The quiet place

[DesertJoe]

I was asked to teach a Sunday morning Bible study,filling in for the regular teacher yesterday.I was desperate to find a story to start the class with,& nothing seemed to fit.I had decided that I would keep looking,but would have to settle for something that was a "Square peg in a round hole" fit.Just the day before,i ran across this on Google.It had been posted at a secular site called City-Data that had a Christian subsection forum.I want to give attribution to the poster who left it at that site (3 years ago).Her I.D. was Pianogal.Though I had already read it more than once,I still had problems remaining composed as I read it for the class.I hope this touches you as it touched me.God bless you

EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU JESUS?
Author Unknown

As you read this think about what you would do!

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales
convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they
would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

 

[Ariellamb]

Zech 4
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Mark 11
21Have faith in God. 22And Jesus answering saith unto them, 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Rev 8
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

More is going on than we ever thought possible when 'we' believe and pray in a spirit of humility & worship,desiring His judgements to be made known, only unto His Glory according to His Word, we ask the King as remeeded wretched sinners now covered by His own precious blood.

 

[DesertJoe]

God bless you all.I recently flew to Pittsburgh from Dallas Love Field.I was running late,but I was actually calm about it.The trip was going to be ministry related,& even though I knew there was a good chance that I would miss my flight (which I ultimately did do),I was just confident that God was going to be in the details.When I entered the terminal building,I saw something that brought back a flood of memories from many years ago.
It was when I was eight years old in 1962,and I was going with my parents to pick up a family member (I don't even remember who now).It was another time,not a perfect time,but somehow seeming to be more innocent.The Cuban missile crisis was still months off.JFK was still alive.So were his brother Bobby & Martin Luther King.When I entered the terminal building,I saw so many things that seemed brand new.I saw airline ticket counters for airlines such as Braniff & Trans Texas Airways & Pan Am,all of which no longer exist.There were rental car counters.The one that I particularly remember was the Avis counter,& that really caught the attention of this eight year old because they were giving away buttons with the motto "We try harder" emblazoned on them.Among all these things I saw was what seemed a truly giant statue.It was a full sized bronze statue of a Texas ranger,with the words on the plaque on it saying "One riot,one ranger".It's story,which I did not know then,was a legend of a Texas ranger who was reported to have been sent to quell an altercation.When local law enforcement asked where the rest of the men were who would help quell the situation,He was reported to have said "One riot,one ranger".These things were imprinted on the mind of a little eight year old.Many years have come and gone since then,& there have been many changes.Many joy's and many tragedies have happened,and life has unfolded in it's own unique course.We have seen men land on the moon.We have seen a president and vice president resign in disgrace from office.We have seen the "cold" war come to an end.We have seen Space shuttles take massive payloads into space,including a telescope that has allowed us to see celestial wonders only imagined before.We have also seen tragedy strike when two of those space shuttles were catastrophically destroyed,one during launch,and one during re-entry.The World Trade buildings,completed in 1973,were tragically destroyed in 2001 by people who thought this act was an honorable thing to do.Times change.People are born and people die.People marry,and sadly,more than one out of two of those marriages end in divorce.What was so new and exciting and captivating yesterday ends up in the landfill of time today.I walk into Love Field,and there it is.That same statue I saw for the first time forty eight years ago.Many things have changed over the years.The terminal building that seemed so new and shiny and full of promise forty eight years ago is now just a utilitarian shadow of it's former glory.Gone are the ticket counters of those long gone and almost forgotten airlines.Gone are the free buttons advertising Avis rent-a-car that caught the eye of an eight year old boy so many years ago,but there was the statue of the ranger that I saw for the first time so many years ago.It struck me with the irony of how in a world so full of impermanence there was this single link with the past.That statue that had decades before painted it's image on the mind of an eight year old boy was still there.On the statue was that same plaque saying "One riot,one ranger".It brought to mind the person I met so many years ago.That person who happened to be the creator of the universes.That same person who knew me before I was ever an eight year old boy in an airport terminal.That same person who found me when I was not looking for Him.I am sure that you know of this person who I am talking about.I am sure you know about Jesus.I am wondering if you know Jesus today? Do you know Him personally?I am sure that many of you,perhaps most of you reading this story do know Him personally,and more importantly,He knows you.I am urging you today that if you do not know Jesus,that you would look for Him.You do not have to wait for Him to find you,as He found me.It says in Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart".In a world so full of impermanence and loss and yesterdays faded like sepia photographs,there is in time no promise of permanence.We find that permanence only in the one who was from eternity past,and will be in eternity forever.He created you to live with Him forever,and by the way,He came into this world so full of death and faded yesterdays to die with us...that we may also live with Him.He rose from that death to show us that His promise is real.Don't delay,because you never know if that tomorrow that you are so sure of will ever really come at all.Just like That statue that proclaimed "one riot one ranger",In Jesus we see it proclaimed "One world,one Savior".God bless you...see you later?
And oh by the way,I was able to catch the next plane,and got to Pittsburgh just fine ,glory to God

 

[FaithPleases]

I have had not had that inner peace yet. I am very very young in my relationship with christ but I was taught that just because you don't feel anything does not mean you weren't saved. I have not changed as much as I would like in the first three weeks. I still have to learn to be obedient and I don't even know what God's voice sounds like. I assume he talks to me through others. Is there a difference between following the commandments and being obedient?

 

[DesertJoe]

There is a song from which the theme music for Band of Brothers comes, the title of which is Requiem for a Soldier. It is quite beautifully sung by a young lady from the UK by the name of Katherine Jenkins. The theme of the song are the words "When all the world is free". This really did touch my heart, as I am sure it has touched the hearts of many. It made me recall the words in Isaiah 2 verse 4 which are these:
"He will judge between the nationsand will settle disputes for many peoples.They will beat their swords into plowsharesand their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will not take up sword against nation,nor will they train for war anymore."
I am so looking forward to the day when Jesus returns, to the day we think of when we say the words "When all the world is free". I can't wait. How about you?

YouTube - Katherine Jenkins Festival of Remembrance 2007 Requiem for a Soldier

 

[Hisbygrace]

God bless you Ariellamb.God looks at me,just as I am,& He doesn't see me as I see me.He sees His finished work. People wonder what the difference is between believers & unbelievers.The difference is that the believers see they are sinners & hate it,& they trust God who says He will fix them.He does fix us...If we let Him.

Amen brother Desert Joe!

 

[Hisbygrace]

The Warrior is a Child:
Twila Paris

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while'
Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child

Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and and cry for just a while'
Cause deep inside this armorthe warrior is a child

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and look up for a smile'
Cause deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
The Warrior is a Child

 

[DesertJoe]

Who would I lay my life down for?

I know that this is a very dramatic topic. It is very hard to detach our inborn instinct at self preservation & our emotional responses & really look at this question rationally.

We know that in John 15:13 it says "Greater love has no man than this,that he lays down his life for his friends". We know that we do not have to specifically "die"... to die to our own self interest. That is a good place to be.To be where we love people as ourself, & actually put others first, as Jesus did. This is a worthy goal in life. I have been musing lately about how far is too far to go with this, or if in fact we can go "to the wall" with this, as so many have done over the centuries. We know that as believers we have the freedom to lay down our lives... for Jesus & for others. That word freedom.... did I really use that word? Is it truly freedom that we have in this matter? I really think that this is the operative word, because we in the west do have a modicum of freedom to do as we please, within legal limits. Why in the "civilization" that we have in the west would I bring this subject up that seems so far away?

On April 20th 1999 two teenage boys went on a shooting spree,killing 12 students & injuring 21 others. It was reported in the Rocky Mountain News that Cassie Bernall, a seventeen year old student, when asked by one of the perpetrators if she believed in God she said yes.... and that was the last thing she ever said. That same year, Seven people were killed & seven were wounded at Wedgwood Baptist church in Fort Worth Texas by a man... who just for whatever reason chose to do this. It can happen here, & as foreign as it seems now,persecution can come to this country.I guess though my real question is who would I give my life for? People in our armed services risk life & limb every day for us. Sadly,many die yearly protecting the country we live in.They lay their lives down.... for us. It is troubling to me on a personal level to think about this. I remember the line Tom Hanks used in the movie Saving Private Ryan. While Hank's Character lay dying in a French town shortly after the Normandy invasion, He said to the namesake of the movie who they had come to rescue "earn this". I wonder, do we earn this? For the sacrifice of those who willingly risked life for us & payed the ultimate sacrifice... do we earn this? We know of one who 2,000 years ago died for us... so we could live with Him for eternity. I know we can never even begin to earn that, but I wonder if we even think about trying. Do we give honest & rational thought about how far we would go to lay down our personal life for our neighbor. For the stranger... for the homeless guy... for the person who is far from God & maybe not even looking for Him. We never really know what we would do until we get in those situations, & when that happens, so often all that is left are the grieving & newspaper headlines. I cannot really tell you why this is on my heart today, but it seemed important enough to address in writing. Maybe tonight... or maybe right now... we can take a moment to consider the question,"Who would I lay my life down for?" Jesus told us that "Whosoever would gain his life shall lose it,but whosoever would lose his life for my sake & the sake of the gospel shall find it". Maybe laying life down... is not loss after all.Maybe it is actually gain,as the apostle Paul said. I leave you with a link to a song titled willingly, sung by Damaris Carbaugh. Be patient,as this is not a youtube link, & sometimes takes a while to load. God bless you, & know that we are not promised tomorrow.We are however promised forever if that forever is found in our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

 

[Ariellamb]

JOHN SUNG


I have just about finished reading the book about his life in China pre WW2 by Leslie T Lyall for the second time now.
Highly recommended if you want to know how to live/pray/preach effectively.
A man who had power with God and prevailed.

Someone came forward for healing of their eye sight as they carefully folded their specticules away in their pocket,JS would have none of it,declaring to the man,how can you expect God to heal you if you have that kind of faith.


The modern Church, much like ancient Israel, has never been very comfortable with God's prophetic people. In every corner of the Church today you can find those who are echoing the words of stubborn King Ahab - "Is that you, (Elijah) you TROUBLER of Israel?" (I Kings 18:17). Usually when something tastes unpleasant to us, we try to add something else to sweeten it up. Because contemporary Christendom is so uncomfortable with the prophetic voice of repentance, some are trying to redefine the role of a prophet as one who merely encourages the Church about future events. Prophets are not placed in our midst to sing us sweet lullabies, they are the alarm system for the House of God! Leonard Ravenhill described the role of a prophet this way, "Prophets are God's emergency men for crisis hours. They thrive on perplexity, override adversity, defeat calamity, bring the new wine of the Kingdom to burst withered wineskins of orthodoxy, and birth revival."



One of the most unique prophetic men of the Twentieth Century was the revivalist, John Sung. He operated as a true apostolic evangelist, with countless signs and wonders following his ministry. Unlike any other modern saint that I have ever studied, John Sung epitomizes that rare combination of New Testament purity and power. His life and ministry were powerfully marked by a genuine prophetic anointing. He was the embodiment of a burning zeal, unquenchable passion and an unrelenting fearlessness. Some called him the "John Wesley of China," while others called him "the Ice-Breaker" or the "Apostle of Revival." Most everyone who has ever witnessed or studied his ministry, considers him to be one of the greatest revivalist of our century. Yet to our great shame and loss he has been pitifully forgotten and neglected by most of the Western Church. He is the forgotten prophet of the forgotten Chinese revival of 1927-1937.



John Sung was born on September 27, 1901 in Hinghwa of the Fukien province in southeast China. He was the son of a respected Methodist minister and was converted as a young boy at the age of nine. In 1920 John Sung at age nineteen left for America to study at Wesleyan University of Ohio. He later went on to study at Ohio State University and Union Theological Seminary. Within five years and two months from the day he entered college, he earned three academic degrees: a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy, all while doing menial labor on a full time basis. However, these high honors did not come without taking a great toll on his spiritual life. After a few years in America, sitting under a steady diet of worldly philosophy and liberal theology, John Sung found himself backslidden and doubting everything that his father had taught him.



On February 10, 1927, around the same time when revival was starting to break out in China, John Sung recommitted his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. This was just the beginning of a much deeper work. After repenting of his sins he was suddenly filled with an inexpressible joy. He immediately began to preach to all his classmates and professors. This drastic change in John Sung's behavior made some believe that he had become mentally unbalanced. He soon found himself being committed to an insane asylum by the seminary authorities. He was allowed to take with him only his Bible and a fountain pen. He would later refer to that asylum as his true theological seminary. John Sung was incarcerated for 193 days, a little more than six months. During that time he read the Bible from beginning to end forty times. He devoted almost every waking hour to reading the Bible and prayer. Through those months of quiet solitude, the Holy Spirit was carefully laying the foundations for John Sung's revival ministry. He was being prepared to participate in one of the mightiest revivals of the twentieth century.



After finally being discharged, John boarded a ship on October 4, 1927 bound for Shanghai. "He had been seven and a half years in the United States. He was now a man of outstanding scholastic attainments, and doubtless any of the national universities of China would have welcomed his services. . ." In spite of all the possible opportunities that his education could afford him, John Sung was determined to go home and preach to his countrymen. He realized that what China needed most was not more science teachers but preachers of the gospel. One day as the ship neared its destination, he gathered up all his diplomas, medals and fraternity keys and threw them overboard into the ocean. The only exception was his doctors diploma, which he kept only for the benefit of his father. Like Paul, John Sung could say, "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Phil. 3: 7). After arriving back in China, John Sung was soon married and then later joined the Bethel Bible School of Shanghai. It wasn't long before he became the school's field evangelist. He allied himself with Andrew Gih and a few other graduates from the school to form the "Bethel Evangelistic Band." God used this apostolic team mightily to spread the fires of revival all over China as they went forth preaching and singing the gospel. When John Sung was not behind the pulpit, he was reserved and even subdued. However, when preaching he was a man of fervency and intense emotions. He often would pace back and forth across the platform or sometimes leap over the Communion rail. At other times he would walk up and down the aisles to point his finger at someone in the audience and then run back to the front of the church and then stand on the Communion rail to finish his sermon.



He always emphasized repentance and the need for complete restitution where it was at all possible. He fearlessly denounced all sin and hypocrisy wherever he found it, especially among hardened ministers. Yet he also moved audiences with the message of Christ's tender and unfailing love, like few others could. Dr. Sung's meetings were always accompanied by a tremendous amount of conviction and brokenness over sin. It was not uncommon for hundreds of people to be seen with tears streaming down their faces and crying out for mercy. Convicted sinners frequently would rush forward to openly confess their sins before the whole congregation. "In the course of his preaching, Dr. Sung often received the gift of prophecy." On several occasions he pointed out the sins of some backslidden pastor with an incredible and fearful accuracy. Leslie T. Lyall writes, "Sometimes he would single out an individual, a pastor or office bearer in the church, and say, 'There is sin in your heart!' And he was always right."



When John Sung was not actively preaching or organizing a new evangelistic team, he usually could be found writing in his diary or adding to his ever growing prayer list. He carefully prayed over an extensive list of people's needs, which was accompanied by dozens of small photographs. John Sung was a faithful intercessor and always requested a small picture of those desiring prayer in order to help him intercede with a deeper burden. Everywhere he went, he urged the people to give themselves to prayer. "The fact that the Chinese Church is a praying Church today, can be attributed in part to the influence and example of this man who prayed." Nothing was allowed to hinder his time in prayer. John Sung made it his regular habit to be up every morning at 5 a.m. to pray for two or three hours. "Prayer for John Sung was like a battle. He prayed until the sweat poured down his face." At times he would literally collapse upon his bed and uncontrollably weep and sob under the burden of travailing prayer. John Sung believed that prayer was the most important work of the believer. He defined faith as watching God work while on your knees. Mr. Boon Mark said of John Sung, "He talked least, preached more and prayed most."



Because it was evident that John Sung was a man of great power in prayer, the sick and crippled increasingly came to him to receive prayer for their bodies. John Sung always made time to tenderly pray for their needs. "Dr. Sung usually had one meeting in every campaign at which he would give an address on healing and the necessity for sincere repentance before inviting the sick to come forward." Hundreds were instantly healed of every kind of ailment and disease. The blind received their sight; the lame walked, and the deaf and mute were all wonderfully healed as John Sung cried out to Jesus in prayer. Sometimes he would personally lay hands on and pray for as many as 500-600 people at one time. In spite of the fact that so many marvelous healings followed his ministry, he suffered for years from intestinal tuberculosis. This disease consistently plagued him with painful and infected bleeding ulcers in his colon. Nevertheless he still continued to fervently preach, sometimes in a kneeling position to lesson the terrible pain. Finally after years of suffering with this affliction, he died at only 43, on August 18, 1944.



John Sung was a true revival pioneer. He lead multiplied thousands of Chinese and Southeast Asians into new realms of spiritual power and reality. The call of revival, is a call to be a pioneer! If we are serious about revival, we must be willing to go places were the modern Church has never been or has long forgotten. Therefore we must stop looking to contemporary Christianity for the steps to our revival dreams and visions. We cannot afford to let the Church's present weakness and failure steal our hope and faith for a future revival. God is not calling us to imitate the weak things around us. He is inviting us to believe Him for the power and purity of the Church as seen in the New Testament! Our seventy years are finished, and it's time for us to stop listening to Sanballat and Tobiah and get busy rebuilding the House of Prayer (Dan 9:1-3, Ezra 1:1-5).

Awake and Go! Global Prayer Network - John Sung

 

[DesertJoe]

God bless you Ariel Lamb... Hope to speak with you soon

 

[DesertJoe]

It says in Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder." It says in Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man."

We have seen in the last few days the report of the death of Osama Bin Laden,who by his own admission was guilty of the murder of people who were not his enemies, but who he chose to declare to be his enemies. He justified his actions by saying that he was doing the will of his god. It is sad the most terrible of murderers are the religious kind. This pattern goes all the way back to Cain in the book of Genesis, who because of his unbelief chose his own religious practice over the truth of God, & ultimately shed the blood of his innocent brother because his religion was more important to him than his brother's life. We see this over & over again throughout history. Saul of Tarsus was the Osama Bin Laden of his day... until he met Jesus, who he persecuted.

Osama was definitely an evil man, just as Hitler & Stalin & Antiochus Epiphenes & others before him have been. These men are typically figureheads who in their satanically inspired ways manipulate the simple & coerce the more sophisticated to follow them. They may be the focus of evil, but just as a powertrain control module in an automobile is able to make the automobile function, it is by itself a paperweight made of metal & plastic & silicon without the rest of the car.

My point is that all men are evil. Not all men are mass murderers or satanic leaders or rapists or child molesters, but "All have sinned & fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).We tend to follow those who lead, & sadly we tend to follow those who are most able to tell us what we want to hear, whether there is any truth in it or not. We tend as people to follow evil men, & not hear the truth when spoken. We see this in Israel in the old testament, when they murdered the prophets God sent but listened to the false prophets.

I thank God for the brave men in the Special Ops who did this. They are brave & amazing men, & very few men make it to that level of discipline or ability or selfless bravery. I am glad that we have governments that are as Paul said in Romans 13:
"1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience."

Osama chose to be a law unto himself. He chose to be god, & as such he was in rebellion against God & the governments God instituted. I am not saying here to worship government, but that government does "not bear the sword for no reason." as it says above.

Having said this, I have noticed among some a rejoicing in the death of Osama. I prayed a long time for the repentance of this man's heart, & that he would ultimately bow the knee to Jesus. It does not appear that he did this. That is sad. It is fine to rejoice in the fact that this man will no longer do evil, & that God has vindicated himself after giving this man years to repent. Let us be mindful, however, of these passages of scripture.

Proverbs 24:17 & 18 "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him."

Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?"

Matthew 5:
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighborh and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemiesi and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Let us show the love of Jesus to these people who are now without a leader, but whose hearts still burn with hatred toward us. Let us pray for them. Let us pray for the middle east, both Jew & Muslim alike. It says in Pslam 122:6 "Shaalu Shalom Yerushalayim" (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem).
Let's do that now, & continue to do that until the day of the return of our "Sar Shalom" (Prince of peace), that being our Lord & savior Jesus Christ. God bless you.

 

[DesertJoe]

I was talking with a friend today, & we were talking about being "normal". I remember saying once that in this life we must choose between sanity & normalcy. It came to me as we were talking that sanity isn't "being fixed".
Sanity is knowing that we need Jesus. I am not saying to abandon any therapy or medical treatment you are receiving for any emotional or neurological disorder. What I am saying is that none of us will ever be truly whole in these bodies of flesh, & we all are headed to a date with eternity. True sanity is not being "fixed", whatever that means. True sanity is knowing we need Jesus... and asking Him daily to be Lord... even in what may be our mental or physical brokenness. Lord Jesus we need You. Please be our Lord now in time & forever in eternity. Help us in whatever state of brokenness we are in to praise You... even if that praise is a crushed & broken hallelujah.

 

[DesertJoe]

In "rightly" dividing the word of God, do we slice off ears & maliciously pierce already wounded hearts? Just musing. Remember when we apply truth, to do so in love, & Let us give the same mercy & grace our Father has given us. In Jesus' Name.

 

[DesertJoe]

Mark 5:

35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”

36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

In the days that Jesus walked this earth, the Jewish culture of the day had professional mourners who were to make the sounds of mourning when someone died. These were the people who Jesus encountered when He entered the house of Jairus to raise his daughter from physical death. The mourners laughed at Jesus & ridiculed Him.

They were in the death industry after all.. & they knew what death looked like. They had a vested interest in death, & they had a "gig", & they were perturbed at Jesus who was disrupting their performance. Jesus sent them away. He was not in the death business, but in the life business. I want to say that many in this life have areas in their lives that are dead. If you are one of them, know that there may be people in the death profession around you whose interest is in keeping you dead. Who are they? That is a tricky question to answer. It could be a family member. It could be a "friend". It could even be someone in the "religion business". It can be anyone whose interest is in keeping you "dead" for their own purpose. They may not even understand that they are doing this.

Jesus said in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I so hope that you have someone like this loving father who is "going to get Jesus" for you in prayer. Even if there is no one else, you can pray, and you can... even in this place of "death" you may be in.. go to Jesus.

Even if you have never met Jesus before, you can meet Him for the 1st time, & He can raise you from the most long term of deaths, that death of the soul & spirit. He asks you to give Him what you cannot keep, that being your life, & in return He gives you His life. Notice that Jesus did not slap that little girl. Notice that Jesus did not shout at that little girl. Notice that Jesus said "talitha koum". More accurately in the Greek that means "little lamb arise".He was very tender & loving to her. He will be that way to you also. Jesus doesn't seize hearts, He wins them. Even Paul cane to understand (after he was knocked off his high horse) that Jesus truly loved him.


Know that He really loves you, & paid for that with His death on the cross. He loves you too much to leave you in whatever kind of death you might be in today. God bless you.

 

[DesertJoe]

I recalled recently the truly miraculous circumstances that brought this video to a friend... & then to me. I still pray for that friend, & I still want to see God's very best for my friend, & I still am blown away... by this video. I so hope it speaks to you as it does to me.

YouTube - ‪You are Worth It by Mattie Montgomery (FOR TODAY)‬‏

 

[DesertJoe]

Was listening to a friend tonight whose mother is literally on death's door. I truly did not know how to pray, nor did I have words for my friend. All I could do was be there, and I remembered how I told Mandi, my wife and the love of my life how nice it would be at times to have a wand, and the right words, and make things.... what? I thought of the people I love, and the very trying situations many of them are in, and how some of them are choosing to walk away from Jesus. Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, but ultimately Lazarus died again, and there his body remains for the final resurrection. I remember the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7 verse 2 "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." Solomon said that the pain of loss was actually something to be... taken to heart, and not something to try to pretend does not apply to us.

If you know me, you know that in my inmost heart I want to see you have that intimate relationship with Jesus. We men are about fixing things, and the hardest thing for us to deal with is things we cannot fix. I cannot bring back the dead, nor can I reverse anybody's personal eternity. That is something only God can do, and only the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can pay the price for it. If you are reading this right now and you do not as of yet have that intimate relationship with the One who is ultimately your Lord, and wants to now be your Savior, hear the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews in Chapter 9:"27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." If you have any questions about where you stand in this matter of your eternity... please,please, PLEASE... get in touch with me or someone you know who tells you about Jesus. God bless you.

 

[DesertJoe]

In Genesis 3 we find these words
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

What is it that we want in our lives? We at least start life wanting to be "like God" in our own lives. We want to run our lives as we see fit. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday. Eve (and Adam) chose to be there own god, and not to trust the words God gave them. They were consumed by their desire to be on the throne of their own lives.

The thing that interested me was that there were two trees there.The tree of the knowledge of good & evil we see in Genesis 2:
15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
The tree of life we see in Genesis 3:
21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24After he drove the man out, he placed on the east sidee of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Without getting too deep in the meaning of what may have happened had they eaten of the tree of life in their fallen state, we see that their first choice was not to have life, but to be on the throne of their lives and to "evict" the Lordship of God. They thought that by knowing good and evil they would be as gods. One thing that has struck me so very profoundly in the past year is that people think they can find "god" or reach a state of godship in their own lives spiritually through knowledge. They buy into the same lie that Eve (first) bought into, that we can be our own god, and that we can worship at the altar of our own intellect, where this knowledge resides. This is not only a problem for non Christians, but for professing believers too. I was taken aback recently at the profound parallel we see in John chapter 5 in verses 39 & 40:
39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
The only valid thing a non-believer can learn in the scripture.... is that it is the revelation of Jesus, and that they need to come to Him and receive life. For believers, scripture is not about knowing about God, but about Jesus knowing us and revealing Himself to us through His word. Knowledge puffs up as we see in 1st Corinthians 8:
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge.Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God.
Jesus said this in Matthew 7:
22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It is not about what we know. It is not about what we do. It is not about "gnosis"
(knowledge), but it is about "epignosis" (knowing by experience).It is not what you know in this case, but who you are intimate with, and who is intimate with you. You and I need to know Jesus, and not just know doctrine and theology and things about God. Father in Heaven, that we may know Jesus, and Him crucified. Lord Jesus please draw close to us, and know us, and help us to know You as You would be known, for we ask this in Your Name. God bless you

 

[DesertJoe]

Many of us have had the experience of bringing home a stray dog or cat when we were young. We would generally go to mom (because she had the softer heart) & ask if we could keep the dog or cat. Our heart was filled with compassion for this little animal who had no home.
The sad thing is that as we "mature", this ability to empathize & show compassion seems to atrophy. It is one of those sad statements about the human condition that is all too apparent.
For those of us in the kingdom of God, we have the privilege of bringing home strays. We know people who are lost & far from God. They are not animals though.... they are people, just like us. They need God's mercy & grace just as we do. Is there someone... or several someones... that you take to the throne of our Father in heaven daily? Are there people... who you cry out for regularly?
This is not an exercise in making anyone feel guilty or somehow less if they are not here, but if you are not here, consider praying that God would give you this childlike compassion for those who do not yet know Jesus.
It is my considered belief that if there is someone on your heart or mine, that our Father put that someone there. You can go to the throne of God & ask "Daddy, can we keep him/her?" Our Father gives good gifts, & desires to give us the very best, & if our heart is broken for someone, how much more is our Father's heart broken for them. He did not spare Himself for them. God Himself died... for us.... & for them. Remember that when you ask "Daddy...." God bless you

 

[DesertJoe]

Let us worship Jesus... & when we do, remember our words of worship are written in His blood. Even so... Hallelujah... we love you Lord. Please come soon.

 

[DesertJoe]

Dayenu... the chant sung at Passover (Pesach in the Hebrew). Dayenu is a compound word meaning literally "enough to us", & dynamically understood as "It would have been enough". When Jesus came to earth, He celebrated a last seder (We call it the last supper) where He drank from the 3rd cup... the cup of redemption, also understood to be that "cup of sorrows" that Jesus was willing to drink... for us. This would have been dayenu... enough to us. Jesus said in Luke 22:18 "For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." That 4th cup still sits there... waiting to be drunk. That 4th cup.... is known as the cup of Hallel, or the cup of praise (We remember the word "Halleluja, meaning dynamically "Praise Yahweh"). It would have been enough...for our Lord to drink that 3rd cup for us. As a matter of fact, who would be so arrogant as to ask God Himself to die for us... enough was far too much to ask. He didn't stop at enough though. He went home "To prepare a place for you" as a good Jewish husband to be would do for the love of His life. He told us that if He went to prepare a place for us, He would come again. There is a day coming when our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ will drink that 4th cup... that cup of praise... at His wedding. If you have not made your reservation to be at this feast, I strongly urge you to do so. He loved you enough to do "dayenu" for you.He loves you with an everlasting love. Will you call Him Lord today? Will you repent & give Him all of your life... the life He gave you to begin with. This will be "dayenu". God bless you.