This morning I got my concordance and counted how many times it came to pass (past tense) is in the bible. (Yes I’m weird like that.) I discovered it is found 530 times. That’s more than enough for every day of the year!
In life we go through things. Our hearts break. Our minds question. Our loads get heavy. Our bodies react. Our vision clouds. Our minds get weary. But we must go through . . . . . until we reach the point where we look back and say “and it came to pass.”
We’re on the way up, we’re on the rebound
We’re staking our turf, we’re claiming our ground
Taking back what was stolen, setting free what was bound
Yes we claim it in Jesus, ’cause His love will abound.
Proverbs 6:31
“OK men, after six steps we’ll stop. Help me count. One, two, three, four, five, six. That’s it. Stop. Get a bull and a fattened calf for a sacrifice. It’s time to bless the Lord.”
And so it went, In 2 Samuel 6:13-15, six steps and a sacrifice, six steps and a sacrifice, as David and his men carried the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem.
Today is Sunday, the christian’s sabbath or seventh day. After working six days, today is our seventh step time–time to worship and praise Him.
The view outside the sealed grave was bleak. Those close to him felt the sting of death, the sadness–and now the tomb meant finality. But behind the stone silence became noise, coldness became warmth, darkness became light, mourning became joy and death became life.
When things don’t look well, don’t give up, there might be some stirring behind the stone.
He came to seek. He came to save.
And now a borrowed tomb His grave.
Some were calloused, unimpressed,
so on to Hell to end His quest.
Descending down He took the trip
to get the keys–death where’s your grip?
He then met Satan at the gate,
who shocked, aghast–in a frozen state,
dropped the keys into His hand
then on Christ went to finish His plan.
Redeemed, set free–set free from sin
for death, hell, grave–no more will win.
Years ago I heard a sermon by Nona Freeman. She told how Jesus died on Golgotha, “which being interpreted, The place of a skull ” (Mark 15:22). She explained how the skull contains the mind and that Jesus not only died for forgiveness of sin and physical healing, but he also died for our minds. His desire is for our minds to be healed and whole.
Today when you see Golgotha you can see the profile of a skull. Whether this is how it appeared in Jesus’ time, I don’t know. Look closely and you can see the eye sockets in the first photo and the nose profile in the second photo.
Thank you Jesus. Thank you for every drop of blood you shed. Redeemer and Healer, help me to renew my mind (Romans 12:2).
To be a leader, you must start by being a servant.
The way up is always the way down.
To find life, you must first lose it.
For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:28
Nature does nothing abruptly. Roots sprout. Stems and leaves stretch upward. Flowers bloom. Fruits bud and ripen. It’s all a process-a process in God’s timing.
Lord, your word and spirit are like seeds growing inside me. Help me to be patient with myself and others as we grow and become what you designed us to be.
In Jeff Arnold’s sermon, Man’s Greatest Need, he says:
God turns:
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. Hebrews 12:2a NIV
He gets joy when we come to Him.
“Grandma is this a front cold?”
“Yes Michaela, I think it is,” I answered as I took my grandaughter’s hand and ran toward the car. She must have heard her Dad (my oldest son) and I talking earlier about the expected cold front.
Before we entered the store, the wind was calm and the temperature was in the 70s. Ten minutes later, we stepped outside to a blast of wintry air and cold misty rain. The sudden chill sent us scurrying to our warm Toyota shelter.
Life’s climate can change suddenly too. One phone call delivering tragic news can cause our lives to go off course. The death of a loved one, a serious illness or a severed relationship can chill us with shock and disbelief. Yet in spite of life’s “front colds” our God is constant (Malachi 3:61). He doesn’t change.
So when I’m overwhelmed, I sprint to the one who’s steadfast and sure. I run to Jesus–my rock.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2
I asked several people where they were when they first heard the news about Pearl Harbor. Two of them told me they were very young and couldn’t remember. One friend told me she was 4 years old and lived on a farm.
She remembered how her Mom would light the kerosene lamps every evening as they sat by the radio and listened to news.
“Mr. & Mrs. America, the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor. We are at war.”
Her parents gasped.
“What is war?” she asked.
In 1941 the British lived under the cloud of a possible attack from Germany. My mom was a teenager and she remembers her Dad sitting by the radio. He heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and told the family.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, my Dad was a twenty-six year old Civilian Pilot Trainer with the Army Air Corps. He was hitchhiking back to base in Bakersfield, California when the driver who picked him up told him of the tragedy.
Our spiritual enemy can also surprise us.
But we have an arsenal–His Word.
After all, that’s what Jesus used . . . It is written.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Clip-clop, clip-clop. That sound meant one thing–the horse-drawn ice cream cart.
During the summer of ‘67 Mom and I flew across the Atlantic to her homeland of Lancashire, England. While visiting, I discovered the Accrington ice cream vendor, an old man atop a yellow stagecoach-style wagon pulled by a horse.
Every afternoon I’d watch the street and listen for the clip-clop. I hadn’t been around horses much. So when the wagon stopped in front of Auntie Ray’s house, I’d give the man my tuppence and he’d turn to scoop my frozen treat. That’s when I’d examine his horse. Chestnut brown, black mane, black tail. There was just one thing I couldn’t see, no matter what angle I looked–his eyes. Blinders, leather squares attached to his bridle covered them. I figured they must be there to keep him looking straight ahead.
Last Sunday, as the congregation sang, O Magnify the Lord, I saw that horse again–blinders and all.
Mary, when you magnify something you make it big, so big it’s the only thing you see. Forget who’s around you . . . what’s going on at home, at work, and yes . . . even at church, and worship me.
Yes Lord. Blinders on.
I sang and worshipped. When my pastor preached, I absorbed the message. Then came the closing song and altar call. I bowed my head. Sometimes I’m the one in need of prayer. Other times, I’m compelled to pray for someone else.
Yes Lord. Blinders off.
In my daily email devotional from www.christianwomentoday.com is a story about a young girl who wanted to prepare her heart for Christmas. She decided to give fruit away. Not the apples and oranges you see in the store. She asked God to give her opportunities to give away the fruit of the Spirit.
I’ve decided to do the same. There are nine days left until Christmas. I’ve asked God to help me give one of His fruits away everyday (Galations 5: 22, 23) until December 25. Here’s the schedule:
12/16 Love
12/17 Joy
12/18 Peace
12/19 Longsuffering
12/20 Gentleness
12/21 Goodness
12/22 Faith
12/23 Meekness
12/24 Temperance
Dear Lord
Fill me with your presence so the fruit of the Spirit will be overflowing in my life. Help me find opportunities to share your attributes. This holiday season I want to give away your fruit.
Volunteers in Phoenix, Maryland renovated the home of a terminally ill child where this note was found written on a scrap piece of drywall. It reminded me of a poem.
The Best Carpenter
Tools in the days gone by.
Building dreams of gold
A carpenter nailing my life.
His words are so bold.
They are built on wisdom.
The best carpenter can build you.
Let Him use His nails.
He’ll turn you into something new.
Bill Pearce
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
As I listened to Mary Did You Know, some other did you know thoughts came to mind.
Barn mice did you know you’d be among the first to hear His voice?
Bethlehem did you know out of you would come the Bread of Life?
Innkeeper did you know your stable would be the birthroom of a king?
Manger did you know you’d cradle the Prince of Peace?
Shepherds did you know that while you watched your flocks you’d see The Lamb?
Wise men did you know when you followed the star you’d see The Light?
Merry Christmas
In Numbers 22, King Balak requested the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. To reinforce his cause, Balak took Balaam to three different vantage points to see the utmost part of the people (Numbers 22:41). The king had an earthly view of Israel.
Although Balaam had the same human eyesight as Balak, the prophet had something the king didn’t have–vision.
And Balaam lifted up his eyes . . . and the spirit of God came upon him. He followed through with his vision and spoke blessings to Israel.
In 2009, I want to be like Balaam. I want to see things through His eyes.
Help me Lord. I don’t want a view. I want vision.
He examined me and said “You’re clean.”
A leper no more, my mind serene.
The priest declared it. His word is true.
I’m healed and I’m whole, my life renewed.
I’m cleansed and restored. New flesh I wear.
An outcast no more. No shame to bear.
˜
You have a High Priest who’ll do the same.
He’ll forgive your sins, your soul reclaim.
“You are clean my child,” you’ll hear Him say.
“All your transgressions are wiped away.
Yes. You’re clean my child, no stains I see,
no condemnation–no spots. You’re free.”©
Happy New Year!
During a weary time in my life I asked the Lord,
How Long? How long do I stay faithful?
Later that day I found the answer.
. . . be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.
Revelation 2:10
Why do we pray before meals? Habit? Tradition? For the answer, click here:
http://www.joyfulheart.com/thanksgiving/offer-blessing.htm
When I read this eight years ago it changed my pre-meal perspective and consequently my prayer. Now instead of asking God to bless my food, I bless God, the provider of my food.
When an oyster gets an irritation it has three choices. The oyster can:
*flush it
*live an agitated life
*make a pearl
David said, “. . . thou hast known my soul in adversities” (Psalm 31:7). Life’s irritations , or adversities, are often the window for God and others to see what’s really on the inside us.
Dear Lord,
Search me and know my heart. Help me to see the irritations of life as a signal to run to You. With Your strength, trouble can transform into triumph.
Help me Lord. I want to make some pearls.
Circumstances do not cause your attitude, they reveal what is in the heart.
This Roadstop was Different is the title of an article in the Greenville Herald Banner written twenty-three years ago. Why? Because a friend of my parents’ contacted the newspaper staff and told them a lady had given birth to a baby boy on Highway 11 enroute to the hospital. That baby boy was my son, Matthew, who is now serving his third year in the USAF.
Yes, it’s true. He was born on the side of the road on February 3, 1985 on a snowy, icy morning. Days later, I realized all the things that could have gone wrong, but I believe angels were with us.
We weren’t prepared for a roadside birth. Things happened fast. We didn’t have a bulb syringe or blanket. I could see Matthew was breathing, so we wrapped him in a jacket and continued on to the hospital. A surprised Emergency Room staff hurried to the truck with a stretcher and blankets.
Yes Matthew, you really were born in a Ford truck on the side of road, in the snow.
Always remember Psalm 91:11.
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
As we celebrate Black History month I came across this story about Booker T. Washington.
Shortly after he became principal of the Tuskegee Institute he was walking past the house of a wealthy family. The woman of the house assumed he was one of the yard workers and asked him to chop some wood.
Professor Washington removed his coat, chopped the wood and carried it into the kitchen where a servant girl recognized him and informed her mistress of his true identity.
The next day the woman came to Washington’s office and apologized saying, “I didn’t know it was you I put to work.”
“That’s entirely all right, madame. I like to work and I’m delighted to do favors for my friends,” he replied.
She was amazed at his manner and willingness to forgive. Consequently she gave generous gifts to the instiute and persuaded her wealthy friends to do the same.
Washington raised more money from this one act of kindness than any other fund-raising event.
A great leader is never beyond hard work.
A verbal assault, a false accusation
stun my spirit in angry vibrations.
Spirit whispers to me, “Add mercy to the bank.
Forgiveness plus compassion yields a balance, not a blank.
Repay with kindness. Subtract retaliation.
Add to Mercy’s Bank. See my calculations.
Be merciful–you’ll reap mercy’s seed,
compounded with love for your time of need.”©
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
Another victim lay wet and lifeless on the floor.
“No need for a fly-swatter when I have you,” I said to Duchess, my fly-catching dog. I reached for the broom and swept the dead bug into the dustpan. A casualty of her keen sight and swift jaws.
Is it possible to zap those out-of-God’s-will thoughts as fast as Duchess captures flies?
The Psalmist wrote, Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). David knew the value of treasuring God’s Word.
In the wilderness, when faced with the temptation of turning stones into bread, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 and thwarted Satan’s plan. While on the pinnacle of the temple, He spoke the first part of Deuteronomy 6:16 and proved God’s Word is quick and powerful. Finally when Satan tempted the Lord by offering power, glory and all the kingdoms of the world He responded once more–It is written . . .
Dear Lord
I want to know You and Your Word. Teach me to discern and swat those things that are not from You. As I read and study my Bible, help me to absorb it so I too can say, It is written . . .
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
”These crayon marks won’t come off,” I muttered tossing the wet dishcloth into the sink. “Maybe if I scrub harder. Oh it’s no use! Only forty-five minutes until everyone will be here for the church dinner.”
“Where are the paper tablecloths? They’d look better. Bad idea. No time to search. These crayon-marked tables will have to do,” I said as my Martha eyes scanned the fellowhsip hall one last time before scurrying to the kitchen.
Heat water for tea. Where are the pickles? Stir the beans. Oh, what will our guests think when they see those tables? Slice the brownies. Arrange the serving line. What will they think?
Soon my Martha eyes began to dim. I looked once more at the tables. For the first time I saw them through Mary’s vision. Scenes of children seated around them came into focus. I saw toddlers coloring pictures from their Sunday School lessons. I saw pre-schoolers coloring their attendance charts. Kids of all sizes–cutting, gluing, and . . . coloring.
Thank you Lord for showing me these beautiful crayon-marked tables. They’re reminders of our most precious gifts, our children. May they always feel loved and at home here–in Your house.
Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord. Psalm 127:3a
The Wye Oak, the largest white oak tree in the United States, succumbed to time and the elements during a storm on June 6, 2002. Only a rim of her massive trunk stands today. Yet, in the midst of the decaying wood is a sapling planted from a seed of the original tree.
Like trees, we weather many storms in life. Some are expected. Others catch us unaware. Gusts of sudden illness can blow into our lives followed by downpours of loss. Feelings of abandonment may thunder. Wave after wave of unexpected events can wash us to despair. Dreams and emotions may drift away.
Despite life’s storms, we can cling to a tendril of hope–trusting God. In time the tendril will become a sturdy seedling, and like the Wye Oak, an ending will nourish a beginning.
Dear Lord
As a child I learned to trust you. You nurture, comfort, and strengthen me. Thank you for helping me salvage the pieces of my past and live, again.
For thou art my hope O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
Psalm 71:5
Where did they take him? wondered Mary as she inspected the tomb and the rolled away stone in the pre-dawn light. I must tell the disciples. They’ll help me find Jesus’ body. Lifting her robe above her ankles she sprinted towards town and found Peter and John. She paused to catch her breath and pointed towards Golgotha.
“Tomb’s empty. They’ve taken him.”
Peter and John raced toward Golgotha’s Garden. John arrived first then Peter, totally unaware they had raced into a new spiritual provision.
Jesus, the ultimate sacrificial lamb’s blood had been shed. When he died, the veil in the temple tore from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45) symbolizing man was no longer under the law. Death had been conquered and now His law would be written in the hearts of men instead of tablets of stone.
Yes Peter and John raced to an empty tomb and to a new dispensation–the dispensation of grace.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 NIV
In Bible times, the high priest also functioned as the medical examiner. When a leper claimed he was healed, he had to show himself to the high priest who would examine him for any marks of leprosy. Once the priest determined he was clean, a cleansing of blood and water followed before re-entry into society. Consequently, when Jesus healed the ten lepers they were eager to show themselves to the priest. The sooner they were pronounced clean, the sooner they could return to a normal lifestyle. Thankfully one leper paused from his high priest sprint and returned to express his appreciation to Jesus. What a beautiful lesson in halting our own agenda to express feelings of gratitude.
There are two thieves who will rob you of today. One is named Yesterday, the other is named Tomorrow. If you dwell in the past and fill your mind with guilt and regret or how it used to be, it will rob you of today. On the other hand if you’re always thinking about the future and planning for tomorrow it will steal the joy of the present. Don’t let these thieves rob you of today. Nona Freeman
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
The straight and narrow road of the Christian Life is lined with a hedge. (Job 1:10, Ecclesiastes 10:8). Why a hedge? Because Jesus is a gentleman and a hedge is the easiest barrier to break through. He designed the Christian’s journey to be one of free will. We choose whether or not to live for Him. We decide by our actions how deep we want our relationship to be.
His yoke is easy.
His burden is light.
He simply says, “Follow me.”
