HIS PRESENCE

Now that the gifts are unwrapped and the season is soon ending; there is one gift that will never grow old or fade. His Presence!

Imagine that first night when his mother Mary and earthly father Joseph first beheld him. He wrapped them in His Presence in that lowly place and made the common place a heavenly one.

And the shepherds who heard the "good tidings"; when they broke through the door of that stable to see a tiny babe just as the angels had told them. But not just an ordinary child. The Holy One was Born! The Living Word...Emmanuel....God with us....lay upon soft hay in a manger; not wrapped in kingly attire, but in a common cloth as common as they....but....when they beheld him....awakening happened as he shrouded them in the glory of His Presence!

Those very wise men who followed a different star and traveled a dangerous journey not knowing where they would end up in that quest and not realizing that they would behold the very Son of God; where that star would finally rest. When they beheld him they presented their most noble riches to him and in exchange His love and light shone upon them as He wrapped them in the Glory of His Presence.

Common parents, common shepherds, and royal kings. From the lowly to the elite. In His Presence there is no respect of persons. In His Presence there is true unity. In His Presence is fullness of joy. In His Presence is the essence of all light and life and joy! And in His Presence is salvation; peace and goodwill to all men!
There is no greater gift.
There has never been any better presents than being in His Presence!

God Sends The Rain

Sometimes...God sends the rain. I've always loved the rain...but not always the danger that might come from it. A gentle rain...ah....it is for laying your back with closed eyes and allowing it to refresh; harder rain is needed to get deep into the soil (soul) where good things need water to grow...

...but a really hard rain....that is a heart-breaker...
because when the rain comes you cannot see your way...it can keep you at a standstill until it passes and you can asses the damage it has brought...
but...still....it washes away...and hopefully underneath what appears to be total destruction...will be the tiniest green shoot of new hope arising.

 Jesus said that weeping may last for a night...but joy will come in the morning.

There is a morning coming!

There will be a day without rain and the ... sun (SON) will shine again.


Take heart! Sometimes...God sends the rain.

We will find our way and we will see hope reborn.

A Journey of Grace

A couple weeks ago I was going through Lifeway Christian Bookstore searching for a book. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, when my eyes were drawn to a book about the Chronicles of Narnia. I love C. S. Lewis' books.

As I looked at the beautifully depicted lion, "Aslan"... I saw behind this, was another attractively bound book. I pulled it out and saw the title, "Costly Grace" by Jon Walker.

I hurriedly flipped it open and my eyes were drawn to the quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer under the heading, Chapter 15. It gripped my heart and I knew this book would be coming home with me. God had a distinct word and this was his leading. (Even if he had to use "Aslan" to guide me to it. lol)

Bonhoeffer: "True prayer does not depend either on the individual or the whole body of the faithful, but solely upon the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows our needs. That makes God the sole object of our prayers, and frees us from a false confidence in our own personal efforts."

My heart was warmed at this reminder that it is God and God's Grace alone.

At times while reading this book I rejoiced and other times I wept by how much my reflection in God's mirror had been anything but the grace that the Lord has extended to all mankind.

Grace has been such a timely word in a timely season from God that even during a revival that my husband and I recently attended at a sister church, the topic of the Evangelist was also that of The Mark of God's Grace and how if we have HIS Grace operating in our lives it will make us GRACIOUS!
"True prayer does not depend either on the individual or the whole body of the faithful, but solely upon the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows our needs. That makes God the sole object of our prayers, and frees us from a false confidence in our own personal efforts."

"Oh to GRACE how great a debtor!"

My journey of grace is this:

No longer am I a debtor to sin because of Christ's finished work, but because of that miraculous work, all Christians are in a continual state of mercy and grace as we walk together with Christ our Lord on this journey homeward.

Learning to Let

Recently, we just went through 6 wonderful weeks of revival. It was like nothing I had ever seen for many years. God's presence was evidenced through his revealed word and also through the responses of hungry and thirsty hearts.
During the last 3 days of the revival, the Evangelist began to minister the phrase, "Let God Love You..." He repeated this over and over and the more he would say it, the more I believed that the Lord truly desired to be allowed to love us like we have never known.
So many are struggling in this life. Times are hard for many and the family seems to be under attack now more than at any time I have known. There is such uncertainty and fear; such anger and mistrust. Perilous times for many in the body of Christ.
I continued to LET the words penetrate my mind and heart. "Let God...Let him love all of the pain out, let him love all the sorrow, all of the worry, all of the past, all of the fear, all of the bitterness, etc...Let God love you!"
We are such independent people. We live as if we have no need while we try to mask the questions that lurk deep inside us. No matter how we want to hide the pain, the truth is we cannot fix it. We can't fix our families, our friends, situations on the job, having no job, even situations in the church and no matter how hard we try...we cannot fix ourselves. There is only one who can and that is Jesus. We must learn to let.
It may seem difficult at first. It may be that just by hearing this that you recoil and try to deny that you need help. You may not know how to let...but I guarantee that if you simply ask the Lord for help, he will. And in the letting you will learn and in the learning you will let him love you more and more.
For me? I have chosen to LET...and He has begun to reveal his love more and more.
So, LET go....and LET God!

The Holy Spirit-My Helper

It has been of the greatest comfort to discover what a wonderful gift the Father has given us in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told his disciples that he must leave them out of necessity. That he would send "another comforter" ...the Holy Spirit and that he would not just be with them as Jesus had been but he would abide inside of them. Wow! Do you realize that as a Christian you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you? That everyday he lives within you to give you power to live over all the ability of the enemy of your soul? He is there to be lead and guide and comfort. To be your Helper!

I am so glad that we can be filled continually with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I begin each morning submitting my mind, soul and body asking him to help me in everything I may face. Then as I live out each moment of my day He is there helping me be more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loved me. What comfort!

Even as Christians we can forget that we are never alone! Especially in the dark times of life. We need to be reminded that Jesus promised he would send another "Comforter". He did not say he would send someone for you to fear...but who would provide you with comfort.

There is a wonderful old hymn called "Abide With Me"...and at one part of the song it says,

"When other helpers...fail...or comforts flee, In life in death O' Lord, Abide with me."

We have many helpers in life and there are certain comforts, however... they all fail... BUT when these helpers fail and all other comforts flee from us...the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit of God will be within us. He is the Holy Spirit...our Helper!