To My Father's House

i'm coming to my Father's house.

i have the key,

now, where is it?

check my pockets?

i can be so irresponsible sometimes.

hmm, i know i have it...?

leafing through my Bible,

my prayer books

my papers.

then i'm thinking;

i suppose i could knock?

i could shout, he'd hear me?

kick the door down?

i'm not sure that would be good?

check under the mat

and behind the flowerpot?

this is getting frustrating!

wait a minute,

Oh!

yes there it was all the time,

around my neck

close to my heart.

the one given me by my older brother.

i slip the braided leather cord

over my head,

looking closely

at the large nails

formed into a crude key

with a carved wooden handle

i slip it into the key hole

it fits perfectly.

turning to the right

i hear the clunk

of the mechanism.

i step into the well lit foyer

and remove my coat and baggage,

my shoes and hat.

crossing the floor

i reach the french doors

and slide them gently.

there is soft music,

i recognize the song

and join in.

closing my eyes i stop for a moment

meditating upon the words.

the carpeted floor is warm and soft.

i cross it to another set of doors.

these doors have beautiful stained glass.

i speak the words i see etched

on the glass and smile.

i knock softly before entering.

the room is swelling with more music,

love songs.

in the background i hear

my sibling's voices

and the reassuring voice

of our Father.

"Hello Daddy."

"Hello son," he says,

"Tell me about your day." He inquires.

i run into His outstretched arms. (L)

Crossing Over

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Ps.37.23-24
Crossing over and leaving the soulical realm behind.
There will be many crossings we will have to negotiate in this life journey of following after the Lord.
Not all will be easy. Some will require a great amount of faith, Some may be a battle of will, mind, spirit, soul.

Leaving the familiar is a challenge, since many of us do not like change.
This has always been the greatest problem within the church that God desires. Since he does not want a church built upon man's ways, but his and because he changes the dynamics and circumstances we always question the upheaval, the chaos at times.
His word never changes, it is the one constant factor. Salvation in Jesus and no other remains a constant also. But the journey into his heart and seasons he designs so there will not remain a stagnancy will be the wall we face, or river, or ocean or continent we will ultimately have to cross.
God is not a God of the boring. His creation we enjoy is filled with his character, imagination, love for the unique, the mind blowing, the awesome. The church has been contented with the mundane and time after time the Lord comes along and brings mystery, a new paradigm.
Jesus used a variety of analogies for the Kingdom of God. We have only a few written down to consider. It is written that he spoke volumes of things, that would take a multitude of books to contain.
Who are we to question God on what he wants to do in us both as individuals and as a church body, country, nation, even the world?
We use our limited mind and resources and think we know the mind of God by our own investigation.
Scientists the world over are continually amazed at what they find and the structure of the created, although many of them will not conform to a created universe. Their discoveries which have no end should be a minute reminder of how enormous God is.
We continually want to put him into a jar like a firefly and say to ourselves, "i have understanding."
"i have enlightenment!"
In the book of Ephesians the apostle Paul in his prayer for these people asks for the Spirit of wisdom and understanding and that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened. Why? So they could know God better, as should we.
Ephesus at the time was one of the most prominent cities in the known world. But yet they as us needed more understanding of God. This knowledge is a nonstop learning curve without end.
We cross over from soul into spirit.
Jesus introduces for the first time, "you must be born again!" A phrase the spiritual leader Nicodemus was unfamiliar with. "How can this be?" was his question. "I am old, do I have to reenter my mothers womb?"
Jesus said, "You must be born from above."
Crossing over. A New dimension. A passage with reference to birthing. A process. Receiving the seed, the Word of God, who was standing before him.
There is no other way.
Birthing is a trust issue, it is out of your hands now. Any parent will tell you, from conception to the birthing moment you trust. What we trust in is of our own volition, but every human goes through this exact same experience.
Every human now enters a place of choice of being reborn.
Where does this new dimension of birthing take place?
It happens in our heart.
Jesus says, "No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
(John 3.5)
The ever continual process. Our soul had a way of loving, having joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and even a measure of self control.
Now we have to leave these soulish realm virtues and enter into the Spirit dimension of the same. A shift in our heart.
But weren't these virtues good? Yes, but not good enough, not fulfilling the spiritual requirement which is higher, better, richer, fuller.
The Kingdom of God requirement is to leave behind what was earthly.
Jesus says, "I speak to you of earthly things and you do not believe, how then will you believe if I speak to you of heavenly things?" (John3.12)
So i now make a choice in my heart to say, "I like what I have, who I am and the things I have done and how I love others and so on and so on."
If we keep what we had from our old nature, it will corrupt what we have received into our New nature and our New heart, and we are in violation of Kingdom principles. But the choice remains with us.
Reminder: Parable of New cloth ripped from New material and put onto old garment, does not match, New wine in Old wine skins, bursting and loss, indulging only in the old wine saying it is better. (Luke 5.36-39)
Many people only take a part of this parable but it is three fold.
It is about process, change, New vs Old.

God is not one dimensional and neither are we.
What an awesome life of ongoing experience we live in.
Embrace it now, because when we meet him we will be changed, again!

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them..."

Isaiah 42.16

There are many things before us that we are blind to, but to live in the Spiritual dimension designed by God, and His leading us along our journey, is the way of the Lord.

Not every journey is the same, because we are unique.

Bridges in the Spirit are choices we will have to make as we come to them and decide if they are worthy of crossing over into a New way, because we have not come this way before.

A New adventure in the Spirit or a New truth illuminated by Holy Spirit. He is the guide into all truth, and his basis come from God the Father and creator and Jesus.

All things must line up with Jesus, the Father, Holy Spirit and the Word.

The Word comes to us in two forms, one is God's spoken word and two is Jesus himself.

Any truth Holy Spirit brings New revelation to will always line up on these points.

As i was doing a study for a meeting last week, on love and the gifts of the Spirit i came across something i had never thought of before from Galatians chapter 5.16-25.

Paul is talking about the acts of the sinful nature and then speaks on the fruit of the Spirit. Being, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. We are quite familiar with this passage.

What came to me was this; the sinful nature is at odds to the Spirit or in his words, "contrary"

CONTRARY: an adjective.

1) diametrically opposed.

2) unfavorable.

3)willfully stubborn in opposition.

As a Noun: 1) in Logic, either of two contrary things.

As an adverb: 1) contrary in action to one's principles.

or as an idiom: contrary to expectation. (extracted from dictionary.com)

Now since i am trying to be led by the Spirit and do not want to be contrary in thinking and actions and expectation, i had to ask myself a question?

Are the things i am doing, such as my love, joy, peace, patience etc being formed in me and being executed by my will coming from a Spiritual source? Am i indeed doing these things with this fruit or am i still living out these actions through the soulish source which was present in me before i became a New creation in Christ?

We all come with our own love be it as it is, we all come with a natural joy, and peace and a form of patience and so on. We can all be kind, good, faithful, gentle and self controlled to some extent.

But; have we gone so far in our walk as to move from the childish ways and into the more mature way of walking in the Spirit in all these matters?

It is easy to stay one dimensional, but this is not the way of Holy Spirit, this is man's way.

When Jesus was rebuking Peter for his lack of understanding and he said to him, "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men." Matt.16.23

i wanted to question whether i was still thinking like a man in human terms and with humanistic insight only. Had i really crossed over that bridge of unconditional love?

What do i have to do to shed this clothing that smell of the contrary nature and the normal as everyone else kind of love?

What is it to know supernatural joy? To fully understand, "the joy of the Lord is my strength?"

Peace that passes all understanding?

Patience, what spiritual dimension have i crossed over to have this fruit blazing in my heart.

Kindness, at who's level? What is Holy Spirit kindness, i mean what does this look like, feel like?

Goodness. Jesus said, "you call me good, but only God is good."

Faithfulness. Jesus before his death was in the garden praying, and the disciples could not even watch and pray with him. Peter even denies him.

If i was to be tested, wait i have been and failed. i should be dead. Who was faithful to me during my failure?

Gentleness. Could i be the good Samaritan? To bind up the broken hearted, set the captives free. Give up my time, effort, be willing to get a little dirty for the sake of another. Is the real Spirit in me ready to be poured out?

Self control. i never thought about how powerful this is as a fruit of the Spirit. i always thought it was something i conjured up on my own, something i made happen because i was so in love with God and Jesus that nothing could divide my attention? There are natural elements we are capable of doing outside the Spirit. They produce pride in ourselves and we fail miserably because of all we thought we had. What did we have? A handful of sand, because that was our foundation.

i took a long look at this and realized that i had a contrary way in me that was built of my own doing, it was as natural as breathing. i was given a measure of these things and by good conscience performed them, but there is a more excellent way. The way of the Spirit and being led by and walking in Holy Spirit.

Eph.4.22-24

You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by it's deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitudes in your minds; and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

When we come to know the difference within us, that there is still a line of corruption, an underlying current of things that can compromise the Spirit, and our spirit from the true holiness and righteousness of God; then the warfare we wage is not so much on the outside with elements contrary, but first and foremost on the inside. The outer elements have been dealt with by Christ, and the victory is in his right hand with power forever.

We, have a choice to want righteousness and holiness. To go after it like gold, like treasure, like the pearl of great price and to not quit until we have done all we can to have it.

If there are things of a corruptible nature, then there are more things of an incorruptible nature that we can have for ourselves.

Just because we have been reborn does not mean that there is no further work to be done and that Holy Spirit will do everything for us.

A continual putting off and putting on. Layers, seasons, depth, maturity, Godliness and Christ likeness.

If very little has changed in you over the years, shouldn't that be telling you something?

Learn from the parable of the ten virgins what it takes to go all the way.

Holy Spirit is the best guide, best tracker, smartest with the full faculty of genius at his disposal to help us on our journey.

As a friend of mine has said, "I used to believe in God and Jesus, but now I know them!"

Wrestling in the Garden

At our men's group meeting tonight, after some fun at the pool table, our host and leader spoke about the prayers of Jesus at the time before his betrayal and eventually the execution.
During Jesus intense time of prayer he stops as recorded in the gospels, once, twice and then a third time according to Mark.
He speaks to his friends about watching and praying that they not succumb to temptation.
i began to think about some other thoughts, some of them i shared there tonight. This is what i thought about.
He knew what he was about to give himself to, but also he knew that there with him were the men who were going to carry the next events with them and how this was going to change the history of God's intervention with man for all time. Not only was he becoming the sacrificial lamb for the world, not only was he carrying all our sin and guilt with him, not only was he demonstrating the enormous love of the Father to all mankind, but he was to be betrayed by a friend and killed by the very people he had come to demonstrate the love of God to. Who only hours before he had been teaching and healing and casting out the demonic from those who were bound.
He foretold this event in the story of the vineyard and the workers who killed the son of the vineyard owner, speaking of himself and those who had been entrusted with the keys of the kingdom.
Here were a group of people, his friends who knew nothing of what the next hours were going to unfold, and who knew nothing of how they were going to react and run away and even deny knowing him.
These were the same people who would be used by God through Holy Spirit to change the course of history, beginning with a small speck of a nation and for the next few thousand years would impact the entire earth with a radical message of good news through the death of one man for all for all time.
The wisdom and at the same time seemingly foolishness of God to trust men with so phenomenal a task. He had to trust the fickle heartedness of mankind to carry out something so important, that had they known what they were doing and the ramifications... ripples in the stream of time, of what this was going to do in changing the divine order of the religious world as was known at the time. They may have failed completely had they seen the whole picture as was thought out in God's heart for what he was going to accomplish.
These men had a choice to wait it out for the next 50 days, together in a room or go back to what they were doing before and forget about it all. This was their moment of temptation. Do they really believe that Jesus was all and everything he had said, and that there was another encounter to behold in Holy Spirit?
i mean, what did they know of Holy Spirit? Where was there some evidence that this was going to happen and who or what was Jesus talking about?
They could have walked away.
God as a trusting Father allowed his hands to be free from any coercion. There was no mind games, no control, no changing the rules of free will. They could have stopped at any time and the plan of God could have fallen flat.
But it didn't and there was no failure, because God knew what was in the heart of each chosen individual, each as different as they come. He knew they could be entrusted with the greatest event this world has ever seen and will ever know until the return of Jesus in our very near future.
God's choice in creation was easy compared to these next days as he watched his only son walk down a pathway into the arms of hatred. His people, his heart, his passion for life and giving to mankind would be rejected and his heart in Father, Son and Holy Spirit would be broken and all his love thwarted for a time. Until mankind would see what really happened here and turn and repent and be welcomed back.
He still awaits his first love of the Jews to have their eyes and hearts opened.
i cannot speculate on what i might have done during those horrendous next few days to come. i was not there. i was destined for such a time as now. i was chosen to receive his gift of love to me at a specific time in my life. i had a choice to make and i said "yes to Jesus, i will follow you!"
That was over 34 years ago.
i like millions of others have been given a gift of Holy Spirit... the comforter, teacher, the one who directs and leads us into the truth and love of God the Father and glorifies the Son, Jesus of Nazareth.
i like these other men, Jesus original followers, was not coerced, controlled, manipulated, threatened, violated, pushed, nor demanded by religiosity to do what i chose to do. i chose to change my lifestyle and have a relationship with God as my heavenly Father because i wanted to. To be filled with Holy Spirit and have him join with my spirit and to love Jesus was also my choice. To walk in the spirit and be led daily by Holy Spirit, and to love God and others is my choice.
God writes the notes of the symphony, but we decide what we want to play.
He still entrusts life onto the hands and hearts of men.
i choose to trust my hands and heart to him.

Experience and the Upper room

Experience and the Upper room.

The gauge to divine experience and the now of God, when nothing remotely close comes from heaven and stops at our door and we wonder why?

What are the vast differences?

The timing of history and the planting of the first Jesus followers assembly and a witness to the Jewish nation about a God who was changing the parameters of their box and burning the books of man made laws and the slavery it was putting His people into.

So of course there was a necessity of a shaking and tongues of fire and the first display of heavenly power since Jesus had now removed Himself from the stage and reappears in the other personality of the God head... Holy Spirit Himself is dropped onto a group of misfits and a mishmash of nobodies. Who by the way were in complete unison waiting for the next 50 days. There was a definitive statement to be made by God that He was going to do things His way... as Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by me", through Holy Spirit, who would draw all men unto Him and point them to the truth.

They would have power to be His witnesses, and they were going to need it!

The next few centuries would prove that.

But still the continuation of refusal of the Jews to welcome this Messiah and His timing would become and still is their stumbling block to this day.

The next step was for a bona fide hard nosed young Jewish scholar to meet with an unusual experience one day as he was going about his business killing the followers of Jesus. Saul meets Jesus head on in a heavenly vision and is remarkably changed forever and suddenly the hardhearted Jews are passed over and God now turns His heart and grace on to the Gentile nations. Saul's name is changed to Paul, because once you have encountered Jesus there is no returning to the old you.

This was all foretold in old testament prophecy as God's grace is poured out upon all mankind.

The next incidents of power from on high touching the lives of Gentiles is seen and the experience is almost as strong as the first encounter. They too would need this power in their lives to assist them in seeing more of the world impacted by the gospel of Good News.

Paul himself taking this Good News to many nations and experiencing the personality of Holy Spirit in his life and through demonstrations of that power into the lives of others. Healing, deliverance, dead raised and so forth. This was all necessary for the gospel to impact their lives.

We are looking back on 2000 years of Christ's impartation of Holy Spirit. Throughout the centuries the Christian Church has experienced a diversity of architectural, structural, doctrinal differences, shapes, sounds, dressed up and dressed down. Everything imaginable has been built around, beside, over, and on top of the foundation carefully laid by Christ. He remains the cornerstone that cannot be shaken and everything that is attached to Him and His name will be shaken and tried by fire to see what will remain.

We consider the experiences of our faithful forerunners and we seemingly expect a similar rendition of the first symphony and that all the notes should align themselves to the order of our day. We played the tune but you did not dance?

I am reminded that these experiences were a surprise to those who found themselves in the midst of them at the time.

I do not believe that we need a carbon copy of something that was not designed for us and for the particular circumstances we are presently in. We need a NOW experience of God for the NOW we are in.

We are not building the Christian faith as they were. We are living it, if we are presently walking in and being led by Holy Spirit. The question is what are we doing with all that we do have in this present moment?

i have to ask myself; would an upper room experience really change anything about me? i have a relationship with God, i love Jesus and the word and i'm open to being led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit.

Do i need supernatural experiences? You betcha!!! i long for them always.

Do i receive them? i have had some powerful and awesome moments of His presence touching me, blessing me, loving on me, speaking to me, directing me, healing me, chastening me and times of Him asking me to be still.

If i look within myself for something from inside of me to empower me, that is other than Holy Spirit generated i will become disappointed and disillusioned. But if i remain steadfast in my faith and my security in Jesus work on the cross and Holy Spirit's careful direction for my life, i will feel the wind of His presence blowing, i will feel the shaking of all the things within me that are not part of Him, and i will experience the tongues of fire burning deep within my heart and the continued renewing process burning through my mind. In this i am content that He can empower me to meet the now for my life and i will have the boldness to continue being His witness in my world of influence.

So what does our world need most of all from us?

Our devotion of love to and for one another is the most powerful resource we have at our disposal and our willingness to soar like an eagle with prayer and intercession into the heart of God. Humbly standing in the gap for another and being the bridge of life for them to cross over.

Some men find God, some men know God, but Moses KNEW the WAYS of God and was called a friend. One of the greatest intercessors next to Jesus.

That is my goal, and to experience daily a waiting on Holy Spirit in my upper room.

To Be or Not To Be Who We Are Designed To Be

We are:

Spirit: To Have NewLife>New Directive>New Personality>Connected

Disigned to abide in the vine, and receive revelation

Able to Comunicate with Holy Spirit

Raised to the life of our New Creation

Soul: Existing Character>Personality

Designed to become a unique individual

With a willingness to follow divine truth,

accepting the revelation of our spirit

For we are formed in Their image

Body: Shell>House>Temple

Designed to hold the Life Giving Fullness of God

A living witness empowered to enact the very essence

of the Godhead, in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control

Set apart from and rising above any binding law

A House of Prayer, A House of Blessing

An ever flowing River of Life

HE IS/I AM

Father: The Total embodyment of all creation/Everything>Omneity>

All Encompassing/Panoptical>All Inclusive

Son: Jesus>The Soul Complete Character of God come in the Flesh, for us

because of His Enormous Love

One and Only able to fulfill the Father's purpose

Holy Spirit: Fullness of the three>Breath of Life> Creator>Lover>Teacher>Fulfiller of the Father's Plans>Gift and Mercy Bearer>Who brings all this into us>that we might be like Him!

Given to us as a gift of grace set apart from laws

Mandated to fill the earth with like minded unique personalities

predestined to draw all mankind unto the Father,

through Jesus the Son

Making Sons and Daughters

of Intimate and Infinite proportion

In the Spirit

unravelling the web

elastic thought

and bring coherent

revelation

to a slippery

surface

my feet

emerge

the wet

surface of dew drops

lingering

the air

calm

stillness

hanging before me

and

the presence of God

is here...

i lift my head

his whisper

caressing my ears

this voice

of calming morning mist

i am drenched

in this love

for me

saturated in a second

time has no meaning

my heart dances

through a kaleidoscope of colour

like jewels

brilliant

sparkling

overwhelmed with joy

an angel

touches my hand

we dance through the mist

until we both

disappear...

revelation and dream

dream and revelation

melt into one

my spirit

steeped

in the depth of love

i am

forever

changed...

the mighty lion

a symbol of power and freedom

unless...

that power and freedom are captured and placed in a zoo

the only thing he can do here is assume the position

all other rights have been stripped away.

i find that there is a similar issue within the church today we have taken the power and freedom away from the very one who has given it freely to us.

Such a huge tragedy that men and women of God are handcuffed and placed behind a wall or fence and restricted from moving in the power of the Holy One, the majestic King of Glory.

There is an ever increasing unbelief that there is no power only a name.

i'm supposed to be endowed with the power of Holy Spirit in my life . A power to change me from glory to glory and for the fruit of the Spirit to be prevalent, having a freedom within me to be like a tree beside the river of life, bearing fruit in all seasons and conditions.

i am wondering about the ministries and ministers i have come to know that will have to answer for grieving Holy Spirit from doing all he was given authority to do. Will they have to answer to an angry God over their control issues and placing all effort into one aspect of the Kingdom business and pushing down the other features because they failed to see results in their own lives, therefore it must not exist for others.

How duped have we been by a liar and the one who can only go about "as a roaring lion", who's power was stripped away and made a public spectacle of before the whole world and heavens?

Col. 2:13-15 "He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the written code with all its regulations, that was against us, that stood opposed to us; he took it away nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross."

Today we seem to hardly have the power to rise up in our spirit just to praise such an awesome God and Father in Heaven who has done these things for us in Christ.

We are the temple... "let us come in through the gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." Let this be alive in us continually.

God forbid that we become like those descibed in the last days in 2 Timothy 3.

In Isaiah 55:1, there is an invitation to the thirsty. "Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters: and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost."

There is another passage about buying in Rev. 3:17,18.

"You say I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing! But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve for your eyes so you can see."

i do not want to lose my thirst for more of the Kingdom in my life, nor to stop going after the treasures of Heaven.

What is the cost for us who have no money?

Drafting

Writing

The pen is mightier than the sword someone has said... at this moment i can't recall who said it! It doesn't matter.

i write on my blog, because i can.

Whether anyone other than a select few actually read it matters not.

It helps clear my head of jumbled thoughts, hopes, dreams and it's a release for my inner person.

Things written don't have to make sense to anyone else. It can be good therapy.

While suffering as a younger man with depression, writing was one of the things that helped keep me sane, rescuing me from the torment pounding inside my head.

Artists, musicians, poets, sculptors; every sorted member of these type mindsets needs an avenue of escape for their particular unique vision, dream scape, an outlet for their creative genius.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made... Ps. 139

There was genius in our creation. This is such an understatement to our creator.

i am saddened by those who refuse to see this. They would deny their very own specific, unique, person, even the DNA that is impossible to duplicate and would rather accept a random throw of the dice and say this is creation and i'm just a human being, a mammal with no particular function but to live and to die.

The seagull is drafting the air alongside of the boat we were using as we returned from watching whales in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Gloucester Mass.

He is closer to the will of God than i am, because he is doing perfectly what he was created to do.

He doesn't have to think about it, nor have a debate in his mind, nor choose good or bad at the beginning of his day. He doesn't have to prove himself to anyone or worry about being judged for the things he will do during the day or at the end of his lifetime. He exists to do the perfect will of God in all and every circumstance and is at the right place at the right time for his life to be complete.

And... the only work he has to do is get to where the food for this day is going to be provided for him. In this case where the whales were feeding and when he was finished he hopped a ride on the current of wind from our boat, drafting alongside for the 45 minute ride back to shore.

He is also fearfully and wonderfully made!

Woman in the water

Sunday

oh yes

i remember

a sudden

appearance

out of no where

a wall

i slam it

very hard

strange

i was not expecting

not at all

it left me

dazed

for days

why?

words

even great words

spoken

received

then

the

wall

what day

did

Humpty Dumpty

fall?

or was he

pushed?

We struggle at sorting out our soul and it's inclination to be down cast, thrown for a loop. Like falling from a bicycle while descending a steep grade; you're just a kid, but you remember every detail of the lashing you took from the gravel and still have the scars.

"Why are you down cast oh my soul..." David lamented more than once.

Is it because we chase after the heart of God? That very little on this earth has our attention or our heart. We pursue, we fall down, we get up to pursue again, we are pushed back only to arise again and again. We refuse to quit.

i made a comment about a young boxer who never made it out of the small time, who gets old but thinks he wants one more chance to prove something, but in the quandary feels he's running out of time.

The soul, is a trap. It's the realm the roaring lions dwell in. Where the roar is meant to strike terror, fear and displace all hope and turn you into a panicking disturbed blind, wounded, mindless, lame brained lackey. A servant of the wind.

"David a young man, reached down and picked up five smooth stones from the brook..."

It only took one... the prophetic utterance of the truth of God.

i am not a captive of my soul, but a champion of God's eternal word. A warrior, prophet, intercessor, priest of the Most High and deliverer of men.

Walls will happen, i temporarily forgot i was to jump over it.

We go down to the sea in boats

Whales, off the coast at Gloucester, MA, July 4th.

What a great gift creation has given us... "only the fool says in his heart, that there is no God!" Proverbs

A superb day for viewing and experiencing whales during their feeding time.

On the sixth month, the seventh day of two thousand and eight, two people came into a complete union of body soul and spirit.

We were met by the interaction of the most wonderful and beautiful Spirit of them all as He also joined Himself in and with us. An awesome precious friend and God.

As twelve months have passed, seemingly rather quickly we have seen before our eyes transformation in us both, as redeemed and sanctified by a super personal God, who has only our best interest in mind and on His heart.

He allowed us to meet, become friends first, husband and wife second, be part of a Spirit filled growing comunity of saints and surrounds us with great friends; only a few of many more to come.

We have watched Him move through our hands, mouths, hearts as we have been privileged to touch the special lives He has brought through our door or across our path.

Prayers have been answered, encouragements spoken, freedom for heart, soul and spirit.

We have come to observe His spoken words to us take root and grow fruit and feel His generous love, joy, laughter, presence and even angels coming to minister and bless our home from time to time.

We refuse to take for granted, the present time, age, place we live in and the community we abide with as an accident. There are no accidents with God. i have been tracking with Him for too long and know this as fact.

We are imperfect for the majority of our lives and He recognizes our shortcomings but is always ready to help make a way where there seems to be no way.

Hebrews chapter 11, is a testamony of the many saints before us who walked by faith, looking for their reward, believing, trusting, walking with God on a day to day basis. Anticipating while journeying into the unknown.

We have one life to live...

There is nothing so wasteful as to live it only for ourselves.

One year ago today i made a fresh new pledge, but everyday i am committed to the one He gave me, and really He gave me another part of Himself in her.

i fell in love with a woman that is the truth, and i also fell in love with more of God at the very same time; that is another truth. And in this truth we are more and more set free.

Father God you are so amazing, there are never enough words to capture just everything you are.

Thank you for this year in you, in me, in her, in us, in you, in them, and all of us in you.

HaHa HAHA HAHa HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA> HILARIOUS, i LOVE IT !!

Without End

{by Photozoo}

what is left to carry me?

a dream

my mind is drunk

with emotion

thought

appetite

loss

disease

[bump]

i believed

i know

better

i

do

know better

[blindsided]

irrationality

erases

the ease

right out of

disease

[stop]

you are left

with

dis

and

dat's

all

[turn]

run

for God's sake

what does that mean?

chatter

laughter

[naked]

i embrace the unseen

i speak

and

i discover

i believe

[glorious]

there is no end

to

my

eternal

destiny

[lightspeed]

shifting

mindsets

to catch a phrase

not mine

a word

word

of life

[enter]

into

i find

buried in reality

mystery

particular to my

specific

allotted to me alone

a doorway

with my name

[pebble]

don't we know

it's time?

do it now

turn it over

find

out

who

we really are

[quest]

"seeking first

what is his righteousness

and all

these things"

substance of real life

"will be"

without end

[joy]

{love this photo}

i have spent most of the last number of days writing an exhaustive exercise on the Lord's prayer, that should rightly be titled the disciples prayer. Simply because Jesus prayed a great number of prayers, and this was an example for them to apply.

It has been a fun venture, where i was able to compose 81/2 pages, by breaking the prayer into words, and word phrases. i ended up with 19 separate thoughts in paragraphs.

i love doing this type of writing. It stretches my mind and spirit.

i love writing on the word of God, because his word is something that is living. It never grows old.

His word is a great treasure. The more you dig and look the more you find.

Any serious bible studying pastor will tell you the same thing. They will say, "Wow!, I've never seen that before." A new revelation jumps off of the page.

When Jesus walked amongst men, he was the living, breathing, life form of the word of God made into a flesh man.

The book of John says this, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth." verses, 1-9 and 14.

In the same part of the chapter it tells us that he came amongst us, his own, as a man, but that they would not receive him or accept him.

That would be like God coming to my door, knocking, and i come to the door and tell him to get lost.

God often came to people in the form of an angel, a visitor, a man, a warrior and some people did not know at the time.

Many others did and were blessed because of the encounter.

Guaranteed; an encounter with God will change a life forever!

Don't believe me, ask him for yourself.

weeping heart

within my breast

sadness for

a soul at rest

mournful cries

deep unto deep

to lay one down

in eternal sleep

One of our former pastors lost a son to a boating accident about two weeks ago. They had the memorial service last Saturday. Our congregation as well as many from about the globe who know Dennis and family all grieve together.

It is a greater sadness to lose a child, but especially one who loved God as Josh did.

i did not know him, but my heart was overtaken because i have a son the same age.

i got alone where i wept and wept.

my head runs over with thought

red billiard balls

on a green surface

careening into one another

over and over

and over

i hurt inside

without an explanation

heaviness a shadow of darkness

covers part of my mind

sorrow has enveloped my soul

tears rise and fall

Jesus wept

for the Father

at the thought of Jerusalem

and the fate of his people

who would ultimately

reject him

God weeps through us

his thoughts so far above ours

our weaknesses

doubt, fear, suspicion

lack of love and intent

selfishness, greed, endless sorrows,

children, orphans,

famine and wars

tragedy, lost lives, waste

disease, garbage heaps, human lives

reduced to shambles and ghosts of men

death on every corner,

killing fields, row upon row

the smell a repulsion

many generations live and breathe it everyday

it's all they've known, hatred, shouting, gunfire

tears and sorrows

the blood of generations

screaming at him from the ground

his sorrow too deep

for any human to ever carry

while we dance and play

marry and feast

Jeremiah the prophet, the weeping prophet

knew the heart of God for Israel,

with every teardrop

redemption's rainfall upon the ground

now his heart is turned

to a whole world he weeps for

who are the next Jeremiahs,

to carry the burden of our God

to release the tears of redemption

for people we don't even know,

don't love or care for

a people of hardened hearts?

we say "i want, to be like Jesus!"

really... is that what you want?

then be prepared to weep,

be prepared to spend all night

in that secret place with him

sorrowful for a world at war

life is but a vapour

redemption for a world lost,

will cost a few tears

will cost some lost sleep

will cost friendship with God,

and to know his heart

when you are called to the mountain of God,

what will you take with you as a sacrifice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N59NnXXYDo

Spring

The air is still unrelenting as we usher in the warm weather.

Temperatures rise for a day only to plummet again. Clouds fill the horizon, and spring rain showers beat upon the window.

The grass is slowly getting greener, and people are anxious to rake and attend flower gardens.

The winter here seemingly long and dragged out with the frigid air still holding on.

Hockey playoffs are on the TV.

Baseball has started another season.

Basketball finals also bidding for their fans.

Garage sales already popping up around the city.

House sales even in this economic climate are slowly rising, because prices are down slightly as with interest rates.

Many people anxious for a change to help ease the tensions over job security.

Department stores carrying sales over with more reductions.

But there are still line ups at the coffee shop drive through, and MacDonald's fighting for some of the Tim Horton crowd.

The world turns, the tides change, the seasons come and go.

We look at our watches and it seems that all is according to the day, the hour, the seconds.

Then we look again and ten years have sped past, zoom!

Amazing.

In our hands we posses nothing to change a thing; except, to change how we think.

We will always have the power to change that process. We have the power to do better. We have the power to make a difference in our life and perhaps at the same time be an example to others.

Time for our minds to be going green.

The only recession that comes to our own mind and heart is the one we allow.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not suffering loss, unless you choose not to be a part of it. That would be a loss.

Jesus is coming, not for those who believe in him, because even the demons believe and they tremble. He will be looking for those who truly know him.

As we enter a new season, why not enter into a new relationship.

Jesus, one of the most incredible people, who showed to us who the Father, creator God really is.

God has a plan and you are included.

It's so simple and absolutely flawless, he's a genius, but of course he is.

He made you, and you are the only one like you. 1 in 69 billion, go figure.