Pruning Time

When my thoughts race to and fro, You are there.

When I'm out of words and lost in time, You are there.

When I feel disconnected and cut off, You are there.

You tell us to abide in You Jesus, yet if were fruitful-we'll soon be pruned.

You tell us we were wild olive branches grafted in, let the life giving sap flow.

If we are fruitless in either case, we have no connection to the root-Jesus.

Father, help us wayward gentiles put on white garments for your wedding. 

Help us Ephesians find our first love, and may it never be lost again.

Keep us from ever being the Laodiceans.

Help us remember grace is sufficient and His mercy endures forever!  

Dying Servant

Hold my dying friend Lord, He's been Your faithful servant for 25 years just in our body. He served well, deserving of double honor. May you give him that honor as he comes Your way. Give him mercy and please make the end quick and less painful. 
Comfort his family Father, and use Your body to meet their needs. For You are gracious O Lord! Your mercy endures forever!

Enthrallled

Simpler times pass through my mind,

We were young newly weds…each enthralled in one another.

We had no clue how to do marriage, but we loved each other and our God.

I'm suppose to love her and give my self up as Christ commands. I often fail, yet occasionally get it right. My wife is more giving than I. I’m selfish, but I try to love, or let Christ's love live through me. I’m supposed to be the spiritual leader of the home. But she loves with out effort. I will give an example from today’s mother’s day.

I bought my wife and mom flowers for the day. We were all eating at my sister in-laws. Her sister had no gift for her mother in law; so my wife gave her flowers to her sister. She then gave them to her mother in law and everybody was happy.

I was proud of my wife, giving up her gift, just to make another happy. I’m blessed with a giving wife. We are coming up on 28 years of marriage in a couple weeks. It’s not been easy, but well worth it, we are still both growing in grace and knowledge. Thanks for a good one God!

Gold Refined

The owner of time mocks it's passing and the fool thinks he can keep it in check. Time will accomplish it's purpose and yet it will not heal all wounds.
His wounds remain.

God gave wisdom, yet some took a pass.

In times passed God looked past our ignorance, but don't think that will always be His stance. For Christ came and most ignored it. When He comes again missing it will be impossible.

Foolish bible scholars still set dates for His coming. It must break His heart to see such pride. Jesus didn't know His return date, so why would we? 


Remember, Christ warned the seven churches and only commended a few. So think of His closing words.

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” 
Rev 3:18-22 NIV

The Willing

Who will pray for a condemned city like Abraham?

Who will interceded for a nation like Moses?

Who will “go” like Isaiah ?

Who will be the “watchman” like Ezekiel?

Who will follow like the twelve?

Who will love like Jesus?

Who will have ears to hear and eyes to see that God still loves the world?

Yesterday's Relationship

Give me hope in You, when I forget to hope.

You are the God of the living. You are.

We never really die when we know You, for You are. Just help me die to self.

Holy God of all things living, thank You for new life!

My heart, mind, and soul are Yours LORD.

Help me to recognize it and more importantly, give it and live it.

Pour out Your Spirit a fresh and new on Your child.

Take the coal of Christ's blood and touch my unclean lips.

Forgive my sin again and create the clean heart a new.

I'm never satisfied with yesterday's relationship, Lord.

Let me see Your mercies new everyday.

Help me to give mercy too.

Escape

Sleep escapes me and words roll through my mind.

I read of a lost world tonight (Genesis 7). The deluge of old came flooding in and judgment hit the ancient world. It was Noah’s flood.  Sure they were warned, and sure Noah proclaimed coming judgment while building an escape vehicle. But, only his family listened.

I imagine Noah felt strange building the first ocean liner on dry ground. I imagine his family wondered if he had lost all sensibility. I imagine after decades of this, scoffers and ridicule were quite the norm. But, imagine when clouds formed and rain started dropping for the first time.  I wonder what everyone was thinking then.

Type in “flood myth” on an internet search and you will find just about every culture has one. Myth, in college didn’t mean it wasn’t real, it just meant it was a legend. It turns out this one was real. It’s endorsed by Jesus. But, the sad thing is, just as it was in the day of Noah, so it will be today. Everyone will be working, marrying, and going about business and calamity will come again. Just like before, there is an escape vehicle, an ark if you will. That is Jesus himself.

Jesus took on the judgment of God on Himself. He bore humanities judgment, yet, just like before (in Noah's time) most scoff. They say where is His coming? They hear about all the date setters and the failed attempts to predict the unpredictable and just laugh.  However, Jesus’ soon return has been eminent from the inception of the world. It was planned in the mind of the Father. Just as Christ was slain before the foundation of the earth, in the mind of the Father, so the end was know too. Jesus is the beginning and end. He is the alpha and omega.

Of course, I’m rambling now. But, I’m thankful to know such a person as Jesus. He is the Theanthopos (God and man). Only He lived life to the fullest, doing so in perfection to the Fathers standards. Only He was the unblemished lamb, which suffered a criminal’s death on a cross of crucifixion (predicted before it existed). Only He rose again to life, by His own accord and was witnessed by over 500 people. Only He left on clouds and will return someday soon.

Yeah He's coming, and it’s been a while; but we’re one day closer than yesterday. Maybe I’ll sleep now. Maybe, you won’t. Maybe sin’s keeping you awake? Maybe something is gnawing at your soul. It does at mine at sometimes. But know this: Jesus is the forgiver of sin.