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.