His Will

Hurricane Gustav is barreling into the Gulf of Mexico tonite, threatening to make a grand slam hit on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana. It seems like moment by moment the storm becomes stronger, tighter and nastier...my point? Well He who says to the wind "Peace be Still" appears to not be talking to the wind, however He is sure talking to ME :) He has chosen it seems to calm the child and let the storm run wild (scott krippane) ....

The challenge is "Do I REALLY want His perfect will?" Especially if it means that HE is going to hold me in the middle of this storm instead of calming the storm. The junior church answer is YES, but when I look at the vacant stares, the anxiety in the faces of elderly couples who are "to tired to do this again", little children clutching their parents skirts.....I realize that I am not so eager to say YES.

So to carry the cross, desire what He desires, to seek Him first , all requires death....that is then the only way to REAL LIFE....so basic, so fundamental and at times incredibly challenging....through it all...He says I AM.....

Dear Lord, give us the strength and courage to not only accept Your will, but to desire Your will and to carry the cross daily. Keep Your watch care over all of Hancock County....grant us grace and peace to accept and walk in Your perfect will.....love you

Kinfolk

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: God is kinfolk. Kinfolk is a word common here in the south, everyone is related it seems in the Bay, one way or another. As I read and studied the discipline of petition this AM, I was moved to write the Lord's prayer in more "kinfolk" terms....

Dear Daddy,
You are so holy, awesome and wonderful. Sitting in perfection and holiness, seated in the heavens and ruling the earth.
I want Your kingdom here on earth as in heaven. May this earth be the place where supreme love rules, where mercy not judgement controls my thoughts, words and deeds.
May Your perfect and Holy will be always my desire, to be obedient and seek what pleases you be the captains wheel to guide me.
Today Daddy please give me what I need, the elements of growth. Food for my spirit, soul and body. Let me collect all you give me this day for my nourishment and be filled with thanksgiving for ALL things.
Oh Father I am sorry for the thoughts, words and deeds that have hurt and offended You and others. Please forgive me and grant me the grace to be the vessel of the same magnitude of forgiveness into the lives of each one who may have hurt me or those I love, through their own thoughts, words and deeds.
Thank you for making a clear path for me to walk, that I may follow You in trust knowing You do not lead me to temptation. When even the smallest embryo of evil is conceived in my thoughts, words and deeds You set me free.
Indeed Yours alone is the kingdom, the true demonstration of the power of love, the glory of WHO You are all belongs to You forever.
I belong to You forever through all the days past, today and eternity....so be it that my hand be in Yours, my heart in Yours and my life in Yours...AMEN.

The courage of Elisha

"Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, and Elisha....saw him no more." 2 Kings 2 11-12

Today my dear friend Kathy, a wonderful friend and powerful intercessor sent me a devotional to share with my "new believer friends from Houston"....I think it is a word for ALL of us....

"It is not wrong for you to depend you your "Elijah" for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you t0 say "I cannot continue without my "Elijah". Yet God says you must continue".

The following examples of the Jordan, Jericho and Bethel represent the times when we are alone. Where what we have learned is now put to the test...the experience lies before us....to cross over the river (Jordan), to do great things not waiting for some else to do them for us (Jericho) and Bethel where you must rely on God's wisdom, when you are at the end of your own.

Stand true to God and He will bring out HIS truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your "Elijah", use his mantle and pray...Make a determination to trust in God and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

WOW as I re-read this over and over....for many years I have said that ministry is the Elijah and Elisha concept....we are mentored by an "Elijah" we become an "Elisha"....then down the road, we become "Elijah" to another and they become "Elisha".....the strength of this model is the ongoing process of applying the teaching and training from others, taking the truth, living it and becoming the example of truth to others.

Kathy felt this was important to encourage those who experienced GOD in such deep ways in Houston, and now they may feel alone, or they "can't" and the TRUTH is

STAND TRUE TO GOD AND HE WILL BRING OUT HIS TRUTH IN A WAY THAT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE AN EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP...PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED...TAKE THE MANTLE AND PRAY....

May all of us take the wisdom and examples of our "Elijah's" and practice what we have learned, take the mantle believing in the miracles and pray unceasingly....

Jammie Days

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today was a wonderful day :) I had a jammie day with Jesus. A friend stopped by early and was asking "What is a jammie day with Jesus?" I smiled you know the kind where you know the secret, and answered, when I stay in my jammies, resting, worshipping, praying and just enjoying the breath of life He has given me.

As I pondered the conversation, I began wondering what does a jammie day with Jesus look like to HIM? Then I remembered Zephaniah 3 :17 "The Lord your God is in your midst, he is mighty to save you. He will rejoice over you with singing and quiet you with his love." WOW...so jammie days are Jesus, singing over me, calming my heart, being in the midst of ALL my life.

I need to stop and ponder more often heaven's side of my relationship with Jesus. There are times when I fail to remember that the cross and salvation are the cause of His joyous singing and being in the midst of mine......Almighty God, Eternal yet in the natural, taking time with me to sing and rejoice......it will never make sense, yet will always be TRUTH.....love ya Jesus thanks for an awesome day!!

Confession the vehicle of Worship

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: PSALM 32...Vs. 9-11 "Don't be ornery like a horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to stay on track. God defiers are always in trouble, God affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. Celebrate God, Sing together-Everyone...ALL YOU HONEST HEARTS, RAISE THE ROOF." The Message Something to chew on....for a LONG WHILE....

So as I start a new week, and briefly skim over the past couple of months, I see this wonderful pattern.....from Being Authentic, Addressing God, Silence and Adoration these disciplines for what....SO THAT I MAY KNOW HIM AND BE KNOWN....now we hit the confession week....so where does God begin....don't be ornery .....like a horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to stay on track....I am acutely aware of all the bits and bridles that hang in the closet of experiences that God has used to keep me on track....and it home today with a conversation with a man named Raymond....

Raymond lost everything in the storm, his home, possessions etc...but "I was a lucky one, I received money for the house....when I looked back on my life I realized that Katrina brought me back on track...I have decided not to rebuild my home, I found a small cottage ....and will use all my money to help others, for instance I have a neighbor near my slab that is living without a bathroom (3 YEARS LATER!!-my comment) and I would like to get an estimate to see if I can pay for her to have plumbing put back in".....

WHAT....WHAT DO I KNOW of such sacrifice, incredible willingness to give ALL that you have, so willingly, not saving the money so he can live the next 40 years, but the willingness to live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself....seeing Katrina as the thing to put me back on track...AND YES it is true....my personal Katrina has put me back on track....BUT I HAVE SO FAR TO GO....

Then I fondly remember the worship times in Houston.....HONEST HEARTS RAISE THE ROOFS....YES that is it....REVIVAL is when we come clean with God...confess how far we are from the extreme sacrifice of our lives for others, how far from keeping HIM in EVERY thought, word and deed.....and then to KNOW HIS great love and worship ......how heaven must EXPLODE with AWE and WONDER as broken Christians seek GOD because HE IS GOD.....my words are so limited.....however some way tonite these words take on new meaning by Henri Nouwen from Gracias

"Once I can see sin and virtue with clarity, I will also see sadness and joy, hatred and forgiveness, resentment and gratitude in less nebulous ways." God grant that I will have clarity and not apathy, that I will seek YOU in holiness and truth. COME LORD JESUS COME.

To the Least of These

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Last evening SOAR sponsored a "Back to School Bash" We had prepared for 150-200 people, our normal "Sunday Supper" attendance. Our activities begin around 5PM, by 4:30PM we realized this was going to be a special Sunday. A church in Jackson MS had donated $1000k for school supplies, but 6:00PM we had distributed all that we had. An estimated 300 people attended the event.....so why am I writing.....well the youth from St. Rose church helped with the event. They served food, help pass out school supplies and ice cream. When we ran out of school supplies, a couple of the youth came over, all of them in varying stages of recovery from Katrina, said "These people are really in need, I gave them my school supplies"

The next amazing thing, we realized quickly that our supply of food would not be enough....so PRAY BREAD AND FISHES....and WOW God supplied, it was so cool to watch how the 2 cases of ribs fed EVERYONE with left overs. One small pan of Potato salad and one small pan of Macaroni salad....FED EVERYONE.....People were watching, then we told them there was food for seconds....EVERYONE KNEW JESUS WAS IN THE HOUSE.....GO GOD

HOW HAPPY THE HEART OF JESUS.....here are the world changers, YOUTH...willing to think of other more than themselves, giving sacrificially, serving others and recognizing the need to care for the poor.

LORD MAY THEY LEAD US ALL AND MAY WE FOLLOW IN OUR DAILY LIVES TO LIVE BY FAITH, TO BE OBEDIENT TO GIVE SACRIFICIALLY

Communication and Communion

Disciplines of the Inner Life...well here I am again.....from silence to adoration....how the line between the two remains the issue of the heart. In my silent heart am I in communion with God through the Spirit....however in reflection are there times it may be as C. Fitzsimons Allison puts it.."to act as if another does not exist is a more hostile act than to slap his face. In the latter action one at least acknowledges his presence. The silent treatment is an extremely powerful weapon of aggression. With God we are seemingly unable to hurt him in any other way". So I reflect on the times, because of my anger, pain, or the situation and suffering He allows to be silent......WOW not the silence of communion but the silence that of communication.
There are times in my life I realize today have been so hurtful to God...times when I sat in silence not wanting to commune with Him or pushing back His touch. Never quite saw them in the light of today. Having had much experience with the silent treatment in the past....I look now through clearer eyes...the brutality I felt, now am the inflictor of the pain on the one I love the most.....Dear Jesus, as I continue to learn silence and adoration....communion and communication....let the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto you....and let me always recognize Your presence and love.
Holy Spirit COME and draw me always to communion and communication with you....in the midst of pain, disappointment, confusion, and the "Stuff" of life....may I always remember this day and this teaching...love you di

ADORATION

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement:

ADORATION....."Words linger on long after the deep experience which they signified has been forgotten. Sometimes even the capacity for the experience has been dimmed or lost,,,Today we "adore" many things- the word is in common use...to describe lesser inane things...thus ADORATION in its original sense...BOWING DOWN IN AWE AND REVERENCE...TINGED WITH THE FEAR OF GOD>>>HAS BEEN LARGELY LOST IN SUPERFICIAL WONDER AND FEELING." Edward Farrell

WHEW....To be overcome by the awe and reverence ...the fear of GOd that I could adore HIM...such spendor and majesty....such glory without explanation or words....again here I am in the silence of my heart to LOVE HIM...FOR HIM...not for me, or others or the world....JUST HIM....You have always been LOVE, always been GOOD and always been GOD....O that I may find the place to adore you....to come and adore you....Holy, Holy Holy....

From Silence to Adoration

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today I finished up my three weeks of silence...well not true....TODAY I made the realization that I will always pursue SILENCE....so today in scripture there were some amazing "zaps"....first of all when Elijah was waiting for Adonai....the wind, earthquake and fire went before the LORD....then the VOICE....well I realized how many times I am trying to find the VOICE of the LORD in all the wind, earthquakes and fire...realizing that if I am silent in my heart and in communion I will not engage all the STUFF and just wait for the VOICE....sounds so simple...but man I have sure engaged some serious earthquakes trying to find God's voice in the midst of it.....
Second....the realization that once we become HIS Sheep, the plan is OUT OF THE PEN, FOLLOW HIM INTO THE PASTURE....well that was a 24x24....the deal is how often I am out of the pen following HIM...but do I want to enter the Sabbath REST of the PASTURE.....OUCH...to much to do.....KINGDOM WORK...but He was not so happy with those pharisees who were so blind because they thought they see......
THE RETINA of the KINGDOM....seems all upside down in the earths eyes...but hear HIS VOICE....forget the noise around you....follow HIM to REST....MAN HAVE I ALONG WAY TO COME TO YOU LORD>>>>GRACE AND MERCY....