Cannot Be Removed

Isaiah 54:10 - For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

As I spent time with the Lord this morning outside in the very early morning light watching the day begin and the sounds bursting forth, I looked out at all that was growing in our yard, the sun rising and shining bright yellow on the treetops. I marveled yet again at the beauty of it all. I am thankful for what I see. It shows me God's handiwork. I thanked God for these moments of peace before the noise of the day would start.

This is peacefulness. What if this was removed? What if disaster struck and we would see this no more? What if our world was turned upside down? What would we cling to? I know one thing is for certain. If we have Jesus Christ planted (no pun intended) securely in our lives, nothing can take that away.

If we have Jesus Christ, if we have nothing in this world, we have the Spirit of God within us. It cannot be removed unless we choose to push it out. We can cling to the knowledge of who He is and what He stands for...or who He died for. He is all we need. He is our portion. He is the very present help in time of trouble. He is the Rock we can stand on, the Tower to rush into.

But this only holds true for those who truly do lean on Him each and every day...not just in moments of despair, loss or fear. He must be in one's heart and mind often throughout the day, not just occasionally. The first thought in the morning, the last at night: Thank You for this new morning, thank You for this day and the rest You provide tonight. And thankfulness throughout the day.

We are not truly alive if we do not have Him. I'm so thankful because He lives in me He is always there and cannot be removed unless I choose to allow His Spirit to depart from me. When I acknowledged Him years ago, His covenant was then with me, included me. I was given, although I did not know it until later, assurance that nothing could take Him away from me.

Nothing can remove Him. Nothing..unless I choose to let Him go. In death, no matter what manner, He is with me. If I were a missionary and persecuted for my beliefs, no one could take Him away. If I die a natural death, He is locked in a place that no man can enter...my heart. If my heart be stopped, I am then His. Permanent, perfect peace.

Lord, I choose Your Spirit to remain in me to strengthen me, give me wisdom beyond what the world has, to see with spiritual eyes, to bring me peace despite what we see around us. Though the world may crumble, we can have the hope that You are in control. If we are stayed on You, there is nothing we need fear. Though I see an unsettled world, I am comforted by knowing You. You will give us all that we need when we need it. I choose to trust in You. I anxiously await seeing You face to face.

I pray Lord that You would touch those who do not know You in this very special way. I ask that You work in them at a very deep spiritual level, in a way they cannot explain away, that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, that You would give them the wisdom and understanding of who You are in their innermost being. Open their hearts to receive You and the hope You bring. Show them all that You are and can be to them.

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

The Ark

Genesis 6:8-9 - But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

I returned last Saturday from a church bus trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Two of the highlights of the trip were two plays we saw, The Passion Play and Noah, the Musical. We all know the story behind the Passion of Christ. We all know the story of Noah. I know I've written about the symbolism behind Noah and his ark. Something about seeing this play struck the hearts of nearly everyone on the trip. It was all the talk.

There's so much about this account of Noah that can be said. He was 500 years old when God told him to build the ark. It took 100 years. 

Noah's dedication to God was immense. He did not question God. He just did. The earth had never seen rain or flooding so how could he comprehend these things? The earth then was replenished with moisture like that of a terrarium. The earth had enough moisture beneath the surface and the earth's atmosphere held in just what was needed. No rain. The gentle hand of a loving God provided.

But God was fed up to say the least with the corruption of the earth. "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth," God told Noah in verse 13. He wanted to start over with Noah and his small family of eight, three sons and their wives, and he and his wife. He would destroy all things beneath heaven and since He found Noah righteous, He gave him and his family favor. He would establish a covenant with Noah. A covenant initiated by God is everlasting as opposed to man who tends to break covenant time and again. I wish I could go into more detail about covenants here. The symbolism is amazing.

Noah and his sons built the ark and no doubt as they did the people questioned them as they told them of God's plan. The people couldn't fathom what a flood was having never experienced such a thing so they mocked and scoffed. But Noah stood his ground because He trusted and believed in his LORD. Reminds me of the scripture in 2Corinthians 4:18 - while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. By faith Noah trusted enough. It's what God desires of each of us too in today's world. How many really do? Are we consumed with the things we have and do and do not even consider what happens when we die?? The people of Noah's day did that and look where they ended up.

After 100 years of building and putting up with the scoffing, the ark was finished. By God's hand the animals were lead in two by two, along with Noah and his family. God, not Noah, closed the (only) door to the ark. There's another scripture in Revelation 3:8 that says “... See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."  This sounds like Noah...he did not deny God nor go against all he was told to do, despite the pressure and mocking of all others. God finalizes this 100 years of ark building. He had given the people plenty of time to reconsider their ways. Now the door closes and the rains begin...and continue...and continue. 

In the play you hear the screams on the other side of the door. Friends, neighbors, even family members. You see the anguish of Noah's family because they cannot open the door. It's too late. They didn't trust in what they couldn't see, only in what they saw before them in their lives. God's wrath on the world will come again, despite the people who scoff today. All life outside the relationship with Jesus, the Ark, will perish.

After the intermission we were told to be sure to be in our seats for the second half. Don't miss a thing. As the lights came on little by little we saw an expansion of the ark, On both sides of the auditorium were three tiers of rooms (make rooms in the ark, Genesis 6:14) that housed animals (most animated, some real) and foodstuffs. It was breathtaking. 

As the play continued we saw how Noah's family cared for the animals and made a life for themselves for over 300 days. And at last, without going into detail, they were on dry ground and were able to exit the ark to a new world.

The end of the play was upon us. We saw the ark slowly coming apart and forming a cross. What we saw next was incredible. The ark door opened once again and a great white light and "smoke" appeared. Out stepped Jesus. He said: I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (John 10:9, 14:6, Acts 4:12) In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2).

The ark symbolizes the promise of eternal life in Christ. Jesus is the only Door to this life.  If one chooses not to receive Christ (enter into the ark), that door is closed in his last days. Like Noah and his family, they represented the few who received the invitation to enter into the ark. Today there also are few and the way is narrow and few enter by the narrow gate.

Just as Noah was delivered from the flood, we can be delivered through Jesus Christ. Many hear these words but most do not accept them seriously. The covenant God initiated with Noah still stands today. The ark is Jesus Christ. He is the only Door to everlasting life. It is one that must purposely be stepped into. It's not about knowing Jesus, it's about being in relationship with Him. It's trusting in Him despite what the world thinks, how it also has a purpose...to take God out of all areas of life...the mockers, the scoffers, the unbelievers. If anyone is lax in that belief, that door will close. That Door means life. Like the ark, there are many dwelling places that He has prepared for us. There is one for each who enter into relationship with Jesus.

One last detail about the play itself...only Jesus Christ was seen at the end. No accolades to or bows from actors. All the glory was given to God...as it should be. 

As the trip came to a close, it was noted that word after word, event after event was about oneness. Oneness in each other as we traveled together peacefully. Oneness knowing that God was with us each step of the way and even showing us in incredible ways how He was looking out for us, bringing perfect moments at just the right time, providing for us and blessing not just us but others whose paths crossed with ours. When we come to Christ, these things can be lived out daily. It's well worth the choice of receiving God, being counted as His, having His covenant be for each of us. That covenant is Jesus Christ. Find grace through Him. The greatest oneness is being in Christ.

Another day will come when the door will be closed permanently. People even mock this. The Bible tells us in Revelation about God's wrath on earth. All those outside the will of God and have chosen not to be in Christ, will perish. But until that day Jesus continues to pursue: 

John 6:37 - “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Be Still and Know, Again

Matthew 24:6-7, 14 -  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

I admitted yesterday, and even one time last week, that I question where I'm headed. Having occasional times of doubt and emptiness, even wondering about what God is doing. Am I not good enough, am I not in His will, what should I be doing...where am I going.

So when I read Oswald Chambers this morning in My Utmost for His Highest the reminder came to "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10), I felt a bit relieved. It's the second part of this well known Psalm that also stands out: "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

We think we are doing nothing, but according to Chambers if your hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. 

The lull before the storm. This morning we learned of a tragic earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. This one struck something in me. It brought to mind the scriptures above about the last days. Are we really headed in that direction? How do we know if this isn't the truth?

But we are not to be troubled. We are to be still and know that our God, He is. He just is. He is in the midst of all these things. We can wonder what we can do, but there are some things that we just cannot do because it's God's plan and His work only that can be, must be, done. 

Be still and know...no matter where we are or how we feel, He is there. He knows the plans He has for each of us if we are in Christ. Although we are to be ready in season and out to direct others to Him, whether we do it rightly or wrongly, there will still be a time when we feel we aren't doing enough. 

I think this waiting and the purification Chambers talks about is our drawing nearer to Him, seeking Him even more and in doing so He is purifying us. We think we need more of the Lord so we search the scriptures. We look for His truths and His promises and He continues teaching us more about Himself through His Word. He tells us who He is...and what He is going to do...in the last days. He is giving us more discernment while we wait. And we may not even realize what He's doing. 

My Christian brothers and sisters and I know that we are seeing the last days unfolding before us. We still do not know when but we all know that there will be a day in our future when God will open the floodgates of our lives and show us that NOW is the time for "whatever." He is preparing everything, behind the scenes. He's setting up the nations to rise up against Israel. Wars and rumors of wars are in the works. You can see this, right? He is bringing about the earthquakes and tsunamis, storms and whatever other plagues and pestilences might arise. Oh, you might say it's always been this way, but with such frequency and determination as today? 

While we wait for God, sometimes impatiently, He is strengthening us. We can remember He is with us always. We can hold fast to the truths and promises that He will sustain us. We can maintain a solid stance on our trust and faith in Him. And we can wait for His words to each of us that "now is the time." 

Chambers talked about remaining spiritually tenacious. I cannot imagine ever saying or thinking, "I've had it. This is enough. I quit." No, because I wait patiently to see what the Lord is going to do. I'm anxious to see it happen. I know it will be something so spectacular. He may use me in a little way or a large way. It doesn't matter. It's the big thing He is going to do that I am waiting for. And in the meantime, I will listen for His still small voice for a clue what my next step will be.

I see all that's happening in the world and all the unrest. Amuse me a second and consider just what if we are seeing the last days. Wouldn't you want to know more about what is going to transpire? Wouldn't you want to know how you fit in all of this or how you can? Wouldn't you want to know what your future will be? Wouldn't you want to know if you were going to be secure in it all? Are you ready for the last days?

Christ is the one who gives us true rest. When all else fails, Christ is there. Even if my world comes crashing down, I know who my Lord is and where my trust is. I might have to go through some difficulty, but I know that He will be my refuge and strength and the end is eternal life in Christ. Wouldn't we all want to know this? Isn't it time to realize this?

I wouldn't want to be living in today's world without knowing that I know Jesus. Maybe I seem like just another worrier or fear monger and that's okay. I don't look at it as worry or fear. I look at it as knowing the truth. Better safe than sorry! Jesus Christ is Lord. His plans will prevail. Those who believe in Him will not perish. Those who have their doubts will...unless they reverse their ideas, let go of their own strengths, loosen their grip on their own pride, and receive Christ.

You cannot make yourself a better person on your own. You cannot work harder doing good things for others to receive Christ. You cannot assume anything as far as Jesus is concerned. Either you know Him personally or you do not. Either you are living your life for Him or you are not. It's not about what you can do for Him but what He has done for you. He speaks to us daily. All we need to do is listen. The signs are out there.

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

The Truth of God's Word

John 14:23 - Jesus answered (one of His followers) and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

What a night. God will wake us up in the middle of the night when it's quiet to get our attention. I know when He wants to get our attention He repeats himself in His Word. These are so we will heed what He's saying. Example: O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever is written in several Psalms. Jesus says Truly, truly, I say to you often. God tells us all throughout His Word to fear not. There are many other examples.

Well, He was relentless last night as I tossed and turned. First I was in a dreamlike sleep when He kept repeating a message over and over in my head. It was a heavy word and it pressed on me until I awoke. It was as if I was trying to express myself repeatedly to someone else. Like I was standing on a corner or like Jesus on a hillside wanting to get these words across to someone. There was an urgency in this dream.

I couldn't shake these words and had to get up and write. I asked Him to reveal exactly what He wanted to show me. Was it for me or someone else? Was I supposed to write it? Did someone need to hear (read) these words? Was He setting the stage?

I got up and began to write hoping the Holy Spirit would take over. Then I remembered something Pastor Joe from the little Baptist church I attend in Arizona asked yesterday morning at church: "Do you love the Word? Do you love it enough to read it every day or just sometimes?" 

"If anyone loves Me he will keep My word." Was this where this was all heading, I wondered? Pastor Joe further stated we are to keep His Word hidden in our hearts. This is  a biblical mandate. The only way that can happen is if we are in His Word...reading it diligently.  Not that we are making a work out of it...having to spend this much time each day or having to read the Bible from front to back each year. But by even just taking one scripture each and truly meditating on it and applying it to our day or life. There's really no set way of hiding His Word in one's heart. 

But then again, the words or the Word? Abide in Me also means the same thing as being in His Word and having God make His home with us. I wrote, trusting the Holy Spirit, and these words came forth:  My Word is the truth. When one knows the truth they know Me. When they reject My Word they do not want to know the truth and the truth is not in them.

Gee, where have I heard those words before: 1John 1:6, 8, 10 - If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. We are filled with sin until we know the Truth. Truth comes from being in Christ, in the Word...the Bible. If we do not want to do this, we are rejecting the Word and the Truth (Jesus) is not in us. Of course, in between these statements we are told that if we turn away from these things, if we confess Jesus, then the light of Christ is in us. His light uncovers our sins and shows us His truth.

Those are pretty sobering words. His light, His Word, His truth. God's Word is His Bible. God's Word is Jesus. His Word is His instruction manual for our life. His Word IS life. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Truth and the Life. No one can go to the Father without first knowing the truth of His Word. No one goes to the Father without first knowing Jesus. It's a simple concept. God the Father, Jesus and the Word are one and the same. You cannot have one without the other.

Then for some reason I remembered an email a friend of mine sent earlier. She confided something about which I've had the same thought for awhile. It may be something many of us are feeling lately. We feel as though we are treading water. I continue to wonder if I have grown cold and fallen away. I have felt like I really need more of the Lord, yet I tell myself that I must persevere and stand and not give up any ground and trust that the Lord is with me. Sometimes I feel I am just going through the motions of being a believer. But, I must stand "in faith" and not waiver.

I know the Word is in her heart. I know her heart. I've heard this more than once lately. It's almost a thought you don't want to admit for fear of it being true. You don't want anyone to think you've lost faith.

The words the Lord spoke last night first were quiet then to the point where I felt He was shouting at me. They were hard to put into my own words because, like dreams often do, they make sense as you're dreaming but when formulating them you find it was more like just a thought, inexpressible.

So where is this all going? Like my friend and I and others I'm sure, if we doubt ourselves as believers, how can others claim to know Jesus? Have they honestly confessed Him? How many really have Him, God's Word, in their heart? How many love Him and His Word enough to be in it each day? How many truly spend time communicating with Him each day?

I think God's plans are to be revealed soon in our lives. It's like the lull before the storm. Perhaps that is when the urgency of my dream will manifest itself, although the urgency is now. The world is going to see an outpouring of something soon. It might not all be good. But those who know Christ will stand firm...and then it will be we who others turn to in difficult times. Perhaps then His Word will be heard, understood and finally taken seriously. I can only pray that others have the same dream some time and that it attaches itself to their hearts. That His truth...no, that He...become real in the lives of so many now.

I don't think this was a dream. I think it was God Himself prompting me. It was more like prodding me.

When someone gets the Word of God in their hearts it will pierce them. Like in Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

If Jesus is the Word and He is alive, what He has said in the past is as relevant today. Do not reject Him or His Word. Today is the day to receive Him. Do not reject the Father or He will reject you in the same way. You don't want that. Tomorrow may be too late. Let the words of His truth pierce your heart. I look at that piercing as being more like a cauterizing. Our hearts are like open wounds or sores for the hurts and rejections we have had in our lives, for the evil and lies that have manifested themselves in our hearts. Our hearts fester until He is received and His Word brings conviction and healing. 

The dream I had was pressing. Whether for me or for others, it was a reminder of what God expects of us. To abide in Him means to be in His Word, to hide it in our hearts and even to be ready to speak His word in season or out, to be salt and light, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost world. To tell others that receiving Christ removes God's final judgment from them. Yes, God will judge all mankind. Make no mistake about that. If we want to avoid that eternal judgment, it is imperative we receive Christ, His Son, the Word, the Truth and the Life, now. 

John 12:47-50 - And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

Roots, Foundations and Olive Groves

Romans 11:17 - ...and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree...

Yesterday a new friend and I went to an olive grove in the Phoenix area. We took a little tour and listened as the young woman told us about the trees, types of olives and how these olives were gathered between October and December and then processed.

My thoughts took me back to Israel where we saw the olive trees that were thousands of years old in the Garden of Gethsemane. These could have been the very same trees that Jesus saw when He was there. Gethsemane, I come to find out, means oil press. Throughout the day my mind kept going back to olive trees and the pressing of olives. If you recall, Christ went to Gethsemane to pray for what He knew was about to happen to Him. He prayed to His Father that "if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done"(Luke 22:42). He was being pressed, so much so that blood drops came from His brow. And of course, it was the Father's will that prevailed and Jesus died for our sins. 

This is a reminder of who I am in Christ. Although I've written about olive trees and those who are in Christ, I can't help but put my thoughts down again.

In an act of totally unselfish sacrifice, without murmur, without regret, Jesus was willing to die for our sins. He took that cup of suffering. He did it without trying to defend Himself, like we always do when we are wrongfully accused. He just did it...because He would rather have died than to live without us, as a song goes. He died for the sins of all mankind. His life was pressed.

So what does this have to do with olive trees? We would not be able to partake in this unfathomable love Jesus has for us if we didn't believe in Him. Okay, so what does that mean? When one is a follower of Christ he is called a Christian. Yet Jesus was a Jew...

So...the olive trees. There are two types: the natural olive tree, which would be Israel and the Jews and the wild olive tree, which is anyone else. We are grafted into the natural tree through our relationship with Jesus Christ. The natural olive tree's roots are well established, because the root is God. Through Christ we become part of that very strong root system...that firm Foundation that is Christ and become a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.

As it is told in Romans 11, the Jews were likened to a natural olive tree. However, they were in so much rebellion against God that He needed to prune it of the unproductive shoots. He then needed to bring in another people so He grafted in a wild olive shoot. That wild olive shoot became Christianity, those who would believe in Christ as Savior when the Jews would not accept Him as their Messiah. These people were to carry on His work by leading others to this Man called Jesus. These men and women were nourished by the root that was Jesus. They made this tree productive once again. When we are in right relationship with Him, through Christ, we are nurtured. If we do not share in this relationship with Christ, we wither and die.

We also become grafted, as it were, into the Jewish heritage; our roots are in Judaism. If we are people who look at Israel and the Jews in a negative light, we cannot call ourselves Christians. If it were not for a Jewish King of kings and Lord of lords named Jesus, we would not be able to partake of the wondrous gift He has offered to us. 

We are all considered wild olive trees when we come into this relationship with Christ. It is and always has been God's plan that we all be part of this natural olive tree, with well-established roots...the roots of our Christianity...being one in Christ that we might not be separated any longer from God. We need to be completely aware, however, that it is not about us or our religion; it's not about what good works we can do or how good we can be to please God; it's not about which church we belong to because all churches and denominations are manmade. It's all about Him and and what He has done for us...and what He offers us freely. It's all about who we are in Him.

Once in Christ our lives are not our own. We shouldn't grow the same way once we've been grafted in and with a root who is Christ. Our lives will show this difference. Just as olives go through processing, so must we. We are separated from our pits...the stony heart...and we are crushed and squeezed until so our hearts become purer and we become the person God chose for us to be from the beginning of time. The pure oil might be thought of as the Holy Spirit and when we are in Christ it is His Spirit that fills us and causes us to change. 

We must give up the person we were. We were that wild olive branch, growing as we desired. We are now grafted, if we know Jesus personally, and we are to allow a new nature to emanate from us. We should have more faith, more trust in the Lord, and know where our hope now is. We will, as is told in Hebrews, know rest...which is the presence of God in our lives despite our circumstances. When we know Christ we are part of the natural heritage and grafted into the natural olive tree, where we are in the presence of God, in our rest, and know the hope of our eternal calling.

Although we may share the privilege now of being part of this natural tree, we should not consider ourselves better. We are, after all, only grafted in. If we do not produce fruit, we can be cut off just like the Jews were. God has made provision to bring them back...of this I am sure because His Word tells us as much. Until then, we must remain rooted and grounded in His Word and maintain our own trust in Him.

Romans 11:18 - ...remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 

He Chose Us to be In Him

Ephesians 1:4 - ...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love...

We did not choose Him. We've heard people say, "I found God." God had a special plan for that person...and sought him out...and that's the real story!

I spent several years "looking for myself." I know now I wasn't looking for myself. I began to think there had to be more for me. I was searching for something spiritual and looking in all the wrong places. God was working on choosing me.

Horoscopes, psychic fairs, Shirley McLaine--all areas I looked to for guidance. All areas that were actually taking me nowhere...thankfully. There still was a tugging sensation that would not stop and (I thought) I kept searching.

Today I know that searching was initiated by God, the Father. I have heard it said we have a God-shaped hole in our heart. It is not exactly scriptural, but how would one feel that tugging in one's heart, looking for more out of life, if it did not come from Him? The closest scripture that comes close is Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts... I was longing for something. My heart was not being fulfilled by all the worldly things. Although I was left to my own devices for awhile, He finally came alongside me, in His perfect timing, and appeared when I needed Him the most. 

We are told that we are not complete without God, that we are nothing apart from Him. We ask Him to come into our lives and our hearts. Then we are filled with Him, we become one with Him, and that yearning for something is identified...so God filled that void in our heart.

Yes, He chooses us. That is so incredible. To think that before creation He knew.... He chose, He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will... (Ephesians 1:5)

He calls all, there's no doubt. But not all hear Him, not all answer the call. Sadly, I have friends I've known a long time. They know my story. They know what the Lord has done for me. But it seems their spiritual eyes and ears have not been opened to see or hear. Yes, it's frustrating, of course, but there's not much more I can do about it. I have planted the seed, there will be others who will come into their lives (hopefully) and add more to my testimony through their own, but God is the one who does the final work, who brings meaning to words I've said, who opens their understanding.

God opened my heart, my mind, my spirit. I became part of the ones to whom He has given His wisdom and made known the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9)...to be one in Christ, in Him. 

In Him appears seven times in Ephesians 1. In Him we have:

• blessings from heavenly places (verse 4)
• redemption through His blood (verse 7)
• forgiveness of sins (verse 7)
• oneness of all things in heaven and earth (verse 10)
• obtained an inheritance (verse 11)
• predestined according to God's promise (verse 11)
• trust in Him because we believed (verse 13)
• sealed with the Holy Spirit (verse 14)
• guaranteed an inheritance (verse 14)

These things were worked in us through the power of God first worked in Jesus Christ. Upon our acceptance of Jesus we become one in Him, like Christ Jesus is one with the Father.

That means access to God through Jesus. Do you realize how fantastic that is? We don't need to try to gain access like the people did through the High Priests in the Old Testament. Because Christ had not yet come that's all these people could do to be atoned for their sins. Praise God, when Jesus came that the middle man was removed. Any business person will know how taking away the middle man can cut time and cost. The same goes for allowing Jesus to be the main Source. No longer do we need to go through our earthly priests or pastors for forgiveness of sin. We have direct access.

We have direct access to all the things I listed above...when we become one with Christ. 

We are saved by God's grace, a free gift. We become known as saints when we accept this free gift. If you feel something is missing, if you feel a tugging in your spirit, ask Jesus if that's Him. Pay attention to it, listen. You might hear Him speaking directly to you. Jesus desires a personal relationship with YOU. It's personal because the middle man is cut out. Go right to the right Source.

I pray that:

...the eyes of your understanding [would be] enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power... (Ephesians 1:18-19) 

Will You?

Psalm 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I admit there are many times my will is my own! It's not God's. How I long for the day when every bit of my will is gone and only His will exists in me. This will be a long wait I think. There are times I let my will subside...many times to keep peace, other times because I defer to authority. But then, aren't we always to defer to authority? Think of yourself less than others? Oh, I know there are times when we do not want to defer to someone if what they do is not what we think is right...or in the will of God.

When God gives a vision of truth it is never a question of what He will do, but of what we will do.  This is a truth that Oswald Chambers spoke about in his My Utmost for His Highest devotion for July 8. God gave me a vision 11 years ago. It wasn't the kind of vision you might think. He just impressed upon me what I needed to do at that instant...receive Him, receive His grace and mercy, receive His love and eternal life. I chose to accept the challenge and am so grateful for it.

I have met the most wonderful people in the process. Some friends come, some go, but there are always those who will never leave because of the bond we have in Christ. There just is nothing like it...the red thread that binds us to Christ. It's amazing.

I met one such friend last week. On July 8. We'd known each other from our similar blogs and finally had a chance to meet. She lives in Indiana and I in Wisconsin. But isn't the Lord good? She and her husband have "Wisconsin friends" they visit every summer. So we worked out a plan. What a day.

So I awoke to the song, This is the Day the Lord has Made. It was quite the day. I had no expectations and was open to whatever might transpire, even if it meant walking away disappointed. I didn't know how to pray that morning so I committed everything into the Lord's hands! All I could say was, "Lord, this is your day. Do as you wish." It was all I could do! That meant, really, what He would do.


I was excited to say the least! I pushed all thoughts aside and decided it was up to God to be my eyes, my ears, my mouth and my heart. Then I read Jeremiah and took the words to heart with anticipation and added excitement that I would just be what God had called me to be...and be obedient.

Jeremiah 1:5, 9 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you...."Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." 

I only had what God gave me to offer. The day was going to be special. I just knew it. How did I know? What was our connection? Basically our love of Christ. He's the bond in our lives. There's a special connection when He is the center. It's like you've known each other for so long.  God put the words in both our mouths because what God told Jeremiah was for each of us as well.

I chose Christ and as Chambers suggests, think back on that day when He first desired me to choose something new to know that He is in that new thing He is proposing. He never fails. Choosing the right thing is always a blessing if it's His will. You may think you're giving something up you cannot live without, but let me tell you, He replaces it to the point where you think back and wonder what the big deal was...like living without Him as Savior. Like meeting brothers and sisters in Christ and bonding in the most deep and intimate, godly, way. Nothing like it.

Choose this day whom you will serve. You choose to do it...now. And amazing things come as a result...especially the peace. There was peace in the day Shirley and I met for the first time. There was bonding. In the middle of it all, there was Christ.

I could have been wrought with insecurity or self-doubt upon meeting her, but as only God can do, we met, we shared, we bonded with that one common red thread. He was there in our midst. We both were who He made us to be, with that strong bond of loyalty to the One who created us and who joined us as sisters in Christ.

Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

Oneness

1Corinthians 1:10 - Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

There’s a theme that has been crowding my mind. It seems like something so difficult to attain at so many levels. It’s oneness, unity. It seems to be the “one” thing Jesus and His disciples all asked followers to work toward. 

It starts with only one God. He is indivisible. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one. Oneness is being one in Christ. That means knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior, not just knowing who He is. We cannot be one with Christ unless that step is taken...relationship, not religion. 

Whether we are Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, Assembly of God, Episcopalian...if we have that relationship with Christ we are one, despite the denomination thing that's going on. Religion means nothing. Religion is rules and regulations made by man, a form of self-motivated works, trying to get to God through those works but never achieving perfection (which we can never attain). We will always fail in our own selves. Works just frustrate us (especially if we are perfectionists!) and we lose sight of that heavenly reward because we feel like constant failures, always striving. That's where relationship over religion comes in, where we can be one with Christ and have a sense of peace.

In other words, it's not about me!

Relationship is merely trusting, in faith, in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. His work on the Cross is what saved us, not what we believe to be work to become saved...if we receive that and accept that. When we confess our sins, repent of them and give our lives to Christ, we have come into relationship with Him. We are automatically one in Christ with others who have done the same. Hallelujah! We no longer need to strive to receive because the power of the Holy Spirit works in and through us beginning at the time of accepting Christ. The Holy Spirit then gives us the power to do the good works as He directs rather than we directing ourselves. Who knows better than our Heavenly Father?

So...it's all about God!

Oneness. When we come into relationship with Christ, we are one with all others who have done the same. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are of one spiritual family.  Oh how God so desires to see all churches become unified in their beliefs. No distinction between religions. Will we ever see that happen? Probably not until Jesus returns. I believe it is at that time that we will see where we have all failed to fully understand and comprehend where we failed in our man made churches. And thankfully, those who have believed on Him and in His saving grace will finally live in that perfect oneness, and in oneness with Christ.

Oneness is love, contentment, admiration for others' gifts and abilities and a myriad of other things. The Bible tells us that within a church each person is a part of the body. Each has a function that is vital within that church, no matter whether it is great or small. We cannot function fully without a thumb or an ear or an eye. We can function, but the rest of the body feels the discomfort of not having the use of another part. And that's happening in the churches. There is not one church that functions perfectly and some are even less functional than others. As long as there is even the smallest discontent within a church, there is an air of disunity.

In our own church there is a desire for all the congregation to become unified. It's like pulling teeth. There are murmurings about one thing or another. We fail at best to not judge or criticize one another. We fail to see through the eyes of Christ. We fail to speak with His words of love. We fail in our patience, as hard as we try. We are all guilty in some way. No one is perfect. Let's face it, we all have something to complain about! Rats!

There definitely needs to be a move of the Spirit within our church and the Church in general. Something that will bring all our hearts to that place of unity, to a place of contentment with what we are, even with our flaws. That's why Jesus came to this earth...the perfect Man, living a perfect life, dying a perfect death...for us, for our shortfalls. (And might I add, if we feel a need to work for our salvation, why did Jesus have to die such an awful death?) 

I thank my God that He loves us no matter what. I thank Him that when we turn away for a short time or for a longer time, when we turn back He is there like the father of the prodigal son, with open arms, preparing for a feast in our behalf. Imagine what it would be like for even one of the lost sheep in this world today to allow Jesus to find them! Such rejoicing in heaven. This is oneness with Christ, with God, with the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus prayed these words to His Father for His disciples:

John 17:20-21 - I am not praying for these alone, but also for them that shall believe on me through their [disciples] word, that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me.