The sun’s rays clothe the trees in light this early morning. A soft breeze causes the leaves to twinkle in the early light. Rain drops from the evening storms glisten in the sun – soon to disappear. The sky is pale blue, cloudless for the moment. It’s quiet but for early morning motorists in the distance. The birds have not begun their song, though a few are flying about in the clear air. One, must be the conductor of their choir, calls out the signal to begin.
Tag Archives: comfort
Pigs?…or men?..
Matthew 8:28-34
They landed in the country of the Gadarenes and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. 29 Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, “What business do you have giving us a hard time? You’re the Son of God! You weren’t supposed to show up here yet!” 30 Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. 31 The evil spirits begged Jesus, “If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs.” 32 Jesus said, “Go ahead, but get out of here!” Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. 33 Scared to death, the swineherds bolted. They told everyone back in town what had happened to the madmen and the pigs. 34 Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back.
This was a struggle. All the sermons and discussions on this passage blocked my ability to just read it and receive. With prayer, this is what emerged. This was a dangerous stretch of road. So dangerous no one could use it. Yet here is Jesus and his disciples using it. Again Jesus displays no fear. The fear is noted in the demons. With the loss of the pigs, there is fear in the men herding the pigs. The town shows fear of Jesus and asks him to leave. The fear here turns to anger.
No one brought the sick or lame to receive healing. No one saw the healing…No one said thank you for delivering the two men, giving back safe passage on the road. They only saw the immediate loss of income; how that would affect their life. Tunnel-vision, no desire for improvement, no change, stay in the present ‘comfort zone’ even if it hurts or is harmful… Is this still the case today? Do we continue to have tunnel vision? Do we not see change because of our own unwillingness to leave a ‘comfort zone’ just because it is familiar? Even if it is harmful or hurtful? Do we choose the pigs over the men?
Our message
2 Corinthians 5:20 We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!”
So this is our message; through our actions and through our words. Be reconciled to God!
And here is why:
1 Peter 2:11 Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. (NLT)
1 Peter 2:11 11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Don’t get attached to what is around us. Enjoy it, yes! Attached? No! Every new place I’ve been placed in has had it’s draw for me. I’ve always simply said thank you God, for the opportunity to enjoy this place for a time. I said this, still do, because I know He is likely to move me on to somewhere else to continue His work. This is a temporary assignment, a temporary placement.
None of us is staying here for eternity. What we do while we are here determines where we will spend eternity a time frame that is much longer!! Our love for others around us should drive us to get the message to them to be reconciled to God. That where we will be they may be also.
1 Corinthians 7:31 Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away.(NLT)
We view what we have, where we are, how we are trained all of these as a means to give that message to others. What we have is not ownership but generosity, where we are is not permanent but temporary, our training is equipping us for His service. So, whether custodian or teacher, I shine for the Lord; as opposed to working in a job/vocation.
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Have you seen heaven? The kingdom? God? But you have seen planet earth and all that God created here. The seen is temporary. The unseen is eternal. And this kind of talk will get you ridiculed!!
1Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Sinful desires…also called by some temporary crowns. We talk of them as fame, American Idol, champions, State Champs in whatever, Super Bowl stuff. We just need to remember they are temporary. Winning your family to the Lord, showing them how to start a relationship with their Creator, demonstrating how to please God, these are not temporary crowns, these last forever.
Hebrews 11:13, 16 All these great people died in faith. They did not get the things that God promised his people, but they saw them coming far in the future and were glad. They said they were like visitors and strangers on earth.
But they were waiting for a better country—a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them Pasted from <http://www.youversion.com/>
Our time here is temporary, an incomplete version of our story. It is a short version, only the beginning.
The renewing of my mind, taking on the mind of Christ tells me lots of the stress in my life comes from not placing my priorities in the correct order. I ‘stress’/emphasize what is not important and then what is important is challenged. The ‘stress’ I place upon myself, shortens the time I have to be a meaningful, purpose driven part of God’s kingdom. O that we all could see this more clearly. It changes what is important in life, from what I wear to what I eat to where I go and what I do…
A gnome’s stove
Whew! what a learning curve this was for me. Getting used to paint, I drew my idea of a gnome’s stove. I’d like to have one!!!:)
gnome’s home
This is where my imagination runs wild and free. The woodland gnome builds their home at the base of a tree. It has a concealed entry but once inside…each room is unique, the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom (throne room), the wash room. The first room entered is the boot room which houses the well; one cleans up before entering the house proper. In the boot room one will find the well (indoors!), the watch cricket in its cage, the dowery chest and miscellaneous baskets.
From here one enters the house proper, a large, spacious room in which you will find the cookstove, table and chairs, wood carving portraits, wood stacked neatly against the stove, mouse pets in their bowl, doors to the washroom, sleeping alcoves, throne room and a concealed emergency trapdoor exit.
More on this to follow…
Purpose of church…What?
Matt 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Answers the question What do we do?
- Do we make the burden heavy? We should not be in the business of putting a burden ( restrictions, legalistic demands) on new and existing believers. The change, the demands are made by God, as His Spirit deals with each individual. We share the message, encourage the immersion in the Word and let the Spirit do the work. We know the effectiveness and genuineness of the believer’s relationship by the fruit and follow the Word’s guidelines for gentle guidance.
A Storm’s Aftermath
There is a period of time after a storm when the refuse stirred up comes floating by. All the trash, the broken wood, the ‘stuff” that surrounds us. The sea is filled with debris, rivers are choked with it, the land cries out with the brokenness. So too, with our daily lives, storms leave behind broken pieces that are in need of cleaning up. This period of time has the potential to bury us once more in distress as we relive the storm over and over again and long for ‘how things were’.
Colossians 3:1-13
Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new [man] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave [nor] free, but Christ [is] all and in all. Therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also [must do]. Blue Letter Bible. “Colossians 3 – New King James Version.” Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2009. 2 Jul 2009. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Col&c=3&t=NKJV >
Do not be enslaved to natural man’s emotions, thoughts, actions. Be set free to the life led by the Spirit – His Spirit leading our spirit – ever in tune with Him. Set our minds above – not below – it raises us above the level of earthly disputes and focuses us on our Father – knowing how to live peacefully with one another, knowing we can live eternally with Him…
Not filled with anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, all these tear down. But clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, these build up.
When the logs of discord – be they from memory or present – come by you in the stream of life – let them pass…don’t stop them, pull them up on the bank, build a house of pain and disruption, then live in it. Rather, let them go on by, down the stream or out to sea. That will allow you to reach that place where you can “forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Then you can act in the victorious lifestyle of; “over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” This will allow you to express compassion toward those who have brought you harm, treat them with kindness, remain humble in the Lord for He raises you above the hurt, be gentle in response to harshness, and have patience as you see the Lord work out His will in you and others.
Jesus Loves Me
Jesus’ words indicate the belief of God in us! We build relationships with Him. We need to build our faith–we need to rise to the level of faith he has in us. Just as I believe in my students’ ability–they must rise to the challenge–they must also have faith in what they can do.
How hard is that to believe? Knowledge – know Him, he knows you. That knowledge allows you to grow in your faith/belieft. I know in whom I have believed. I know Him, not know of Him.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14
Ramblings
Ecclesiastes 11:
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle.
“Don’t water down the Bible to match your experience: expand your experience to match the Word of God.” Reading God’s Word gives knowledge of God’s Will. It exhorts/gives encouragement, edifies/builds up, gives strength, comforts/ consoles the broken.
Gracie's Quest 