Lion and the Lamb

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6

A Child leading

Lion and lamb

Upon my

Holy mountain

In which I stand.

The Trumpets

Will sound-

The remnant

Will come

The nations

Will bow

To the Holy

One.

The Leopard

Will lie down

And the child

Will sing.

  

The earth

Will be filled

With the

Knowledge

Of the King.

A love that endureth

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love…”  Ephesians 5:1

I wrote a short book on Beautiful Women in the Bible, and what made these women beautiful was they each exhibited a fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

It’s the fruit of the Spirit that enable us to walk in love.  Ephesians 4:2-3 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

This kind of long-suffering produces beautiful fruits that enable us to walk in a love that endureth. 1Corinthians 13

Peace be with you!

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said,

Peace be with you!

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.  The disciples were over-joyed when they saw the Lord.  (John 20:19-20)

“In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the World.” John 16:33

What gets us is when we enter a place of fear, frenzy and disconnection from the Lord- this comes with outside pressure.  Circumstances beyond our control that make us realize we are not in control of our lives-Only God is.

I love this passage, because the disciples have locked the door and are hiding from outside threats, and Jesus who so casually and confidently walks in and proclaims what they needed to hear- Peace Be with You!  Here is the son of man who just rose from the dead – with the power of Everlasting Life on his side, and he realizes his disciples need to know that He is still with them, and they need not be afraid. 

Peace be with you!

Jesus was the most encouraging man that ever lived, and the Spirit of God is the Son of Encouragement.  Because He lives we live, too!

So now, the disciples that touched his hands and side, and no doubt were surprised to see him; They receive Peace, but it doesn’t end there-they receive, Joy too.

Jesus never ceases to amaze me.  The one, who calmed the raging sea, can calm the storm in me.  

And He doesn’t do it just once, but how many times over in our lives? He shows us the way to follow him-To keep our eyes on Him, and trust that He will enter into our locked rooms and provide the Peace and Joy we need by knowing His presence is still with us.  

The Advocate

"But the Advocate, 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

What makes it difficult to follow the Holy Spirit?  I believe there are three reasons that impede our abandonment to Him.

1) We are fearful.  How many times do we read in scripture, “Do Not Be Afraid”? It’s true the Holy Spirit will challenge us to come out from under the covers and leave our comfort zone.  It’s not because He likes to see us sweat, it’s because He desires to bless us, to build us up, and to use us. 

2) We don’t like to Wait.  So often we are ready, willing and able to go forward, but the Holy Spirit will tell us to “Wait”.  This really annoys us, because we don’t understand why, when we feel ready, but we have to remember that only God sees the big picture, and He is all about the right timing to work everything for good.  We need to learn to wait on Him.

3) We rationalize everything.  If something doesn’t make sense to us, or we can’t figure it out in our heads, then we don’t want to follow His leading.  It just doesn’t make sense!  And it might not make sense to those closest to us, and this is can be a challenge.   We need prayer here, but we also need confirmation.  If it’s of Holy Spirit, He will give it, but sometimes we just have to go out on a limb!

Following the Holy Spirit is the key to living an abundant life.  It isn’t always easy, but Jesus wants us to trust him with child-like faith and believing that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:16) 

Miracles of Faith

Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor of Bethel Church in California poses an interesting question.  Do you want healing, or do you want resurrection power?

Both boost our faith and confidence in God, but which is greater?  He talks about Lazarus who was raised from the dead. He said that Jesus could have gone to Lazarus and healed him, but He waited two more days and said,

“Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

When we take steps of faith and see miracles this boosts our trust in God, and that’s what God wants- It’s never about the miracles, He said, “Your faith has healed you…”  He wants us to trust and believe that He is who He says He is and He does what He says He does- Just like our Father in Heaven.

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!  But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:38-40

The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest sign and miracle of All, and it’s what we should always point others, too.  Our belief in Christianity rests alone on this fact that Jesus died and after three days rose from the grave- and went to heaven where He lives to intercede for us.  We know, that “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)

Go in Peace

 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:43-48

When we consider this woman who was subject to bleeding for 12 years. She would have been considered “Unclean” by the Law of her day, probably lived in isolation-no one wanted to be near her or certainly to be touched by her.

She had a lot of barriers and probably fear that were inhibiting her from her freedom.  She needed deliverance and she was desperate to get it.  If she were to be healed it would enable her to live a normal life again, and to be accepted back into her community.

And her moment finally came.  Jesus was passing by, and she risked a lot getting close to him and the people who were crowding him.  But she believed if she could just touch him, she would be healed.  And in this deliberate act of Worship, she touched the edge of his cloak-power went out from him and she was instantly healed.

Now, she probably would have liked to quietly go back to her business, perhaps hidden from the sight of others and maybe say that the doctors had healed her…But Jesus, wanted her to give testimony in the presence of the community, in which He gave her.

Jesus, Honored her boldness. It wasn’t easy, but in the end she went away whole and in peace.

And isn’t this what we all need.  We need to be bold, honest, and open about what ails us.  We need to reach out for the Freedom, Healing, and Deliverance only Jesus can give.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Matthew 7:7

The Spirit of Giving

The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Giving-

Always giving over; giving love, giving grace, giving freedom-

Giving space for people to be as they are and to come to Jesus in that way.

Jesus never forced people to do things; His Spirit, His Presence, His Power, His Love was there, and people responded by offering Him their lives.

And what greater treasure can a Father receive, but the loving hearts of His sons and daughters.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!”  1 John 3:1

Arise

“He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”  Psalm 27

Today, as I was drawing near to God in Worship this verse came to me.   As we draw near to the Lord, we want him to hide us under his wings that we might find refuge there.  We want him to lift us up and set us high upon a rock, that no enemy can touch us.  It is there we stand sacred and set apart for the Lord’s service; holy and consecrated to his good work.

The only good work there is-is to lift up the name of Jesus.  So that He can “draw all men, women and children to himself.” John 12:32

It’s only by the name of Jesus that we are healed, set free, and liberated from bondage, oppression and disease.

Oh- the matchless name of Jesus, nothing compares to His goodness, His mercy, His glory.

 We need to touch Him and know that He is real.

The only way to do that is bow before him, come and worship and adore him, lay it all down at the feet of Him who laid it all down for His bride- and that is what we are; crucified-now Arise!

Water into Wine

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

What made Jesus so heroic is "For the Joy set before him He endured the Cross.” (Hebrews 12:2)  Jesus was not focused on the immediate, but He was focused on winning the prize.  He already had eternity in His heart, and He was being called upward and onward as a Good Christian Solider. 

It’s so hard not to focus on immediate circumstances especially when they feel crushing in nature, but we need to know that this Christian life is a life-long process of turning water into wine.

In making wine, “the Crush literally gets a grape’s juices flowing and is the first step in the process that turns fresh, delicate fruit into delicious, shelf-stable wine.” (Vinepair-Laura Burgess)

Sometimes we need to allow the crushing process in our lives, because God is after something sweeter and more elegant.   

The first miracle Jesus did was turn water into wine at a wedding.  The bridegroom said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”   John 2:10

A Votre Sante!

From Generation to Generation

In the same way, the Gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.  Colossians 1:6

The other day in desperate need of encouragement, I stumbled across the 1^st chapter of the Book of Colossians in the Bible.

Today if you look around the World, and in our own country and listen to the News and the Media it can be very discouraging.  It makes you wonder what the future holds, but the Good News is that the Gospel will continue to bear fruit throughout our World, because the Gospel is our freedom. The Gospel is our Inheritance.  The Gospel is our future.

Jesus came into a difficult and divided world, and He told us what we desperately needed to hear.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I think of the many children and youth of the World.  How desperately they need A Loving Savior, A Fierce Protector, and A Generous Provider.  The future is theirs!

May the generations that follow carry the torch, the light, the flame of the Gospel; the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people- (Colossians 1:26)

Which is Christ in You-The Hope of Glory! (Colossians 1:27)

Beacons of Light

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 6:31

There is only one life we can save, and that is our own.  Each one of us is responsible for our own lives before God.  This can be a scary thought for some, but it is the truth.  The truth is we love God and people imperfectly, and we want  people to love and follow God (imperfectly) but we can’t save them, we can’t heal them, we only can offer what little we have to be beacons of light for the Future. 

That’s why lighthouses are such a powerful symbol. They draw others to the source, the light, with hope and encouragement that we are not too far off from the land we are seeking.

But what keeps us from that land and from crossing over? What kept the Israelites from reaching the land, was it not the deceitfulness of their own hearts?  In my opinion, that’s what hinders us all; The callousness of sin will harden our hearts from hearing from God, then responding to God, and turning and He would heal us. (Matthew 13:15) 

Swans

Even Swans are who
you created them to be;

Swimming Starlight,
Streaming Sunlight.

Necks bowed low,
Heads raised High.

Life- Long Companions,
He and I.

Reflection

I remember watching a Movie once and an elderly woman told a younger person, that when you get older and reflect on your life, “It will only seem beautiful.”  Is that what Nostalgia means?

Kristen Butler, a popular blogger said, “Sometimes you just need to talk to a four year old and an 84 year old to understand life again.”

I have to laugh, because I’m getting ready to end a preschool year and it’s been a challenging year with those little tikes, but I know when it’s all said and done, and I step away -I will remember the children I cared for and taught with a smile on my face.

It’s amazing how that works; the power of a reflective life.  How often we don’t remember the bumps in the road, but we are full of Joy for the dazzling wildflowers, and fantastic views, and the shyness of a beautiful fawn we observed on the way.

It is the beauty of our lives that will remain, not the sorrow and the pain and the struggle.  It’s hard to believe that, because we get so stuck in the daily grind of our lives, but let’s go talk to a four year old and an 84 year old and they will set us straight on what’s most important in life.

Being present to the beautiful moments that come to us, Being open-armed to the people God entrusts to us, and being deeply grateful for the life and daily Gifts He has give us.

This Freedom will remain.