The Power of Want

Want is a chasm as deep and dark as death, resulting in the same,

A never ending pit that swallows everything you have including your name.

Nothing matters to it except that it requires more than what is good,

Satisfaction is a foreign idea and a concept not understood.

It lives in each and every one of us which is of great concern,

Feed it once and it turns into a fire, a conflagration of continuous burn.

Be warned there is only one thing that will bring it contentment,

Jesus Christ; the Son of God, too many a fools’ resentment.

If there is a God (Blank)

I have heard this phrase mentioned; and probably you have to, if there is a God why do bad things happen?

To answer this question you have to ask another, why do people actually ask the question in the first place? Obviously the person sees injustice in some sort of incident. But when you really think about it; where does this sense of injustice come from, is it not implanted in each of us? I mean when a murderer goes free on a technicality are we not all shaking our heads? Do we not as a collective body agree that actions have consequences? Is this sense not attributed to us as a result of being created and formed in the likeness of one who is just? And by extension a being who is perfect? I say perfect because in our world, no one is perfect or just, which means that this sense could not have originated within our society but be from somewhere other than our own understanding and realm. For who can produce justice from injustice, perfection from imperfection or even life from death?

Following that same logic then would not a God allow consequence for all of our actions? I understand that most people will respond to this with, well what about natural disasters like tornadoes, earth quakes and other major events?

The answer is easy, we are not perfect and the world was broken due to a breaking in our original relationship with God. We thought we knew better and chose to disobey his original command. We also continue to believe that we know better and invent and do things against this Earth such as pollution, consumption of resources, destruction of forests, extinction of species and generally ignoring and damaging the planet. Then when a disaster happens, we all get shocked and point a finger at God, without looking at the whole picture of cause and affect a very scientific concept.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the next time you ask the question is there a God? Or why would a God let these things happen? I want you to take a hard look at yourself and ask what have we as a society and world done to cause said disaster.

But I will end this leaving you with hope, the hope of a new beginning, a new Earth, one that is perfect in every way. For this to be accomplished we require a perfect and just God to step in and once again bringing forth life from death. And he has done so, and the new world is coming the only difference is that this time there is no command for us to obey. What is required is an admission from us that we have sinned and broken away from him in the first place. There is a requirement that we must accept what we have done and the consequences of our actions. Thankfully, because our God is perfect, he knows that none would be able to withstand the consequences and he sent his perfect Son to stand in our stead to take on this correction. His name is Jesus, and to acknowledge and accept him and his life is to heal our relationship with his father.

And that is Why God.

Am I a friend of Christ?

Recently while on a prayer walk I was reflecting on my relationship with my Lord and Saviour, a verse came to mind that raised the above question.

This self-examination of personal motives and relational strength is a must for the Christian as it forces us to see things that normally we are unaware of or simply choose to ignore. Along with my usual prayers and songs, from time to time verses will come to mind as I converse with the Holy Spirit. These are usually the result of questions I ask which are sometimes answered, sometimes not. Silence is often echoed back and I am left to ponder other questions, motives and actions in my daily life.

Today was different, today I was confronted with John 3:29-30 (KJV)

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

For Context, John at the time was speaking to his disciples and they were asking him about another who was baptizing people. As stated in the verse above the friend of the bridegroom; in which he is indicating himself as friend and Jesus as the bridegroom, rejoiceth greatly at his voice. And then he further states by extension that his joy is therefore full, before making the statement that he must decrease.

The big question here is why John said this and what impact it had on me and what impact it should have for all Christians. It took me a while to puzzle this out and what I am about to write is a revelation for my life and perhaps not the reader. I do however strongly believe that all scripture has meaning and speaks directly with every Christian where and when they are in their walk with Christ, so here we go.

For me John stating this to his fellow disciples; people who shared his belief in God and the message that he was preaching; the repentance of sin, has particular importance. He wanted them to know that Jesus was more important and that they should make a greater connection to him than anyone else. Sure John was a great preacher and helped bring others to God, but even he indicated his proper place by saying:

John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

But for me; as a Christian, the question became, am I a friend of Jesus? Was I, and am I taking appropriate action so that those around me, believers and non-believers know the difference. I imagined being there that moment when John was speaking with his friends and I imagine his voice as a reverent whisper, he must increase, but I must decrease. You see, I believe that this moment in time was a revelation to him as well.

Since that event years have passed and Christ has left this Earth, however he dwells within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. And our goal and mission since that time is to spread the gospel to the whole world. This knowledge coupled with the understanding that we are called to be Christ’s hands and feet here on Earth until his return leaves no doubt in my mind. To ensure that I too am a friend of the bridegroom Christ and to fully exercise myself as a part of the body of Christ in service to him, I too must decrease and he must increase.

Now I hear some of you saying, that’s crazy, how is that possible? The key is by capturing every thought and daily submitting to the Holy Spirit. I must choose the will of the father over all along with the shedding of all personal goals, and agendas. The key to having God’s peace that passes all understanding and abundant joy lies in our ability to take a back seat in our own lives. By the way when I say decrease I me inwardly, in the soul, in the heart, and in the spirit. Ask any Christian you know if they would consider themselves to be worthy or perfect, I bet they say no. The same understanding works here, to fully be able to do Christ work here, the indwelling spirit needs to have control.  Remember this verse:

Acts 4: 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none othername under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

In order to reach those who we are spreading the word to, preaching to, sharing our lives with and calling to be saved; Christ must come first. In order that we are successful in this great commission it is imperative that Christ is seen and heard by those we interact with. So for me I choose this day to become a better friend to Jesus and look forward to the fruits of that commitment.

Sometimes fights in a marriage can point to God

I know what you are thinking, but Ed I thought all married couples were blissfully happy. Well I am here to tell you that every, and I do mean every couple has fights, tiffs, arguments and times when the just simply wished that they weren't married.

Now if you’re married you know EXACTLY what I mean, if you are single I just left you scratching your head and saying what? So for the purpose of educating those who are not married, the perspective I am going to break down in this piece is geared toward those who are single.

First I would like to point out that I do not know where the idea that marriage will solve a number of your problems came from, but I do know that it is a popular point of view. So I want to set the record straight. People; and by people I mean everyone, are unique. Each one of us has different likes, hopes, dreams, opinions and ways of doing things that are different from anyone else in the world. This fact means that we will never ever see eye to eye with anyone. Sure we can agree on basic principles, even share a like or two, but when it comes down to who you are and understanding all of your idiosyncrasies no one on Earth will be able  too.

Now given this revelation, how do you possibly believe that given the number of people you will meet in your lifespan and corner of the world that you could find someone, anyone who would understand all of those things and be okay with them on a permanent basis? You simply can’t, and if you believe you can you are deluding yourself and setting both you and your future partner a standard that you will never be able to attain.

So now that I have established that everyone is different and we will never be able to marry ourselves, hear is the bottom line. People who spend time with one another will eventually disagree and even fight. Now we all know that this is unavoidable, but the question remains what do we do after? Some people clam up and don’t talk for a while, there are others that want to talk everything out and then there is me, I want not only talk, but set the record straight, explain things until they are dead and or fix everything right away on the spot so we can get on with the good stuff.

Now I am not saying which way is right, but I am sure we can agree that reconciliation is what usually happens after a fight in most marriages. I know personally for myself; I feel a stronger urge then most to get back to that place as soon as possible. But I want you to think for a moment, perhaps about the last fight you had with your spouse or perhaps your best friend if you are single. What was the feeling you had before you began to patch things up? Or better yet why did you even feel the need to patch things up, after all your view point is still your viewpoint right? You didn't crumble and change your view point did you? Perhaps, but that is not the important question here. The important question is what was driving that need to reconcile?

I know for myself I have a strong need for my wife to forgive me, I mean she did profess to love me at the alter right? Shouldn't that statement of love be bigger, greater and stronger than any slight that I may have committed against her? But that is the very paradox here, we are imperfect, and the love we profess is imperfect even though we wish it was not. Even the need for forgiveness that I have is imperfect, because although I may not know it at the time I am looking for that all-encompassing, all correcting, all forgiving love that will block out all of my mistakes. I am sure if you thought about it a bit more, it’s what you want too. Phrases like I want to be accepted for who I am, and I want to be understood, are simply the top layers of what we really want which is to be forgiven for every error and mistake.

Here is the difficult part, your spouse or your best friend can’t give you what you want. That forgiveness you are seeking can only come from a single source. That source is the one true and pure love, which only comes from the perfection of God and specifically from his son, Jesus. The bible states, that no greater lover is there than a man lay down his life for a friend. And that is exactly what Jesus did for you and for me.

So the next time you fight, and I know you will. Remember that it doesn't matter that you are right or wrong, what matters is that the forgiveness you both need, and seek can only be found in Jesus. 

What I have in common.

There it hung in the last watches of the night as if suspended by invisible thread.

Glaring down at me with silent obedience, full round and perfect.

It's great light a mere powdery reflection of it's symbiotic counter part.

As I watched it wait patiently in the sky for the dawning of the sun I considered it's maker.

What struck me as odd is that even we two shared something other than our presence in that moment.

Although we are much different, I too had been put in place for a season to reflect the glory of another in the darkness and that someone is Jesus.

In the late dark watches of my life I pray that I too can be as obedient and silent as the full moon.

Wayward Plea

Despite my best efforts I lack, Try as I might all my deeds do not stack, Up to the standards for which you have set, My life’s efforts of greed and get, Leave rubble and destruction in its wake, May your will be done in me for your own sake, Take my will and let it be, Always and only for thee, Forgive this fool his wayward path, And guide me with your gentle Sheppard’s staff, To you be all Glory, Honour and Praise, I dedicate my life to you father and all my living days. Amen

I am no longer a captive are you?

 

Breaking the Chain, freeing the Captive.

This past Easter has given me the gift of remembrance, not just of what our Lord and Saviour Jesus did for us, but also why. I know it seems strange but the two are connected, it is just that sometimes we can get wrapped up with one and totally forget the other. As awkward as it is to admit, I forgot the why somewhere along the way.

When Jesus started his ministry his first sermon was all about the why and is documented by Luke:

Luke 4:17-19 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

This is the first message of hope to all of the world. Christ came to deliver us and set the captive free. The cross itself the end of Jesus' ministry in the physical world is a perfect example of how we can respond to this truth. I am sure that everyone knows about the two other criminals that were crucified with Jesus and that one mocked and scorned him while the other chose to accept Christ for the perfect innocent man/God that he was and asked him to remember him when he came into his kingdom. 

It is the perfect picture of the two options that we have, sometimes this choice is daily, but it boils down to this. We can either choose to acknowledge who we are in light of his presence or we can choose to focus on our current situation and struggle in the darkness alone, lost and afraid. As seen by the one who confessed his guilt before Christ, his faith was justified by Jesus. For he said this very day you will be with me in paradise.

So I remind myself and urge you to do the same, do not focus on where you are and your struggle to fix things yourself. Take that sin, whatever it is that has you captive and acknowledge it. Then acknowledge that Christ and he alone was sent to set the captive free. In order to be freed from darkness we must bring these things to light. The key is to remember the source of our strength, victory and power. It is in Christ and the fact that he died for US. Hallelujah! What a gift, what mercy and grace, what joy.

Philippians 4:13

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Once we have brought all of our sin and failure to him then, and only then will we be free. It is good once in a while to remember ourselves as we were when we were children. I am sure each one of us remembers being caught in a lie or other petty, childish behaviour and how good it was to admit it to our parents and the relief that came with being reconciled to them. It is the same with our heavenly father. Repentance can be painful but the joy of reunion far out ways that brief discomfort.

Psalm 55:22

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

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Importance of Prayer and Meditation

Oswald Chambers’s devotional post, "My utmost for his highest," reminded me of the importance of the singular focus required for salvation, and that in all circumstances it is to be found in Christ alone.

"Look to me...," is the phrase he used to press this concept home. If our foundation, heart, motivation, reasoning, hopes, dreams, joys, aspirations, relations and all other emotions/drives are experienced in and through him then living perfectly is no longer inconceivable.

The question then becomes, where is my focus?

Do I seek him in all things/circumstances?

What issues do I struggle with on my own?

When is the last time I put on the armour of God?

All of these questions have a similar bent, which is self-reliance verse, Christ reliance. I don't know when it happened but it was probably slow and gradual like most backslides, I put more trust in me and less in him. Of course the problem with this is that life can quickly spiral out of control and even overwhelm you. Aren't you tired, I know I am. Boy am I glad that he said, "Come to me all ye who are heavily laden and I will give you rest." So in closing I will simply say that prayer and meditation with Christ is the catalyst for a daily renewed focus on God and necessary for true life.

Am I better than Job?

Every lunch I try to make sure that I get in some devotion time to recharge my spirit and strengthen myself for the balance of my work day. Today one of the sermons was based on the story of Job, when God allowed Satan to afflict him. The scripture reference was Job 1:6-12 King James Version (KJV) and can be read below.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

The reason I am writing this blog today, is because I have realized something new about this passage that I have overlooked in the past. God first asks what Satan has been up to and his response is that he has been scouring the Earth. He has been searching and looking into every nook and cranny; and as the devotional suggested, for those he can devour. Secondly God asks him if he has considered Job; a perfect and upright man, in other words since you have searched the Earth you must have seen and studied him. Satan’s response is that of course he is faithful and upright; you have blessed him and protect him. This is the important part, this is when God then allows him to go and afflict (aka test him) Job.

These are the two things I wanted to point out about this passage. One God has faith in our ability to choose him over Satan and secondly and more importantly God will allow us to be afflicted with trials for his Glory. Many times I have questioned why things have gone the way they have in life, as I am sure many of us have. There were even times when this caused me a lot of doubt and concern; however, recently I have noticed that I am placing myself more and more in the care of the Lord. Apparently I am gaining the ability to trust in him in all things which I believe is a sign of growth and maturity. However, I have heard and remember times when either myself or someone else have uttered the words, Why me?

After re-reading this text I can confidently say I will not do so again. For unlike Job there has never been a time that I have been perfect and upright, meaning if Job can be afflicted, why shouldn’t I. Are we not all here to bring Glory to God? Is that not why we were made? Is it not he alone who is good, just and worthy to be praised? Just something I think we all should ponder.

Getting connected with a pine cone?

I know what you are thinking, getting connected to what? As you can see by the picture I have a pinecone in the hand. But weather I hold a pinecone, bird or another of God’s creations the result is always the same. This morning during my walk into work I once again found myself scoping up this innocent looking pinecone to be struck with the perspective that I am holding something that God created. What an odd and exhilarating feeling. I am holding something that my creator formed, something that he at one time held in his hand, now how cool is that.

As I look and ponder this wonderful piece of creation, I realize that my revelation is twofold. The second perspective I have encountered is that life is wrapped up in this seemingly cut off, dried up and seemingly dead seeding mechanism. I say mechanism because; unlike some I cannot profess to know how this little baby works. I know if I were to plant one of its tabs that somehow it has the potential to spring into life, but I do not know how. Like most plants, trees and shrubs these living creatures propagate through a seeding process. This process is a great example of how the mystery of God works as well as a living gospel of life after death. For if these plants can produce life after death, every year with the assistance of God, then how can we say that we will not be treated the same.

The question should not be if there is life after death, but what kind and how will we grow. We to are seeds and our growth depends on the choices we make and if we will follow the laws of God or the world. I guess that’s why the bible uses the terms of harvest when referring to the resurrection. It also states that he will separate the wheat from the tares. I don’t know about you but I want to be more than just a weed using up good fertile land with no fruit to bear.

So I urge you to stay connected to God, pick up a pinecone or something else he made and marvel at his work this morning.

More than I can bare

Last night was the first night back at Baymills with community connections, a ministry which I love and benefits me more than them; although how that is possible I don’t know. God has a way of doing that, making things work when the world says it shouldn’t. As usual I was working the kitchen and the stage; I can be a bit of a comedian, enjoying reconnecting with all of the people and having a great time. After the main rush for dinner I had a discussion with a lady regarding the eroding of our senses and how some mediums like books and TV that can cause people to be desensitized to numerous stimuli, such as violence, sexy, drugs and alcohol. In the discussion we had, I mentioned that I need to be careful with what I let in with those senses.  Something’s; I said, I must avoid all together.

It was at this point that the discussion got interesting and she made the remark  that I was weak.  My response was quick and shocking to her; and believe it or not, also myself. I agreed with her, immediately and said, Yes, I am weak thank God for Jesus. I also quoted Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Out of nowhere I had an opportunity to share with her, that I needed Jesus and that he was my only hope.

It wasn’t what I would call a typical testimony, but it was full of truth and honesty. It also hit at the core of the human condition; we are weak, imperfect and lacking in some way shape or form. Each one of us has our own challenge areas. What the actual weakness is doesn’t matter, the reliance on Christ does.

The conversation continued and seemed to blossom into more questions about how and what a walk with Christ should look like and how to protect one’s self against the onslaught of the world. Since I have a blog and have written several corresponding letters I shared with her my website link and encouraged here to read some of my recent posts. What I wanted to stress in this post is to not be afraid of your weaknesses, but rather embrace them in the knowledge that even though it might be too much for us to bare, Jesus will carry our burdens and use what we think is weak to help someone else.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Father of lies

I have been reading the bible for some time now and have experienced its truth. My absorption rate of these truths is my biggest issue, and I believe I am not alone, which is why I wanted to share the following.

More and more I have noticed deception and lies in my life, little whispers and ideas of what I need, want or will make me happy. Now I know that I was not created this way, to question or battle myself, so I am left to wonder where do some of these crazy ideas come from? I took some time for me to figure it out; I had to go back to Genesis the beginning. It was there that I recognized my situation and that what had happened to Adam and Eve was happening to me.

I mean, I couldn’t actually see the snake (aka Devil), but his fingerprint was quite evident. Just like them, I too was never created to doubt, want, covet or envy and yet with his prompting we can. Our focus, our perception and our hearts can be tempted and tested. When God created us he gave us the ability to choose, it is just strange to me that we would choose so badly. We did so because we believed in a lie, we wanted more, and we didn’t think we were enough, or had enough.  In Ephesians 6:16 it says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Just in case you don’t recognize this passage, it is found in the writings of Paul to the church of the Ephesians warning them to put on the whole armour of God. It is a good warning to them and us.

He has always tried to have us believe the lie, and if we do so we supplant God as our focus in our daily lives. If we start to believe all of those things he is firing at us, like the promise of just one more BLANK and you will be happy or if you had X amount of money, your life would be smooth and if you had a better job, or another wife, a bigger car, or fancier house etc. You can see that there is a never ending list and how ridiculous each of the statements are, and yet we each fall for one of them seemingly every day. So what are you and I to do? We are called in 1 John 1:7 to “… walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”

Jesus said, in John 14:6 “…. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Reading the verse above gives us a revelation that Jesus is the way and answers what way that is, “the truth,” which is also, “the life.” So the key to battling the lies of the enemy, strange and simple enough, is with truth. And how do we get a hold of truth so that we are able to repel these fiery darts, these lies? We are called to put on the whole armour of God, as detailed in Ephesians 6:11-17. We are also called to “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” In John 17:17. It becomes quite evident that the most important part about reading the bible is that it gives us; it arms us with the truth. And if we have and know the truth, then lies will be seen for what they truly are, trivial, insignificant, false and empty.

So when you are down in the dumps, feeling unhappy, lonely, unsatisfied or any other negative emotion, then lift your heads and take a good look around. Listen closely to see what the root of your current state is, find the lie and then hit it with some of God’s truth and see how fast the lie disappears and how quickly your spirits lift. Do not be discouraged for even our Lord and Saviour was tempted in this way, for forty days and nights in the desert. This is a great example of how to live and deal with our enemy. It shows us that truth conquers lies and that Jesus Christ has triumphed over all things.

Too much to do

I don't know about the rest of you but I find from time to time that I have too much to do and become overwhelmed with life in general with my comings and goings. This great concern with the world is one of the greatest pitfalls that we can ever encounter. Sometimes I find that because of this problem I cannot focus, get frustrated easily and become angry with my failings and inabilities. It is at times like this that prayer was made for. Perspective and my place in the world is what needs to be reset and the only way to do that is to be face to face with my creator. Below is an example of what I pray and I hope that in the sharing of this others might find the same peace and contentment as I do. God Bless.

Lord, my life is full of questions and doubts, peppered with supposition and vain imaginings. Only when I am in your presence do I find true peace and comfort. The world is a heavy weight, one that we often pick up and place on our own shoulders. Let my perspective be corrected by you today and the understanding of your all-encompassing rulership settle my heart and quite my soul. For when I acknowledge your vast and awesome presence, then and only then do I know that nothing is beyond your grasp and control. May my being rejoice in the knowledge that you are my creator and you have known me from the beginning of time. And that you will guide and rule events, circumstances, and all of the daily mundane things in my life. And recognize all the love shown to me. May songs of joy always ring out from my lips, and I ask you to mold my heart with your spirit to become the man you wish me to be. May I have a vision of you in all things so that my steps will always be guided. Amen.

Welcome home

Recently I had a family member return from a long trip, the reason I am writing about this seemingly normal occurrence, is because I have noticed something in myself I don’t like. You have probably heard this catch phrase before, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” or “you don’t know what you have until you lose it.” I am sure many you know have used at one time or another.

When you break down these two phrases, you should realize how sad these statements are. Not only does it show a lack of care or concern but true apathy. I am sorry to say that, I too am guilt of such a foolish and inconsiderate thing. We are social creatures and yet so many times we communicate badly with one another, without thought or care. Why is it that we only really care about something or someone when it is gone, broken or injured? So many times and ways I have heard the words, “I love you spoken” and the actions say something else. Regret is a terrible way to live and that is how most of us choose to operate day after day.

People often say that love is an emotion and comes from the heart and shouldn’t or doesn’t involve the head. To me this is a falsehood, that feeling you get when you are around someone you care about is made up of more than just a warm and fuzzy feeling. It lives and breathes in action and deeds. If faith without works is dead as the bible states, then love without care and intention is dead as well.

So I urge myself, and others, to love with your heart and your mind now, and not later. Stop living in regret, stop reacting to things around you and be proactive, share yourself with someone today. Don’t wait for their return after a long trip; tell them now “Welcome Home,” the one that dwells in your heart for them and them alone.

A Letter of reminder to my soul

Be still my wayward heart, rest in the Lord and know peace. Why do you run toward trouble and where is thy contentment? Do you not tire O my soul, is not your constant searching tiresome? What is it you search for? Do you not know that God alone fills the emptiness, repairs the broken hearted, and heals all wounds? To what end do you race to and fro, what is accomplished that will remain? Is your heart so vain as to believe you can leave a mark upon the world? Your wisdom and knowledge is foolishness before the Lord and shall fade with your bones into the dust.

Only your deeds will remain and only in the heart of those who recall your service. Be not puffed up and know thy place, settle for nothing less, you are a child of God and will transcend this world of tangible things and in that day of the spirit only what is within will remain. Leaving behind the trappings of this world.

Praise God that you are free and not bound to this Earth and life. Remember your place and know joy instead of temporary satisfaction, be contented O my Soul.

Psalm of Ed

My words are not ample to express my heart for the Lord, for what can one offer to his Saviour but thanks, and for their return of one's soul, service? For he did not rescue me from a simple calamity; but from myself and my sinful fleshly ways, and no other path could or would suffice. He alone can accomplish this for nothing exists without him and nothing is beyond his grasp.

I did not simply fall physically, but mine was a spiritual fall, and I alone was unable to return upright. For once a deed is complete, ripples continue and increase as a stone in a pond would, actions have consequence. Trying to correct them would be as if to grasp at air, futile and laughable, so I ask how else can one pick themselves up and continue?

Only forgiveness by the offended will suffice. O Lord you are more than a remedy, more than a balm, you are the great healer who knows no bounds or limitations. It is written that you have removed my blemishes as far as the East is from the West and for that I weep with joy. For with my sin go also pride, hurt, shame, regret and all other forms of guilt and self-chastisement.

Who else deserves my attention or praise, only you O Lord. Your name and yours alone is worthy to be praise, for all the power and Glory is shown over and over to be singularly yours. Righteousness and worthiness are needed to remove a blot like mine, and so you sent your son, to right this plight of mankind.

For even my soul, heart and mind convicted me, not only once but also continuously. And if I; the imperfect creature, blamed and accused himself, what then of you, the one who is wholly Holy? What weight could set right the scale of balance, how large a stone from your perfect creation would tip back the scale? Only your son; the one who breathed life into every part of it, the one whose very essence was present at creations great advent.

Salvation is yours alone God, for I could never right my wrongs, that much loved could not be found in myself. And so in your perfect wisdom, tempered with Mercy and Grace and Love, you sent Jesus to take on my shame, and death on the cross. And to merely balance the scale; for you would never be enough, you did more than I could imagine, and gave me the gift of life ever more. Hallelujah!

Yet as I bare marks from the fall, I take solace in the knowledge that you, God, reign above it. And at your right hand sits one who made right, my wayward fall. Because he is risen I rejoice; knowing soon I too will be in your presence, not of my own merit, but because he did it all.

Until that day may my lips proclaim that you are the lover of my soul, and the giver of an eternal gift, offered to us all. Mere acceptance and recognition is all that is required, and a thank you Jesus in heart, soul and mind to respond to your call.

Why we are called to commune with one another

Many times I have heard fellow Christians mention that they believe in Christ and the bible, but yet they no longer attend a church or regularly associate with fellow believers. Some of these people are family members for which I care for deeply. And so in the hopes of encouraging them to reconnect I am writing this entry into my blog.

From my own experience, I myself went through a phase of being away from the Church and the Body of Christ. At first it was due to a traumatic let down by someone within the church and then simply not wanting to face my actions away from the church. I am assuming that these loved ones have also experienced something similar.  This is something I can certainly understand and empathize with. Whatever the “event” was; please let me assure you, it had nothing to do with GOD. Stop blaming him for the actions of that person, who like you is imperfect and probably not even aware of how it affected you. It took me a long time to realize that the anger I felt toward God, the betrayal I experienced and subsequent loneliness had nothing to do with him.

You see sin of this nature has a kind of double-edged effect, and for those not aware, it can easily become a snare. I am sure, at some point in time everyone reading this has felt the pang of hurt inflected by another, the tricky part is letting it go. You know that you have been wronged; God knows that you have been wronged, and maybe even the injurer knows you have been wronged. But the bottom line is that you are still in control of how it will all play out from then on. I know, I know; your thinking what is he talking about, is he saying it is my fault or that I caused the injury or even deserved it? To those questions I respond with a resounding NO. What you are responsible for however is the length of time you will be bound and imprisoned by your resentment. You see, holding another person in contempt is a sin as well; which in turn heals nothing, but deepens our own injury. Forgiveness, real forgiveness and by extension freedom, can only be present if it is complete and relies solely on the effort of injured party.

This is one of the greatest lessons I have learned in the past few years and I have found that with forgiveness comes great peace. For me, it was the first healing step in the recovery of my relationship with the church and my fellow believers. Like every journey the path has many twists and turns, but I am not looking back. This newfound attitude, coupled with my willingness and ability to see God in all areas of my life along with the acknowledgment that all things are for the good of those who love God, is a life changing experience.

We were never intended to simply accept what life brings to us, but to actively rejoice and remember that God is good in all things. Philippians 4:7-9 King James Version (KJV) states:

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

I don’t know about you but that is one hard example to follow. I know that there have been many times in my life or situation where it has been really hard to see or hear God. This is why we are called to commune with one another. The sharing of our stories is essential not only to help each other and encourage each other but also to fulfill one of the greatest commandments.

John 15:11-13 King James Version (KJV)

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

For what better example could we have, then our Lord and Saviour Christ who died for us and while on this Earth communed with us. Should we not choose to do likewise and follow his great and perfect example? I think the benefits out weigh the cost and so did Christ.

Hebrews 10:24-25King James Version (KJV)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

A Girl's Message of Love

A friend shared this video with me and I wanted to share it with you. It is a reminder of the heart of Christ written in Matthew 22:35-41 King James Version (KJV)

³⁵ Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.
³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

My Thoughts on Psalms 23

Here are my personal thoughts and perspectives when I read one of my favourite memory verses. I wanted to dig deeper than the surface so I asked questions and meditated on the words as I went along. My thoughts are in Blue to separate the original text from the KJV.

The Lord is my shepherd (The lord is a guide, a provider and protector, someone who oversees not only me but a group of followers); I shall not want. (My guide provides for all of my needs.)

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (Where he guides me leads to rest, abundance and is the perfect place for me): he leadeth me beside the still waters. (Not only does he provide peace but he also quenches my thirsts.)
³ He restoreth my soul: (From where I have fallen or gone astray, he has restored me.) he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Leading connotes that I am following willing, and also in his name sake because my path was not the right path. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.)
⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; (Christ lives in me and is with me at all times even the gravest. With him death is only a shadow, because his victory on the cross took away it’s teeth for me and was made hollow. I too will rise again someday, so fear is dispelled.)  thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (His rode of correction and staff of guidance help me maintain my daily path.)

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies (Christ invites me to his table to commune with him and part take of his life, and because of this enemies may abound, 1 Timothy 4:10 King James Version (KJV)10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

 : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (You have sealed me, blessed me, chosen me and set me aside for your own and because of this I will never thirst again thanks to the endless living water you provide.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (The goodness and mercy left behind which follow are the fruits born because of my path and the following of Christ and the ultimate gift of Grace, eternal life and communion with my creator, the One True God is mine and nothing and no one can change that. John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.)

Promises you and I count on.

Many Christians and even myself have found at one point or another several things in the Bible not clear and sometimes even cryptic. This occurs I believe because the Bible is living and so full of truth that it changes based on where we are in our lives. This is not to say that the words change or they’re meaning, but rather our understanding of them and their application in our life at that moment. This is why Christ said to his disciples,

John 16:12-14 King James Version (KJV)

 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

For many people Revelations is a book full of mystery and I have even heard of fellow believers being afraid to read it. I am here to let you know that I find Isaiah more cryptic and that I find more joy and hope in the prophecies and promises of Revelations than anywhere else in the Bible. The only people who should be afraid of the book of Revelations are those without Christ, and therefore without hope.

So be of good courage and strong heart, here are some verses as examples of great promises which we can all count on. I find them very encouraging.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev 2:11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.