I jumped from the ledge. The trip down ended suddenly as I splashed down into the mud and water. I was finally able to work my way out. Where I had fallen to was still imprinted with my “image” and remained that way for several days. Continue reading Legacy Is A Footprint Recording
A couple of my dreams last night had similar themes. The theme? No returns.
Now when I was a child, no returns meant no tag backs, or if you have chosen something you do not get another choice or another opportunity. Sometime later in life I had moved to Vermont and they wanted to institute a returnable law for bottles and cans. Small grocery stores like ours were inundated by the influx of cans and bottles from everywhere. One day a dump truck pulled up with a “full load”. So “no returns” was a cry that was heard frequently. And as a consumer I became aware of policy, when a store would not take back merchandise. (Again, another law came into play to protect the consumer from themselves…)
In my dream the person wanted to change something, even exchange it, but they were not allowed. The person pointed to the sign that said “no return” and I watched a dejected person leave the room.
For some reason, this is the third time I have visited this topic in as many weeks. My friend Randall Worley would say “ask yourself why you need to hear it again”.
In the book of Job 10:20-22 (Bold mine), “Would He not let my few days alone? Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer Before I go– and I shall not return— To the land of darkness and deep shadow, The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness.” His “no return” was seeking a place of respite. He is looking to death and he sees no other way out.
How many of us are face with the futility of an existence with knowledge that “God could change it if He wanted to” when the truth in keeping with the new covenant and “all authority” are that you could change “it” if you wanted to? I would emulate the cry of Joshua in Joshua 18:3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?
Like the lepers who saw the city dying, they realized they “could not go back”.
And there is a greater “no return” to be found in this scripture (Bold mine). Isaiah 55:10-12 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.…
We ought be burdened with promise. His promise. 2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Can a chicken become an egg? The Bible tells us we have become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!) not longer to “return” to a previous existence.
Possession, Promise, Participant-No Turning Back
I think one of the biggest questions in the kingdom ought be this when it comes to the idea of questionable or unusual behavior. I also think the response to it determines what is really going on.
Have you thought this out?
I am finding in the midst of an increased understanding of grace an increase of resentment and rejection of correction. I say this is not a response to religion but a revealed immaturity. Continue reading Have You Thought This Out?
Yesterday as I went for a walk with my grandchildren, I realized I had “missed” something over the summer. Probably it was simply the summer! But as I walked down a path with them and looked at the river, the foliage and even the path, I saw two things. The power of God and His people.
I asked myself what changes a region or a community for the better. Clearly there were the two pieces I envisioned. One was people. The other was God. As I walked I saw the changes. Some good. Some not so good. How do we make it better? I personally believe that His people change a community for the better. Not just the “good” people but the people who release God into a community. Continue reading Community Changers Arise!
Many years ago I thought eradicating a pest with a 5 gallon can of gas and a match would be the way. The destruction was to say the least, a little more than I bargained for!
As I shared the gospel of Jesus this week, I thought, how many times in the past did I bring a “can of gas and match” to remove some thing under the guise of sharing? Continue reading Gasoline And Matches
This morning an alarm went off on my phone. I was notified of the Google hack and advised to immediately review my account. (I already knew. By the way-when was Google going to send us a letter?)This is not a lesson in security but in the ways you can lose your peace. Unfortunately, because of “how” I process I missed the “check here” button (Later finding out my account was NOT one of the hacked accounts. But I did go through all the methods of changing passwords, additional security and more.) Continue reading Don’t Lose Your Peace
This morning I awoke rather early. I looked at the clock and I said to the Lord. “Could I have another half hour and a dream?” He honored that. I awoke exactly 30 minutes later with a dream.
Why did I need another half hour? Because I was beat! Wandering around Lake George, looking at old cars and enjoying my family took a lot of energy! Actually, it was the heat and humidity! Why did I want a dream? Because I just wanted to hear from Him. Continue reading Is It Ready For The Big Time?
Last night I had a series of dreams. A couple woke me up. Perhaps I will share on some of them in the coming days. But here is what is more important to me, that dreams are developing into two categories. One category is the those dreams that introduce people, places and situations and develop an allegorical or “fantasy” scenario. (The ones that seemed so true, only to awaken and realize that is not a true thing or that scripture is not really a scripture.) And yet upon examining them with the Lord I see the play out of them or the value. The second category is that of those which are what they are and come true. (Only the other day I had a dream about someone and it came true just as shown.) Continue reading Lights Of Listening – Will You Hear?
It “seems” like “it” is in the air. The disconnects, the changes, even the heart breaks. Last night my prayer list grew, my phone rang and I thought, I am “taking it in stride”, meaning the flow of things. Apparently taking it in stride was not best approach. I spent a lot of the night “up” and away. While I was “up” I was praying. While I was away I was seeing, as dreams took me all over the place. Yes, it was a pretty sleepless night. But it reminded me that to pray was the “word” of the day, night and all in between. Continue reading Mixing Their Faith With The Promise
Each morning, particularly those that I have to head off to work, I get up and write. It is my quiet time if you will. God is faithful to wake me up at 5:55 these days. No alarm clock is better than the presence of the Lord. (Non-work days I often find myself up even earlier knowing there is a day of unknown goodness and everything is ahead!) But my getting up and such, is a discipline. I know people do not “like” that word discipline, as they consider it a religious word. A word that “robs” the of them of the freedom they believe they were so much intended for. Continue reading A City With No Walls…
