A moment of reflection .....

[Lee M]

The road to Emmaus ........ Luke 24:1-53 ..... 6/18/09.

Have you ever wondered why the two followers of Christ did not
recognize Jesus while walking and conversing with Him?  They saw
Him but they failed to recognize Him, how can that be?

Yet, their hearts burned within them ....

This begs the question: "How is it possible they didn't realize with
WHOM they were speaking?  Was His face so marred that it was hard
to see past the swelling and distortion of His features?  Did they barely
glance at Him when they met on the road and just kept walking and
talking?  What was it that made it so difficult for them to notice that it
was Jesus.  What caused them to be so blind? 

Yet, their hearts burned within them ....

Did they not recognize His voice?  What about His mannerisms, His
gestures?  What was it in the breaking of the bread that these two
men eventually came to realize it was the Lord?  Could it be the innate
comforting communion with the risen Lord as they shared a meal?  It's
only when you search for the Lord with all your mind, heart and soul that
you will find Him and know who He really is.  Jesus is Christ the Lord, the
risen King of glory!

"Ears that hear and eyes that see--the LORD has
made them both" Proverbs 20:12

"...you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your mind, and with all your strength" Mark 12:30

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart" Jeremiah 29:12-13

Realization is what focuses the mind that helps you to fully understand
God's perfect plan.  Jesus, the humble suffering servant, was doing His
Father's will when He walked this earth.  He was always willing and ready
to do the work of His Father without delay.  The ministry of Jesus, was
all about the Divine nature of the movement of the Spirit of the Living God. 
His ultra sensitive spirit was intently in tune with the eye, the ear and
the heart of His Heavenly Father.

As followers of Jesus we can ride high on the spiritual wave of JOY.  The
Eternal Joy of the realization of our salvation and our ultimate destination
of Eternal Glorious Peace.

"When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish
like grass; the hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants"
Isaiah 66:14

[Jackie]

As I read this it made me think of the times when He is speaking to me and I am letting doubts and fears cloud His voice. Lord forgive me when I let this happen. I cleave to You this night. You see inside my heart. Please be a rock inside me now. Hold me close please. Let me rest in Your loving arms. You are amazing and I can't wait for You to return!

[Lee M]

Jackie, this is such a tender moment...
The Lord is your ROCK eternal who will keep you ever so close to His heart. 

[Lee M]

                        ... Fruit of the Spirit ... Part 1

A good lesson learned about God's devotion, loyalty and the faithfulness
he has toward us.  We always thought you learned how to do the
"fruit of the Spirit"... However, we later discovered it is more than just
doing and knowing them.  It is more about going through the Christians'
"learning process" on how to attain the real meaning of the "fruit of the
Spirit" when we read Galatians 5:22-6:18.

For instance take LONGSUFFERING which means to patiently endure.
Longsuffering is what we are truly experiencing right now.  It is through
a long and painful learning process in the "furnace of affliction" that we
are being set apart for God's perfect plan.  Even though we may not
appreciate the heat during this process it is far better to resign ourselves
and allow the Lord to finish the work He has started in us.  It pleases the
Lord when we submit, yield, and surrender our will to Him.  By doing so we
freely give him full reign and control of our lives.  Longsuffering has taught
us to continue to persevere and to stay on his righteous path.

Everyone of us has known God's KINDNESS.  We all know his good nature,
which displays his humility when he chose to give us his ever-sufficient
grace.  Because of his kindness we learned to be more considerate and
compassionate to one another.  We learned to let go of self and become,
a real servant for the Lord as we serve others in his name.

During these very difficult times we have seen and tasted the GOODNESS
of the Lord.  We have discovered, with clear evidence, the wholesome
true noble nature of the character of the Lord.  We now possess a
reflection of his character helping us to become members in unity with
the family of God.  We've learned to share and give more freely without
reservation.

The Lord's FAITHFULNESS is an anchor for us.  It is the glue that holds us
together.  His faithfulness is an assurance that his word is true and very
dependable.  The Lord's promises to us are solid and reliable.  Our Lord is
trustworthy and we are to be an example of him to those who watch our
"walk of faith."  To trust him is to believe him as we put our faith in Him to
help us through this time on earth.  We learned to be more faithful because
he is so faithful to us.  When we are faithful to our Lord, he can work his
faithfulness through us to minister, support, and encourage those around
us.  The Lord's faithfulness taught us to become more committed in our
service to him even to the point of putting others before ourselves.

It is through GENTLENESS that the Lord reveals himself to us.  His
gentleness and tender demeanor draws us closer to him.  Once again his
gentle and honorable character speaks to us in a quiet voice.  It has
taught us how to listen more intently to his small still voice as he call us
to do his will and to go about his Fathers' business.  To be chosen and
called by him is an honor and a privilege that a child of God can ever have.
For us, we have learned it has been easier to show, others gentleness
when provoked or when under attack by those who seek to challenge our
relationship with the, Lord.  The enemy of this world seeks to destroy our
hope in our Savior.  It is with his gentle spirit that we hold on and not let
go of his hand.

Now SELF-CONTROL is something of a bigger challenge for all people we
believe.  It's a little harder to grasp since we are such emotional bunch
of people.  For Jesus self-control was much easier for him and for us as
humans we are frail and quicker to overreact.  The best way to overcome
this is to utterly depend on the Lord to help us become more like him.  We
have to allow the Lord to take full control of our "self-control" and
weaknesses and let him have his way with us.  Lord, we yield our self-
control over to you and we ask that you perfect that which concerns us. 
Keep us close to you and tighten your grip on us.  Thank You. Amen.

[Lee M]

                         ... Fruit of the Spirit ... Part 2
             
The "fruit of the Spirit" which really has impacted all of us is God's unfailing
LOVE.  There is no greater love than the one who laid his life down for us.
His love for us is unconditional and perfect.  It's an everlasting love.  A
love so great that no one can fathom.  This kind of love settles divisions
causing a ripple effect of togetherness.  It is because of our Fathers'
deep loving affection for us that he sacrificed his son on the cross so we
can have a personal relationship with him.  He has given us an unending
love that is forever and ever.  Love is God's greatest commandment to  
us, "love one another."  We learned this kind of love from his perfect loving
example.  This special love fills us with tremendous hope and peace.  It
keeps us from falling away when we get hit with heavy trials.  It warms
our hearts knowing that we are deeply, loved even when we don't deserve  
it.  Now the question is: Have we really learned anything about the love  
of God?  For us it has been, a "learning on the job" kind of love.  It was
during, those harsh moments when we thought we couldn't possible love
that individual that God's grace prevailed.  We have learned to love in
spite of the hurts.  To love those who let us down even when we have
been abandoned by them.  We can give of ourselves sacrificially because
we know and have experienced the selfless love of God.  Something to
feed upon: Can we love others with the heart of Jesus?  We know it's
possible because LOVE never fails and he never fails us.  It's all about
understanding God's immeasurable perfect love, an expression of Himself,
that sustains and keeps us for his good purpose because his love
conquers all.

For the JOY of the Lord is our strength.  Joy has been the easiest, fruit
to attain.  It's about experiencing joy in the midst of disaster and knowing
full well that it isn't about being happy.  It is an unspeakable joy!  A joy
so deep, that it is, embedded in your being.  They are no words to, describe
it.  This kind of joy causes you to rejoice even when you are going through
the storms of life.  You look for the rainbow after the storm because you
know it's there reminding you of all his good promises.  This is the joy we
experienced on the day of our salvation, our new birth, up to this present
moment.  It was a decision we made on that day to never lose the Joy of
the Lord.  We have not and will, never allow circumstances, the enemy, or
anyone to steal our joy.  This beautiful joy has been the staple that has
kept us connected to the Lord.  The Lord's joy radiates in us and we share
the Lord's good pleasure to whomever desires to know it in it's full glory of
the Lord.  They too can have it if they apply it in their own personal lives.  

And the last fruit is PEACE.  The wonderful peace of God which transcends
all understanding.  It is a quiet stillness.  A peace that overcomes you
when you sit in total quietness and you sense His presence.  It's a peaceful
rest from the day's struggles with a sweet assurance that he alone gives
you that "quiet confidence."  You understand you are safe and secure
when you quiet your mind and fix your eyes on Jesus.  It's the knowing that
He has all things under his control.  He offers you a "ray of hope" no matter
how dark or how impossible life can get at times.  It is in quietness and
confidence that we get our strength from the Prince of Peace.  The lesson
we learned about God's peace is that we allow peace, to take residence in
our hearts to matter what.  We are to uplift and encourage one another
with the peace of God.  In these end times hearts are fearful and over-
whelmed and it it our calling to exhort the weary and the faint-hearted
with the "fruit of the Spirit" to help ease their minds.

PERHAPS all the suffering, tribulations and "testing of our faith" has been
for the sole purpose to fully comprehend what it takes to:

ATTAIN Christ likeness
ATTAIN the heart of Jesus
ATTAIN a richer and deeper walk with the Lord.

All this pain and sorrow for this length of time has been all worth it because
JESUS is LORD of LORDS and KING of KINGS, in our lives.  We have counted
the cost and we will finish the race as we press on toward the goal, the
prize of our upward calling in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Thank you
Lord for the lessons well learned.  We love you more and, deeper now and
we will continue to be devoted, loyal, faithful and obedient to do your will
until the end of, our days.  We worship, praise, and glorify your Holy Name
with reverence, a thankful humble heart and a contrite spirit. Amen!  

[Jackie]

Dearest Lee

I really thank the Lord for you. Reading this has so spoken to me. In fact as I have been reading this I was reminded of a vision I had some years ago. I had been going through a particularly difficult time with my half sister. It's like the devil had gotten in her and she seemed so very determined to undermine me in the eyes of others. What baffled me was, she got involved with a local church and even went through a full immersion baptism. Many people believed the lies that were pouring from her lips; I remember saying to myself, she could be awarded an oscar for her very convincing performances. What hurt me so deeply was, at the time I had no way of defeating the lies she was telling about me.

I prayed and prayed and one day she just left town overnight without even letting me know she was going. She has stayed in touch with my other sister and half brother, but has made it clear she doesn't want to be in touch with me.

God says, they will hate you without a cause.

The vision I had:

I was holding silver plates, and each plate represented the gift of salvation. I gave my two sisters and brother a silver plate each. As I handed them this plate I felt the most immense love; a love I had not felt before, not in the depth I felt then. The Lord caused me to love my sister despite all she has done to me, and he caused me to love my other sister and brother for 'freezing' me out. Only the Lord could have done this. Now my prayer is for the children my mum bore to be restored as a family again. Only He can do this. He will.

[Lee M]

Jackie, Psalm 27:14 speaks of waiting on the Lord and with good reason because
He is at work in making all things work together for good for you and your family.

[Lee M]

My personal quiet time with my Savior ... read Luke 10:38-42 ... 6/4/09.

"...I do not concern myself with great matters or
things too wonderful for me.  But I have stilled
and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with
its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within
me" Psalm 131:1-2

As I sit at the feet of Jesus, I am reminded of Mary who sat peacefully at
her master's feet.  She was not hurried nor, anxious to accomplish her daily
chores.  She simply sat still, intently listening to her master's voice.  She
hung on to His every word.  She trusted Him.  She believed Him.  She was
at ease and at peace.  Mary took advantage of her intimate moments with
the Lord.  She did not want to forego any of her quality time spent in, His
presence.

On the other hand, her sister, Martha, was busy with the day's work.  In
her, business she didn't take time to indulge in the simplicity of her friend-
ship with, the one who came, not to be served but to serve.  She was not
able to taste, and savor the life changing words of Jesus.  In her quest to
accomplish her task she forgot to, simply relax and enjoy her Master's
company.  Martha desired to serve the Lord, yet, all He wanted was to
cherish her, serve her, to teach her, and to give her, the words of life.
Jesus, the Son of God, had come to visit them at their home, the one
place where you are the, most comfortable.  It's ironic how we often
forget, He also visits with us in our homes everyday of the week.  In
many ways it is good to be a Martha, for the Kingdom sake, as long as we
don't forget to sit at His feet.  Oftentimes, we are harassed by time itself. 
We are always in a hurry to get things done.  We lose sight of what is, most
important...our intimate quiet time with the King of all glory!

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul"
Psalm 94:19

As a follower of Christ, I seek to cherish, each moment, with the anointed
Majestic, King and Ruler, of the Universe.  It gives me great pleasure in
enjoying myself in the Lord the moment my eyes open, each and every
morning.  There is, no better way to get a jump start in getting, your
priorities, in order for the day.

Lord Jesus, with my head bowed and my eyes closed, I ... 
PRAISE......You with my mind....with deep, thoughts of You.
WORSHIP...You with my heart...with a true heartfelt love for You.
GLORIFY....You with my soul.....with total, reverence toward You.
Lamb of God, I love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my
                  mind, and with all my strength..." Mark 12:30
To You, alone, O Most High God be the honor, the praise and the glory
forever and ever.  In the precious name of Jesus. Amen!

"May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD"
Psalm 104:34.  ..... For .....
"...The prayer of the upright is His delight" Proverbs 15:8

In His Presence and at His feet, I sit quietly, basking in the afterglow
and warmth of a treasured moment spent with Jesus, my undying friend. 
A true, friend who sticks closer than a brother.  The kind of friend that
has a, selfless love and an unending devotion not only to me, but, to all
those, who, diligently seek, Him. 


       

[Jackie]

Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

What you have shared Lee has really spoken to me this morning. I hadn't realised I wasn't feeling too bright because my mind seemed consumed with worry about my jobcentre appointment at 11.30am today. What will I talk about with my job adviser; what will she say to me, and all those kind of concerns were going through my mind. Then I felt anxious because my daughter thinks Chris may be unwell again, and she sounded worried on the phone yesterday evening.

There always seems to be something to keep my mind busy, but reading this makes me know the Lord wants me to busy myself listening to Him. He will quiet my mind and He will guide me in everything; so there is absolutely no need to be anxious about anything whatsoever. Isn't the Lord so good!

[Lee M]

My "alone" time with the Lord...as I contemplate...Job's life........8/9/08.
It may sound ironic, but in many ways, it seems I've taken residence in  
the Book of Job.  Actually, I practically live inside the pages.  It's not too
far fetched, since, there is a, street named Job's, Lane in Southampton,
New York.  There is so much I, identify with Job, that it's hard not to
insert my name within the pages.

Starting with Job 1:20, he says: "Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked shall I return there."  There is nothing, we can take with us
once, we leave this earth, absolutely nothing, in the physical sense of
course.  The only thing is, our spiritual self and, our standing with, our
Heavenly Father.

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away" The Lord owes, us not a
single thing.  If He desires to take away anything from us it is His to take.  
It never belonged to us in the first place.  All we possess is on loan from
the Lord.  It is all, His.  For instance, my kids are loaned to me for a,
certain amount of time.  It is up to me to show and teach them the ways
of the Lord.  I suppose that is why the word parenting is such an
important part of the job that God has given us.  Our health is also in his
hands.  It is He who determines it's final course.  "And we know that God
causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28.  "Blessed be
the Name of the Lord" from whom all blessings flow even as our earthly
vessels deteriorate and break down.  Whatever comes our way, good or
bad, blessed be His Name for He alone will bring all things to pass.  All
things are under in His control.  The Lord who is, all knowing will perfect
that which concerns us.  He is the great master, planner who created all
things into it's glorious, existence.  It is the Lord, who holds the whole
world in, the palm of His, hand.

Verse 21-"In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" God is God!  
Who am I to complain or demand anything, from the King of Kings and Lord
of Lords?  If Jesus, in human form, came to suffer and die for me, than why
should, I murmur, when life seems to fail me.  Thank goodness no one has
ever told me to, curse God and die in Job 2:9-10.  "Shall we indeed accept
good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not
sin.  Whenever I read this verse, it helps me to, put life into, it's proper
perspective.  All of our days were written in His Book.  He has determined
every single day of our lives.  God knew us before we, took our first breath
and He knows the exact day when we take our, final breath.  Everything in
between is our spiritual, training ground which God uses to prune the faithful,
giving us the free will, to plant or uproot the seeds of faithful obedience.  
It is my choice to blame or not blame, God for the crushing storms that rage
in my personal life.  It's far greater to bless and praise God with our, heart
and, with our lips, regardless of our present, situation.  Throughout Job's
ordeal he did not harden his heart against the Lord, instead, he was pliable
while, keeping an open and, flexible heart.  In my opinion I believe that
trust, was what gave Job the courage to confront each disaster that
came his way.

Have you ever, felt such desperation like Job, that you wished you had
never come out of, your mother's womb?  Life can be so unbearable that
sometimes, it is better to be hidden away, in the safety of the womb.  Yet,
that is not possible.  Life goes on and we have to, struggle along.  No
wonder Job says in, Chapter 3:24-25, "For my sighing comes before I eat,
and, my groanings pour out like water.  For the thing I greatly feared has
come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me"  Ouch!  This is
the part of scripture that has my name engraved on it.  Thank God, for
Job 3:26 in the way, he helps me to pause and contemplate his despair.  
This verse was enough, for me to take full, stock of the implication, of Job's
troubles.  It paved the way for me to learn no matter how deep the sorrow,
to be at ease and quiet my soul.  It taught me to be at rest, in the tranquil
presence of the Lord even if trouble was coming my way., and, in Job's own
words he said:  "yet man is born to trouble" Job 5:7.  "Though he slay me,
yet will I trust Him" Job 13:15.

Here was a man who had everything, but, in a heartbeat he lost it all.  
Job was singled out.  Job had no comforters.  There was no one to, help
him bear, the stinging, burden of his soul.  Although, Job was an extremely
broken man and at his wits end, he was successful in leaving behind an
amazing testimony.  His words were, printed on the pages of the bible to
teach, us how to bear, the burden, and cope in the pit of despair.  The
same God who was there for Job is the same God who is with us today.  
The Lord in his tender, mercies and faithfulness gives us the, peace and
strength to bear the strain in all of our minor and major afflictions.  Trust
is a must in our daily, interactive relationship with the Lord no matter how
bleak the moment may be.  Here, lies Job's example of faithful endurance.

"He hangs the earth on nothing" ... Job 26:22
This is where I, was interrupted...to bad...maybe someday, I will finish it off.
God willing another day, another time.  So be it.
 

[Lee M]

        ... A Renewed Mind Set, Heart and Spirit ...

"Does he not see my ways and count my every step?" Job 31:4
   
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the
Spirit is life and peace" Romans 8:6

"The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant
known to them.  My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will
release my feet from the snare" Psalm 25:14-15

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word" Isaiah 66:2

For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of
the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the
Lord stands forever."  And this is the word that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24-25

"........In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee
of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession,
to the praise of His glory" Ephesians 1:3-14

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;
I will remove from your heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move
you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws"
Ezekiel 36:26-27

"...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put
on the new man which was created according to God, in true
righteousness and holiness" Ephesians 4:23-24

"So what shall I do?  I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray
with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with
my mind" 1 Corinthians 14:15

"May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be
put to shame because of me; O God of Israel" Psalm 69:6

"I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary
food" Job 23:10-12

"A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
from the produce of his lips he shall be filled" Proverbs 18:2

Sovereign Lord, we glorify your holy name.  You are mighty to save.
Your hand is not too short that you cannot save.  Thank you for the
way that You are so mindful of us.  Sometimes, we may be the last leaf
left on, the tree and still you know where the wind will blow us to.  You
arrive, at that location before us and catch us just before we, hit the
ground.  For You are the, eternal God, our refuge, and underneath are
Your everlasting arms, Deuteronomy 33:27.  As we come to the end of
2009, Lord, give us vision.  Open up our eyes.  Help us to welcome 2010
with an expectant radiant, hope, for things yet to come.  Lord, bless each
soul before you.  Fill each heart with Your joy and peace.  We give you all
the honor, the praise and the glory for You are the King of Kings and Lord
of Lords.  May Your will be done in and throughout each person's life. 
Thank You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  In Jesus' name. Amen!


"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another
above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer" Romans 12:10-12.  Merry Christmas!

[Lee M]

Sharing my personal year's end prayer and verses with you
while fixing my eyes on Jesus the author and, perfecter of
our faith ... Hebrews 12:1-2. 

Sovereign Lord,

You are the LORD, who confides in those who fear you;
you make your covenant known to them.  My eyes are
ever on you Lord, for only you will release my feet from
the snare.  Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am
lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart have
multiplied; free me from my anguish.  Look upon my
affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 
Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to
shame, for I take refuge in you.  May integrity and
uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you"
Psalm 25:14-18, 20 & 21 (12/19/09).  "For (we know)
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
..." 2 Corinthians 4:17 (12/22/09).  And I know "This is
my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me
life" Psalm 119:50 (12/21/09).  In Jesus' name. Amen. 

"Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be
upheld" 2 Chronicles 20:20.  To God be the glory!
(12/19/09)

"...God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands,..."
Genesis 31:42.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow...!
(12/23/09)

"...God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction"
Genesis 41:52.  Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
(12/28/09)

The key word here is affliction.  A major testing of my faith
and character were under way.  It was set in motion to reveal
what was the intent, of my heart.  To see if I would, exude the,
magnification and the glory of the Lord's, image in my walk of faith
with the JOY of the Lord.  It's been with the Lord, by my side, that
I was able to, persevere and overcome my greatest tests.  The
enemy has sought to destroy me.  His evil intent was to see me
fail my Lord.  Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the
world 1 John 4:4.  I am not bound by ball and chain but by every
word the, Lord speaks to me.  There is no question, and undeniable,
what the enemy intended was for my evil ... but God ... intended it
for my good.

My faith must continue to be a greater abiding faith.  All my
afflictions, sorrows, heartache, pain and the "valley of weeping"
are all for a season, a reason and a purpose.  God is and has
been, in control of every aspect and detail of my moral compass. 
All things are being, brought together for, the Lord's ideal perfect
thoughts and plan for my life.  All the minor and major, details have
been planned long ago.  Only now am I arriving at it's destination
according, to God's time table.  So be it ...!  God's word stands 
firm and forevermore.  Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.   

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD
delivers him out of them all" Psalm 34:19 (12/29/09)

Happy New Year!  There is a sweet anticipation for 2010 ...

[Lee M]

              ... A Pillar of Cloud ~ A Pillar of Fire ...

To every situation there is a reason ...

Last night I was home alone and enjoying my peace and quiet when
suddenly there was a, pop and a flicker and all the lights went out.
I was left in total darkness.  For a spilt second I felt scared.  As quickly
as it came the fear, evaporated.  Common sense took over.  My natural
instinct took hold, allowing me to concentrate and evaluate the, situation. 
I realized that of all nights there was no moon or, stars in the sky, to light
up, the dark, night.  My regular, day to day is focused on trying to be very
careful as, to not hurt myself.  Having RSD has forced me to be on a
heightened alert in all areas, of my surroundings but now I found myself
in pitch blackness.  I, literally moved about groping in the dark like a, blind
person, feeling my way around by, pure, memory.  My heart prayed that
the flashlight was in it's rightful place in the pantry.  If, it wasn't I knew
I would be in big trouble.  When the lights, go out we have no phone, no
heat, no stove, not a single thing will work.  Everything in our house, is
run on electricity.  At that moment it became so clear to me that nothing
we do or say works without the Lord.  He alone, is the source of, our
power, our everything that is so necessary, and vital in order for us, 
to function and have our being. 

After feeling around the pantry I was so grateful to have found the
flashlight.  It was a, great relief when I, pushed the switch on and the 
darkened room was lit up.  How true to form was my next thought when
recalling the verse that speaks about how ... the Lord lights up my
darkness.  And He did in more ways than one.  The Lord was so good
to me when I found a small box of matches.  It was something I didn't
expect to find anywhere in the house.  Then after lighting a couple of
candles I really felt, comforted and more at ease knowing that I could
see my surroundings.  The lit candles made me recall the song,
"Go Light Your World" ... yes, light up a dark world for others to see
God's light in us.  (See "Sharing Songs of Praise and Worship Thread").     

"For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God
will enlighten my darkness" Psalm 18:28

Since I was no longer in pitch blackness I resumed my prayers.  But then
out of the blue I felt sad at the thought that this was the third time this
has happened to me in a year's time.  I felt so alone in the world.  I asked
the Lord, "why" was I always home alone with no one around and no
lights again?  Last November I, sat with no lights, heat or anything for
five hours.  All I could do was pray and read my bible with a flashlight.   

Then the Lord reminded me, about the verses, I had read earlier in the
day and I was filled with the Lord's peace.

"Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its
place in front of the people" Exodus 13:22

Then in Exodus 14:19-20 it speaks about how ...
"the angel of God who had been traveling in front of Israel's army,
withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from
in front and stood behind them coming between the armies of Egypt
and Israel.  Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the
one side and light to the other side,..."

This brought to mind that the darkest hour is just before dawn.

"Even in the darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious
and compassionate and righteous man" Psalm 112:4

[Lee M]

                            ... Speak To Me, Lord ...

As I read chapter 4, in, the book of Exodus it impressed me how
the Lord has His designs designated upon, us from birth ... He will
use whatever means to get our attention so, we can hear his call
on our lives. 

Part of our walk of faith, is to witness and be an example to others
(in the image of Christ) as they watch our faith in action.  It is not
always easy ... but GOD ... will consistently make a way for us.

When we don't know what to, say or what to do, the Lord, Himself
will show us.  He will open up our mouth and, teach us the words
to speak and teach us what to do.

"Now go; I will help you speak and
will teach you what to say" and
will teach you what to do"
Exodus 4:12 & 15

God told Moses that He would help him to speak and teach him
what to say and what to do.  God sent, Aaron to be a helper to
Moses when he felt he couldn't do it himself.  We, have a faithful
God, who will give us, all manner of provision and support when 
we are, in our greatest need.     

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged" Deuteronomy 31:8

Sovereign Lord .....
With my eyes awake, my ears alert, and my, heart aware ...
"Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening" 1 Samuel 3:9

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye" Psalm 32:8

"...The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you" John 14:26

With the Lord by our side we are more than ready to go ...
and be a comfort, to all, people.

"...You will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD
will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard"
Isaiah 52:12

~ With the Lord there is always a window of opportunity ~

[Lee M]

                      ... A Test of Time ...

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith"
So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the
roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you"
Luke 17:5-6

Sometimes, all that is required of us is a child-like faith.
A faith that is not pretentious, never doubting, without
compromise, an innocent faith based wholly on just
believing.

What about your faith?

Is your strong faith being stretched beyond recognition?

Does it seem as if your, faith is, going through the burning
coals with the searing flames surrounding you?

A word of encouragement ...

The Lord, told, Moses that He would clear away the nations
before them that were a threat to them ..."little by little"...
because to, put an end to them quickly would cause the
beasts of the field, to grow too numerous for them.
(Paraphrased - Deuteronomy 7:22)

So then we ask ... "Who despises the day of small things" 
Zechariah 4:10

Sometimes it's the little things that have the greatest impact. 

Take for instance "a little faith" as small as a mustered seed ...
planted into the rich fertile soil of God's infallible word, watered
from the well of God's salvation and nourished with the brilliant
rays of God's sunlight will take root, grow, blossom and bear
good fruit.

We can, relax and have a quiet confident rest knowing that 
in due season the, "small seed of faith" with a "little hope"
will flourish into a strong healthy tree of life. 

When planting seeds of faith, seeds of trust, and seeds of hope
allow the verse below to, resonate in your spirit.

"Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with
kindness; Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek
the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you"
Hosea 10:12

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13

~ An abiding faith believes that trust in God, produces a radiant hope ~