Rescue remedy

Over the past couple of weeks several things have happened in my life that have brought my attention to the word 'rescue', and that have caused me to believe that God is speaking to me of the importance, not only  of my small part in His great plan to rescue  mankind through the spreading of the gospel of salvation through His Son Jesus, but also of  the importance of building only according to His plan.  I felt to share these experiences on my blog and if it is of any encouragement to anyone who reads it then so be it.

 

A week ago last Thursday I was driving home after shopping in a near by town. As I approached the turn off into our road  I noticed a hedgehog lying upside down on the pavement outside a house.  I wondered if it was still alive as it didn't appear to have been physically injured in any way, but remembered that I had frozen food in my shopping bags so could not stop to see to it right away.  I drove up to my house which was not far away, put the frozen food in the freezer and, after explaining to my husband about the hedgehog, came back down to where I had seen it.  My plan was to put it in a bag, bring it home and maybe put it comfortable in the shed and try to nurse it back to health if  possible, before releasing it back into the countryside.

When I returned opposite to the place where I'd seen the hedgehog, there was a man gently picking it up and placing it in the back of a red van.  I pulled the car into the curb and got out to call to the man, asking him if the hedgehog was still alive.  He came across the road and said that the hedgehog was still warm and that he was hopeful that it would survive.  We had a wonderful conversation, the man telling me that he rescued many animals and had recently taken home a squirrel that he had found lying on the side of the road.  He told me he used a product called 'rescue remedy', a herbal remedy used for calming after stress.  He went on to say that the squirrel had come around within minutes of being given this remedy and was able to be released.  I told him he had made my day, we said our goodbyes and off I went to my home, believing that the hedgehog would soon be returning to his.

The following day my friend and I met up in the coastal town where we come together to do evangelising with leaflets that we have felt to put together with poetry and scripture, (the content of my own leaflets  I have put on my other blog (  www.fatherithankyouforjesus.blogspot.co.uk ).

After a lovely afternoon, meeting some very nice people, we went into the market to have a look around the stalls.  As we passed a fish stall I noticed a lobster there with its claws taped up.  Suddenly its antennae moved.  I walked a couple of steps away from the stall and started to get very upset, as I remembered hearing that lobsters are alive when cooked.  I said to my friend 'I can't leave it there'.  We decided we would split the cost and buy it, which we did.  We walked down to the beach, untied the lobster's claws and set it free, praising the Lord as we watched it regain strength and go off into the sea.


I started to think that there was something that was being brought to my attention regarding 'rescue', as two separate incidents had occurred involving rescue in just two days.  That Sunday I went to church and the pastor there said he'd had a dream which he would share with us later, and then we shared one with another anything which we felt to share, either from scripture or testimony.  I related what had happened on the Thursday and the Friday.  The pastor later shared his dream which was about him standing in a  place and walking to a very high drop where someone was about to jump over the edge.  He said he pulled him back, and felt that the dream spoke of rescue.  I was even more sure that I was hearing a message from the Lord.

Then, one day last week I was looking on a blog in which the writer spoke of two dreams he'd  had, both spoke to me of rescue, the first one of his own rescue by calling on God in the name of Jesus, and the second one of the need for rescue of others.  The post is called  'Jephyr's Dream: On A Lake In A Storm, Alone And Blind,' and was posted on Seprember 13th 2012, and the blog is www.artmusicpoliticsfaithhopeandlove.blogspot.co.uk

Then on Saturday I was painting a garden arch with a green, water based paint and a spider suddenly dropped down onto the soil covered in the paint.  I have a bit of a phobia about spiders, but it distressed me so much to see the little creature in such a state that I ended up picking it up and, as both of the garden bird baths were empty, rushing into the kitchen and washing it gently in cold water in my hand.  Thankfully all the paint came off it and it was able to be put onto a bush in the garden.

Now many people might think that I am over the top concerning little creatures but I have always been like it.  I cannot use slug pellets or kill insects wilfully.  That is why I believe God chose to speak to me in this way, because He  knows that by doing so His message would make an impact.  He allowed me to be in a position where a deep concern for something in a dangerous position would drive me to want to rescue.

In the same way that I desperately wanted to rescue the suffering, dying creatures  and return them  to their true home, so too God wants to rescue mankind from their suffering and spiritual death and return them to their true home.  He loves us with a greater love than we could ever have, a love that brought about an unimaginable sacrifice.


I believe the experiences with the hedgehog and the lobster, and the dreams showed me my personal responsibility as far as evangelism is concerned.  However I believe the experience with the spider showed me something else as well.


Washing the spider with water reminded me of Ephesians ch.5 v.26 which speaks about the church,  'That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word...'   There is a set plan for the church to grow and it is clearly written in the scriptures. One plants, one waters but God adds the increase, and the Lord has assigned to each his task.  1 Corinthians ch. 3 v.10, 11 says ' But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ'. 

Also Ephesians ch. 4 v.11 says 'And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up'.    1 Corinthians ch. 14 vs 26 - 31    gives clear instruction of how things must be when God's people gather together  'What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.  If anyone speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.  If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.  Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.  And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop.  For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.'    Sometimes we might try to 'build God's house' by all sorts of ways, even trying to add to the numbers by trying to attract people in with worldly things.   A spider builds his own house, the web. Job ch.8 vs.13 - 15 reads 'such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless man shall perish. His confidence breaks in sunder, and his trust is a spide's web ( this word is translated 'house' in the hebrew)

I believe the Lord used the spider to show me that if we forget God, and His instruction in the 'building,' then we will have a very fragile ' house'.  Just as the spider builds his own home we, God's children can be building our own spiritual house if we try to build any way other than how the Lord is instructing us.  Psalm 127 v.1 says ' Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:'

A few days ago,  I had a very vivid dream just before I awoke.  The phone was ringing in my house and I went to answer it, but there were all sorts of things in my way, stopping me from getting to the phone.  By the time I reached it and picked it up the phone had been layed down the other end but I could still hear what was going on.  It was our son who had phoned and I could hear everything that was going on in his house, but it was as if he had given up waiting for me to answer his call.

I have to ask myself.  Is the Lord pointing out to me that the clutter of 'man's attempts to build' in God's house is sometimes causing  His children who are trying to connect with Him to 'put the phone down' and stop trying?


Strange...... Two days after I put this post on I have to add something.  I have just come home after being out for most of the day to find two emails from our son.  He is asking me if I want one of his spare mobile phones.  He says I can choose which one I want.   One is in it's original packaging and has a manual with it.  My son knows nothing about my post on my blog.  I believe absolutely that God is echoing the emphasis on communication His way, as it has been for two thousand years, with His manual.
 

How to be righteous and please God

In Matthew ch.5 Jesus tells His disciples that blessing will come from suffering, self denial, a desire for righteousness, mercy and peace, and tells them to rejoice when persecuted on account of Him.  As a believer I am told to salt the earth and give light to the world so that men might give glory to God for my good works.  Jesus goes on to say that unless my righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees I will never enter the kingdom of God.  From verse 21 to the end of the chapter I am told that Jesus requires that I not only stop sinning in the flesh but the intent of my mind and my heart must be pure, and that I must do good to those who are doing evil to me.  Finally, in the last verse of this chapter, I am told that I must be as perfect as God Himself ...... ...

 

 

This is where I give up all hope of trying to get into the kingdom of God by any other means except through grace, and realise that it is futile to think that I can please Him with any righteousness other than  the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ,  a righteousness attained by the Holy Spirit through the gift of faith.

 

 

Wisdom's key

I have a desktop publishing package on my computer that I have been using for some time now, but I have not been using it to its full potential.  There are many facilities that I need on this package for the work that I do, and I have not been using them because I did not know they were there.

How did I find out that they were there?  I decided to use the tutorials that came with the package.  Now I am finding wonderful tools to help me with, and enhance, the products that I enjoy creating and the things that I enjoy writing about both in card and booklet form, and on blogs.

The same principal applies to my spiritual life.  Without a teacher I will remain carnal, and without a tutorial I cannot gain the knowledge and wisdom needed to transform me into what the Lord intends me to be.  In the book of Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11, God was telling the people through Jeremiah that His plans for them were 'for welfare, and not for evil, to give you  a hope and a future.'  He goes on to say in verses 12, 13 and 14 'Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you,'  

 

Proverbs chapter 24, verses 13 and 14 reveal that the secret of gaining that hope and future lies in gaining wisdom.  They read: 'My son, eat honey for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.  Know that wisdom is such to your soul, if you find it there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.'

 

 

 

Proverbs chapter 24, verses 3 to 6  says 'By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.   A wise man is mightier than a strong man and a man of knowledge than he who has strength, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counsellors there is victory.'


 

God's plans for His church, His spiritual Israel, is for welfare, to give us a hope and a future.  Without the wisdom of God there is no hope or future.  This is why we need to look into the Christian's tutorial  which the teacher of all teachers, the Holy Spirit, will enlighten for us, to gain wisdom so that Jeremiah 29, verse 11 might be fulfilled in our lives today.

Then this spiritual house will be filled with all precious and pleasant riches, and we shall be equipped for spiritual warfare, having the victory through an abundance of counsellors.

Without reading the tutorials on my desk top publishing package I was blindly struggling, the same applies in my Christian walk.  There is a hidden power in the Bible that needs to be unlocked and we who are born of the Spirit have been given the key.  It is to have our minds renewed in the wisdom of Christ.   Then, and only then, are we each able to do the work that we have been called to do in Him, not in our own power, but by believing on Jesus and acting on His tutorial, which is the word of God


Teach me my Father

Teach me my Father to be like Jesus
in everything I say and do
teach me my Father to love my neighbour
and not to abuse the things from You
Teach me to share the gifts You send me
of love and joy and peace of mind
teach me to see the soul reaching out
from eyes that Satan has made blind
Teach me to lean on Your love my Father
change this heart of doubt and fear
teach me to say to every stranger
'Come inside ...... there's welcome here'
Teach me my Father to be like Jesus
and not to care for worldly things
teach me to tell the poor and the sick
'My Lord has healing in His wings'
Teach me to tell them of Your love
of how your work is being done
Simply because my wonderful Father .....
I believed upon Your Son

Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?'  Jesus answered and said unto them 'This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.'  John ch.6 vs.28,29
 

Jesus -' Yahweh saves'

I just feel that I would like to dedicate this post to praising God and His Son Jesus. 


Messiah
 
I watch in anguish every day
as killing, torture, hatred reign
In horror turn my eyes away
hoping somehow to reduce the pain
I cry
despair and sorrow gripping me
Then Jesus comes
saying 'Child ...I see'
and the burden is removed from me


I stumble blindly down life's road
through shifting sand and mists of sin
bent low by fortune's heavy load
deep lonelines and fear within
I scream
held tightly by frustration's hand
Then Jesus comes            
saying 'Child ...I understand'
and shows to me a promised land

                                         

   

I reach towards this man of love

this gentle lifter of my head

empowered by Spirit from above

to wake from sleep the living dead

I breathe....

as new life stirs within my soul

Then Jesus comes

saying 'Child ...I make you whole

and give you back what Satan stole'
 

 

I listen ...now familiar sound

a still small voice dispels the gloom

my step a dance upon the ground

as I arise from earthen tomb

I praise

my song 'Emmanuel'

The Christ has come!

saying 'All is well

for I have conquered death and hell' 

 
 



Your love is .....

Your love is a power a life giving line
that stretches from Heaven to this heart of mine
giving life to a soul that once was dead
lifting hands that hung down as if weighted with lead
and causing a tongue that sang only of fear
to sing a new song to all who will hear
Now this heart responds to Your love that heals pain
like a rose that unfolds to the gentle rain
My soul awakens and leaves the grave
reborn by Your Word that came to save
With hands lifted high - all heaviness gone
I honour my Saviour the Holy One
My tongue praises God for His two edged sword
and the song that I sing says.....
'Jesus is Lord!'



Oh Lord what is man that You should love him?

Oh Lord what is man that You should love him
Oh Lord what is man that You should care
What is there in me that You should die in agony
on a hill far away and so bare?

Father, what caused You to send Jesus
Your beloved, most precious Son
the one sacrifice good enough to pay the price
of redemption for what we had done?

There was no other could pay that great price
a lamb without blemish You required as sacrifice
Jesus was willing to stand in my place
now I'm sheltered by forgiveness
as I'm saved through God's grace

So Father, I thank You for sending Jesus
Your beloved, most precious Son
the one sacrifice good enough to pay the price
of redemption for what we had done

The joy of the Lord is my strength

I thought I would write a new post today, and had a certain subject in mind.  As I sat down to type I thought 'Shall I write on that or shall I write on something else?', so I picked up one of the little booklets I have written over the years and opened it, thinking to share a personal testimony.  There in front of me was something I had written several years ago called  'The joy of the Lord is my strength.'  I have recently read a post on someone's blog and it mentioned the meaning of 'joy', and again on someone's blog this morning I noticed the word 'joy', so I thought that I would share that writing today.

What is 'joy'?

Joy to the natural mind is doing the

things that bring pleasure.  I get a

lot of pleasure out of nature, and taking
photographs.  I love animals and birds
and get tremendous pleasure from their presence in my daily life, and I get pleasure from painting, writing and many other things that I do.

  

Yes, we tend to use the

word 'joy' when we talk about the pleasures of this life, and there is nothing

wrong in that.

What of the meaning of 'joy' in God's eyes?

My dictionary tells me that 'joy' means 'excitement or stimulation of pleasurable feeling caused by the acquisition or expectation of good'.  As a christian I know that there is, in God's eyes, an established good and an established evil, and I must learn, through the Holy Spirit's teachings, to discern between the two.

Good and evil

Is it by choice or predestined, that we do good or evil? What is good, what is evil, where is the plumb line? Is my evil somebody else's good, is my good somebody else's evil? To whom somebody else's evil is good, then it is good. To whom somebody else's good is evil then it is evil. To establish a common good or a common evil there must be a plumb line. Without a plumb line there is no such thing as good or evil - only chaos.

Proverb ch.15 v.21 says that, 'Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walks uprightly',  so where do I find true joy that will not come from folly, and how do I tell the difference?  First of all, in order to experience fully the kind of joy that is mentioned in the Bible, the kind that Nehemiah spoke of as being a strength in Nehemiah ch.8 v.10,  I must have a knowledge of what walking uprightly is in God's eyes.  Just as Nehemiah had given understanding to the people of God concerning what was walking uprightly in God's eyes when the people were under the law, the Holy Spirit will give understanding of what is walking uprightly in God's eyes to we who are not under the law but who are under God's grace.  Otherwise we will be deceived, and have a substitute joy which will be derived from what is good in our own eyes, but maybe not in God's eyes.

In the book of Jeremiah ch.15 v16 Jeremiah says to God 'Thy words were found, and I ate them , and Thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Thy name O Lord God of hosts.'
We see by this account that it is God's words that became a joy, but only after Jeremiah 'ate' them, so God's words acted upon (eaten) become an 'excitement or stimulation of pleasurable feeling caused by the acquisition or expectation of 'good'.  So the christian can be sure that as he or she seeks God's word in their lives, what God speaks to each individual will become a joy and the delight of the heart if that word is acted upon.

I can truly say that when God speaks to or instructs me from His word personally, though I may not always understand it or my carnal mind will advise against it, if I believe it and, when required, act upon it, it brings about good - a good which surpasses all that I could imagine.   In John ch.14 v.15,  Jesus says to those who believe in Him 'If you love me keep my commands .   And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you.'

It is always my choice whether I do what He asks or not, but how can I claim to love Him and not do what He asks?

Not because.........

I love You Lord                                             
not because I must
for 'must' comes out of fear
and Your perfect love casts out fear

I serve You Lord
not for what I can get
for 'get' comes out of greed
and You make me able to be content
with little as well as much

I follow You Lord
not because there is no other path I can take
for You have allowed me to try every path
and I can see.....
that what appears to be a broad path
leads to a confined space
but what appears to be a narrow path
leads out into a broad place

Simon Peter answered Him 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life: and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.' John ch.6 vs.68,69

Ecclesiastes ch.2 v.26 says that God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to the man who pleases Him. So we need to find out what pleases God in order to experience this God given joy.
Wisdom, knowledge and joy will be given freely to us if our intentions are to seek to please God and walk in His ways, but as His ways and thoughts differ from ours,  Isaiah ch.55 v.8 says   'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord',   we cannot possibly please Him without revelation from the Holy Spirit first on how to do this.  This is why it has to be the Holy Spirit that teaches us, because 1 Corinthians ch.2 v.11 says that 'no man knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God'.  1John ch.2 reads 'but the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in Him.'

James ch.1 v.2 tells us to 'count it all joy' when we meet various trials.  James goes on to say that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness and to 'let steadfastness have its full effect, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.'  So to the christian these trials are necessary and good.  Walking in the Spirit may not always appear to be a bed of roses but it's fragrance will be every bit as beautiful  and much longer lasting than walking according to the flesh, or carnal mind.  We are encouraged to continue to walk in the Spirit, running the race that is set before us, in Hebrews ch.12 v.2 where we are told to 'look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.'  If we do as we are encouraged here we will never have to endure what Jesus endured but, Glory to God, we will share in the joy that was set before Him.


The necessity of the ' Chief cashier's signature'

One day I found a part of a ten pound note on my bedroom carpet.  I could not think where it came from and was going to throw it in the bin.  My husband said 'I think you can claim a whole ten pound note if you take it to the bank.'  I said 'I don't think so', but phoned the bank and explained what had happened and what my husband had said.  The young man on the phone told me to pick up a form from the bank, fill it in and send it off to the bank of England.  The form asked for details of what had happened to the note.  I put down that I did not have a clue, told them what my husband had said, and sent it off with the part of the ten pound note.  For the price of a stamp it was worth enquiring.  I had a very nice letter back saying that as there was only fifteen percent of the note found, no chief cashier's signature and no promissory clause, they were unable to pay out, which I thought was fair enough.

I think probably the piece of the ten pound note may have come in on my shoe from outside, but the whole incident, including the words contained in the return letter, made me think of how there will be no joy set before those who are outside of the kingdom of God, who having only the part of the note, so to speak, hearing about God but not knowing Jesus.  For without the Chief cashier's signature, the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives, there is no promissory clause, no guarantee of eternal life.  The 'I promise to pay' is on the other part, the part with the Chief cashier's signature on.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in enjoying the things on this Earth that give pleasure, God has given us those things to enjoy, the natural things and things that can be bought with money.
True riches can only be found in Jesus Christ, but that does not mean that we are denied our heart's desire in the things that we love in this life also, it depends which we put first.   However, all the money in the world will never buy us the salvation and eternal life that God's Son has purchased for us.  God help those who don't know this if we don't share the joy of the Gospel of Jesus with them.


Treasure

What good is my gold if I don't have You
what use is my earthly treasure
all it can buy is a dream or two
a moment of worldly 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 gold on this 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

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.        Matthew ch.6 vs. 19-21

He must increase and I must decrease

One day I saw a book in a table top sale called 'By bread alone'.  The write up on it said it was about a woman who 'took charge of her own life'.  For some reason it did not appeal to me and yet I could not pinpoint why.  The next day the UCB reading was about not living by bread alone, but living by every word that comes from the mouth of God.  I thought of the book and felt the Spirit of God was speaking to me.

The following morning I was listening to a recording of an American preacher talking about the Lord being inside us in the form of the Holy Spirit, and how to overcome trials.  As I was listening to him encouraging the listeners to allow the voice of the Holy Spirit to become the dominant voice in their lives, and learn to act on its instruction, I heard a noise in the room.  On investigation I found that a little plaque that stood on my windowsill had fallen over onto the floor.   When I picked it up I realized it was the one with the scripture 'He must increase and I must decrease' printed on it.  The wind coming through the open window had caused it to fall over and this emphasized to me the Holy Spirit bringing something to my attention.  Now I was even more convinced that the Spirit of God was speaking to me.  

                                                  

Later that morning my husband was quite irritable and began criticizing little things that I was doing for no apparent reason.  Although I felt like telling him off and asking him what I had done to deserve his snappiness, on this occasion I spent quite some time trying to alter his mood by saying, in betwen my chores, 'cheer up' and 'what would make you happy?'   'I don't know' he said grumpilly.  My mind continued to advise me to retaliate.  Then some scripture I had been reading earlier 'Bless those who curse you, love those who hate you' came into my mind and I went over to him and gave him a big hug.  He immediately responded and hugged me back and smiled, and I realized just how powerful God's word is when acted upon.  The carnal mind is at enmity with God and unless it agrees with what God is saying to us at the time we must not listen to it.  The Spirit knows the mind of God and will reveal His will to us in every situation as we seek Him, equipping us for what is coming into our lives.  Then the choice is ours.

I was visiting the local psychiatric hospital one day and one of my granddaughters, Hayley, was with me.   Our two granddaughters were on holiday with us at the time.  A lady there had some material that she was making something out of and it had writing printed on it saying something about 'your own destiny'.  There was also a bag on the table in the room which  was made of the same material, with the same writing on it.  However neither of the articles had the whole sentence written on it.  I asked the lady if she knew what the missing words were, but she did not. 

A few days later Hayley came into my kitchen and said 'Look nan'.  She had borrowed her sister's T-shirt and, amazingly, the same writing that had been on the material in the hospital was written sideways across the front of it, only this time it was complete.  It read 'Make your own destiny'.

I had been reading a book in which someone is quoted as saying 'One's will is his chooser, with it he makes the choices which determine his eternal destiny'.  God's message became very clear.  As a Christian I can choose to listen either to the Holy Spirit or my caral mind, but I am told in Romans ch.8 v.13 that if by the Spirit I put to death the deeds of the body I shall live, that all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.  As Timothy was told by Paul, the scriptures are able to instruct for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, that they are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correctionand for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, eqipped for every good work.

The Lord had been bringing my attention, firstly through the book and the scripture written on the little plaque and then through the quote in the other book and the material, to the fact that the Spiritual in me must increase and the carnal that opposes it  must decrease, bringing complete renewal.

Some years ago the Lord spoke a large message to me through two small poems.     Occasionally He reminds me of this message, as I believe He did through this particular experience.


Renewal
Do not be tainted by a love that is not God's. 
don't let innocence be spoiled by a wisdom that is earthly 
Always remain as a child in your own wisdom
so that the greatness of God's words
can be allowed to enter into the ears of your heart
so that you may grow up into Him
and remember no more the foolishness of this present world
For there is a part of you which cannot understand His words
and it would seek to rob you of His truth
It is the mind of your first father Adam, a fleshly mind
The Lord speaks and your heart receives
but your mind tries to intervene and to reason with logic
Oppose that which is at enmity with God
and receive into your heart only that which is pleasing to Him
His words ........which are Spirit and life

Put away the mirror child

Put away the mirror child  lay it on a shelf

it won't reflect perfection it only shows you self

Look into the well of life and see another face

the face of God the Father -  full of truth and grace

This water it will cleanse you from the filthiness of sin

throw off your rags of this world

Come son of Adam....... step in

Yes put away the mirror child and lay it on a shelf

Lest you forget what God's making you

........... and become your former self

I bought a clock for a pound at the weekly table top sale that is held at the psychiatric hospital.  It was a nice wooden clock which had a very similar grain in it to the mantle piece in the back room of the house that we were living in at the time, and that is where I placed it.   However, it would not keep the correct time.  There was a lever at the back of the clock which I could either move to the plus sign if the clock was running slow or to the minus sign if it was running fast.  Getting it just right was a matter of small adjustments to the left or right, and this was what I started doing, and kept doing until the clock kept perfect time.  Sometimes my husband did the adjustments and sometimes he, as are other people, is used in my life to do the spiritual adjustment.  We can all be built up by one another.

There is a lovely prayer in Psalm 40.  It is verse ten which reads 'Teach me to do Thy will.  For Thou art my God.  Let Thy good Spirit lead me on a level path.'

I finish with  my own prayer regarding increase and decrease.

You and me

Increase the 'You' in me Lord

increase the solid rock

increase the strength the Father sent

to protect from every knock

Increase the 'You' in me Lord

when I try to stand alone

remind me that I'm still a child

that in You I'm not yet grown

Increase the 'You' in me Lord

take all my foolish pride

take the 'me' that still remains in me

and place the 'You' inside

Increase the 'You' in me Lord

that when all is 'said' and 'done'

if people say 'Thankyou, thankyou'

I'll say 'Not me ........God's Son'

                                                                                   

                                                                                 

Love

What is love?  I can say that I love chocolate, the chocolate which I am eating and enjoying as I am typing now, but it would be more grammatically correct if I said I really enjoy eating chocolate.  I can say that I love my husband,  when sometimes I might not feel like saying that to him because I have not got my own way in an issue or he might have said or done something which I may not have liked, and vice versa.   The word 'love' tends  to often be used flippantly such as in 'love you' as a gesture when separating from friends or ending a phone or text message, and it is a nice, friendly way of leaving a gathering of friends or ending a phone conversation. 

But what of the Bible's deffinition of love according to 1 corinthians ch.13 vs.4 - 7. 'Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.' If I compare myself against this interpretation of love, how do I fare?   I rejoice in  the fact that these verses are in the Bible because I can keep coming back to use them as my plumbline and judge.  Hopefully I will end up with the best kind of 'love' in me.

The following are some poems that I have written that  reflect the love of God in Jesus and creation to me.

Mirror Image

Lord may we learn from creation may we look to the vast blue sea
to the mountains the fields and the valleys to know how we ought to be
                                                                                      

 May we look to the gentle dolphin as he tries to befriend mankind
and follow this creature's example leaving killing and hatred behind

May we look to the towering mountains

holding fast against tempest and rain

as we struggle with

 sorrow and tradgedy

finding strength

amidst suffering and pain

As we look to the fields and the harvest
all golden and
bursting with grain
may we learn how to share with each other
may our giving replace
all our gain






















Then as in the river's reflection of the blue of the heavens above
so too we will mirror the image of God's totally unselfish love


The Power of Love

There's something about You Jesus
that just escapes my mind
about how You cause the lame to walk
and restore the sight of the blind
and how You can take the lowly
the broken hearted ones
and place them in Your kingdom
to bring them up as sons

There's something about You Jesus
there's something about Your face
though I can't see any features
I see wisdom, compassion and grace
There's something about those eyes Lord
that shed those tears for me
there's something about those healing hands
that they fastened to that tree

What made You say 'Father forgive them
for they know not what they do'
when they saved the life of Barabbas
and they chose to crucify You
I know what that 'something' is Lord
as I look to my Father above
It's the one thing that covers all others
It's Your totally unselfish love


Without You as my Lord

Without You as my Lord, I have no king
Without You as my first love there's no song to sing
Without You as my eagle my spirit can't soar
Without You as my gold I will always be poor
Without You as my life there can only be death
For by Your Holy Spirit I draw every breath
Without You as my Saviour I'm lost and forlorn
So praise God, Hallelujah that I've been reborn

The Light shines in the darkness

The following is part of my testimony of light coming into darkness - of the light of God, through Jesus Christ, coming into the darkness of my world.  There may be areas of darkness that lie hidden in my world still, but the light that has come into my life is a far greater power than that darkness, and is able to rescue me from it.

'In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.'  John ch.1 vs.4,5

It is written out of my deep conviction that God is the only true light, and that He has sent His Son Jesus Christ to bring this true light to a darkened world.   Without this true light I am convinced that no individual will have eternal life, an intimate knowledge of God which enables us to carry on existing with Him in a place that Jesus has prepared for those who believe on Him after our earthly bodies have passed away.  As a believer in Jesus Christ I am commanded by Him to spread His gospel, which I do in any way I can, including my writings.

'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.'  John ch.17 v.3

Just as the moon has no light of it's own and can only reflect the light of the sun, so too has the church no light of it's own and may only reflect the light of Jesus Christ.

                            The Light shines in the darkness

                                          Oh light of heaven, Holy king                            
                                           of whom the hosts of angels sing
                                           rekindle flame in darkened Earth   
                                           by stirring those of second birth
                                           to speak with boldness of the love
                                           sent by the Father from above

                                                   ***
                                          
                                           When on a night so dark and cold
                                            was prophesy fulfilled of old
                                            A child to maid of no renown
                                            was born to wear man's thorny crown
                                            to bear the shame and take the place
                                            of mankind fallen from God's grace

                                                              ***
                                          
                                           Who now with sin beneath His feet
                                            stands at the side of God's own seat
                                            declaring peace forever more
                                            to those who enter through the door
                                            of righteousness gained by God's Son
                                            the Father's gift to everyone

I believe the fact that we have no light of our own, and that we must only reflect the light of Christ, was emphasized to me through an incident in my life several years ago.

I had been watching a programme on the television called 'Shining Lights - The Illuminator'.  It was about some Catholic monks in America who had commissioned people to produce a hand written, illustrated Bible as close as possible to the original style of Bibles written in the middle ages.  It was to be a Bible commissioned to celebrate the millennium.  Although the main artist-calligrapher was a man who lived in North Wales who did exceptional illuminated lettering and calligraphy as well as illustrations, there were other people who also worked on this Bible.

A few days after I had watched this programme I was given a project at one of the writers' circles I attended.  It was to write on the subject of 'Light'.  I did not think this coincidence.  The next day I had arranged to go to the local reference library to use the internet and met my calligraphy tutor Stephanie there.  An exhibition of our work was on display in the library and she was dropping some packaging off.  I told her I had seen the programme 'Shining lights' and asked her if she had seen it.  She told me she had missed it but had heard it was good and wanted to view it herself.  She said she had rung around several people to enquire if they had recorded it but had been unsuccessful in finding one who had and asked if I had taped it, to which I replied that I had not.

The following day I was thinking it was a pity Stephanie had missed the programme, knowing that she would have thoroughly enjoyed it, so I rang the BBC to enquire whether the programme would be shown again or if there was any way I could get hold of a tape.  The man I was speaking to said that I could write to a lady called 'Clare' who may be able to give me some information.  'That's Clare without the 'i' he said, and proceeded to give me the address where she could be contacted.  I noted the address and sent a letter off to Clare with my request, taking care to spell her name without an i.

That afternoon I started reflecting on the happenings of the previous few days and could hear the voice of God speaking to me through the events of these days.  In the same way that many people were working on this Bible we, as the body of Christ, are many working as one church with the different gifts and ministries that we have been given, to spread the light of the Gospel to the world.  We are to be shining lights before men, shining the light of the gospel into the darkness of this world.  However, just as the man at the BBC had said 'Clare without the 'i', and the name 'Claire' comes from the word meaning 'bright' or if used as an adjective in French can mean 'light', so we must take the ' I ', or self, out of  the light that we shine as God's messengers.  For although we are shining lights, our illuminator can only be Jesus, who is the express image of God. 

Jesus is the light of the world and He is the only light we must reflect to the world, the only light we must work by and the only light we must walk by.  Isaiah ch.50 v.11 says that all those who walk by their own lights will be in torment.  As children of light we have the true light in Jesus the Word of God, and as long as that light is the only light we use to see we shall never walk in darkness and we shall also be free from torment.

A tape of the programme 'Shining Lights-The Illuminator' was sent to me.  Yet another example of the love of God towards all of us, including my calligraphy tutor Steahanie.

A kaleidoscope has always been something that has fascinated me since I was a small child.  It is an optical instrument which has a tube containing two reflecting surfaces inclined to each other at a suitable angle.    These two surfaces are able to exhibit, by reflection, the most incredibly beautiful colours and symmetrical forms from just ordinary pieces of glass. I am reminded by it of the plan of salvation that was brought about when God said in Genesis ch.1 v.26 'Let us make man in our image' ( The word used here for 'man' is a collective, meaning mankind). God and His Son Jesus Christ have the divine ability to transform sinful man into their beautiful image, and we the church have been given the job of spreading this good news.

'But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.'

John ch.1 vs.12,13