Borrowers of Life--singing the mighty power of God...

There's not a plant or flower below
But makes Thy glories known;
And clouds arise and tempests blow
By order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee
Is ever in Thy care,
And everywhere that man can be,
Thou, God, art present there.

The presence of the Lord to us as His creatures is so clearly painted for us in this beautiful old hymn. I do want to sing the mighty power of God, when I look at this meditation. I see the plants and flowers picketting (so to speak) God's glories, in their purpose and beauty and design. I see them marching with their mission clearly etched upon leaves and stems. I see the orders of the Lord carried out in the tempests and the clouds, (certainly my favorite study). I see that we, among the creatures of God's care, offering praise and study to understand the purposes of God in the things around us. Borrowing life and rendering praise. Halleluia!

God is not a man that He should lie!

Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

Genesis 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Genesis 21:18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Genesis 21:20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer

I especially love the testimony of Hagar, in scripture. It shows the love of God that far surpasses, even the love of the best men. God seems to take wondrous pleasure in outdoing and out loving people. A good man, a godly man, would and did send that slave woman out into the world to die and God came to the rescue. God vindicated His great name. God showed Himself the defender of the weak and the fatherless and the stranger. He is always that way. When men show the truth of what we are, He outdoes us and outshines us in our best attempts at love and righteousness. God will not allow His truth to be overcome by evil. It may look so, because of the sins of His godly ones. Even then, God will step in and show Himself mighty to save.

7/7/59--The day my life changed, even before I was born

I didn't know this baby. I didn't see him then, but that day changed my life forever. I am committed and loved, by the boy that was born that day. Neither of us knew that our paths would cross. Situations and providence would cause us to be in eachother's way, on many occasions, but that fine day on the subway so many years after, we were born, would make us know eachother, ever after.

Dancing through life and stepping on eachother's toes. Dancing through time and learning the steps that have been danced by so many before us. We love, we live, we give and forgive. That is the song of marriage that we have chosen to play with eachother. Not easy, but true.

Dear Daddy,

This morning, I imagined that I was talking with my Daddy about how much similarity he has found between himself and Jacob. What a trickster, he said? I wish that I knew that God would honor those kinds of prayers when I was on earth. The beauty of the prayer for blessings for all of his sons. The sense that he could, as it were, trick God out of so many blessings. We were very blessed, he seemed to say, but the thing that I am learning on this side of the eternity of eternity is that there is more goodness in God than we can plumb the depths of. I do know that Dad. I said and I did want to talk to you about this in life. What an imagination, I have.

Seeing Jacob, take Ephraim and Manasseh and tell God which side to bless them from. If it was from the left than bless him with the blessing that I was supposed to get, if I hadn’t tricked my father and if it is from the right, then bless him with the blessing that I have received, having tricked my father from it. God, you are eternal and I trust that there are more blessings than my father could have given either Esau, or I. I am dividing the eternal blessing between the sons that you have given me, which is more restoration than I could have imagined that you could have given. Jacob saw that there was more in God than heart or mind could hold. God call’s Himself the God of Jacob. I want all of You that belongs to me and all of You that is my brother’s as well. That is the way to use sibling rivalry. Greedy for grace.

I think, in my imagination that those 2 boys were a darker version of Jacob and Esau, probably, one hairy and one smooth. Jacob had seen them fighting as the brothers are often doing. He prayed, whatever part of me that they come from the left or the right. Bless each of them with the blessing that is theirs and the blessing that is their brother’s. You are able to bless both brothers under the blessing of grace that is in You. May they never enter into the idolatry of the lifestyle that they are raised in; in Egypt. They are Egyptian, but don’t hold that against them. Raise them, dear Lord with the blessing of spiritual confidence that is as though they were me and raised, with their hand under my thigh. There is something far more intimate about the beauty of the life of the spirit with his children. Are you in your earthly father? Are you in your Heavenly Father? Is your hand under His thigh? Are you begging for the blessings of the darling children and the doted on children from our dear Heavenly Father? He stated that those blessings are inculcated through and expressed in Sabbath keeping… ”and feed you with the heritage of Jacob, your father”
You will see the intimacy of a right relationship with God. Correct expectation of the goodness of God, in Christ: Right knowledge that His goodness can be implored upon and the truth that when we go astray that He will and is committed to wrestle right into our hearts and minds, as He did with Jacobs real sons. The commitment of God to see what we ask Him and do exceedingly abundantly above what we have asked or thought. Did Jacob know that we would be feeding on his life of faith, even in that one prayer? Did he know that there were eternal halleluia’s in his progenitors in Israel and from Egypt? Halleluia, whatever we ask in prayer for our children, God multiplies.

Lord, I believe...

Help, Thou my unbelief!

When God gives to us in His mercies, it is easy to grow our faith and to think that He will hear and answer our prayers. But, when we experience a no to our requests, it is easy to exhibit a, sort of, calloused expectation of God's future no's. Sometimes, I fear that there is a death of faith that is expressed by the expectation of God, not answering our prayers. I fear that, in the best case, it is an expression of disallusionment with the power of prayer and at worst it is an expression of a dead orthodoxy that may need the regeneration of God to revive it. Are we alive, Lord, if we don't expect You to save and to heal and to cleanse and to deliver?
God's word states that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Are we instructing, God's people to develop faith or to criticize faith in others? Help us Lord to look expectantly to You! I don't see the fruition of my prayers, yet, but I trust that You have my need in Your concern and You will answer, in due time. My fear and unbelief cannot stop Your power. I trust You, dear Lord.
Thank God for corporate prayer, where the unbelief of the one, can be overcome by the faith of the many.

Contending for the Riches of His Grace?

What are we contending for? God is our inheritance. He asks daily, Do you love me more than…? Too often, we must say, my heart is not seeking You as I ought.

I have not sought Thee as I ought, alas the duties left undone.

Sometimes we see the things of earth as excesses, and they certainly are. But more, It is our acceptance of ourselves. Self sufficiency, I don’t need You, Lord, we say, by our experiences. Do we own the kingdom of Heaven? Blessed are the poor in spirit. Are we willing to become poor in spirit as we are to buy that new car? I need a car. I need the kingdom of Heaven, far more. Jesus said, the rich man, with Lazarus, gave and gave, but didn’t see that His soul was bankrupt in Heaven. He may have even given “alms”. But not to the need that he could see, in front of him. He said, my brothers won’t get this, Lord. They won’t see the priority, on account of their religion is blinding them, let me translate it to them. He longed for this more than for the water from Lazarus’ hand. There were a bunch of dogs licking somebody’s wounds that he had passed and it was too much for him to see and help that need.

The least of us, helped by the most of us. Our precious Governor stated in the wake of the hurricane.

-a spiritual application is: I can’t be worthy of heaven, Lord, I am a beggar on the earth. Trusting in God, for worthiness, makes us worthy. Christ’s righteousness is the only hope, not our own. God proves this in my life, everyday and everyday, I fail.

I want to own my own righteousness. I want to depend on my own sufficiency. Sell all your sufficiency, it is worth nothing. Even your mental acumen, even your money and hopes for such. Even your children and glory in your own good works. None of these are a down payment on the mortgage of the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit. I have to loathe my own good works? Let me stop thinking that I am better than Lazarus, that he should get me water from Abraham’s bosom. God, isn’t Lazarus your slave? He was a beggar? Jesus shows us, through the rich man, that the reasoning is very acute in Hell. You mean I owned Hell, all the while I was on earth, he thought. Hell was wrapped up in his self sufficiency. He was able to see that.

I have not loved Thee as I ought, Nor cared that I am loved by Thee. … Lord, give us grace and give us might, for Thee to toil, for Thee to fight!

When shall we know Thee as we ought…

I may not own my house on earth. I spent my time and attention and life insurance in other places and for other things. But, if I own the grace of God, through Christ's sacrifice and the kingdom of Heaven, I am richer than the richest queen. Tiarras on your head, is not soul insurance, unless it is mixed with compassion and loathing of sin. Poverty is no guarantee of heaven unless it is linked with the embracing of the riches of Christ and His righteousness as all. God knows our hearts.

Philemon and Paul and Onesimus

What a beautiful expression of brotherly lovingness, is exposed to us in Philemon. I have often heard preachers speaking of the tenderness and mercy that Paul, so clearly exhibited to Philemon about the slave friend Onesimus.
Today, as I read the passage, it was clear to me that Paul saw a clear distinction between the usefulness of the tools that God gave him in his work and the friends and dear ones that God gave him for his own comfort. Onesimus was this dear to Paul, he spoke in his letter. Paul was so precious to note the care and usefulness of many who ministered to him. But, I don't recall him calling anyone his intestinal friend. That is a care that was given, only to this man.

{This is particularly a blessing to me, whose care about my family and children, sometimes moves me to intestinal convulsion.}

Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Remembering the bound, as being bound with them, is a ministry that the slave and the incarcerated may be well suited to. This seems to be the case with Onesimus. It is often the case that, when a person is highly respected, the personal emotional needs are difficult to minister to. Onesimus was humbled in his station and able only to see the humble needs of this esteemed man of God. Paul took note of the personal care of him.
More than just saving this runaway from a certain death, upon his return; I think that Paul was ministered to, in his spirit. Devout men, it seems, can be taken advantage of, in their sensitivities. They must be guarded in their emotional vulnerability. It looks as though God had granted Paul such guards about him. Not so guarded that his personal and emotional frame is not ministered to.
Onesimus was someone that, if lost would cause the Apostle an intestinal convulsion. We must preserve this man, for our esteemed minister's sake.
These types of relationships are rare. It is only when the face of death and loss, looks into the face of the reality of a death sentence upon him that this kind of a relationship is possible. It is not the kind that can happen over a cup of tea, in a lovely and beautiful home.
This servant of God, who had suffered much for the sake of Christ, had much to cry about and much emotional need to be ministered to. God sent him a slave. His heart was lifted and the ministry of helps and care is blessed to know that this man of God, was a man and blessed in friendship with those who cared.Philemon

Physical Immersors and Spiritual Sprinklers!

What do we want? The Holy Spirit. When do we want Him? Now!

I find it an interesting realization of our lavished society, that the only thing that is completely spiritually cool is the slightness and chill of our spiritual experience. The more of truth that we possess, it seems, the more of complacency of spiritual experience marks our lives. I have noticed this, from my earliest exposure to Reformed truth. The crying out of the simple hearts and minds of people, who had less in terms of this world's goods, was ridiculed and mocked, by those who were blessed with much in material things.
Jesus states to John's disciples, that the poor having the gospel preached to them would be a mark of Jesus' ministry. I have sat with many poor in their seeking and pursuing every part of the experience of the spirit. I have been with many rich, who claim it a mark of ignorance that others spend time seeking "the Lord, in His Spirit". It sounds uncanny, that those who argue for the complete immersion of the body in baptism by water are happy to live with a mere sprinkling of the Spirit, in their lives; if He is in their possession at all.
I love the truth of God and I love the Spirit. I want all that the Holy Spirit has to give. I would and have immersed my body in water, in obedience to Christ and imitation of Him. I also pray for the immersion of my Spirit with the Holy Spirit and do not expect to be satisfied, until I get to glory. I do not speak in tongues, but I do tarry before the Lord, for the power and grace to see and live and to grow in His power and lifestyle. I think that to look to scripture to argue against seeking the Holy Spirit is justifying the materialism that has arrested us.
We certainly spend time and attention accumulating and utilizing our stuff, with vigor, whether or not God directs us there. We should be very careful not to ridicule those who are richer than we in spiritual things.

I fear that we are like the rich who wonder, what simple Christians do? perhaps. Lord, deliver us from our harsh judgment on those who are simpler and richer in the Spirit than we.
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What do the simple folks do?

This is one of my favorite sections of Scripture. Jesus says this is an evil generation {Notwithstanding that they were so self righteous}

Luke 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

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Luke 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

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Luke 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

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Luke 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

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Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

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Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

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Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

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Luke 11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

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Luke 11:37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

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Luke 11:38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

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Luke 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

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Luke 11:40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

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Luke 11:41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

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Luke 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

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Luke 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

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Luke 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

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Luke 11:45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

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Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

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Luke 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

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Luke 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

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Luke 11:49Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

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Luke 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

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Luke 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

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Luke 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

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Luke 11:53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

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Luke 11:54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

People from wicked backgrounds and ungodly heritages will inherit the promises of Abraham, through Christ, He announced to them, clearly. You will be trying to pay God back for the blood of the prophets that were given for your enlightenment and others will be basking in the light of redemption accomplished. Come to Jesus, was the message. A day is coming where none of you self righteous deeds will account for anything and you are living in that day now. To have the privilege of knowing the heart of God, through His Word and not accepting the payment for sin, once accomplished, is a judgement of blindness. There is no greater blindness. God is merciful and He still stands ready to save the foulest as the Queen of the South, or the Ninevites or the most self righteous as the Pharisees or the Lawyers. Jesus ready stands to save us, full of pity, grace and power.