Orphan vs Son/Daughter

I'm reading some material on the difference between and orphan heart and the heart of a son/daughter.

The first orphan ever was Lucifer when he was expelled from heaven.

Eve was deceived into orphan thinking. "Just do it the way you want to - eat of the wrong tree". Father God knew when Adam and Eve had sinned. They went into hiding and did not want fellowship with Him. They closed their hearts off. The Father wanted to cover them but orphan thinking is this: 1. They will not take personal responsibility 2. They will blame others or become angry with themselves. For one who chooses orphan thinking, he will end up leaving the garden of God's love.

There is a UNIVERSAL PROBLEM: Not one of us has ever experienced SONSHIP. We are all born with an orphan spirit. We are all born as orphans in this world. We can be born again, spirit-filled, etc, but still have orphan thinking. The turning point is is John 14:18-23 "I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless). I will come back to you.

Orphans have no faith for anyone to meet their need. The only thing they know is to take for themselves. Even if you have been introduced to the Father, you can't receive His love. You can legally be a son/daughter, but still live your life as if you don't have a home and you can't receive His love. Hebrews 12:7 & 8 talks about receiving correction from God, as sons and daughters. So, if we can't receive discipline, correction and guidance then we become like an illegitmate child or spiritual orphans. One of a father's duties is to help his child deal with his/her heart - anger, bitterness, etc. If a child experiences that there is something inside them that is against their father, we need to ask the following question: "When did you cease from being the son/daughter of your father and mother? The day you rejected your father and mother because they hurt you so badly, from then on you stopped trusting and stepped further into an orphan spirit.

Next time I'll talk about the 12 Step progression to having an orphan heart..and then the outward signs.

We Need More of These, Lord

The True Disposition of a Pastor’s Heart—Charles Simeon (1759 – 1836)
When he was vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, a whole generation of evangelical pastors looked to Charles Simeon for godly leadership. One writer says he was a man “who was a sinner like you and me, who was a pastor, and who, year after year, in his trials, ‘grew downward’ in humility and upward in his adoration of Christ.”1 Here Simeon describes the godly man’s true demeanour as he waits before God:

Repentance is in every view so desirable, so necessary, so suited to honour God, that I seek that above all. The tender heart, the broken and contrite spirit, are to me far above all the joys that I could ever hope for in this vale of tears. I long to be in my proper place, my hand on my mouth, and my mouth in the dust . . . I feel this to be safe ground. Here I cannot err . . . I am sure that whatever God may despise . . . He will not despise the broken and contrite heart.2

The Other Half of Love

"There are times to adore the Lord," Wisdom continued, "and there are times to honor Him with the greatest fear and respect, just as there is a time to plant, and a time to reap. It is wisdom to know the time for each. True wisdom know the times and seasons of God. I brought you here because it was time to worship the Lord in the glory of His love. This is what you needed the most after such a battle. I am now taking you to another place because it is time for you to worship Him in the fear of His judgment. Until you know both, there is a danger that we can be separated from each other."

"Do you mean that if I had stayed back in that glorious worship I would have lost you?"

"Yes. I would have always visited with you when I could, but we would have rarely crossed paths. It is hard to leave such glory and peace, but that is not the whole revelation of the King. He is both a Lion and Lamb. To the spiritual children, He is the lamb. To the fully mature, He is both the Lion and the Lamb. Again, I know that you understand this, but you have only known it in your mind. Soon you will know it in your heart, for you are about to experience the judgment seat of Christ."

Exerpt from The Final Quest, Rick Joyner

Truth

I like this quote:

Having truth will not keep us from deception, but having a love for the truth will.

Appearances are deceiving

King Saul appeared humble; it said he was small in his own eyes. David appeared arrogant and insolent because he rebuked the armies of Isreal for their timidity saying that the kings armour was not good enough for him. We must resist the temptation to follow those who appear to be "head and shoulders" above the rest.

Until there is maturity, the wheat and tares grow together. Both can be arrogant, both can have false concepts or teaching or fall into sin occasionally. The difference will only be obvious when they both mature. During the harvest, wheat will bow over, while the tares remain standing upright. When wheat matures, it becomes humble, but those who are tares will continue in their pride.

If we are walking in the Light, we will allow truth to remain at the point of Divine tension between the extremes and will refrain from making a formula, principle, or inflexible doctrine out of it. It is the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge which demands our carrying the paradoxes in Scripture to their logical conclusions. The paradoxes are there to force us to seek the Lord for His mind and wisdom. This leads to our walking in the Spirit instead of by principles or laws. By resisting the compulsion to make formulas and allowing truth to rest at the point of tension between the extremes, we bgin to partake of the Tree of Life. Christianity is not just following a set of rules; it is walking with the Living God.

~Joyner

John 6:66

When it was narrowed down to those who were following Jesus for who He was and not for what He could do, there were not many left. Those who withdrew were not just stragglers picked up by the excitement of the crowd - there were disciples. If the Lord were to make this same challenge today, how many would be left? Would we be left? Interestingly enough, at this point the ministry of Jesus radically changed. Until that time, Hed devoted most of His attention to the multitudes; after this, His efforts were directed almost entirely to His disciples. Before this incident, He performed miracles so that people would believe; from this point, He only performed miracles for those who did believe in Him.

Of course, the Lord wants to bless his people. However, when we desire the blessing and gifts more that we desire Him, serious problems result. Self-centeredness is a poison that is killing us. The entire history of ancient Isreal is a continuous cycle of deliverance, blessing, complacency, idolatry, bondage, oppression, humility and seeking the Lord - then the cycle begins anew. They never get the message...will we?

The Lord called the church to be His bride. How would any husband feel if he found out that his wife only married him for his wealth and the expensive gifts he would give her? Where would the joy be if his wife communicated with him only when she wanted somthing? It would be a lifeless marriage. Is there life in your relationship with the Lord?

Who Will Go For Me?

In 1953 Robert Burrows from Scotland wrote the following in the fly leaf of “Rees Howells, Intercessor” by Norman P. Grubb:
Revival means REMOVAL –
A willing sacrifice
Of all that grieves the Spirit.
Who then will pay the price? RHB

Could this be you?

I had a picture of a large rounded room. At one side was a large narrow door. It was closed and had a large keyhole. Bright light was shining through the keyhole in the door and lighting up the room. The door had an inscription on it. It said "Father". The opposite side was an open door with some people crowding around it. This door was called "Freedom". They were beckoning and calling to a young man in the middle who was very sad and confused. Although it looked enticing he didn’t really want to take that door (at least not yet) and so he looked around and noticed that there were other doors that were open. It looked like 6. Well, he said to himself, there are other open doors.. I'll take and escape through one of these other doors. I saw him try each doorway as though desperate to find one that he could pass through. Each one he tried only went to a dead end. He was becoming more and more discouraged. Well, he said, if each one is a dead end, then I will try the door that everyone is calling me to take.
In time, all the other doors were tried and all of the other 6 doors lead to a dead end. They were empty. The young man felt empty. Sitting down to think, he was becoming more and more despondent and desperate. There were only two doors left ..The Freedom door looked pretty easy and he knew he wouldn’t be alone; lots of friends were waving and they seemed to be having fun. He looked up at the Father door. The door looked a little ominous perhaps and the light coming from the door seemed so bright. Questions flooded his mind. What was beyond that door? What was this Father really like? Would I even want to meet him? What would be required of him?
He looked down and noticed a key hung around his neck. It was clear that this was the key to the door where the bright light was shining as it was the exact size of the keyhole. He looked closer at the key. The key had a name on it too. It was called ‘repentance’. He hesitated. Repentance. Hmm. Well in some way he didn’t feel very ready for that. Something deep inside the young man really wanted to go there, but something was pulling him back toward the crowd of people calling him. He looked up again at the large door that said "Father" and the beam of light shining through.
At that moment he knew that this decision would determine the course of his life. What would he do? What should he do? He was afraid to move. He was frozen with fear. Suddenly a soft, gentle voice spoke and broke through the confusion. It was the voice of a daddy.

"Come to me my son; you are weary and weighed down. You have been carrying a heavy load of guilt and shame. I will heal you, I will give you the rest you need, Come and learn about me, learn about who I am. You have many questions. I will teach you. I love you. You will find peace and joy in my presence. Take this door and choose life. You will not be alone. I will never leave you. At my right hand you will find pleasures forevermore. This is what I have created you for. You will discover your identity and purpose behind this door. This is the only true door to freedom and release. I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. My Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if my Son sets you free, you are free through and through."

Suddenly the young man looked over at all the people beckoning him. Their voices were fading away. He knew the time was short. He needed to decide. Then he saw some writing on the wall and walked over to take a closer look. This is what he read:

"For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. "

Now, the young man had to choose. He couldn’t stay in that large room any longer. There was no other way out. He looked over at the other door one more time.....

1 Corinthians 10:13-15 (Amplified Bible) For no temptation and no trial regarded as enticing to sin, no matter how it comes or where it leads has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

Hmm.

Do we think that as long as we have a "relationship" with church, that we can keep God at arm's length? A number of years ago, the Lord told me that "church" for me had become an idol. I was no longer listening to His voice, but rather the voice of the institutional church. I didnt realize that these voices are often conflicting. The church tends to be about "doing" and God tends to emphasize "being". I see this conflict and even animosity between Mary and Martha. Martha is unhappy with Mary's lack of involvement. But Jesus said, Mary chose the better part. How often are we choosing the not- so - better part, and following the voices that go along with people- pleasing, kingdom building (especially our own kingdoms - in Gods name of course), church promoting, formula parroting, conference attending, program making, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, some of these things in themselves are not necessarily wrong - its our focus or dependence upon them that is. Our dependency must be on the Holy Spirit, not on our own efforts, good thoughts & intentions, or our giftings or anything else. The church was never meant to run like a business. It's not an organization, but rather an organism. WE are looking for a place whose builder and maker is God. Unless the Lord builds it, we will labour in vain. Jesus once again said it best:

Luke 13:26-28 (The Message)
"You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' "That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in—and wondering what happened. This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last."

Any thoughts?

Is This What The Church Has Become?

Asleep In The Light by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down,
Don't you care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown,
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.

Oh Bless me Lord, bless me Lord, you know it's all I ever hear,
No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear,
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs,
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in, oh, can't you see it's such sin?

Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away, as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just weeps,
Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the streets.

Open up, open up, and give yourself away,
You've seen the need, you hear the cry, so how can you delay,
God's calling and you're the one, but like Jonah you run,
He's told you to speak, but you keep holding it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church can't fight, cause it's asleep in the light,
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed,
Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even get out of bed,
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed.

How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done.
Come away, come away, come away with Me, My love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, My love.

Never Fly Away

Written by: The Contact

I run away, I try to hide from the pain
Just danced with the world, in a dark alley-way In a red silk dress, flashed the cost of my soul I fell prey to the one I thought I could control

And I feel so used
Still I know I can’t blame you
Can you help me out tonight?

Your love won’t fly
Never fly away
Never fly away

I left behind the infection of my pride
I’ve been starving my soul, now I’m weak and I am frail Just a beggar for your grace, but you come running to embrace, And I’m back to you

When the dark storms come
I’m surrounded by your love
Cause you’re here with me tonight

I’m on a journey in my soul
Gave it all to pay the toll
Left everything I know
I can’t see the other side
Still I run to reach the prize
Of re-made life

Your love won’t fly,
Never fly away
Never fly away

You’ll never fly away…

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Helplessness

"A dear friend of mine who was quite a lover of the chase, told me the following story: 'Rising early one morning,' he said, 'I heard the baying of a score of deerhounds in pursuit of their quarry. Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making its way across, and giving signs, moreover, that its race was well-nigh run. Reaching the rails of the enclosure, it leaped over and crouched within ten feet from where I stood. A moment later two of the hounds came over, when the fawn ran in my direction and pushed its head between my legs. I lifted the little thing to my chest, and, swinging round and round, fought off the dogs. I felt, just then, that all the dogs in the West could not, and should not capture that fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength.' So is it, when human helplessness appeals to Almighty God. Well do I remember when the hounds of sin were after my soul, until, at last, I ran into the arms of Almighty God." -- A. C. DIXON.

On Criticism

Here is some practical advice:

If you are a leader, expect to be criticized.
Someone has said, "If you want to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the audience." You must learn to stay focused on your work in spite of what is being said behind your back.

A Division I, NCAA college basketball referee who called some of the Final Four basketball games, was asked what makes the difference between the good and great officials. He said, "It is the ability to stay focused on the game while tuning out the constant criticism of the crowd".

Don't respond to every criticism.
Abraham Lincoln is remembered today as one of our nation's finest Presidents. However, during his tenure, he may have been the most criticized. On one occasion, he stated that, "If I stopped to read, much less, answer, every letter of criticism I receive, this office would have to be closed for nothing else but that of dealing with critics and complainers". After one of Lincoln's speeches, the newspaper in Chicago wrote a scathing editorial. A portion of those comments stated, "The cheeks of every American should be red with shame at that silly, washed-out, utterance of the man who has to be introduced to foreigners as the President of the United States". That "washed-out" speech would come to be known as The Gettysburg Address.

Stay focused on the task at hand.
Refuse to alter the agenda either to retaliate or please "unpleasable" people.

When the New York Times informed the builder of the Panama Canal of critics back home, the reporter wondered out loud how the general intended to answer his skeptics. He simply said, "I will answer them by building the Panama Canal".

2 Timothy 3:12(NIV)In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

Matthew 5:10-12 (The Message)"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

(Interesting, too, that the persecution spoken of, is that which comes from those who claim to know God)

Sweet

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Mex Slide Show

Just seeing if this works:


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Quote

I really like this quote so Im putting it on my blog:
"What is more irrational, a man who believes in a God he cannot see, or a man who is offended by a God he does not believe in?" --Brad Stine

A Stern Warning - Vance Havner

We are entering upon the last days and God is sifting His people. There is beginning right now a separation between the great crowd of Sunday-morning church goers and those who really mean business with God. On one hand, we have the mass of nominal Christians who belong to church because the family does or because it is the nice thing to do, who draw nigh to God with their mouths and honor Him with their lips, while their hearts are far from Him. These will soon be shown up in their true colors: they will trim their sail to catch the breeze and end up in one great apostate aggregation in league with the powers that be, the world, the flesh and the devil On the other hand, is the faithful remnant who hear he Lord and speak often one to another, saints from all the church bodies, drawn together by a common love for Christ. These will be melted together in fires of testing with a comradeship like that at the early Christians in the catacombs of Rome.

This drawing together is a work of the Spirit, but when we try to do it we fail. This union of Bible Christians does not lend itself to our systems and plans, and when some man tries to head it up or put a tag on it, he fails, but the movement goes right on. We would do better to exalt Christ and preach the Word and not try to engineer the work of the Spirit too closely.

Truly, the time has come that judgment has begun at the house of God, and the best advice I can give is in the first part of this same chapter from First Peter. There is an Old Testament exhortation, "Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow." It is a timely word now. If you are a lukewarm Christian, out of fellowship and out of tune with God, I beseech you, set your house in order, for the storm is upon us and even the righteous will scarcely be saved. Return to God, confess your sin, claim the cleansing blood. Get back to the Book and watch unto prayer. Straighten Out your affairs with your fellow men. See that you have a conscience void of offense toward God and man. Commit your soul to God, rest in the Rock of Ages, where neither bombs nor blackouts can disturb. Learn the joy of abiding in the cleft of the Rock and learn how to sing:

When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea-billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well with my soul

The Testing Begins...

I found the following on a Lutheran site:

"The Road to Holiness."
A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.
"Tell me, wise one, how did you become holy?"
"Two words."
"And what are they, please?"
"Right choices."
The seeker was fascinated. "How does one learn to choose rightly?"
"One word."
"One word! May I have it, please?" the seeker asked.
"Growth."
The seeker was thrilled. "How does one grow?"
"Two words."
"What are they, pray tell?"
"Wrong choices."

I believe that this is God's purpose in times of testing -- to help us grow -- to show us that we have the faith and ability to stand up to the testing -- that we will trust God in difficult times -- to strengthen our faith and Christian character. At the same time, Satan has his own purpose -- to turn the testees away from God -- to "tempt" them to sin.
Every other time peirazo is used in Mark, the "testers" are human beings (always Pharisees): asking for a sign from heaven (8:11); asking about the legality of divorce (10:2); and with the Herodians, asking about paying taxes (12:15).
I think that most of the "testings" of our faith come through the 'back door'..not obviously or directly from Satan or demonic beings, but from and through other people. That way, we are more easily deceived.
Oh and I found the following exerpt that made me think:
Jesus rebukes Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (8:33)
In this case, "Satan" seems to be anyone whose mind is not set on divine things -- who seeks to stand in the way of Jesus (or us?) fulfilling God's purpose in our lives.

I will just post this prayer by Sir Francis Drake. I found it just now as I was sitting here checking out some blogs. Drake was an English naval hero and he lived 1540-1596. His prayer captures the spirit of the age we are in.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

More Mexico Pics..just can't forget!

Prayer

I found this prayer on another blog. I really thought it was worth reprinting here, as it so aptly describes my own heart at this time:

LORD...I THANKYOU FOR THIS DAY.I COME TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND THROUGH HIS SHED BLOOD, FORGIVE US OF ALL OUR WRONGS LORD, AND ENABLE US TO DO GOOD. WE CONFESS THAT WE NEED YOU.IF YOU DO NOT MOVE BY YOUR SPIRIT IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THERE IS NO POINT IN DOING WHAT WE DO.I AM TIRED OF ALL THE BLUSTER LORD.PLEASE CUT THROUGH ALL CONFUSION WITH YOUR WORD, PLEASE HEAL THOSE WHO ARE EMOTIONALLY TORN, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN OVER POWERED BY ALL THE CONFUSION IN THE WORLD. MAY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT PREVAIL THROUGH ALL THE HYPER ACTIVITY CALLED MINISTRY.PLEASE GIVE TRUE DISERNMENT, REMOVE THE VEIL,I THANKYOU FOR ALL THE MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF "YOUR" BODY, PLEASE ENABLE THEM TODAY, TO DO WHAT YOU WANT, AND PLEASE BLESS WITH YOUR VERY BEST.I THANKYOU THAT YOUR WORD DOES ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANT, AND DOES NOT RETURN TO YOU WITHOUT DOING SO.I THANKYOU THAT YOU CARE, EVEN MORE THAN WE DO ABOUT THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF ALL.AND THAT THERE WILL BE RESULTS, NO MATTER WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE ON THE SURFACE........TIME...YOUR PERFECT TIMING, WILL BRING ABOUT YOUR RESULTS.IN JESUS NAME.

My summer so far...

Ok, I just realized that I have really not many personal comments on my blog. Now, there is proabably a reason for that. I think I'm just uncomfortable talking about myself...especially to people who are well...could be..strangers. But, I decided since I have very little about my personal life on here, that I would stray from the norm, and add a personal note today.

So, what has been going on for us this summer? Well, lets see if I can remember. It is difficult once one is over 45 to remember these things..oh and I have also noticed that my eyesight is not what it used to be. But I still feel young...hey, in fact, my youngest son, who is now 15 said to me yesterday how "young" I was. At first I thought he might be joking (not that he ever jokes with me..haha), but I actually think he was serious. Do you know how amazing that is..?? 15 year olds rarely give their parents compliments ok? So, anyway, I took it as one.

Ok, back to my original topic. Summer. Sorry for rambling. Ah, the beginning of the summer was pretty good. We said good-bye to our Austrian student, Mike who had been with us for 5 months. In that time, he has received the Lord, gone to Youth Convention in Kamloops and went on a mission trip to Mexico. Before he left we gave him a Bible and a devotional book. Then, shortly after that, our 19 year old son Austin left Gibsons for Calgary to stay with his dad and his dad's new wife, and work there for most of the summer. :( we missed him. Then, I left for my mission trip to Mexico for almost two weeks! In that time, Mario our youngest, went to Calgary for the wedding, went to Nanoose Bay Camp, and volunteered at Camp Sunrise here on the coast. Then after coming back from Mexico, the same day I arrive back within an hour or so, my relatives from Norway showed up and stayed 4 days! The day after they came, our Japanese student arrived also. So, I hit the ground running coming back from the Mexico mission trip! I am now only recouperating from all the activity..it was fun though...

So, now I'm back at work. I work as part-time secretary at the church office. I also work part time at home as a "data-entry" person. Hmm. I enjoy being a mother. But that is slowly changing..at least the role is changing. I'm not complaining. That's a good thing. But sometimes I miss the "what's that mommy?" or the "mommy, can you carry me?" etc. etc. But its all good. They are becoming there own persons - growing into what God created them to be, and even if they take detours to get there, I believe that God is working out his plan for both of them. It doesn't make me miss those younger days any less though!... I enjoy my kids no matter what stage they are at..they were given to me by God, and I dedicated them both to the Lord at a very young age. They really belong to Him. He is well able to take care of them.

Jude 1:24To him who is able to keep them from falling and to present them before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

So, where are we..? Oh yeah. Summer. Well, then after all the company from Norway left, Mario came back from camp and we hired him to help in painting the house, and various other duties. He has done a great job. He still has about 40 hours to finish by September to complete his committment. The money he makes he is going to put in his RESP, of which we contribute matching amounts to whatever he puts in..whew. (Looks like he's in for a big haul at the beginning of September.)

Usually we go to Calgary for a visit with family at the end of August, but this year its kindof up in the air. Our vehicle hasnt been running the greatest so we may not go this time. Jerry was thinking he might fly by himself for a visit sometime in September but we'll see. Jerry still has alot of office work to finish so....

Well, I hope this didnt sound too boring. I dont have much else to write.

Later!

Prepare a Place

PREPARE A PLACE FOR THE LORD
"Wherever two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)."
When we take everything the Scriptures say relating to Bethany we have an idea of what it means to prepare a place for the Lord. To summarize, Bethany is the place where:
- The Lord is welcomed and received;
- The Word of the Lord is heard while we sit at His feet;
- Christ has the preeminence as the One Thing among many things;
- The exceeding preciousness and worth of the Lord Jesus is recognized;
- Resurrection Life is manifest as we are decreased and He is increased;
- The Lord Himself is celebrated as we "waste" ourselves upon Him;
- An ascendant spirit and a heavenly testimony is evident.
Perhaps you are saying, "Oh, that I could find a place where believers gather together towards this end! How I wish I could find such fellowship! I am out here in the desert with no place to go." Brother or sister, my challenge to you is this: stop looking for such a place, and be such a place.
Perhaps you are in a lonely place because the Lord desires to use you to establish a place in the wilderness for Him. If the Lord has impressed His Need for such a place on your heart, then declare your heart a "Bethany" place and take this up between yourself and the Lord. Give the Lord some ground to build upon. Give Him His place. Do not look for multitudes of people. It is better to have one, two, or three gathered together as the Lord's Bethany than to have hundreds or thousands of people gathered together as something other than Bethany.
Is there anyone in all the world who can truly meet for the purpose of ministering to the Lord and "waste" themselves in worship, giving no thought to their own need, but laying down their lives wholly for the Lord's satisfaction? I pray something is stirring within someone to seriously consider this before the Lord. Many are called, but few are chosen. May He quicken this word to our hearts, and whosoever will, let them hear.
~Chip Brogden

Gift of God...

My postings are a bit behind at the moment. Just processing some things. Also, there has been a burden of intercession..see Lamentations 3:22-33

I have also been meditating on this:

"If you knew the gift of God, and Who I am, you would have asked Me for a drink, and I would have given you Living Water... Jesus stood and shouted 'If anyone is thirsty, come to Me and have your thirst quenched! Anyone who believes in Me, as the Scriptures have said, will have rivers of Living Water flowing from within' (John 4:10; 7:37b, 38)."
As some pursue "rivers" and "watering holes" how refreshing it is to know that Christ is the Living Water. How can we know the difference between Christ and what is proclaimed as the manifest power or presence of God? It is quite simple: the one who drinks from a "meeting" must continually drink to stay full, but the one who knows Christ as Living Water has their thirst quenched altogether.
We are empty because we do not know the Gift of God. "If you knew the Gift of God, if you knew Who I am, you would have asked Me, and I would have given you." Those who hunger and thirst after Righteousness (Christ) are filled continually. Those who hunger and thirst after anything else must be constantly looking for their next fill-up. We repeat a thousand times, the question of abundance or lack in spiritual Life relates to how we see the Son. If we clearly see the Son then we see all that God has, and all that God is. In Him is fullness. To leave where we are and seek out some man or woman or ministry at the ends of the earth in order to be filled or blessed is a serious tragedy. How much time I have wasted in that pursuit, before knowing Christ as All in All! Broken cisterns cannot hold water for long.
We must know the Gift of God. The one who knows will not only be satisfied, but will have abundance of Life springing up from within. If we are mainly interested in being filled for ourselves then we will have little to offer anyone else. Yet when we know the Gift of God the Life will overflow. "You anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows (Psalms 23:5b)." Are you an overflowing Christian, with all of God you can hold, and much leftover? Sadly, this does not describe many of us. To drink is a beginning, but God's goal is an overflow. How we need clear revelation into the Son! How we need to see just how precious and worthy He is!
Here is the glory of our union with Christ: when we come to Him to drink, we become what we are drinking. Jesus clearly says the streams of Living Water overflow from within the innermost being of the person who knows the Gift of God and has come to Him to be filled. To begin with it flows from Him to me, but eventually it flows from me outward. What can anyone possibly give me that, in Christ, I do not already possess? So the question is not are you "in the River", but is the River in you? In all things God directs us continually to His Son as All in All. May He give us grace to see Him.
~Chip Brogden