Heading Home

Years ago, our preacher at the time gave a sermon about a married couple. I don’t remember the details, only the basics. A wife had served her husband a great meal, and as she cleared away the dishes, she announced to her husband her usual comment, “Hold onto your fork. The best is yet to be.”

After the sermon, that saying stuck with me. As we were suffering financial difficulties, I took an old fork, tied a red ribbon around it, and hung it on my refrigerator in hopes of God’s promise of the best is yet to be. I never removed it. It’s been there for years. It reminds me that, no matter what the trial, heartache, or pain surrounding my life, God is still faithful to the promises in His Word.

First Kings 8:56b says, “There has not failed one word of all His good promise.” (NKJV) Abraham knew this. He never doubted, for scripture says he was “fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Rom. 4:21 NKJV) He held on and God fulfilled His promise to him of the best that was yet to be.

Even with great faith attached to it, a promise of God sometimes stalls in its appearance because of God’s time schedule. What happens when inactivity occurs, when a promise seems to drift farther and farther away, when circumstances linger incessantly and patience wears thin? Are we more concerned about the problem or God’s promise?

If we hold onto that Word, as that scarlet cord of promise, God will always be faithful to keep it, for the One Who breathes His promises into our hearts will not fail to serve up the sweet ending.

Whatever your trials might be this day, hang on to God’s promises. Go now, find a fork, tie it up with a pretty bow, and hang it on your refrigerator, for...

YOUR BEST IS YET TO BE!!!

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

Years ago, in another church, where we were members, our pastor told us about a very funny yet embarrassing experience that happened to him.

At his previous church, he tended to fiddle around with the volume on his lapel mic, so the sound crew set the volume and put a piece of tape over the knob to keep him from fooling with it. On dedication day of the new sanctuary, the preacher got “wired,” put on his special robe for the day, and headed out from the old building to the new one.

Only one thing…he forgot the mic was turned on!

As the members sat waiting in the new sanctuary, they heard voices over the PA system. They heard the preacher’s footsteps and his voice as he greeted others. The preacher’s wife, recognizing what was happening and realizing her husband’s routine, made a mad dash for the door to run interference. But she never made it and the preacher continued on with his routine. Entering the men’s restroom, he took care of his bodily function…and flushed!

When he finally entered the sanctuary, he was greeted by a congregation of smiling faces. He didn’t find out until later. Poor man!

As this memory made a recent visitation to my brain, and after giggling for a while, I started thinking about the repercussions of what would happen if we all were “wired” with a hot mic attached to us so everyone could hear our every word and footstep.

What would others hear? Who would suffer from our words we thought were said behind their backs? Would our children overhear us say things we wouldn’t say in front of them? Where would our footsteps take us that we wouldn’t want others to know?

Unfortunately, we speak with a double tongue. We say one thing to others and then walk in another direction. We can compare this to the word ‘antipodal,’ which means with opposite feet, diametrically opposed, opposite beliefs, exactly contrary, as if to “talk out of both sides of your mouth,” (Prov. 4:24 Msg) as Solomon said.

We don’t realize what we are doing. Job asked, “Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is destructive?” (Job 6:30 AMP) Apparently not. Talk and walk don’t match up!

Paul told Titus, “Your conversation should be so sensible and logical that anyone who wants to argue will be ashamed of himself because there won’t be anything to criticize in anything you say!” (Titus 2:8 TLB) Or the way…or where…you walk!

Is your conversation above reproach? Is your walk? What sounds would your hot mic pick up?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

Once in a great while, our Kentucky summers surprise us with a respite from the normal hot and humid yuckiness and treat us to a pleasant evening. Recently, my husband and I sat on our patio to enjoy one of these rare evenings outdoors.

Hubby decided to hook up his new, good 100 foot hose to the sprinkler for the backyard. As he did, he mentioned that he wished he had gotten it a long time ago. Why? Because it does not kink and allows a continuous flow of water.

I started thinking about the unkinkable hose. It reminded me of our relationship with the Lord. As He has blessed us lately with some very needed income, I wanted to be sure my husband was keeping up with the tithe since he writes all the checks.

After I asked him about it, I said, “I don’t want to put a kink in the hose!” After we giggled about it, the thought settled into my brain as I started to think about the comparison between the old hose, which always got kinks in it and even the little kinks cut off the flow of water, defeating its purpose, and the new hose, which will never get a kink in it and will always let the water flow properly, thereby fulfilling its purpose.

I wondered…What puts a kink in the purpose for my life? What stops the flow of Living Water? Is it selfishness? Is it pride? Is it murmuring and complaining? Is it other negative speech? Or is it something I’m overlooking or choose to ignore?

Do I have a blind spot when it comes to “little sins” as little kinks? Like nibbling on the forbidden fruit of a little cheating, a little white lie, a little stealing of pens or paper from the company or altering time cards, a little flirting at work, a little dirty joke, a little gossip, a little peeking at this or winking at that?

Whatever sins you allow in your life, they will put a kink in the flow of your relationship with the Lord, defeating the purpose of your life.

When you finally unkink your life, don’t you always wish you’d done it sooner?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

One day, as I was bewailing a difficult circumstance in my life, the Lord gave me this vision of His working in my life…

With shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, an old gold miner knelt beside a sparkling stream of water, bubbling with life. His weather-beaten hands clutched a sizable sieve like those used years ago for panning gold. On it rested a massive amount of dirt and rocks of all sizes, shapes, and hardness.

Undaunted, he knelt there, concentrating on the debris. Shaking the sieve with vigor, then again with tenderness, he continued his apparent mission, as if on a treasure hunt for some mysterious element. The dirt and smaller pebbles slipped through the holes in the screen, disappearing downstream into waters that appeared to have a life of their own. The remaining larger, coarse rocks on the screen grated against each other, altering their appearance.

Tears began to trickle down his furrowed cheeks and fall upon the transformed rocks, washing away the leftover traces of dirt. An all-knowing smile gradually spread across his aged face. His eyes twinkled, reflecting the anticipated precious treasure, the golden gems now resting on the sieve.

He glanced up and whispered, “My Word is the screen sifting out all the impurities of your life, while the Living Waters wash them away. In My love for you, I am ever at work in your circumstances. As they rub against you, they transform you and rid you of those things that would dirty your life and taint your work for Me. As I remove them, you are made into that precious, golden gem, reflected in My eyes.”

Through this vision, the Lord showed me that, no matter what circumstances occur in my life, no matter how relentlessly they rub against me, He allows them all to be sifted through His Word, His love, and His fingers, changing me into His image and that golden reflection in His eyes.

“This means tremendous joy to you, even though at present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident - it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold…” (1 Peter 1:6-7a Phillips)

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

One day, with head hung down, the lowly subject known as Sinner found herself standing in the Presence of the King. He guided her to a rugged cross, stained with blood that had trickled down its post. He escorted her to an empty tomb, where burial cloths lay as evidence of One having been there. As He walked with her into the Garden of Easter gladness, she finally understood and accepted the sacrifice for forgiveness of sins.

Sinner became known as Saint as she daily sought the King’s Presence. Sitting at His feet, she received all the King’s blessings of the Holy Spirit for her life.

Then, one day, she crawled into the Throne Room as Discouraged, seeking answers to her many trials. The King lifted her up and sent her home with His Servant Encouragement to attend her in all her ways.

Entering one day as Faithless, she timidly approached the King. He immediately forgave her and imparted His Servant Grace to fill her heart.

One day, entering as Defeat, she bowed her head in shame before the Throne, asking for the King’s assistance, wondering Him why her life was a failure. He entrusted His Servant Victory to be her advocate in all the matters of her life.

Entering one day as Pride, she strutted in before the King. Shaking His head at her, He assigned His Servant Humility to kneel by her side always.

One day, entering as Grief, she fell sobbing into the arms of the King. He gently placed His hand of Love upon her head and dispatched His Servants Comfort and Peace to wipe away her tears and accompany her to still waters.

Entering one day as Selfish, she shoved her way into the King’s Throne Room, and the Selfless Lamb appeared and stood silently beside her, wrapping His arm around her shoulders and leading her to perform sacrificial acts for others.

One day, she returned as Prodigal, collapsing in exhaustion at the feet of the King. He set her back upright, wrapped a royal robe around her shoulders, placed a golden crown upon her head, and a divine ring upon her finger, sending His Servants Goodness and Mercy to pursue her in all her ways.

In all her subsequent days, she entered the Kings’ Presence on bended knees, with her head bowed in reverence, and her hands lifted in gratitude. Praise and Worship became her closest Companions…forevermore.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

“He took him aside, away from the crowd.”
(Mark 7:33a NIV)

Taken aside…In 1666, John Bunyan was imprisoned for unlicensed preaching. What came out of that dark, damp Bedford jail in England? Out of his captivity came Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and the most famous of all Christian allegories Pilgrim’s Progress.

Taken aside…Out of years of service in Japan and China, as a missionary in the early 1900s, and out of the imprisonment of her husband’s sickness and subsequent death, came Mrs. Charles E. Cowman’s beautiful, classic devotional Streams in the Desert.

Taken aside…Catherine Marshall, at the age of 33, suffered two years of physical imprisonment with a life-threatening bout of tuberculosis. When her husband Peter died, she took care of their nine-year-old son Peter, Jr. Out of her suffering, she authored over 20 books, among them the well-loved Christy.

Taken aside…Paul, imprisoned. The most fruitful period of his ministry. What did he do? He praised God as a prisoner, not of disease or circumstance, but as a prisoner of the Lord. Out of those times came his letters of encouragement to the churches, giving untold generations the books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and possibly Hebrews.

Have you been taken aside by some life-shattering circumstance? Do you trust that God will be with you through it and use whatever imprisonment you might be suffering for the benefit of others?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

It’s the little things that seem to bless my heart the most…or maybe it’s because I really don’t get the big things in life, so the little things mean that much more to me.

I saw a commercial for one of my favorite chocolate treats in all the world - Ghiradelli’s dark chocolate squares with raspberry filling.

My six year-old granddaughter loves them almost as much as I do, and, a few weeks ago, she finished off the last two I had, which had been a gift from my daughter. This is a treat I don’t often get, so, as they all had disappeared, I have been wanting to entangle my taste buds and wrap my tongue around one of these tempting delicacies.

When I saw the commercial, I said one of those off-hand things to the Lord that we all do once in a while…Lord, Olivia ate the last of my chocolate. I sure wish I had some more. Then, I just sighed, thinking it would be quite a while before my next delectable chocolate fix.

I have fibromyalgia and this day was not a particularly good day. As I sat in the afternoon on the couch, with my laptop in front of me, my sweet husband came in the door, rattling something in his hands behind his back.

“Close your eyes,” he said. To which I obeyed. “Stick out your hands,” also in obedience. “Surprise!”

Oh, my! A whole bag of raspberry-filled chocolate squares! Yummo! What a joyous surprise. In our financial situation, surprises are few and far between, so this was, indeed, a true surprise.

Then, it hit me…and the tears began to stream down my cheeks and I heard the Lord whisper, “They’re for you because I love you.” Oh, Lord, You really do care about my heart’s desires, even the most insignificant ones. What an awesome God You are!

God does reward us, with even the little things in life, when we make Him the love of our lives.

So, I made a cup of coffee, took my little sweet treat, and thoroughly delighted myself in my chocolate raspberry surprise.

May the Lord surprise you with a sweet, delectable treat. “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire.” (Ps. 20:4 NKJV)

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

On the evening of his sister’s wedding, George Matheson sat alone in the parsonage. Totally blind by the age of 20, this Scottish preacher, author, and hymn writer, who lived from 1842 to 1906, was left to fend for himself, while the rest of his family spent the night in another town.

Born with poor eyesight, Dr. Matheson’s vision had gradually declined over the years until he lost it completely. His sister had always taken care of him and now that she was married, he would be without her.

While sitting there alone, he had a deep wrenching in his soul, a severe mental anguish, which he never confided the source to anyone. Part of the reason for his anguish may have been that, as his thoughts lingered on his sister’s wedding, he remembered the pain of having a sweetheart who, after hearing the doctor’s report that George would become totally blind by the age of 20, could not handle taking care of a blind man the rest of her life, so, she left him.

As he sat there that dark evening in anguish, a song welled up within him from that still, small voice of the Lord, which he quickly jotted down in five minutes time, composing all the stanzas, which included these beautiful words:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

Though human love has the potential to disappoint and depart from us, God’s love will never let us go. He says, “I have loved you, O My people, with an everlasting love; with loving-kindness I have drawn you to Me.” (Jer. 31:3 TLB)

On occasion, we tend to forget that God really does love us, that He is always present in our darkest hours, and that He has a purpose for everything, for He “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” (Eph. 1:11b NIV)

When we struggle with physical conditions and wonder why we are not healed, when we wrestle with circumstances beyond our control, when we suffer some heart-breaking pain, we would do well to remember the words of this blind preacher’s prayer:

I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses,
but never once for my ‘thorn’…
Teach me the glory of my cross;
teach me the value of my thorn.
Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain.
Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.

How many of us have this attitude in our darkest hours of affliction? How many times have we endured a trial or difficult period, all the while whining and complaining? How often do we thank God for those things He allows to remain in our lives, as Paul’s thorn in the flesh?

Have you thanked Him for all your disappointments, the slammed doors, the hurts, the answers to prayer He withheld from you, and asked that He would reveal His greater purpose and plan for you?

Just as Paul’s thorn, these prickly briers of life serve God’s purpose, when we rely on Him to show us that intended design. As we trust Him, every weight of a cross will bring glory to God, every thorn will disclose its value, every tear will convert to a rainbow, every Jordan barrier will become an open portal, every pit will have its golden nuggets, and every hill of difficulty will become a mount of deliverance.

Then, we can sing those beautiful words:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

“Through a mist of care no man may see My Face. Only when the burden is flung at My Feet do you pass on to consciousness and spiritual sight.” Those were the words the Holy Spirit spoke to two little English ladies in the 1930s which they recorded in the old devotional God Calling.

What do you allow to become a mist before your eyes, as a veil separating you from the radiance of the Lord’s light? Memories? Unforgiveness? Schedules? Trials? Loss? Worries? How often do you ignore Jesus’ command to “not worry about your life”? (Matt. 6:25a NIV)

When we allow all these negative things of life to cause a haze, concealing our view of our precious Lord, our spirits suffer, our prayers languish, and our relationship with the Lord deteriorates.

Though spoken in a time long ago, Jesus’ words are timeless, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” (Matt. 11:28-29 NLT). If we do not drop our cares and leave them at Jesus’ feet before approaching the Throne Room, then our spiritual vision is clouded and we lose our consciousness of the Lord’s closeness.

No godly soul ever grew in intimacy with the Lord or gained sight of His presence by carrying a load of burdens or worries. When difficulties deafen our ears from hearing the whispers of our Beloved and distract us from feeling the comfort of His arms and the peace of His nearness, we relinquish the very thing we seek.

The Lord says, “‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD,” (Jer. 29:13-14a NIV).

What is your whole heart seeking?

Prayer: Lord, may I always seek You with my whole heart. May no cares conceal or hinder my fellowship with You. May I be so close to You that the breath of Your Spirit evaporates all traces of any hindrance. Amen.

No power…no lights, no TV, no internet, no computer, no radio, no hair dryer, no microwave, no stove, no garage door opener, no dishwasher, no washer and dryer, no refrigerator.

Two and a half days without electrical power. It disappeared back from whence it came.

We got whipped with Ike’s tail, an F1 storm without the rain. Trees down everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of people without power.

I’m up early, at least, I think it’s early. All the clocks are black. I have to find my watch.
The quiet is deafening.

The only sounds I hear are an occasional truck, the scampering of squirrel feet across the patio as they run beneath the open family room window, and birds? Nope. No birds chirping. Where did they go? Did the hurricane-force wind blow them all to Ohio?

Ah, finally the twittering begins. And now the distant sound of chain saws cutting through the fallen debris.

Today, my quiet time is truly that…quiet! With the lack of power comes stillness. However, the lack of power doesn’t mean I lack Power. The world sees strength in action; in the Kingdom, strength lies in quietness.

The Word says In Isaiah 30:15b NKJV, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” The Hebrew word for ‘strength’ also means victory and power. Victory and Power flow from the Lord as I absorb them from His Presence in quietness and confidence.

No power doesn’t mean no Power! Quiet…stillness…Power.

If God told you to give your last $25, would you give it? I tell you, GIVE IT! Trust me, I know! Years ago, during a very financially challenging time, I was at our bank, taking out about the last $25 we had to buy food.

As I walked to my car, I overheard a man talking to another man, “Now what am I going to do? The bank will be closed until Monday. I won’t have any money.” For some reason, he could not get any money from his paycheck.

Wouldn’t that make you just rush right over and give him some? God prompted me to do so, but I never found out what the problem was, because I got in my car and drove away - to my shame and embarrassment. I thought if I gave him the last of my money, how would I feed my family?

That was before I knew better how to obey the Lord, and to this day, I deeply regret it. I didn’t trust God and I never experienced His hand at work in that situation. God was trying to bless someone through me and teach me something, but I didn’t listen. Blessings were lost for both of us. Don’t let that happen to you.

“If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.” (Luke 6:38 Contemporary English Version)

Jesus said, “Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here.” Matt. 10:6-7 The Message Remix

Learning to fish was never at the top of my list when I was a young girl. My father and I went fishing only once. He baited my hook. Squeezing those wiggly worms onto a sharp hook was too yucky. We didn’t use any fancy lures or have much knowledge of fishing.

The above verses command us, as Christians, to do the highest kind of fishing, the same kind Jesus taught the disciples to do - to fish for souls. In order to accomplish that, our lives must be fresh bait on the hook of the gospel.

The problem is that most of us don’t like to fish. We cringe at the thought of baiting the witnessing hook. It isn’t necessary to have all the right equipment or knowledge, just a willing heart. When we are willing, the Lord says He will teach us, “I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!” (Matt. 4:19 TLB)

My father and I never caught anything, but my Father and I have! I’m not proficient at it, yet; I’m still learning how to bait my hook.

Prayer: Lord, You came to seek and to save that which was lost. You died for this very reason. May the eternal destination of one who does not know You be of more concern to me than my own inadequacies to witness. Amen.

On day in my quiet time, I read the following in my favorite devotional, God Calling…

“Never a heart’s need that I could not comfort and soothe.”

I said, “Lord, if this is true, then why do I sometimes feel as though You are not there?”

He answered, “My dear one, I have been here all along, through it all. I’ve been here by your side, though unnoticed. I've been here, holding your hand, though not felt.

I’ve been here, hovering over you like a mama bird over her chicks, even though the rush of My wings went undetected. I’ve been here in the blackest hours, shining My light, though its radiance went unseen because hurt and pain had shut your eyes.

I’ve been here, through the floods of adversity, rowing your boat for you through all those uncharted waters.

I am the Navigator. I know where we are going. It is your job to sit still before Me and trust that I know best. Don’t rock the boat by telling Me where you want to go. Just let Me take you to the place best suited for you.

Ride quietly and trust Me and we will reach our destination much more quickly. Don’t be a hindrance to the One who knows the way. I will not steer you wrong nor will I allow the waves to overtake you. Just trust Me, because I love you.”

“Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still. Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:28-30 AMP)

He shuffled his feet and wiped his sweaty palms on his jacket. His face twitched, producing a peculiar, cockeyed smile.

Then, the bride began her promenade down the aisle, and the groom’s whole body radiated with delight. They were so anxious and concerned to look their best for each other. All decked out in their wedding finery, he, fit to meet the bride; she, fit to meet the bridegroom.

As I sat in the chapel praying for them, the thought occurred to me: Jesus is fit and ready to meet me, His Bride, but am I fit and ready to meet Him, my Bridegroom? Am I anxious and concerned about the way I am dressed for my divine wedding day? Will He recognize me?

Would you recognize the bride if she came down the aisle dressed as a rabbit, or in a diving suit, or perhaps in a nun’s habit? No, of course not. She would be totally out of place. A bride is dressed in the proper wedding attire and you recognize her the minute you see her, because she has donned her bridal finery.

If Jesus died that the church, His bride, might be without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, then, as part of the Bride, how am I dressed? When the heavenly Bridegroom arrives, will I be dressed in an old rag, spotted with worldly residue? Or will I be a bride beautifully dressed for her Husband in a spotless gown of holiness?

What am I doing to keep myself pure and holy, ready to have my Bridegroom carry me across that heavenly threshold? Will He radiate with delight in me, as His bride? If you have ever been to a wedding, you know all eyes are watching the bride, but I always love to watch the groom.

Just to see the expression on his face, changing from one of nervous disaster to one of pure delight. Love beams from his face, as his precious bride gracefully heads in his direction. The glint in his eye.

And, if you were to look very closely into his eyes, you would see that the glint is her reflection. I ask you…Do you wish be dressed in that pure gown of holiness when you Bridegroom comes calling for you? Will He recognize you? Will you be the reflection in His eyes? Will you be a ready bride?

Lord, Your love spanned the ages, knowing one day I would say “yes” to Your proposal and receive my pure wedding garment of holiness. May I love You enough in return to keep that gown unsullied from the world and meet You in holiness on the day of Your return. May I be that precious reflection in Your eyes and may I be continually dressed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Amen!

“Cut that thing down, p-l-e-a-s-e!” I begged. “It’s ugly. It needs to go.”

But my husband never did cut it down. And so it remained.

Out of the ground sprouted this scraggly, scrawny, little pine twig that must have dropped as a seed from its forefather. It looked just like the Christmas tree in the Charlie Brown cartoon classic and so it got its name, the Charlie Brown tree.

Instead of destroying this diminutive sapling in its infancy, we left it alone to do what it was created to do…be a testament to its Creator.

Year after year, it stood in our backyard beside its progenitor, a towering evergreen that dwarfed its Lilliputian descendant. And year after year, that puny thing struggled to grow. Standing staunch to face the sun, rain, wind, heat, snow, and storms, it faced all the elements, yet protected in the shadow of its forefather. It eventually matured into a beautiful, sprawling pine of 35 feet.

Occasionally, aren’t we this way with baby Christians? So ready to chop down God’s little seedlings of faith, so ready to give up on them as they struggle to grow, mature, and learn. Just because they don’t have all the branches of knowledge, the beautiful foliage of experience we do, or the seeds of future Christian descendants growing in their shadows, we are ready to dismiss them.

However, if we become the staunch support of strength, protecting them in our shadow and nourishing them with our love, they can grow to be a true testament to their Creator, living the life God intended for them.

Lord, may I never dismiss one of children in his or her infancy of faith. May I be a true example of Your love, care, and strength to the one who needs it. Amen!

“You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son,” so says Psalm 50:20 (NKJV). The Message Remix version states it this way, “You stab your own brother in the back.”

If you and I were created in God’s image and likeness, and our families, friends, and neighbors were all created in God’s image and likeness, then how do we justify speaking against God’s creations?

Do we not see the face of Christ in others? How can we love God and hate Him in others at the same time? Would you like it if someone said something against your child? Our heavenly Father doesn’t like it either.

Malachi asked, “Don’t we all come from one Father? Aren’t we all created by the same God?” (Malachi 2:10a The Message Remix) Unfortunately, we use our tongue “to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse our fellow-man, who is created in the likeness of God,” (James 3:9 GNB).

If we say God reigns supreme in our lives and we are part of His body, why are we so unloving to His other body parts? Do our eyes hate our polished fingernails for being prettier? Do our teeth covet the gold in our ears? Are our hands jealous because our feet sport new shoes?

You may say that sounds silly, but if we are all parts of Christ’s Body, why does one part behave so unbecomingly, so unlovingly, towards another part? I just don’t get it!

The Lord once said to me, “Do not wound My Heart by saying unkind things about those I love, things you could not say to their faces.” Our love for Christ must prevent us from grieving Him with our criticism and judgment of those He loves.

Let’s bring this closer to home. Let’s say you are in a restaurant and see someone you know, perhaps, your preacher or someone well known eating with his or her spouse. They are having a lively conversation, waving their hands in the air, with determined looks on their faces.

The next day you tell a friend what you saw, but what do you say? “Oh, I saw so-and-so last night, fighting with her (his) spouse in a restaurant. They were waving their hands all around, arguing. It looked terrible. I’ll bet they’re on the verge of breaking up.”

Now, what have you done? You have gossiped and spread rumors of that which you had no knowledge. Matthew Henry said, “Men are most apt to speak evil of those persons and things that they know least of.” They were probably not arguing at all, just having an impassioned conversation on a subject close to their hearts, such as, how do you suppose rumors get started?!

Jesus warned, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging,” (Matthew 7:1-2 The Message Remix).

We are neither to listen to gossip nor to spread it. Remember, those who gossip to you will turn around and gossip about you! Have you ever felt the hot breath of another’s Judas-kiss upon your neck? Has another felt yours?

Lord, keep my tongue from bringing shame on Your name. Let my words to others be always wrapped in love and lavishly filled with encouragement. Amen.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

“The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23b NKJV) “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, Him only you shall serve.’” (Matt. 4:10 NKJV)

‘Worship service’ is more than a phrase given to our church assemblies. Worship is service to God, as the priests of old worshipped God by their tabernacle or temple service. In Greek, one word for ‘worshipper’ means a temple servant, or one having charge of a temple to keep it clean and adorn it. Our word ‘worship’ is derived from the old English word meaning ‘worthship.’

We are all temple servants of God, doing our duty by taking care not only of the temple of the church building but also of the temple of our hearts. Paul tells us of the highest form of worship-service we can offer God, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you…to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” (Rom. 12:1 AMP)

Our godly service then is keeping our temples clean and unspotted by the world, adorning them with acts of service, and having a lifestyle of holy living that honors the worthship of God. In all we do, we should “Worship and serve Him with (our) whole heart and with a willing mind.” (1 Chron. 28:9 NLT)

To worship the God of creation is to bow down in reverence to Him because He is worthy, acknowledging His divinity, to bow in humility and obedience, to bow to His will, His plan, and His purpose by relinquishing one’s own agenda, to bow in service to Him with one’s life, honoring Him as the One True God.

Do we seek the Lord’s Presence or His presents? Do we seek His handout or His hand? Do we always seek something from Him as the multitudes did, or do we lean upon His breast as John the beloved did, just to be with Him, to sit at His feet as Mary did, just to serve Him in worship by pouring out our thanks and tears as fragrant oil upon His body?

How lavish is your worship of the Creator’s worthship?

Prayer: Father, as You desire and seek true worshippers, may my words, my actions, my total life, be a service of true praise and worship that honors and glorifies Your worthship. Amen.

We live in an older neighborhood. It’s your average-middle-class-built-in-the-’70s-typical-ranch-at-the-end-of-a-quiet-cul-de-sac kind of house.

The houses sit fairly close together, so our backdoor window and kitchen window overlook our driveway and the neighbor’s side and back yards. Standing as a wall of separation along the edge of the driveway is the neighbor’s chain-link fence, where the previous owner loved to plant things. The fruits of her labor protrude over the fence, concealing the chain-links in a wall of green foliage.

The other morning, as I waited for my second cup of coffee to reheat in the microwave, I looked out the backdoor window to enjoy the view of my side of the garden. The brightness of spring had pounced out from behind winter’s shadows and awakened the neighbor’s sleeping rosebush with streams of sunlight beaming down along the fence.

As I stared at this now fifteen foot tall “bush,” the profuseness of its cheery rosebuds, thrusting themselves into the sunshine, looked like little, pink heads with pixy faces, straining to absorb every ounce of warmth and light from the sun that was possible.

As the little, pixy heads had blossomed on our side of the fence, their beauty was obscured from the neighbor’s view. I thought, “Lord, the neighbors aren’t enjoying these beauties as much as we are.”

Then, the Lord impressed me with the thought that this is a picture of death with its wall of separation. Though obscured from our view, those who have left this earthly life have, in reality, blossomed on life’s other side.

If Jesus said that those who believe in Him have everlasting life and that He was the vine, then those of us, as believers in Christ, who continue in our earthly existence remain united with those in heaven. Though physically separated, we continue to be linked together through the eternal life of the Vine.

A smile then spread across my face, as the Lord whispered to my spirit, “The beauties of life on your side of heaven may fade and disappear, but they gain a new quality as they blossom on My side of heaven’s fence. Just as the outburst of beauty of My roses comes from leaning into the sun, so, too, the beauty of My children comes from leaning into My Son. Whether on earth or here with Me, their beauty explodes in profuseness when they lean into their Source of warmth, peace, love, and joy.”

Filled with that peace, love, and joy from my companionship with my Source, I took my coffee, walked into the family room, and leaned into the warmth of the Son.

Prayer: “Father, I thank You that, because of Your love for us all, You sent Jesus to be our connecting Vine to eternal life. As we are each a part of the Vine as a branch, we are connected to that eternal life, and death has no separation from You.”

God sometimes requires me to do something that appears to have obstacles and seems beyond my power to accomplish. The situation lurks before me as a rushing river, barring me from the new territory of promise on the other side.

Just recently, the Lord presented me with one of these challenges and nudged me to step out into new areas of my life. This is always uncomfortable for me, because I am a shy and reserved person. However, over the years, with the Lord’s help, I have improved.

He does not part the waters of any barrier until I take that first step forward, as the priests did at the river Jordan, “As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap.” (Josh. 3:15-16a NIV)

When I hesitate, standing on the river bank, I find no comfort or peace. Only when I dare to push on in faith into that rushing river and cross over to the other side does God make His power and resources available on my behalf.

When a rushing-river circumstance exists between you and a command of God, what do you do? Do you stick with what is safe, remaining on the banks of the river, or do you step out in faith, putting your foot in the waters?

If we never take a chance and forge ahead in faith, the writer of Hebrews tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb 11:6 NIV)

Lord, may I always be found pleasing You with complete faith in You.