Take My...

During my prayer time, many times I pray  "God I give you my day"..and I know I have blogged on that before, 

His Day. May 25, 2021

How it is already His day, but we need to surrender it to Him.

The other day it was a bit different.  

I asked Him to TAKE...

my day

my time

my whole being

Is that different, than giving?

It is already His and He does not need my permission to use any of it for His Glory

BUT....

📖 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.   Romans 12:1

We do need to have a humble heart, humble spirit, before our God

📖 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:27

So that He can take and use what we have surrendered to Him

"Take my day Lord"

📖 This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

"because all that is possible in this day, I want to be what is possible in You.

📖Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

"Take my time"

📖 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

"Though I make plans, take the lists I make and use them for You. Adjust them, change them, erase them, however they are used best"

"Take my being"

📖 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

"I want all of me to love and serve only You"

📖 He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

🙏My prayer for you is that you can fall humbly before the Lord and surrender all to Him.❤️

🎵 Take My Life and Let It Be

Magnify

This past Sunday all the songs were about majesty, 

"His Majesty"....

"Worship His Majesty, kingdom authority."

"O Lord our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

But another word kept popping out at me, 

magnify. 

"Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King"

"O Lord we magnify Your name!"

So let's look at the definition:

verb

1.

make (something) appear larger than it is,

Well, we know that God does NOT need to be made "larger" than He is. He IS the creator of the universe, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

📖 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

📖 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, 

the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13

He is "larger than life"

So let's look at #2

2.

ARCHAIC

extol; glorify.

We will glorify the Lord!

We will extol (praise enthusiastically) our God!

📖 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3

Another picture in my mind that I have; is a magnifying glass....we use it to put the focus on something specific so that we may see it clearer and larger. 

God doesn't need to be made larger, but maybe in our life we need to draw our focus back to Him. We may need to make Him a larger part of our life...our day...our existence. 

I take this verse, as God saying He is to be set apart and glorified.

📖 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ Ezekiel 38:23

So whether we are needing to have our focus on Him more concise and a bigger part of our life or it is in focus and it is time to exalt and glorify Him...let's do it today!

📖 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

🙏 My prayer for you this week is that you magnify the Lord each day, each moment!❤️

"Oh! Magnify the Lord with me!"

🎵 How Majestic Is Your Name      Studio Musicians

The Empty Pitcher

So as are most Sundays, and especially for extra special occasions, which Easter is one of the most extra special...things are a bit busy. This past Easter Sunday was no exception, with an added early morning service and breakfast prior to regular worship!

The flowers at church were lovely, brought in honor and celebration of those in our lives we have lost. 

My oldest daughter had some very special (home grown) tulips coming... so I left the "pitcher" empty, as I thought that is where they would go. There is something in the pitcher always...as long as it is sitting on the front table there is something seasonal in it. It is an old pitcher, I am not sure if I even remember who "donated" it from a pitcher and bowl set. It has been cracked and has no bottom. It has a beautiful design in earthy tones....but it is a broken vessel, which for all intents and purposes should be tossed into the trash bin. From the first time it was placed I have taken a liking to it, I connect with it, for one reason because it has been repurposed and most Sundays looks beautiful.  (a direction for another blog)

Back to Easter Sunday Service;

I was busy with the start of the service, and my daughter with the tulips was coming in a bit late.

She placed the vased bunch of tulips on one side of the pitcher and a special orange vase with a single tulip on the other side while we sang "Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate". I did notice and smiled as it brightened the table and all looked pretty! 

(And I am kicking myself for not snapping a photo of the whole table!)

It wasn't until later in the day as I was going over the happenings of the day...amazed at how God weaves a thread through everything...our randomness makes sense once handed over to God...He takes the fragments each individual offers and makes it beautiful! 

Then it struck me..."the pitcher was empty! No flowers got put in it!" And then quickly thought "how perfect!",  that the pitcher that always has something, stood empty on Resurrection Sunday!

How very appropriate as we sang songs and read scripture about the tomb being empty, there in the middle of the table stood a reminder that something beautiful that is usually there was gone.

Just as disciples must have felt, their beautiful teacher, leader and friend had died and was gone!  

And though they had been told, they were confused and shocked to find the tomb empty.

📖  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:5-8

The empty tomb was/is His greatest triumph, which is ours as well!

Because He walked out of the tomb, leaving behind the burial clothes, leaving death behind, we can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life, if we believe.

📖 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

🙏My prayer is that you BELIEVE in the Son of God, His death on the cross, and the empty tomb!❤️

🎵 The Power of an Empty Tomb - The Erwins

Seeing Red!

 🎧CoffeeTime Audio

In this day and age, when people fly off the handle into angry rages at the slightest annoyance or inconvenience.

People seem to "see red" easily and all the time!

Well, I want to see red everyday!

The words of Christ written in red!

I realized that if that is how we all "saw red" every day....we wouldn't be "seeing red" when things go wrong, or not our way. 

📖 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4

📖 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:37-38

📖 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus even has words about "seeing red"

📖Anger

You know our ancestors were told, “Do not murder” and “A murderer must be brought to trial.” But I promise you if you are angry with someone, you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God. Matthew 5:21-24 (CEV)

📖 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:29-31

📖 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus came to this earth, to walk as a man ..so that we would have an example, a teacher to follow, He dealt with the same things we deal with. God could have just continued meeting on mountain tops or burning bushes etc. But there was a plan to save us from our own self-destruction and punishment for our sin.

Jesus's example included His punishment, persecution, and death as a criminal. 

Which all culminated in the one act that sets His life and death apart from all others. He rose three days later, as a form that could walk and talk and be touched, as well as sit and eat with those who loved Him. But He also had all of the heavenly power to walk through walls and doors, to ascend into heaven.

While Jesus was being beaten and tortured for our sins, He did not get angry...He did not "see red" instead He spoke words worthy to be written in read.

📖 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

When He was hanging on the cross in the last moments of His life, STILL being ridiculed, He didn't get angry, again He spoke words that would some day be written in red!

📖  One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43

When He rose He could have been indignant when the disciples were hiding and Thomas was doubting, but no..

📖 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:19-29

If you have access to a "red letter" Bible read what you can of His words!

If you don't it is a great exercise to read through the gospels and highlight or under line all of Christ's words in red. 

When Louis Klopsch thought that it would be a good idea to publish bibles this way, it was because he believed in the importance of Christ's words.

"The idea for the red letters in Bibles is attributed to Louis Klopsch, owner and editor of Christian Herald magazine.  On June 19, 1899, Klopsch was writing an editorial for the magazine when he read Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

Klopsch realized these were the words of Jesus at the Last Supper when our Lord instituted the observance of Communion. And knowing that blood is red, he asked himself, “Why not a red letter Bible with red words to be those of Jesus?”  After encouragement from his minister, Klopsch sought the help of eminent Bible scholars from America and Europe to submit passages that should be written in red.  In the November 1901 issue of the Christian Herald, a large advertisement offered red letter Bibles to readers. The first printing, on his own press, numbered 60,000 copies. These quickly sold, and the presses had to run “day and night to supply the demand.”

Read more at:

https://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2010/04/10/ever-wondered-why-christs-words-are-in-red-letters/#:~:text=The%20idea%20for%20the%20red,which%20is%20shed%20for%20you.%E2%80%9D

All the words in the Holy Bible are important!

📖   All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Every word is important in our walk, but sometimes it is nice to easily see the teachings of Christ, easy to see what He had to say, easier to See Red"!

🙏My prayer is that you choose to see red every day! Not the anger but see what Christ has for you in His words and BELIEVE.❤️

Go ahead and watch and listen

🎵I Believe Brooks & Dunn

Dry Bones Dancing

🎧CoffeeTime Audio

 If anyone has ever said scripture is dull and boring hasn't really read much of it!

For this blog, particularly, Ezekiel!

There have been messages spoken on the old testament book of Ezekiel..and I heard one recently on Ezekiel chapter 37....Dry Bones! and it inspired this weeks blog.

📖 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:1-14

Bare, dry, desolate bones, covering the floor of a valley. No breath, no movement, no life!

Can you relate? Have you felt the despair, the desolation?

That is what God intended Ezekiel to see and feel with this vision He put before him.

It was how many were feeling at the time, as the Israelite people had been taken into bondage, cities were leveled. There was probably very little hope among the people.  

In earlier chapters of Ezekiel he prophesied how attacks from outsiders, and sin from within will bring them to ruin.

But God had other plans, and He gave a vision to Ezekiel to depict His amazing power of restoration!

Several points that stand out to me;

First of all, 

🦴This is set in a valley. It could have been a field, a large dessert expanse, but it was a valley floor. A valley is the lowest point...and we have all been there...at some point in our life, in our walk we have slid down the mountainside and found ourselves in a barren, dry valley.

🦴This was a participation exercise, the Lord didn't just "speak over the dry bones" and they were complete. He commanded Ezekiel to "prophesy", to speak over the bones himself. The Lord directed, gave Ezekiel the words and all he had to do was listen and obey.  Hmmmm 🤔

🦴The Lord could have made the bones rise, move, dance and that alone would have depicted a form of restoration, but the Lord's vision to Ezekiel depicted what His full restorative power can look like! Not only did the bones form together, but then the inner workings, tendon, muscle, skin! But He wasn't done yet! There was no life, or breath! 

🦴The Lord then explained that this is what He can do....the restoration He was going to do for the Israelite nation.

And lastly, as we head toward Palm Sunday and Easter, 

🦴 the restoration He planned for us! The foreshadowing that this passage carries of our restoration as a result of Christ's death, and resurrection, the dead coming to life!

We are dead in our sin,  but if we believe what Christ did for us, we can have eternal restoration with Him in Heaven.

 📖 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Have you ever been there, in the valley, feeling as dead, used up and abandoned as an old skeleton? Exposed to the elements, bits and pieces disappearing over time?

Or maybe you feel as though you have begun to be restored; standing, looking as if you are whole, but feeling lifeless inside?

Ezekiel's vision was about hope for the Israelite people, but it can be for us too!

God's restorative power is there for us!

His Spirit in us breathes life into our being, into our soul.

Like Ezekiel we must listen, and follow God's instructions. How? His Holy Word! Read the Bible daily. Find others who read the Word of God and spend time talking, listening and learning. Spend time talking and listening and learning from Him, in prayer.

📖 "I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU AND YOU WILL LIVE"! 

HOPE in any situation!

📖 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  John 20:21-22

🙏My prayer for you; No matter how low and desolate you feel let God breathe His Spirit into your soul and feel life again, dance again! ❤️

This song was referenced in the message that inspired this blog and it fits so perfectly!

🎵Rattle      Elevation Worship and Zach Williams

When God Shows Up

🎧CoffeeTime Audio

A scripture passage from several Sundays ago was from the book of Job. Job 36-38

Job's friends were disparaging Job's circumstances and that God was bringing down His wrath. 

Job was questioning. 

Then as the speaker got to chapter 38 he said 

"Then God showed up!"

The statement hit me....

Have you ever thought about the times God "showed up"?

I love that statement. 

In today's world many times we feel God doesn't "show up" anymore, like He did in biblical times.

Like He was for the Israelites as they wandered through the desert....He was a pillar of fire and a column of smoke.

 📖By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21

He showed up on the mountain for Moses and gave him the commandments.

📖When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. Exodus 31:18

📖When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. Exodus 34:9

It was so powerful Moses' face glowed!

He was in the soft whisper for Elijah, after providing for him.

📖The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.  Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  1 Kings 19:11-13

David wrote songs about how God showed up for him in his time of despair.

📖 I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he turned to me and heard my cry. 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.  Psalm 40:1-2

The list goes on throughout the Old Testament, 

 but what about the New Testament? 

📖 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

God showed up! In the form of His Son, as a man to actually walk among man!

📖  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11

And through Jesus God met people face to face!

📖For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Jesus was in as many places He could possibly be in human form and with the constraints of the time.

But God showed up with a plan! And Jesus showed up at the garden, knowing He was going to be arrested, judged, sentenced, beaten, and then hung on a cross.

📖 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 28:36-39

Why would someone willing show up for that!?

LOVE!

📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

📖 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6

The most exciting.... 

Jesus followers were grieving and scared after Jesus had died and was buried. 

And.....dramatic drum roll please...🥁

He SHOWED UP!

📖At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:14-20

📖A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because  you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:26-29

He had tried to explain that He was going to be with them always, and God was giving the gift of the Holy Spirit

📖“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:25-27

📖  This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  1 John 4:13-14

So now the task is for US to "show up"!

WE need to come before Him with a repentant and humble spirit

📖The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.

God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.  Psalm 51:17 (HCSB)

Surrendering our lives to Him

📖Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  Luke 9:23-24

We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and walk with Him every day!

📖 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20

📖If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)

If we feel God isn't there, it isn't that He hasn't shown up....we have stepped away.

Look closely, humble your heart, quiet your spirit, seek Him.

"Ah, there He is, right where He has been all along", waiting for you to return your focus to Him.

📖 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

📖  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

He desires us to show up, ready to serve in His name, to love as He has commanded us to do.

📖My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  John 15;12-15

🙏My prayer this week is that you see that He has shown up, He is there for you!  And that you show up and make yourself available for whatever He has for you!❤️

Diamonds

 🎧CoffeeTime Audio

Diamonds by Hawk Nelson, another song has inspired another blog. 

First a little about diamond formation;

"Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth about 100 miles or so below the surface in the upper mantle. Obviously in that part of the Earth it's very hot. There's a lot of pressure, the weight of the overlying rock bearing down, so that combination of high temperature and high pressure is what's necessary to grow diamond crystals in the Earth......"

"The diamonds that we see at the surface are ones then that are brought to the surface by a very deep-seated volcanic eruption. It's a very special kind of eruption, thought to be quite violent, that occurred a long time ago in the Earth's history. We haven't seen such eruptions in recent times. They were probably at a time when the earth was hotter, and that's probably why those eruptions were more deeply rooted. These eruptions then carried the already-formed diamonds from the upper mantle to the surface of the Earth. When the eruption reached the surface it built up a mound of volcanic material that eventually cooled, and the diamonds are contained within that. These are the so-called Kimberlites that are typically the sources of many of the world's mined diamonds...."

"Diamonds are made of carbon so they form as carbon atoms under a high temperature and pressure; they bond together to start growing crystals. Because of the temperature and pressure, under these conditions, carbon atoms will bond to each other in this very strong type of bonding where each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms." (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/diamonds-unearthed-141629226/)

I know that there have been other correlations of people to diamonds but from the first time I heard this song quite a few years ago, I have liked it!

I have stated before that we as Christians should expect trials, I have blogged several times on that idea.  

Trials are a part of living in a sin filled world, part of being human, and also part of our growth process, not just as a Christian, but as a person. Without hard times, those as consequences of our own choices and even those not caused by us, how would we ever learn how to cope (how to shine), how to make a wrong right, how would we learn how to learn!?

 Sometimes the trials that we have to endure are tremendous, for us....

remember EVERYONE has trials, but what you may suffer as a trial may not be as difficult for another, or maybe their trial doesn't seem to you to be "any big deal". We MUST remember that each person's trial and how they perceive it is as unique as each individual, even if they are in the same circumstance.

Ok I will jump off my little soap box now. 😉

Sometimes the trials we have to endure are tremendous; we feel we are buried, lost in a dark place, tested by fire from all sides.

Some of the lyrics to the song Diamonds speak to that.

Here and now I'm in the fire
In above my head
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Being held under the pressure
Don't know what'll be left
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Matt Bronleewe, Jonathan Steingard. For non-commercial use only

Scripture tells us we WILL face times like these.

📖 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

📖 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

But we can have hope! Through the trial we are being "moved to the surface"!  Moved from the darkness to the light. 

📖You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

    my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm18:28

He shakes the foundations, moves the mountains and brings the beauty to the surface.

📖He moves mountains without their knowing it

    and overturns them in his anger.

    He shakes the earth from its place

    and makes its pillars tremble.  Job 9:5-6

📖 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,

    and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Psalm 102:25

📖   and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.  Isaiah 61:3

 He is in it all! No matter where we find ourselves, He is there! There is no place too far or too dark for Him to be there with us. 

📖 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” 

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12

📖 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

I find this part powerful;

I'll surrender to the power of being crushed by love
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
'Til the beauty that was hidden
Isn't covered up
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Oh it's not what I hoped for (hoped for)
It's something much better   Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Matt Bronleewe, Jonathan Steingard. For non-commercial use only

We must surrender! Surrender to what God is doing in what is happening around us, to us, because it is in THAT that God's grace and power will be shown and He is going to bring about change, draw us closer to Him, bring strength and beauty despite...NO....because of what we have gone through!

He literally formed man from the dust of the earth (dust that He created remember).  He can create beauty from your circumstances!

📖Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a (GW)

📖 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

📖Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

📖Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

    in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Remember, things may turn out differently from what we had hoped, even prayed for, but in submitting to Him and His ways we know that it will be something much better!

We also need to remember that once a diamond comes to the surface, it is in its raw form, there is more work to be done to bring out all the facets of its beauty. 

We will continue to be worked on, to be chiseled (pruned), to bring out all that God has created us to be!

 📖He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  John 15:2

📖 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

🙏My prayer this week is that in whatever circumstance we are in we all surrender to the power of His love for us to allow Him to do a great work in us, to create diamonds out of dust!❤️

Listen to the song!

🎵Diamonds by Hawk Nelson