rabonnai what do you see?
I see My Crossing Guard looking up at me?

Jeremiah 1: 11-12

The word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."

Reflection on Reflections

We are made in his image

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1: 27

Therefore, each one of us has the capacity to become like Christ.

For freedom Christ has set us free
-------
By his death on a cross the veil has been torn

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3: 18

Do I want to look more like Jesus?

Then I must look to Him.

No more dwelling on the things of this world.

He is my maker. I am the clay.

He is my Father. I am his child.

To set the mind on the flesh is death,

but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8: 6

Do I want peace? Then I must look to Him.

Do I want to know joy? Then I must look to Him.

Do I want to be self-controlled? Then I must look to him.

Etc. Etc.

We are made in his image. We are his children. Therefore, let us reflect our Heavenly Father.

Even common thoughts on human development can help point the way. A child reflects the one holding them in their hands. It is true. In looking at a parent who smiles, a son or daughter will respond with a smile.

iCommit to Begin Anew: I will turn my head towards him, look up, and boldly gaze into the eyes of God; the one who holds me (& you) in his hands.

It’s a very intimate place to be. Full of love and grace . . . and mercy!

“Hear” are some words from a great song I like to sing. Please follow the link to Jami Smith.com for more.

Wash Over Me

Jami Smith and Janet Hubbell

© 2002 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music/ASCAP

Only You - The Lord who is God - can take this heart

Only You can take this mind

Only You can take this life

And make it look like Jesus

Crucify the Flesh

Romans 6: 6

We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be

enslaved to sin.

• Crucified with Him!
• Made to be an example.
• Our flesh 'hung out to dry'.

When others shouted, “Crucify, crucify him!” Jesus did not save himself. Nor did he defend himself. Instead Jesus chose to write the gospel story of redemption through His blood shed for the remission of sin.

That is Love defined; and not retribution through violent acts of lashing-out, human bloodshed, or even slashing.

Jesus, while on the cross, did not curse them. He was simultaneously blameless (innocent of charge) and blame-less (no pointing of the finger and yes, forgiving). He blessed them. He prayed for them. “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34).

And like a lamb going to slaughter, he willingly laid down his life for you and me.

It may seem upside down in the mind’s eye, but in his dying Jesus Christ showed us how to live. Examine these scriptures: Luke 6: 27 – 38. We are called to avoid sin and we are called to sacrificial living; that is, to Love actively by the laying down of our lives.

Therefore, let us choose to crucify the flesh and live redeemed.

On a personal note:

I smile. One Resurrection Sunday a parishioner angrily said that the white draping on the cross looked like the pastor family’s dirty laundry. At the time these words stabbed. However, knowing more of the love of Jesus and his FORGIVENESS this day, I am better able to forgive . . . and now rejoice.

There is a peace that comes with full understanding that it is my dirty laundry hanging there on the tree!

It’s right where it needs to be . . . and I’m right where God wants me to be.

How Beautiful it is to see

Christ’s Blood Shed for Thee!

FRANK(talk)in(g)Sense

Frank Talk

iGoogled: In researching crushed rose petals I found it very interesting, and personal to me, that Frankincense is also used as a raw material for perfume. It is clear that Frankincense, in addition to embalming and other more common medicinal purposes, is significant to producing a pleasing aroma.

iLearned: Frankincense comes from a tree of the genus Boswellia. The species is called Boswellia sacra or B. sacra with the root word meaning holy.

iSurmise: In addition to what I have been told, Frankincense was given to Messiah to signal His Holiness.

iPonder: How great and good God is!

There is no mistake the Jesus Christ should be given such a gift of Frankincense. He is the one who is Holy.

The aroma of Christ is lovely; it is a fragrant offering of laying one’s life so that others might live.

1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. . . 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:1-2,10-11

iUnderstand: Wise men in offering a gift of frankincense to Messiah are guided by Wisdom. Wisdom comes only from The Holy Spirit and not an avatar of one’s own making.

iDesire Christ.

iSeek Christ.

iFound Christ.

iWorship Christ.

iLove Christ.

iPray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Now iRejoice. Amen.

To Walk in Freedom

Lord, I thank you forever. You love me, save me, and forgive me of all my sin. You set me free!

THANK YOU FOR FREEDOM.

Thank you for another reminder this week of all that you have done. In the past I chose death; but by your gracious hand and unfailing love I receive life.

I never want to live apart from you, for my freedom is in you and you alone.

THANK YOU JESUS.

Thank you for Psalm 119

44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever. 45 I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts.

Commentary: Self-help is a vanity; fleeting and worthless.

Put Away Childish Ways

God is Love! Do you really believe this? Do you spend your day with him and linger in conversation? or Do you still try to shape God into becoming your own personal genie who will grant you 3 wishes (e.g., health, wealth and happiness)?

As a child I acted out of selfishness and rebelled from God's ways. At the end of the school day I ran to the television; I didn't run to God. I loved the television show "I Dream of Genie" and exchanged truth for a lie. I also spoke like a child, "Give me, give me, give me!" I also listened to familiar voices tell me, "What's so wrong with wanting good things for yourself, family, friends, and the neighbor next door?". . . except for the truth that wishful thinking is not the same as faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7

See the whole of 1 Corinthians 13. The message is clear. There is nothing selfish about love.

• Love is self-less.
• Love is described as the laying down of one's life for another (see Matthew 20: 24 - 28).
  
• Love willingly places others before oneself.
  
• Love is self-sacrificial; making the love of Christ known through any (and all) physical act of tending to the needs of others.

Therefore, since we are sinners in need of a Savior, let us look to Jesus Christ. For he has shown us how to live and how to die. Jesus continually sought God the Father for all things including his direction, words and strength. Jesus prayed this prayer, "Thy will be done."

Ah! This is costly. A precious jewel. He is Love.

Lord, Please help me! I am in need of Savior. I have failed by every measure. Please show me how to live and what to do. On this very day I want to learn to love like you. Grant me strength to put away those childish ways that solely seek to please myself. Forgive me too for treating you like an earthen idol. I now choose to turn this day. "Thy will be done" in my life. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Substitutionary Atonement means The LORD will provide.

Reflections on Substitutionary Atonement

• Christ died for me.
• Christ suffered for me.

Hear the Good News: It is because the very Lamb of God took on our sin, died and rose again victoriously, conquering thine enemies (including the label cursed) that we too shall live.

I have heard it loud and clear - He set me free from chains and bore my inquity. He proclaims liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners (Isaiah 61: 1; Luke 4: 18). He paid the price and hung there cursed upon the tree (Galatians 3:13). All this done for you and me!

My worship is this: I will trust and obey. No matter what circumstance or evil befalls me. Jesus Christ is my portion; not wealth, not mammon, not position, not power or anything else. God provides.

To God be all Glory -

Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111

Today I have received forgiveness for my whine and second-guessing.
Thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit for revealing this to babes.

Signed,
a repentent Isaac
who was almost consumed by circumstance and reason

Today's Text: Genesis 22

"Father!". . ."The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

The LORD will provide.