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 10/14/98 Good morning.... +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ The growth of the Christian life
does not stop at the first surrender any more than
marriage stops at a wedding ceremony. The Lord is the
Potter. We are the clay. +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ +†+ Hi there You Dear People!!! Hope this finds your week going SUPER well in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!! Mine is going really well, I have to admit. To start this devo off, I'd like to invite you to do this with me today. This scripture is so impressed in my heart right now...and I pray that we "link" up together, and ask God to manifest it's true meaning into the deepest fiber of our hearts at this very moment: Phil 3:13-14 Onward, Christian Soldiers!! ( smile ) Man, I sure do love you guys! See you at the end! Col 3:14 Don't Hope Friend... Decide! While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about ---the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jetway, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!" Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment. After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment, then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those," he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well, then, how long have you been away?" I asked the man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. "Two whole days!" Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks -- if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend ... decide!"
Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my
hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and
his family turned and strode away together. I was still
watching that exceptional man and his special family walk
just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked,
"What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and
with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My
future!" <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§>< "As wonderful as the revelations of
God are, there is only ONE foundation---Jesus. If we
build upon any other spiritual truth, it will never
sustain the pressures of spiritual life. Sooner or later
it will crumble and fall apart." <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§>< I wanted a song that I could sing every
morning when I woke up. I hope since if you're reading
this, you will copy this lyric in your quiet time journal
or the front of your Bible and read it every morning.
What a faithful prayer! - Be -Sung by: Al Denson- <>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§><<>@<><JE§U§>< Me again Brethren!! I was at a funeral home last week, visiting the family of a dear man that went on to be with the Father. I embraced his grieving wife and we stood frozen for about 40 seconds. Then I felt her pull away, and she headed for the coffin. I followed her, with my arm still around her shoulder. She leaned in, and started talking to him, saying the most heartfelt, loving words. This couple has been married for many years. I can only assume that she felt like the whole right side of her body just "left." That kind of pain is obviously not hearsay. It takes "going through it" to really know what it is like. As she was still speaking to him, I felt a lump in my throat as tears welled up in my own eyes. And it struck me. I thought to myself, "Oh Jesus, I need to say these things to Jimmy NOW." I need to express my love for him while he is still here!" And then a deeper sense of revelation encompassed my heart. For I realized that even though that was so important, there was something even greater that I must see, as a lesson in this awesome display. I remember thinking how I must express these words to my Jesus. How I must tell Him how much I love Him. I must also remember to "build" on my relationship with Christ, and continue to seek Him in all of His glory on a daily basis. As the word "build" became the definitive word in this revelation, I saw it likened to a construction worker. I can either get out of bed, put on my "hard hat" and head to the "site," or I could leave it on the night stand, and roll over. When I do the latter, the construction ceases, until I put on my hat, and show up for duty. Our Christian walk is no less than a building under construction. I don't want to leave this earth, and then have people walk by my building and wonder what it WAS going to be. My heart's cry is to finish the work and purpose that God has called me to, before I go to spend eternity with Him, before I finish the race. A dear Sis of mine recently said, with determination in her voice, "Carol, I want to FINISH the race." The Apostle Paul stated: 2 Tim 4:7 There is a purpose and a calling on our lives, Friends. We can see our building grow and form, and begin to understand what purpose it serves, as soon as we grasp the fact that our job is to continue on, despite the continual coffee breaks that others take, despite the beams that sometimes fall, and have to be picked up and put back into place, and despite the noise and confusion all around us. God gives us a purpose AND a calling. Only He can complete this building, because you see, He has the blueprints and the key ingredients for a "solid" foundation. 1 Cor 3:11 We are instrumental in this building process, as we comply to His Standard, according to His Word...as we allow it to become "cemented" in our hearts. He already sees the "Big Picture," in regard to the completion of this building. He already sees the finished product. We only see what "hasn't been done" when we choose to view it from a fleshly perspective. God's way says, "Come up higher, and see it from an "aerial" view. See it from My perspective. Let us continue to build together. Let Me remove the rocks from your heart. Let Me remove the clutter from areas of your "site" that you have identified with for so long, yet have held you in bondage. Let Me show you what it's really like to be "free." John 8:36 Everything God does in our lives is geared toward greater improvement in our walk, EVEN THOUGH we can't always see it at the moment. We catch glimpses of that "Big Picture" from time to time, as we remain steadfast in our earthly trek, but we will only know in part while we are here. 1 Cor 13:12 That shouldn't deter us. This walk is so exciting and so adventurous! Yes, there are trials, and there are tribulations..but in the Spirit realm, as the building continues, God equips us to glory even in tribulations, because He is still constructing, and adding spiritual "perks" ESPECIALLY in those places. Take a look: Rom 5:3-5 There are things in my life that God has removed and "thrown in the trash pile." And yes, many times, I have produced a well worn path to that pile, and dug through the rubble to look for that thing, when I felt a shakiness in my walk. Instead of going the the Master Builder and inquiring about the best way to "hold that beam," I would go to the rubble pile, and get that shoddy 2x4 that I previously used before. What I didn't see at the time was...this delays construction and creates obstacles. You see, my old ways and thought patterns won't work for THIS building. God is doing a "new thing" with this building...so my rotten termite infested wood won't hold up when the testing comes. But I notice, as I continue on...after falling down and getting back up a few zillion times, that, even in spite of me, God is purging out the desire for those old ways, those old habits. He uses a spiritual front loader and gently pushes that garbage out, as I can bear it. And then one day, I slap myself on the forehead and say, "Hey! I don't do that anymore!" ( ouch! ) At that point, I can look over at the place where the rubble pile once was, and see evidence of landscaping. I take a closer look and note budding blossoms, dripping with dew. That gives me more hope, because this allows me to perceive the tangible changes that are taking place in my walk. God wants to build in us. If we have laid down our hard hat, I pray that the dust gets blown off, and we put it back on..from this exact moment. Remember the purpose of the hard hat. It's to protect our head. God's Word equips our minds, when the big rocks come hurling outta nowhere. We are spiritually geared when we have it on BEFORE we beat feet to the site that day...and we KEEP it on all day long. If we put it on and take it off only to suit the occasion at hand, then we become "double minded." James 1:8 A Who wants an unstable building? What use could an unstable building possibly have? None whatsoever. God's foundation is firm. His materials are solid. His Way is the only way. ( John 14:6 ) And His way is fruitful and productive. Anything else would qualify as sinking sand. Let us look unto Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone, as the building commences. Eph 2:20-22 There are many that reject this foundation, this Corner Stone. But, those that fall on it will be broken, ( Luke 20:17-18 ) and a broken and contrite heart, God will not despise. ( Psalm 51:17 ). Man, I tell you, I pray I will come to the place when I literally "throw" myself on that Stone. So, as we say in the South, "Times a wastin, Brethren!" Well, we don't always say "Brethren." ( hehe ) But, I pray you get my drift. What do you say we scoop up our hard hats, and set our faces like flints, and follow this example that Abraham set before us? Heb 11:10 In Christ!!
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