The Path

 

Follow the path of righteousness, the road to the Father's heart,

follow His Son as He leads you on, from His ways do not depart.

Follow the path that leads to life, the way that we all must take. 

Yes, follow the ways of Jesus, the Saviour Who died for our sake.

The Jewels of a Crown

 The light of the early morning sun shone on the droplets of rain that hung suspended between each petal around the base of the French Marigold in my window box. They sparkled like a diamond coronet. I have seen nothing as beautiful in any jeweller's shop window.

I saw a simile in the Christian ministry. The 'Water of the Word' that the Lord would drop from Heaven would be the crown, the only 'coronet' that the world would see.  Our evangelizing would be the only visible sign of our being children of God (which we become when we are born again believers) to a darkened world, and the only means to attaining to that ministry of evangelism would be for us to be transformed into children of God by allowing that very 'water' itself to change us first.

'For like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on His land' Zechariah ch.9v.16.

Zechariah ch.9 has a very spiritual connection to what is going on in these days.

Rapture

I feel led to re-post something I posted some time ago.

Some time ago I had a dream in which I was looking at certain stars in the sky.  As i looked at them they appeared to grow in explosive glory, yet were not destroyed.  It was absolutely beautiful.  My husband was stood nearby and I asked him to look at the stars, but when he looked nothing happened, the stars remained normal.  then some other people came along who were unbelievers, and I asked them to look at the same stars.  Again nothing happened.  A short time after I had the dream I bought some new gold coloured curtains, and when I got them home and went to take them out of the packet I noticed they were called 'rapture', and I realized that the pattern on them was very much like the exploding stars that I had seen in my dream.  The word 'rapture' means 'to be carried to a state of extreme joy', and that was exactly the state I had been in, watching the stars in my dream.

Shortly after I went to the church that I was attending at the time, and the pastor was saying that he and the family had visited a waterfall in a local park.  Then a lady spoke of waterfalls of wine, the pastor following on speaking of how new wine could not be put into old wineskins but had to be put into new wineskins.  I noticed that the lady who spoke on 'waterfalls of wine' had a dress on with an almost identical pattern to my curtains, only the background colour was brown instead of gold. 
I felt that something was being pointed out to me here, that the gold background represented the Lord and the brown background represented the earth, and that the pattern on both the curtains and the dress represented the heavenly glory that Christians should bear, the Glory of the Lord, except that the brown dress represented something earthly, an old wineskin perhaps.
 

I told my son, who moved to the area recently, that the waterfalls were there, because he had said that when he moved down here, he wanted to visit many of the waterfalls in the area.  He said he knew of the waterfalls and that they were partially man made.  Again I felt that something was being pointed out to me, that the waterfalls were partially man made and the dress with the brown background colour could be speaking spiritually of man's interference with God's word and the Holy Spirit in some way and that if it was, then the Lord would reveal more to me if I prayed and waited.

Some time after, I was reading 2 Kings chapter 2 where the men of the city were telling Elisha that the situation of the city of Jericho was pleasant but the water was bad and the land was unfruitful.  Elisha asked for a new bowl and put salt in it.  Then he went to the spring and threw salt in it, and the word of the Lord came to him to say that the water was made wholesome and that neither death nor miscarriage would come from it.

After I had read this I was thinking about sharing my thoughts with the pastor at the church, and I reached for my UCB daily reading book.  When I opened to the reading for the day it was saying that we all have gaps and that the best way to handle the weaknesses was to work together and it was encouraging us to work more together and not to be like  Diotrephes who not only refused to welcome the brethren, but also stopped those who wanted to welcome them.

I was about to put up on my front room wall a print of two geese painted originally in watercolour.  I was reminded of a book I have called 'Why geese fly farther than eagles' The following is a paragraph from that book which reflects to me the way the body of Christ should function as stated in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 16 '....... joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and up builds itself in love.'

 

' When the head goose grabs the wind, air is displaced, which then rushes up to reclaim its space only to see the smiling face of the bird flying behind, whose wings just happen to be in the downward position - a very dangerous condition, which doesn't last for long, because the upward rush gives them a push, and they're right back up where they belong.  This goose then grabs the air again, causing another upward wind, which lifts the bird behind.  And so it goes on down the line.  So the head goose breaks the wind, and all the rest are carried by him, with very little effort, I've heard, on the part of any one bird.  When the head goose has had enough, he or she simply drops back and depends on another bird for strength when strength is what is lacked.

So that's how I found out how the goose can fly from up north to way down south and back again.  But she cannot do it alone, you see.  It's something that must be done in community.  These days it's a popular notion, and people swell with emotion and pride when they think of themselves on the eagle-side, solitary, self-sufficient, strong.  But we are what we are.  That's something we cannot choose.  Though many would wish to be seen as an eagle, I think God made most like the goose.'

Last Sunday the pastor of the church was saying to my friend and myself that if anyone has anything they want to share during the service they have to speak to the appointed convener about it and he will decide whether it should be shared or not.  A few Sundays ago it was preached in church that if people did not go to the doctors with certain sicknesses they would die.  I have been trusting in the Lord solely for a particular healing  and when I got home that day I sought the Lord regarding what had been spoken in church and I opened my Bible to read.  On the page in front of me was a verse in Psalm 118 that I had underlined some time ago.  It reads ' I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.'  I asked the Lord if He was speaking this word to me, closed my Bible, and opened to exactly the same page, with the same underlined verse speaking to me.

 

I have to ask, ' If I had asked the Lord this question in church that morning and opened my Bible to this verse twice, would I have been allowed to share this with the church or would the convener have thought that it went against what was being preached and disallowed it, thereby denying this testimony which might have strengthened and encouraged somebody else ?.'

 

Surely there can only be one convener in the church, the Holy Spirit, and are we guilty of trying to interfere with His work by bringing in our own rules instead of following the guidelines of the scriptures when we come together. Daniel ch. 2 v.44 reads:- 'And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.'  

 

We must not be afrail of a little 'salt' in case it might offend.  As in the story of Elisha in Jericho, it may bring a blessing from the Lord and make the land more fruitful.  We may even, without realizing it, be denying ourselves of having the fullness of all that the Lord has for us by not allowing the body of Christ to function fully as it was intended to.

Why, in my dream, did not my husband or the unbelievers see the full glory of the stars in the heavens?  I could understand why the unbelievers did not see it, but my husband has been baptized and believes in Jesus.  Was he representing somebody who believes but can not see the full glory because he is guided largely by worldly wisdom and knowledge?  In order to be carried to that 'extreme state of joy'  Do we need to be concentrating more on getting rid of the old brown (earthly) wineskins and putting on our new gold (Christ like )ones?

Touching Your hand

Touching Your hand I feel a power in me

walking Your way leads me into my destiny

all that I am is what You're making me

Your grace in my life is setting me free

You are my strength, death has no power in me

the battle is won, You are my song of victory

Where there's no fear there is no enemy

Your love in my heart is setting me free

For You are the Father's precious breath of life to me

my soul feels Your love that stirs within me

With You in my life I can be all I am meant to be

each day as you teach me Your ways

Now is the time - in You must my spirit dwell

time to break free from my shadowy prison cell

Now is the time, time for my soul to rise

time to awake and open my eyes

Kissed by Your mercy, bathed in Your tenderness

now I awake to the touch of Your sweet caress

Fear lies behind me lost in the cold of night

sweet love lies ahead in the warmth of Your light

For You are the Son that melts this cold heart of mine

and You are the lamp that lights my darkness

My prayer to You Lord is that within my life You will shine

each day as You lead my along

With all of what is going on around the world I would like to share a poem I wrote some time ago, hoping that it might reach out to anyone who reads this who does not know the Lord . 

Love lies bleeding on a hill alone and far away

for the blood of Christ shed on that cross 

is still poured out today

To God there is no passing time - only a way to be

this the reason Jesus came to save both you and me

and if you say 'We're not in chains, why need we be set free

just look around this present world and tell me what you see

Do you see greed enticing man to murder, rob and cheat

while anger, lust and envy are roaming every street?

And when a soul lies crying, alone and in despair

do you turn away while saying 'Doesn't anybody care'?

Strong chains of sin and selfishness 

are now binding all mankind

and only God's great sacrifice can bring you peace of mind

Yes, love lies bleeding on a hill, yet not so far away

For the love of Jesus........ flowing still 

....... is just a prayer away

As we come up to Easter time I just feel led to share these two poems that I wrote concerning our precious Saviour Jesus.

My Treasure

What good is my gold if I don't have You

what good is my worldly treasure

all it can buy is a dream or two

a moment of Earthly pleasure

What use is it if I have jewels and fine clothes

and I cut with a silver knife

if all of these things fall apart and decay

with my soul at the end of this life

No, I'd rather have treasure in Heaven

gathered in barns of trust

than to have all the money on Earth Lord

and my soul to return to the dust

Yes, I'd rather have you Lord Jesus

You're worth far more than gold to me

For gold's only good for a lifetime

but You ..... For eternity

'... but lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven, where neither moth not rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' Mathew ch.6 vs. 19 - 21

Cleansing Fire

A fire burns within me

a precious cleansing flame

fanned by the Holy Spirit

it bears God's sacred name

It came because of Jesus

and His great sacrifice

from me it asks no pain - no grief

for me there is no price

Only for me to feel it's touch

and the burning of it's love

only for me to obey the voice

that is speaking from above

Yes, a fire burns within me

yet it causes me no pain

for what it destroys will be no loss

but what shall be left is gain

Take God with you

 I set out from my home at 8.50 in the morning with the intention of collecting a few items from the chemists before catching the 9.20 number X bus to Porthcawl, a seaside town a few miles from where I was living.  I was looking forward to a very enjoyable day at the Christian writers seminar held at the Rest home for the elderly there.  I had attended the previous year's seminar and anticipated meeting up once again with some very interesting people, with 'What have you been doing these last twelve months? ' being the topic of conversation around the dining table during lunch.  I hurried from the chemist with the 'two for the price of one' Dove deodorants and the 'Awakening' perfume tucked into my already bulging handbag, and headed for the bus station.

'Five minutes to spare'.  I thought as I looked at the two clocks displaying different times above the job centre, which was in front of the bus station. I had opted for the one on the right which had previously proved to be correct.  Once again I pondered on how anybody could come up with the idea of placing two clocks side by side facing away from the bus station, and not one facing towards it.  Several people were in the bus shelter at stop one and two, the latter of which would be where the X7 would pull in.  I sat down next to a young man with a shaved head for a few minutes and then, thinking it unwise to have my back turned to the stop, got up again.  No sooner was I on my feet than a bus sped past the shelter.  'My bus!' I gasped, as I caught a glimpse of 'X7' above the windscreen. 'Oh no' I moaned inwardly, as I ran as fast as my boots and long Winter coat would allow me.  Another would be passenger was a few yards ahead of me, banging on the side of the bus.  The driver sped on with the obvious intention of not stopping. I eventually stopped running right outside the bus company's office.  Both annoyance and curiosity climbed with me up the stars to where three drivers were relaxing in a cloud of cigarette smoke.  'Doesn't the X7 stop at stop two? I enquired, ready with 'Well it didn't after the anticipated 'Yes'. 'Not the one to Cardiff' said one driver, disappearing behind a cloud of exhaled smoke, who obviously had a much clearer picture of the situation than I did.  If you want the one to Porthcawl you had better urn, it will be in just about now' he said, glancing at his watch.  I hurried down the stairs with new companions, humility and gratitude, and we ran back to the bus station.

That was my hundred yard sprint for the day'.  I said to the man who had banged on the bus. 'Where are you going?' 'To Cardiff' he said.  I felt sorry that he had been at the wrong stop, and pointed out which stop he should be standing at.  At least he would not miss the next one.  Then the young man with the shaved head started chatting, and asked if I was going to Porthcawl.  'Yes', I said, 'Fancy that driver not stopping when that man was banging on the bus, I would have , wouldn't you?'  'Yes' he replied.  I told him I was going to a writers' seminar and we chatted until the bus came in.  We both got on the bus and he sat a few seats behind me.

As the bus journeyed on I was reminded of the fact that I had some evangelical poetry in my bag which I give out in the street.  My first thought was to give the young man a leaflet, and then reasoning set in.  Was it my familiar enemy, complacency, pointing out the bulging handbag, and the need to fill the seat beside me with it's contents in order to reach the poetry?  What should I do?  I must 'go out into the highways and the byways', but also I must not give that which is holy to 'dogs', the spiritual term for 'outsiders'.  Which instruction was for this man?  I suddenly noticed a flock of crows over a ploughed field, and the song 'We plough the fields and scatter' came into my mind with 'the good seed on the ground' following.  Whether they were the actual words of the song I do not know. 'Ah! I scatter the seed' I thought.  Then chasing after the wrong bus came into my mind.  'Help me Lord,' I said in my heart. 'I feel You are telling me something but I don't quite know what'.  There was a sudden shout from behind me.  'Who-oh', cried the young man with the shaved head. The driver stopped the bus and I realized that an elderly man had been running to catch it.  The driver hadn't stopped at the bus stop because nobody had been on it.

The Lord's message was now very clear.  I was to give the young man the leaflet.  In believing that the bus which had sped past me in the bus station was my bus, I had experienced all the anxiety of missing it, the disappointment of not being at the seminar and the meeting old friends, just because a driver had not cared enough to stop and pick me up.  How much greater grief would be suffered if somebody could be hindered from coming to Christ because I had failed to share the gospel of salvation.  This young man had cared enough about the elderly man to make sure that he caught his bus.  My criticism of the first driver not stopping was now my judge.  What joy to hand my leaflet to the smiling young man as he got off the bus bidding me 'Cheerio' and to say to him 'I don't want you to miss the bus, you will understand when you read it.'  'Thank you' he said, still helping others as he said to me 'You need to get off at the next stop'.

What had I learned from this incident? I had learned not to worry if things did not run smoothly all the time, and that everything that happened in my life, including running for the wrong bus, was all happening for a purpose, and that empathy and experience were of great importance.  They were the forerunners of sympathy and understanding, without which I probably would not be moved to want to see others saved.  I had also learned how important it is to constantly be alert to how God speaks through everyday occurrences.  I believe that even my buying the 'Dove' deodorant and the 'Awakening' perfume on that day was signalling a spiritual awakening, and it was to be this young man's.  Keeping in touch constantly with the Lord in order to hear what He might be saying is very important.  This was emphasized to me a couple of days later when I was in work, cleaning a nightclub during the daytime with my friend.  On this particular day the young barman's mobile phone was on the bar and it was ringing.  The barman was in the cellar and I thought 'What is the point of having a mobile phone if he doesn't carry it with him?'

God has a plan for every one of us and can speak to us as individuals in many ways.... if we keep our 'mobile' on.

'Accept all things that come your way, they're meant for you alone. God may be working things for good, and that's not just your own. For there are others on the path, our Lord alone knows who, that through our tribulation may gain salvation too'