Eternally anew

"Father, it is finished,
I give myself to Thee."
The world and the firmament
react accordingly.
"Perspiration, anguish, blood,
as He breathed His last..."
this impression in the mind,
forever it is cast.

Significance of all of this?
could volumes ever hold?
A truth anew is known to us
each time the Scripture's told.
New life--not only the event
but in the hearing of
the life, the death, the life again
of Jesus-King of Love.

We honor by the calendar,
this event once more.
But honor we, each day, oh Lord,
as You, we're living for!
Be life anew each day, oh Lord,
as we're alive in You!
And be the object of our praise
eternally anew!

Far more than "Easter," far more than "spring," far more than any 'limitation' man may put upon Him is the life anew that Jesus is!
Life anew. New life. BORN AGAIN!
Jesus is all of this and more.
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"Sunrise Service"

That term has become known around the world.
O let it be more than something happening annually!!

Rays on the horizon...
sun to soon arrive...
A blessed time to grasp again
that Christ, He is alive!
The rays--the arms of Heaven,
in praise to God alone,
for the gift of Jesus Christ,
the Lamb upon the throne!

That blessed resurrection
to celebrate this day.
God the Father furnishing
the Straight and Narrow Way!
No more rite or ritual
as customs had become,
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
He paid the total sum!

Rays on the horizon-
promise of the day;
the resurrected One has come
to take His Bride away!
We celebrate with gladness
this blessed Easter morn!
Three days ago, the man went down,
today, Messiah born!
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After peace...

...there is yet peace!

And one is come beyond;
the same, He was before.
He was the same, and now He is
the same, and even more!

Peace He was, and Peace He is!
Jesus came in peace. He still provides that peace to those who need it. His peace is usually polarized to the peace the world offers.
This week, the world focuses on His peaceful entry into Jerusalem. But that is the only peace they may focus on, and this is the only time of year that they may think of Him.
Jesus is peace. Perfect peace. Peace He was, and Peace He is.
After this week, after the world hears of His peace and other parts of His life, His death, His burial and His resurrection, the world will return to "normal," whatever that may be.
But Jesus will remain.
Peace will remain.
Surely not the 'peace' the world is looking for, but a greater peace. A peace the world cannot fathom. A peace that must be realized personally--one heart at a time.
What will you do after peace? After Peace?

Matters

Life is filled with 'matters,' and things that matter. More than this, life is filled with people who matter.
If you are the only person in your life who matters, you are very lonely and miserable.
There was a ceremony the other night filled with people who matter.
The moment still lingers, and probably shall forever.
I want to thank my wife for having the idea, and those who showed up to make it so memorable. I am so blessed!

No matter how the moments stack,
they do so with such grace.
Though some of them are far from 'graceful,'
few be "commonplace."
Somehow, God arranges such
and glory comes around
to generate thanksgiving where
the genuine is found.

Sure enough, the evening was filled with things to give Him praise for:
Family
Friends
laughter
love
fellowship...
all celebrating 50 years.
Thank you to those who were here for me, and to those who sent their wishes.
"And thank You, Heavenly Father, for being THE example of all of the above."

Loving facts

Let's get a few things straight:
The church we attend is beautiful. The songs are wonderful, the presentations are cool, but there is one thing that is more than them all:
DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
We can put on all the programs in the world, but that is where they are going to stay: in the world.
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
The sermons are great, but we must be born again.
The songs are wonderful, but we must be born again.
The poetry is nice, but we must be born again.
Salvation is greater than ritual.
Salvation is more than program.
Salvation supersedes ANYTHING going on in our church.
Salvation supersedes ANYTHING going on in THE Church!
It's not program, it's Jesus!
It's not ritual, it's Jesus!
It's not curriculum, it's Jesus!
Regardless what man, men or denomination comes up with, it's Jesus!
It must be Jesus or, of all men, we are most miserable!
Do you know Jesus?
Denomination is not the answer.
Words to His Servant is not the answer.
Translation isn't even the answer.
JESUS IS THE ANSWER!!
Sure, those tools above might help you FIND the answer, but it must be your heart that ultimately gets you to Jesus.
If it does not get you closer to Jesus, avoid it.
If it does not get you closer to Jesus, get rid of it.
If it does not get you closer to Jesus, rebuke it!
Do you know Jesus?
You must be born again, and Jesus is the only way to be born again!
John 3:16. That's in The Bible. No. That's not a wisecrack. If you know where it is, praise God. If you do not know where it is, I want to help you!
If you do know where it is, help somebody that does not know!
They are very easy to find.

Alive!

Thank God I am alive!
Thank God that He allows me to see life as it is this day.
Wonderful life. Beautiful life. Glorious life.
Always? Everyday? Every moment? Of course not!
However, a glimpse of glory is afforded to my life each day to cause me to desire to go on...moment by moment.
To go on desiring to be alive!
Do you desire to be alive?
I met with someone this week whose only desire to go on was to see vengeance carried out on someone else.
What a waste of life!
What causes you to go on?
I don't know to what extent our intercourse went, but it ended almost as emotionally as it began.
Was that person affected by our talk? Absolutely!
Will it change her life? Time will tell.
The only assurance I have of anything is the peace I have from the Holy Spirit that I did my best at that moment. That is what I was alive for at that moment.
Why are you alive?

The sight of you, dear..

How many can write such words as these...from the heart:

The sight of you inside my day
wondrously appears...
a thought of you, and time itself
completely disappears...
I thought I heard your voice today,
it caused my heart to sing,
yet as I turned, 'twas only sparrows
rising on the wing...
The flutter of their wings is like
the flutter of my heart
each time the sight or sound of you
unto me does impart!
The very thought of you, or just
the mention of your name,
it is all I need to turn
the flicker to a flame!


The fire deep inside, it burns
for only you, my dear.
It is that flame that, just once in
a lifetime, does appear.
Daily to be kindled as
together we do share
that precious love that, in this life,
has come to be so rare!


With mere words could I describe
our love upon this sheet?
I could write forever, and
'twould still be incomplete!
No mortal e'er could pen the words
to so describe my love;
'tis fully known to just one else:
our Father up above!

May everyone be able to know such love just once!
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Who is my brother?

How many times has that question been asked?
I will never be able to see God fully until I see Him individually.
I can never see God fully until I see that He is black, Mexican, Chinese...
And until I see each of them as God does, I am blind.
Until I look at them as God does, I won't be able to see.
Until WE do the same...
Open your eyes.
"Father, open my eyes.
You see the hindrances I have,
You see the prejudices I have.
You see the ignorance I have.
Such should not be, oh God!
If I would be Your child, Your servant, such should not be!
How can I minister to THEM, unless I see THEM as You do?"
Father, open my eyes."

Quiet Place

Drawn unto a quiet place
to hear His gentle voice,
Him Who makes my very soul
to gleefully rejoice!
Though it is Him to Whom I draw,
'tis Him Who draws me nigh:
the Father, Holy Spirit and
my risen Lord on high!
If only I would so respond
each time He gently calls,
of a truth, this man would surely
have much fewer falls!
If only I would seek His face
each time I venture out,
I would have much more success,
and I would have less doubt!
Regardless, when I come to Him
His arms are there, unfurled,
providing me a quiet place
for to escape the world.
He speaks to me of life and hope
as long as I endure:
that life beyond, that hope for living
unto Him, so pure!

The quiet place. Know it. It is so simple to know, to utilize.
The calm availed there is perfect.
The quiet place. Know Him.
Jesus is The Quiet Place.
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20/20!

"Look! THERE IT IS!"
Each and every one of us who are born-again long to shout those words as we behold Jesus coming in the clouds at the sounding of that trumpet!
No more imagining...no more hoping...
However, until then,

Shadows of eternity
are all I vision now...
but a glimpse of glory is
all Heaven will allow.
Everything envisioned is
but darkly, through a glass;
oh, but soon, all misconceptions
will forever pass!

"Soon and very soon..." My Father,
hearken to my prayer!
The desire of my heart,
oh God, is to be there!
Not to be envisioned, Lord,
except by these two eyes;
and nothing but "reality"
then to realize!

Envisioned e'er eternally,
yet through a glass so clear
with two very perfect windows
if I persevere!
Yea, will I press on, oh Father,
be it darkly so,
just to so partake of Thee,
Thy precious love to know!"

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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My Offering

Offering.
What does it mean?
Is it only a "church" thing?
Thus, is it only the money someone puts into that bag?
Oooohhh. That's enough scare some out the doors!
My offering. Rest assured, there have been times when there has been NOTHING in the wallet to put into that bag! Stay out of that hallowed building then? NO WAY! That would make my 'religion' no more than a place to go and "pay admission!"
My offering must be far more than "money," because I am not always going to have money.
My offering must be my living itself...

Rejoicing in the One Whose love
makes me ever whole.,
Him Who bringeth sweet salvation
to my very soul!
Oh, the joy of Jesus-
could my mortal tongue recite?
And even if it could, would even
this man have the right?!

Oh, but I will do my best
to exalt His Name!
The very right to do so, He has
given me the same!
I was made to worship Him,
this He has told me so!
And was this man made to, oh,
His endless blessings know!

"Forever, my sweet Jesus, will
Your adoration be!
Daily, indeed constantly,
such words will flow from me!
Words alone, Lord? Nay! Indeed,
but in ALL that I do!
'Twill be my meager offering,
oh Father, unto You!"

Rejoice with me in such OFFERING, won't you?
It is a gift that ALL can participate in. ALL can afford to offer praise to God. ALL can give an offering of praise to Jesus. He is certainly worth it!
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Love for Yours

Affection.
So many 'things' does man have such for.
I love the creation of God.
I am so very blessed with vision.
Together...

Oh Lord, why am I so in love
with that made by Your hand?
Why am I so moved as I
gaze out upon the land?
In the reaching, aged pines,
majestic mountain peaks,
and the raging river there,
Your spirit ever speaks!

Stricken very deep am I
by that beyond my script!
To put it into words, oh Lord-
will e'er I be equipped,
equipped to so portray the mountains
beautiful and proud...
to communicate the forest
beauty to enshroud?

My affection, Father, for
the valleys and the peaks.
Does it even permeate
as Your servant speaks?
I know that You can sense it as
it emanates inside.
Oh Father, see my gratitude,
I shall not ever hide!
Amen
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$5

"Attention."
How do you define that word?
Some people do almost anything to get it! (Just ask my folks!)
There are others, however, that do nothing out of the norm to get attention. They are not necessarily "seeking" it. And usually, they are the ones who appreciate it the most.
Shall we call them the "humble?"
There is a lady at our church. She is an octogenarian. She just keeps going and going and...
I have had the blessing of learning from her and her husband for the past 15 years. Her husband passes away just a few years ago. Up until just a few years before he passed, he was driving for one of those companies that runs lab work from hospitals to testing facilities and back. Yes, one of their drivers!
This lady, however, attracted attention by just that: her attention for others. Thus, she remained transparent, and Jesus showed through her.
She would come to me at some point during service and shake my hand. Her hand was never empty. When she began doing this I thought to myself "Five dollars! What am I going to do with this?"
"Doesn't she know about today's economy?"
I eventually learned that the more I took her gift for granted, the worse the economy in my house became!
Miss Jane is not back yet because she fell. I miss her with tears! Not for those covert handshakes, but for the genuineness of her person. The love she had was visible.
You could see her love in her eyes.
You could see her love in her smile.
She has the softest voice I have ever heard, and her speech was filled with love.
We miss her horribly.

I just got an email from the church. The 'subject' line said "$10."
I clicked on it.
"Jim, Miss Jane sent you $10 in her envelope. Do you want me to give it to you Sunday?"
I wipe the tears.
Ten dollars.
What am I going to do with ten dollars?
TWICE AS MUCH!

Blessings...

Blessings...blessings...blessings...
But always the way we see?
Sometimes, the situation we are in or the things that we see may seem laborious or even detrimental, but tomorrow we will see what a blessing they are.
As many of you know I was injured years ago. A back injury so bad that I had to quit the job I had. I even had to quit walking for a while!
That turned out to be a blessing.
Later, another health issue arose that caused me to be unable to hold any steady job.
Another blessing.
The job I hold today is only 16 hours per week. I have the blessing of coming in contact with hundreds of people each day with the love of God!
Are they there for the love of God? Of course not!
Some of them are...they just don't know it. However, they know it when they find it.
Another blessing.
Blessings...blessings...blessings...
Where are you looking for them?

Sacrifice & Labor

The “intensity” of worship…
The “labor” of worship…
The “sacrifice” of praise…
“Cultural” rejecting?
Unity?

Like it or not, proud, joyful, spiritual, traditional, charismatic Christianity does take on a cultural and traditional spin, it is NOT exclusive to the English, Anglo-Saxon charismatic language. As a church, we must accept this if we are going to “go unto all the world…”
We must know how to respond when the people say

“Please pray for me in ways that I understand, not in your ‘denominational’ language.”

In writing, in all, I must become, WE must become the least for God. In order to be the “least” for God, we must get over our supremacy over others, our supremacy over their beliefs. We have to love them first. For Jesus said that by the love we show men will know that we’re His disciples. That takes love, but we do so in His Name, love is labor, and labor is WORSHIP!
The “labor” of worship IS the Sacrifice of Praise. If I am going to make a true sacrifice of praise, I must join that praise with others of race, color and language. I must realize that Jesus is NOT exclusively the white, English-speaking Savior that I have been praying to. What if I get to heaven and Jesus is really black? Am I still going to run to Him with open arms? For some I know, unfortunately, that will be a “sacrifice!”

The sacrifice of praise…the labor of worship…
IT’S WORTH IT!
The freedom, the blessing, the liberty availed in total surrender of worship is like no other!
Rather than being a slave to the bond of “We’ve always done it that way…” or “because it’s always been that way…,” throw Your arms up in total surrender to Jesus and savor the liberty availed in the LIFE that His Blood supplies!
Will that life always be what our ‘denomination’ says it is?
Rather, we must always focus on what Jesus says it is.
It is the least that we can do.

Nothing Everything

Nothing without God.
The day is pointless without Him...
without acknowledging Him...
without allowing Him to be part of it!
Sure, life goes on "without" Him, but just how fulfilling is that kind of life?
He even does things in the lives of those who utterly HATE Him! Good things.
The Psalmist wrote "Though I rappel into the very depths of Hell, You are there."
I would rather accept the fact that He is THROUGHOUT my entire day and follow His leading. Yes, HIS leading. For He will lead me into good.

All throughout the day,
the presence of The Way
devises, guides, directs,
and so my soul expects.
For He already knows
the way that living goes.
So I expect Him here
to very gently steer
the path that I am on-
His leading never gone!

Run from God...I dare you!
Hide from Him...where?
He sees, He hears, He knows...ALL!
So what's the point of Life?
That's up to you...or is it?

Nothing without God...
Everything with God!
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It's not about me...again.

My son, my son. 25 years.
You have grown up. What about me?
You are now instructing people. Am I?
You share with them what you have been taught and what you have lived.
Are they learning?
What are they learning?
My son, my son. You are a teacher.
I so enjoy being around you because I still learn there!
How many parents can hardly wait to be with their children?
How many parents look forward to conversing with their children?
Some people cry over their kids, but what kind of tears?
Too many of those with whom I converse only thank God that it is over, and they are "enjoying their freedom now from the kids."
I thank God...but in a far different context than most.
Too many of them are "...savoring their rewards by escaping as far from them as they can."
I pray for them, my son.
I also pray with them, as they bring their prayer requests to me, requests for what their children have gotten into. Many of them have gotten into everything but a relationship with their parents.
I discuss with parents the same things that children discuss with you: a lack of a communicative relationship. That hurts.
Yes, it hurts. It hurts that I cannot be with you guys.
Me...me...me... I want...I want...I want...
Oh, but that which I want is far more than what most relationships have...and we have it!
Thank you for that.
Thank God for that! For He has been in all the days of your life, and I look back on the fruits of those days, and the proof of it now!
I am so proud of you!
Happy Birthday, my son!

"Deserting?"

Running to the backside of the desert. I know there is refuge there. This matter is pursuing me.
God is there. I know He abides there. I have to get there to His embrace!
This thing is too great for me! If I can get there, no one else will find me. No one may catch me if I go there.
There will I find peace...
There will I find refuge...
There will I find shelter...
There will I find love...
There will I find hope...
No one understands here. Those who tell me they understand listen to me with their eyes, but they scheme otherwise.
I know One Who listens with love.
I know One Who not only listens, but can actually do something about it!

Running to the backside of the desert. But why?
"Am I running TO God?"
"Am I running FROM something else?"
Those are questions that I will hear, but I KNOW that I am going TO Him, and after a season in His Presence I will be equipped to face the challenges that surmount.
Do I run alone, or am I the only one bold enough to admit that I need such refuge?

"Search Me"

I have heard that so many times. I have said that quite often myself. Yet upon reflection I find it sometimes redundant to invite God to search me when He knows everything already!
Nevertheless,

"Search the very life of me,
oh Lord of my belief;
in the comfort of Your care
resides my sure relief!
In Your living water be
refreshment to my soul...
in the stripes upon Your back
be that which makes me whole.

Oh search the very heart of me
lest something should impede
the bounty of Your mercy, oh,
to meet mine every need!
There to be Your dwelling place,
yea, enter and abide,
evicting everything that,
in the fortress, shouldn't hide!

Search the very soul of me,
oh Savior of the same,
that I would know the fullness that
is in Your Holy Name!
Not a thing to hinder living
here and then up there,
knowing the redemption whole
that You have come to share."

Are you able to invite God fully into your life? He is already aware of even more than you are. No, it is not redundant. The Psalmist himself did it quite often.
Let no lie of the enemy hold you back from the blessing of THE open relationship that Jesus has to offer!
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