Category: Articles

We need the stories…remembering Corrie Ten boon

“You will never know that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have.” Corrie Ten boon. 
Today in this broken world, these words are an ointment to hope and point the way to the truth that what we need in our weakness and darkness and loneliness is Jesus.
In The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten boon recorded how her family was captured by the Nazi’s, and were taken away as prisoners for hiding Jewish people during World War II. But through all the sorrow and suffering and trial there  are story after story of  God’s faithfulness. Supernatural Help is written of over and over again. The Spirit of God shines ever so bright in the darkness.
We get to read in a written testimony how the ‘River of life’ in one’s life flows ever so faithfully, when ‘tapped’ into continuously!
Corrie was taken into a cell of solitary confinement, for endless amounts of time, stripped of everything- but incredably enough, before that moment of confinement God was present in a nurse, who (only had seconds), asked Corrie, “Quick! Is there any way I can help you?”
Corrie’s quick response, “Yes, Oh yes! A Bible! Could you get me a Bible? And -a needle and thread! And a toothbrush! And soap!”
Well, later Corrie did receive 2 small ‘precious’ bars of soap and not an entire Bible, but little Books of the Gospels,(Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
The words Corrie wrote of her time in confinement:
“I stepped inside. The door clanged behind me. The bolt was slammed shut…six steps long, two wide, a single cot at the back…I must not let my thoughts run wildly; I must be very mature and very practical. Six steps. Sit down on the cot. This one reeked even worse than the other: he straw seemed to be fermenting. I reached for the blanket: someone had been sick on it. I thrust it away…at that moment the light bulb in the ceiling went out… the cell was bitter cold, wind hammered against the wall…in the morning my fever was worse.”
But God was with her. But not only that – the Holy Spirit was in her. Corrie had asked, and she had been given, just as Jesus had said: “If you had only known and had recognized God’s gift, and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him instead and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10, Amplified).
Corrie continues her testimony:
“As my health returned, I was able to use my eyes longer. I had been sustaining myself from my Scriptures a verse at a time; now like a starving man I gulped entire gospels at a reading, seeing whole magnificent drama of salvation.
And as I did, an incredible thought pricked the back of my neck. Was it possible that this – all of this that seemed so wasteful and so needless – this war, Scheveningen prison, this very cell, none of it was unforeseen or accidental?
Could it be part of the pattern first revealed in the Gospels? Hadn’t Jesus – and here my reading became intent indeed – hadn’t Jesus been defeated as utterly and unarguably as our little group and our small plans had been? 
But…if the Gospels were truly the pattern of God’s activity, then defeat was only the beginning. I would look around at the bare little cell and wonder what conceivable victory could come from a place like this. “(pg. 139, The Hiding Place)
Stories written, stories told –  Corrie had a trial with a Lieutenant Rahms, with his true National Socialistic mentality remarked about the Ten boon’s  humanitarian efforts: “What a waste of time and energy! If you want converts, surely one normal person is worth all the half-wits in the world!”
After reading the gospels for 4 months and keeping company with a few ants that came to eat crumbs through a crack in her cell, here is Corries response to a Nazi Lieutenant: “The truth , Sir,” …”is that God’s viewpoint is sometimes different from ours – so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things.”
Instead of getting into more trouble, the following morning this Nazi Lieutenant himself unlocked her cell door and escorted her to her hearing.
She records for us Lieutenant Rahms words, “I could not sleep last night, thinking about that Book where you have read such different ideas. What else does it say in there?”

“On my closed eyelids the sun glimmered and blazed, “It says,” I began slowly, “that a Light has come into this world, so that we need no longer walk in the dark. Is there darkness in your life, Lieutenant?”
There was a very long silence.
“There is great darkness,” he said at last. “I cannot bear the work I do here.”

Corrie continues, after the Lieutenant spoke of his fear for his family in Bremen, she said,“There is One Who has them always in His sight, Lietenant Rahms. Jesus is the Light the Bible shows me, the Light that can shine even in such darkness as yours.”

“Come close to God and He will come close to you… [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame… Humble yourselves -feeling very insignificant – in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. – He will lift you up and make your lives significant.” Hebrews 4:9,10, Amplified.
Today we must have courage to share the truth and to love in this often dark and difficult world.
Corrie Ten Boon also wrote: “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not! You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through…”
“We must ‘be still and trust the engineer to get you through…’ and while we wait…we will read His word, and we will sing. Sing His Psalms, His hymns, the Spiritual songs, make melody in our hearts to the Lord!  As we humble ourselves and wait, He gives us peace and rest! Praise to our God.
“Be still my soul, the LORD is on thy side. Bear paitiently, the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide, in every change He faithful will remain. Be still my soul, thy Best, thy Heavenly Friend, through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.” (Be Still My Soul).
 

If we be sheep in God's immense pasture…

If we be sheep in God’s immense pasture – we mere sheep and He being Shepherd- then my prayer for 2016 is that we sheep go back to school, and let God, be the One who Be the Teacher!
If it is true that the ‘fear of the Lord’ is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, then who are we kidding? The first place to start, dear Lord is a prayer, that you teach us this year, Your holy name to fear. Not ‘fear’ in fear but in reverential ‘awe’ and love. Oh, ‘Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name’ –  teach continually what all this means!
Put in our hearts a Godly sorrow that leads us to repentance – a ‘turn around’ of sorts, being humble and gentle,  emptying us of ourselves that can prove to be hard and sharp,that we might be anointed with the oil of forgiveness that our cups overflow…
That by emptying and letting go, and losing our lives, so to speak, that You would fill us, and fill us and fill us with love abounding, that Your love would flow like a fountain and then in great power, move our feet!
Teach us this year, in 2016, the way of the Lord – ‘gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding – abounding in love, abounding in mercy, arms open wide with love.  Forgiving iniquity and forgiving sin…’ This is the Way, the Truth and the Life, This is our hope and peace and our Joy:  You  – offer –  forgiveness!
Is there anything in this world more wonderful than that?!
So, dear God, teach us again and again, that to say, “I love You,” in return,  is done without words, but shown… through obedience.
May Your sheep hear Your Voice, and in humility and care, follow You, and be lead to the cross, each and every minute of the day, ‘likened as sheep’ which so easily forget – let us  remember that THAT is what LOVE looks like – Your willingness to surrender…
to surrender: “Not my will but Yours be done.” With Your  heart on us, and Your eyes on Your Father…
May Your sheep hear Your voice: ” I am the good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
We prayer for ourselves that You help us remember: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…” That in 2016, minute by minute, hour by hour, month by month we follow, You, good Shepherd, and in fear and great awe, we be made whole!”
In Jesus Name, Amen, amen, and amen over and over again!

An old speech, an old hymn might very well best bring this new year in:

A grandfather of sorts to this nation at this time, Billy Graham’s speech is perhaps, timeless and appropriate even now for us all.

 Fifteen years ago, Sept. 14th, 2001, only days after terror hit our nation, Billy Graham was asked to  speak to a nation with bleeding hearts. So, today, with ‘troubles abounding’ – terror threats and christian rights being taken away, and foundations being broken…I share his words AGAIN, as we begin year 2016:

“We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be. The Bible says that He is “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”
No matter how hard we try, words cannot express the horror, the shock and the revulsion we all feel over what took place in this nation on Tues morning…
But today we come together in this service to confess our need of God. We’ve always needed God from the very beginning of this nation. But today we need Him especially. We’re involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the help of the Spirit of God.
The Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
But how do we understand something like this? Why does God allow evil like this to take place? Perhaps that is what you are asking. You may even be angry at God. I want to assure you that God understands these feelings that you may have.
We’ve seen so much that brings tears to our eyes and makes us feel a sense of anger. But God can be trusted, even when life seems at its darkest.
What are the lessons we can learn?
First, we are reminded of the mystery and reality of evil. I have been asked hundreds of times why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I do not know the answer.  I have to accept , by faith, that God is sovereign, and that He is a God of love and mercy and compassion in the midst of suffering.
The Bible says God is not the Author of evil. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 the Bible talks about the mystery of iniquity. the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”
The lesson of this even is not only about the mystery of iniquity and evil, but second, it’s about our need for each other.
What an example New York and Washington have been to the world these past few days! None of us will forget the pictures of our courageous firefighters and police, or the hundreds of people standing patiently in line to donate blood…
Finally, difficult as it may be for us to see right now, this event can give a message of hope-hope for the present and hope for the future.
Yes, there is hope. There is hope for the present because the stage, I believe, has already been set for a new spirit in our nation.
We desperately need a spiritual renewal in this country, and God has told us in His Word, time and time that we need to repent of our sins and return to Him, and He will bless us in a new way.
There also is hope for the future because of God’s promises. As a Christian, I have hope, not just for this life, but for heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in heaven now. And they wouldn’t want to come back. It’s so glorious and so wonderful. That is the hope for all of us who put our faith in God. I pray that you will have this hope in your heart.
This event reminds us of the brevity and uncertainty of life. We never know when we too will be called into eternity. I doubt if those people who got on those planes or who walked into the world Trace Center or the Pentagon on Tuesday thought that it would be the last day of their lives. And that’s why we each must face our own spiritual need and commit ourselves to God and His will.
Here in this majestic National Cathedral we see all around us the symbol of the cross. For the Christian, the cross tells us that God understands our sin and our suffering, for He took them upon Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. From the cross God declares, “I love you. I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pain that you feel. But I love you.”
The story does not end with the cross, for Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the cross to the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ conquered evil and death and hell. Yes, there is hope.
I’ve become an old man now, and I’ve preached all over the world. And the older I get, the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago.
Several years ago at the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington, Ambassador Andrew Young closed his talk with a quotation from the old hymn, “How Firm a Foundation.”
This week we watched in horror as planes crashed into the steel and glass and the World Trade Center. Those majestic towers, built on solid foundations, were examples of prosperity and creativity. When damaged, those building plummeted to the ground, imploding in upon themselves. Yet, underneath the debris, is a foundation that was not destroyed. Therein lies the truth of that hymn, “How Firm a Foundation.”
Yes, our nation has been attacked, buildings destroyed, lives lost. But now we have a choice: whether to implode and disintegrate emotionally and spiritually as a people and a nation; or to choose to become stronger through all of this struggle, to rebuild a solid foundation.
And I believe that we are starting to rebuild on that foundation. That foundation is our trust in God. And in that faith, we have the strength to endure something as difficult and horrendous as what we have experienced this week. This has been a terrible week with many tears.
But it also has been a week of great faith. In that hymn, “How Firm a Foundation,” the words say, “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us and that as we trust in Him we will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us.
We know also that God will give wisdom and courage and strength to the President and those around him. And this will be a day that we will remember as a day of Victory.
May God bless you all.”
(2 Cor. 1:3-4, Ps. 46: 1-2, Jeremiah 17:9)
The Hymn: How Firm a Foundation (From A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, by John Rippon, 1787; attributed variously to John Keene, Kirkham, and John Keith.)
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
May 2016 be a year where the Foundation is laid, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day in our hearts and our minds as we draw ever nearer the LORD! Praying for us all, that God helps us keep focused-because the King is Come in our hearts and our lives, and we need to ‘preach the gospel’ in every land that we might all be ready – the Bride, for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Revelation 19:6-9:

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said[a] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

May God richly bless you with His powerful Spirit to help you walk step by step in His presence and joy. In His love I pray for my children, my family, my friends, and all the people this year that God lets me meet, toni

this mama's letter never changes…

I wrote, ‘A letter to my children this Christmas’ 5 years ago. This letter unveils a lot of mystery, and it’s the same through the ages, ‘A letter to my children this Christmas’ too:
There is a lot of mystery – even in family – but I would like to unravel some of it for you. You see, I grew up with ONLY the fairy tales. I grew up with the ‘fingers’ crossed’ and the blown up Easter Bunny and Santa Clause coming to town, and also the tooth fairy – but the fears and the insecurities and then anger rooted itself so deep in me that there was no way out.
All the ‘believing’ I was doing was only in things like ‘vapor in a cloud’ so to speak. When I reached for what I thought had substance to hold on to, it would simply vanish into thin air.
I moved far away from my home in Arizona, all the way to NYC, and the ‘mess’ that was inside me was working its way to destroy every bit of life in me. The ‘mess’ manifested itself in an eating disorder. My life became unmanageable.
I wasn’t seeking God. I never thought about God – but He knew me and He was watching me. When I was younger, I wanted to be close to God, but, it was just in my mind. I never took hold of Him with my heart. I was 17 inches away from relationship with Love.
So, in a ‘mess of desperation’, one dark and dreary day…and I’m not talking about the levels of sunshine in the weather, I walked into a room filled with people with the same struggles and I read a poster on the wall – with only one word: GOD.
(Now this is a mystery), the one written word, “GOD”, was the beginning of the rest of my life. You see, I needed something that had substance to hold on to with my whole being – all the other ‘stuff’ I was leaning on was just ‘vapor’.
I knew I needed help. And somehow, on that dark and dreary day, I realized ‘GOD’ had ‘rolled back the clouds that I might see the Light. I went and bought The Book at the local bookstore…
He, (meaning God), drew me to Himself. And through time, He, (yes God), healed me completely. He saved me from the ‘self-destructive’ path I was on. He unveiled Himself as I hungered for His Word, the Bible – and He, Yes God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – He raised me up out of a pit and set my feet upon a Rock.
Jesus gave me my life back after I gave Him the mess that was left of it.
So, that is why, when we had our first baby, we chose to spend time on giving you something that you could REALLY hope in and believe in. To hope and believe in God, because He is real!
And it is ONLY because of Him and the work that He had done in our hearts and lives that we had more, (OK, and more and more…) children! So kids – you are here – because JESUS was our substance, (your dad and I, and He still is!) Past, present and prayerfully, future! Jesus is the One we put our hope in everyday.
So, if you ever wonder WHY we didn’t spend time, (any time, for that matter,) on the tooth fairy or Santa Clause, (and it seems like a great mystery to you), at least now you know. I wanted to spend time and energy on the ‘unspoken’ stories about God. I wanted you to know the truth that I didn’t know when I was young, so perhaps you would be spared some of the ‘struggle’.
But God allows the ‘struggle’, I can see now. He wants you to discover Him for yourself, in a whole different way.
He knows you. God knows your name. He cares for you. His love and His power and His might, they will never vanish away. His phone is never busy. He is always there for you when you call out His name:
(Jeremiah 33:3), “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not of.”
He is the Creator of all things. He has a plan for you… (Jeremiah 29:11), ‘Plans not to harm you,  but to give you a future and a hope.’
“Nothing is impossible with God. And nothing will ever separate you from His love. He loves…He is love.
So call His name this new year, with each new month, each new day, each new hour. God loves you so much, and He looks forward to your times to-gether!
I love you all so much, and Jesus loves you most. I just want you to know that forever. I am so blessed to be called… your mom.
P.S. (So, forgive me if you ever feel that you ‘lost out’ at Christmas or when your teeth fell out! God is bigger than all that! I pray  that in knowing Jesus, you can share a beautiful smile and His love beams through your life so you can have a giving heart as big as Santa Clause!)
 

S.O.S…Psalm 73:25,26 and the power of devotion…

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…” (Selah, pause and think quietly upon this – this whole day, moment by moment, minute by minute…)
With a heart that weeps, with great sadness all around…I open my devotions to C.H. Spurgeon, to help me understand what to do with great clouds of sadness when holiday gatherings and festivities abound:
“JESUS WEPT. John 11:35. Lazarus was dead, but Jesus was going to raise Him (John 11:11). Lazarus/ resurrection was at hand, yet Jesus wept (John 11:35). We are sometimes told that if we really believe our friends will rise again, and if we really believe they are safe and happy, then we should not weep. Why not? Jesus did.
And there cannot be any error in following Jesus’ example. Jesus knew that Lazarus’ death was for God’s glory. He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). Still He wept.
Have you ever thought it wicked to weep at a loss that will glsorify God? It is not wicked. If it were, Jesus would not have wept under similar circumstances. Tears, which might have been regarded as contraband, now have free admission into the realm of holiness because “Jesus wept..”
Dear friend, you may weep because “Jesus wept.” He wept with the full knowledge of Lazarus’ happiness, with the full knowledge of his resurrection, with the firm assurance that God was glorified through this death. We may not condemn what Christ allows. If you can weep and thank God, if you can weep and know that you are in His presence, then your weeping is not sinful. Let your tears roll in floods. This is good instruction.
May the Holy Spirit teach us. May the Lord write it on every weeper’s heart. you may weep because “Jesus wept.” (From C.H. Surgeon, Beside Still Waters).
So, I flip the page, and my tears do flow, but I read on and the Comforter touches me, to the depth of my soul:
“DO NOT BE TROUBLED. John 14:1. “All too often, we believers watch the gathering clouds and forecast storms and anticipate troubles. Some of us confess that times of depression are coming. We see our business slipping away, and we worry about the future. We worry about our children, for we see the various tendencies in young people, and we worry about the way they will go. Our health declines, and we wonder what to do when the disease gets worse. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ concels us, “Let not your heart be trouble” (John 14:1).
Do not fear! Has not God helped you in every plight already? When we cast our cares on the Lord, to do as He wills, at no time will He be unkind. He will never put us in the furnace unless He intends to purge our dross, and the furnace will not be one degree warmer than is absolutely necessary. Mercy will always balance misery; strength will always support burden. The Lord is our friend; He will never be our foe.
Cheer up! “Do not fear little flock,” shake off your fears and rejoice, “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The road  may be rough, but the end is sure. We are going to the kingdom, to a land where all the believers will be princes and kings. Take heart. What difference does it make if our accommodations are sparse, if the passage is rough, if the winds boisterous? There is a kingdom ahead? Make the best of the voyage. Do not be fainthearted, but sing:
‘With a bag on my back and a staff in my hand, I march on in haste through an enemy’s land; The way may be rough, but it cannot be long, So I’ll smooth it with hope, and I’ll cheer it with song.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters).
So in quiet time with Jesus, I wept with Him still, and I read on in devotion with my heart weak and frail. And He Comforted me and met me right where I am, (Past tense and present)  and He says, “Take hold of My hand. I will lead you, I will guide you, I will fill you with all you need. Trust me, dear child. You are Mine, and I Am yours,… for now and always, for all eternity!  Yes, I Am yours and  you are Mine…weep if you must, but Remember always, I AM the broken Bread, and the poured out wine. Hungry and empty? I Come to fill you FULL – be filled with my Fullness of Spirit from above, be filled to overflowing with faith, hope and love. But if ‘your heart and flesh fail’, don’t fret, it only causes harm, but remember always, I AM the ‘strength of your heart and your portion forever’. I love you today, I love you tomorrow, I will be with you in joy and I am a present help in your sorrow.” (Jesus).
 

The important is never urgent.

The important is never urgent…’
“Right here! Right now! Deadlines – are No fun! But deadlines are  good, (and it’s a fact most of us know), that without the ‘deadline’ nothing would get done.
But it is also quite true, if we can just remember, that the important is never urgent. The ‘important’ is never
u-r-g-e-n-t.  ‘The Important’ sometimes waits on and on…
So today, “Lord, will you slow down my step and illuminate what’s important. What’s important to You? Please make it important to me. And dear Lord, about all this important stuff, will you give me a heart of urgency?”
In Your name I pray, Lord Jesus Who shows me how…but may the light go off and I ‘get it’ somehow.”
 

An upside down kind of 'happy!'

“Blessed,” (or ‘happy’), are the poor in spirit…” Matthew 5:3.
How can that be? Whatever does this all mean? “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Some words have been penned, many years ago, by a late Rev. Johnson Oatman. He was told the story of how Rev. Daniel Curry once dreamed that he had died and now stood before  the Judgement.
You’ve probably never heard these words, in that they were written so long ago, but they are amazingly powerful, you will see-
because in the end, even if  we have not much to show on earth, if we have a ‘Friend that sticks closer than a brother’, we see, that He will answer for me:
“Who will answer for me, when, life’s battles all past, I shall stand at the bar of the Judgement at last, When before me the Judge of all nations I see, In that terrible hour, who will answer for me?”
“Oh, how dark all my past, as from there I look back. Many sins and mistakes will count on my track, Scarce a single good deed on my record I see, And I cry in despair, “Who will answer for me?”
Justice there will I see with the scales in her hand, And I know I shall quake as upon them I stand; Weigh’d and found wanting” there, as no doubt I shall be In my weakness and fear; – Who will answer for me?”
“When the Judge shall at last call my name from the roll, And shall ask, “Who will answer for this guilty soul?” Then my Savior will turn with compassion t’ward me, And His sweet voice will say, I will answer for thee!”
Saviour, help me to walk close to thee day by day, When I hear thy commands may I trust and obey; While I live may I ever to thee faithful be, Then at last hear Thee say, “I will answer for Thee!” (Who will Answer for Me’ Rev. Johnson  Oatman,Jr.)
So, perhaps your heart is heavy and filled with great sadness. Perhaps you no friend near in sight. Perhaps you feel dark and so lonely inside, let these true words  bring in some light.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). “Blessed, (or happy) is the people whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 33:12).
Pour out your sadness to the God Who hears.  Pull up the Comforter of the Spirit as you draw and read His word. “Blessed, (or happy) is the man whose sins are forgiven.”  This treasure of joy is found in Psalm 32 verse 1. Let the God of compassion rain down the warmth and forgiveness of His Son.
Jesus gave His life, so that we might have it today. So let us ‘humble ourselves before the Mighty God of heaven, that He might lift us up’ and give us joy and victory. And in that hour, we will will know the answer to the hard and dark question: “Who will answer for me?”
We can hear His voice, even today and rejoice, ‘When the Judge shall at last call my name from the roll, And shall ask, “Who will answer for this guilty soul? We will see our Savior turn with compassion, and hear His sweet voice speak, …
“I will answer for Thee!”
“Blessed, (or happy) are the poor in spirit”, this is true, (when we know that He is good and we are not). He is the One, and we believe and thank Him – for this is ‘the kingdom of heaven!’

"Listen to this message from the LORD,…"

“Listen to this message from the LORD, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands:
“The LORD, who scattered His people will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. For the LORD has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights if Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the LORD’s good gifts-
The abundant crops if grain, new wine, and olive oil, the healthy flicks and herds. Their lives will be like a watered garden and all their sorrows will be gone.
The young women will dance for joy, and the men- old and young- will join in celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy.
I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. The priests will enjoy abundance, and My people will feast on My good gifts.” ( This is the word of the LORD, Jeremiah 31:10-14).
Did you hear what I hear?! I hear hope! I hear mercy and compassion. God is love!
But there is even more: “This is what the LORD says: “A cry is heard in Ramah- deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for her children are gone.” But now this is what the LORD says:
“Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the LORD. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,” says the LORD. “Your children will come again to their own land.”(Jeremiah 31:15-17).
God is all-knowing. We can trust Him completely.
 

The most beautiful gift that can ever be received…

…and I know you have the ‘Sunday School Answer’ right on your lips, and you’re thinking,” This is all she ever talks about, everyday-it’s Jesus.” But maybe you’ve never experienced insecurity and loneliness. Maybe you’ve never been surrounded by fears and anxieties or felt that deep ‘pit’ of darkness. Maybe your anger never rages inside, and maybe, you’ve got ‘it’ all under control…
well, not I.
But, it happened one day, for salvation from sin, and it happens everyday-over, and over again-“Help me!” I called, and on that day He answered me. And, “Help me!” I call and He’s right there, with me.
You see, the Father, He gave the Best Gift of all- oh no, He doesn’t ‘give peace’ He is PEACE after all! He doesn’t ‘give’ rest, He IS Rest when we call,…“He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.” 
After all of life’s struggles and opening of every other door, we finally grow tired and weary and ‘can’t take it anymore,’ so we Call out to Him and He rains down His Spirit of Truth, of power, of great authority…
and then we have to admit- “God loves…me.”
“For God so loved me He gave the greatest gift of all. He gave His Son, that my life might finally have purpose and shape and happiness and hope, that my life would be empowered to stop walking in darkness, and instead…walk in LOVE.
So, I guess it’s true, I think I play a 1-stringed guitar! I talk about Jesus, because He’s more than a Sunday School answer to me –  my deliverer, my fortress, my comfort, my Love. So, I sing and write and I talk of Him, it’s true -and  I pray and pray that you have the most blessed Christmas ever because this year, you receive the Gift of the Son, Jesus – He came for…you.
He came to bring salvation to all who would believe, and He also pours out His Spirit, if we ask Him and receive! No more will these ‘feeble hands’ hang down for us – this is a new day, and in this day we will trust. We will receive the love of Jesus and let it ‘splash’ from our lives! “Merry Christmas!” we can say, because Christ… He’s changed us inside!
“A Psalm of David, Psalm 138:1-8). “I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your Truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”
“Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay, close by me forever and love me I pray. bless all the dear children, in Thy tender care…and take us to heaven to live with Thee there!”

a poem, His word, a comfort today…

“Darkness and doubts had veil’d my mind, and drown’d my eyes in tears, Till, like the sun, my Savior’s face, Dispell’d my gloomy fears.
Oh, what immortal joys I felt, And raptures all divine, When Jesus told me I was his, And my beloved mine!
In vain the tempter frights my soul, And breaks my peace in vain; One glimpse, dear Savior, of thy face Revives my joys again.”  (This poem with power to change one’s mind,  is written by C.H. Spurgeon.)
This is Christmas time, with so much on our plate! How can we set aside time to seek the Lord’s face? He taught me so much when all thought ‘oh, this is ‘bad!’ “A ‘cancer diagnosis’, with chemo-(even during Christmas) oh such dread!” But, now, I can  tell you, God used it ALL for good! In every single bitty part, God used it as He would.
There is a story in God’s word in Luke Chapter 13, of a woman who had been sick 18 long and painful  years. She was ‘bowed down’ in her spine. This poor woman couldn’t stand and hold her head up, her face couldn’t be seen.
But “Jesus saw her, and called her to Him, and said, “Woman, you are loosed from your sickness and pain.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she lifted her spine again.” (Luke 8:11-13, paraphrased by me), but there is only a comma, that wasn’t the end of the sentence, “and she glorified God,” – THEN the sentence was complete!
Let the stories encourage your heart, let the poems bring a hunger deep inside, to draw nearer to Jesus than ever before – even waking and reading His word before you pass out your door:  “Jesus saw her…”
and He sees you too. He knows everything about us, E-V-E-R-Y-THING. So, most likely we are all like this woman, who had suffered many years, and was bowed over, and couldn’t even stand…we all are like this woman in Luke 8, but Jesus saw her, and called her to Him.
And that is what He does, time and time again. We are not all physical, we have emotions and a mind.They each need a touch from the Lord, each has hunger and sickness, each need healing, each in its own time. Body, mind and soul…each find themselves at different times bowed down very low – ‘But Jesus saw, and called her to Him,’ and He graciously touched her with His beautiful hand and immediately healed her, so she now could stand! Stand and give glory, give glory to God because He had touched her with His righteous right hand.
Oh, that we hear His call of love and compassion. Oh, that we would look up to see His grace-filled eyes. Oh, that we would stop and breathe in His presence and be loosed from sickness and pain. Oh that, having faith to believe He is right here! This is how He immediately ‘loosens’ our bonds, this is how He eases the pain.
Our gracious Jesus, He heals everything!
“In vain the tempter frights my soul, And breaks my peace in vain; One glimpse, dear Savior, of thy face Revives my joys again.
Oh, what immortal joys I felt, And raptures all divine, When Jesus told me I was his, And my beloved mine!
In vain the tempter frights my soul, And breaks my peace in vain; One glimpse, dear Savior, of thy face Revives my joys again.”  (What a wonderful encouragement, from CH Spurgeon).
 

"There's no room in this Inn!"PLEASE Change your mind!

“There’s no room!” You can’t come in! We are all full! Go, and find different place!”
These words are familiar to every child who has heard, the story of Mary and Joseph  traveling, when she was near to deliver – ‘how absurd!’
“Go find a different place!” Take down the Landmarks!” “Get God out of the schools-no prayers-no mention of Jesus in the public squares!”
“Where is there room? To receive His precious grace?” “Where is there room, for the King to reveal His face?””Where can He be born? The King of all mankind? Where is there room for Love Divine?”
There is an answer! God gave it Himself!” It’s hidden in a treasure of words, perhaps dusty on the shelf! But it’s there, and He’s waiting and He knows all things – He knows your name. He’s alive, remember-He died and rose again!”
The birth of the King happens in places rough and low. It’s in the story that we know – but do we really know? The story has become starched and stiff and fitted on fire-place mantles, yet it’s dead and forgotten…as we light up the candles.
So, here it goes, straight from His word, in Isaiah 35 – powerful and full of hope and delight. So if your heart is stuck in a ‘desert place’ – rejoice! You are ever so close to even see His very face, as you draw near to Him in your rough ‘wilderness’ and He restores your sight and brings light to your night:

“Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.
    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.
2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
    and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
    as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
    the splendor of our God.
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
    and encourage those who have weak knees.
4 Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you.”

5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
    and unplug the ears of the deaf.
6 The lame will leap like a deer,
    and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
    and streams will water the wasteland.
7 The parched ground will become a pool,
    and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.
Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish
    where desert jackals once lived.” (Isaiah 35: verses 1 through seven, New Living Translation. Hope for the hurting and broken and lost, because there’s room in the desert, He can find entrance there. There’s room in the solitary place,  yes, there is room for Him there!

8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
    It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
    It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
    fools will never walk there.
9 Lions will not lurk along its course,
    nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
    Only the redeemed will walk on it.
10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
    They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,
    crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
    and they will be filled with joy and gladness.” (Isaiah 35:1-10, New Living Translation).

“Joy to the world the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart…

prepare Him room. And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing: “Joy to the World!”

 

 

A bent arrow needs to go.

Set up the bulls-eye.

Stand back.

Pull back on the string.

Send off the arrow.

One thing you learn, early on,  when wanting to have a successful shot in archery, is,  the condition of the arrow matters.

Does the arrow keep missing the mark?

It could be more than simply a bad aim.

Is the shaft straight on the arrow?

Are the fletching (feathers) correct?

Is there an index vane?

All of these things come into play in order to shoot a bullseye.

Words are like arrows.

Words carry energy.

What’s the condition of the arrow?

Yet, before the word comes out of the mouth, it’s the state of the heart that matters:

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of, Luke 6:45.

“They . . . ” or,

“It’s all their fault!“

“This situation is hopeless!”

“This is the way things will be forever!”

Warning: Bent arrow.

Is there a repair for a bent arrow?

No. A bent arrow needs to be renewed.

When the arrows of my thoughts are bent, they aim at the ground, or to the left, or far right. Things just don’t fly right. This brings discouragement in every direction.

It’s time to think straight. It’s time for a new arrow of thought:

” Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” Hebrews 11.
Fear thoughts are easy to come by. Listen to the news everyday.  Open medical bills that insurance won’t pay.  Drive a car that is worn out in need of repair. Step outside your door.

Fear is a temptation we all have come our way.
But faith in God is a remedy of hope. No matter what.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you, 1 Peter 5:7.

 

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 12:5,6). 

” Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Hebrews 11).
Fear thoughts are easy to come by: listen to the news everyday,  or open the accumulating bills that continually come your way.
We might not speak, but thoughts flow inside: “I’m worried about this.  I’m not sure about that!” 
But God’s word brings great repair to the ‘arrow’ of fear: “Cast all your cares on Me,  because I care for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5: 5-7).
God has a plan, and it is for good. To prosper and not to harm.
“God, help me believe and agree with You and Your thoughts toward me today.”
“Man aught always to pray and not lose heart.”(Luke 18:1).
Fear and Doubt thoughts are so easy as the bow of life gets pulled back and the arrows of our thoughts fly here there and everywhere and bend and the fletching falls off, and even the point breaks:
“I can’t go on!” or “I’m too tired. It’s too hard for me.” or “Everyone’s against me, Nobody loves me!”
But the hand of the Archer, He hears the cry, “Help me!” (Psalm 119:86).
The cry is also heard, “Revive me!” (Psalm 119:88),  when the ‘words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts’ need to change from ‘fear to faith.’
Jesus speaks and has remedy to our bent and messed up ‘arrows of thought that ‘miss the mark’: “Deny yourself…” 
Deny yourself thoughts that bring fear and doubt. “Deny yourself ...”
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24).
These words are repeated three times in the Bible. Perhaps we think on these words:
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23).
We need to ‘deny ourselves’ the depressive thoughts and look to God and His word.
We need to deny ourselves the ‘fear’ and ‘doubt’ and pick up the ‘cross’ as Jesus prayed, “Not  My will but Yours be done.”( Luke 22:42).
We need to put off the  thoughts that are continually defeating us, depleting us, paralyzing us. Even in a third gospel are the words: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34). 
Not ‘my’ will, that is ‘self-destructive, but God’s will be done. God’s will is that we think on what things are true, and noble and pure and lovely and just and of a good report. (Phil 4:8).
“Your will be done, our Father in heaven.”
“Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ.” (Phil. 1:6).
What words are we thinking?
Let’s,“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving , let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ( Phil 4:6,7).
Let’s repair the arrows.
“All things are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
 God’s “grace is sufficient, for when we are weak, His strength is made perfect.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
“God did not send His Son in the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved! (John 3:17).
Words Power for good or bad.
God’s amazing Word has power to save and heal and restore and wash and light and feed – and even so much more – now that’s hitting the bulls-eye.
Struggling to find the right words to think, perhaps speaking in this hymn will straighten that arrow for God’s amazing grace:
Turn Your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
vs. 2:O soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free.
vs. 3:Thro’ death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion For more than conqu’rors we are!

"O God, how we need an 'oil of joy for mourning…"

Only God can speak, as all must remain silent…only God can speak, Words only from our Suffering Servant.
Breathed out by God Himself, are words no longer just sitting on the shelf. Not today, with great affliction and sorrow, with mourning and sadness, today our ears are open as we’ve been ‘made to lie down’ (Psalm 23). Please ‘lead us beside the still waters,’ Please restore our souls! In this silence, may Your gentle Voice be the only sound.”
“Jesus, You are not only abiding in the distant stars, You’re also abiding in our broken hearts, it’s true – as we have no breath to give You praise, but You can see our hearts and they’re clinging to You.”
“We only want to hear from You, Jesus. We only want to hear Your voice. These are confusing days, so much noise and so many opinions – we need Your Voice above the noise! We need comfort, we need Comfort, please speak… we offer a sacrifice of praise. Please speak to us that we might remember Your ways:”
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified Me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor and afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty tot he [physical and spiritual] captives, and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound; (Isaiah 61:1).
I AM Jesus, I have beautiful feet. Hear My words in your brokenness and ‘suffer’ Me to  speak:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, …To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord – the year of His favor – and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;” (Isaiah 61:2).
“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.””(Romans 12:19).
Remember the story. It is written for you…take comfort, the greatest prophet of men, John (the Baptist) asked these words when he was in prison:
“Are You He Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus replied to them, (the messengers sent by John), “Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (by healing), and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news (the Gospel) preached to them. And blessed – happy, fortunate and to be envied – is he who takes no offense at Me, and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me, and is not hindered from seeing the Truth.” (Matthew 11:4-6).
“Hearken to Me…look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole in the quarry from which you were dug…” ( ‘this is My word to you, I AM able to see you through!)
Hear now My words, let them saturate your dry and brittle bones, ‘I AM your Rock, your fortress, your deliverer, I AM God, a firm strength in which you can trust and take refuge. I AM your shield, the horn of your salvation, I AM your High Tower.’ (Psalm 18:2). ‘Call to Me, I will save you from your enemies, I AM worthy of your praise.” (Psalm 18:3).
Remember Me, see what is written, hear with your ears – My Bride, my precious one, my Word was written with blood, sweat, and tears: “…and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady) and True, and He passes judgement and wages war in righteousness – holiness, justice and uprightness.”(Revelation 19:11).
“(My) eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on My head are many crowns; and I have a title inscribed which I alone know or understand.” (Rev. 19:12).
“I AM dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which I AM called is the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13).
“From My mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which I can smite (afflict, strike) the nations, and I will shepherd and control them with a staff (scepter, rod) of iron.” (Revelation 19:15).
“I will tread thew wine press of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler – the Almighty, the Omnipotent.” (Revelation 19: 15).
“And on My garment (robe) and on My thigh I have a name inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16).
My word is true. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts… (and) My word be that goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void – without producing any effect, – but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”(Isaiah 55:9-11).
Open My word. It is My letter of love to you: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness, I have drawn you and have continue My faithfulness to you…” (Jeremiah 31:3).
“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know – do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand. ” ( Jeremiah 33:3), and yes, all the Word I have for you today is Amplified.
“Call to Me.” I hear your cry,”
Jesus.
 
 
 
 

"We will never understand, but Prince of Peace we cry out to YOU!"

When I think of children losing their daddies and mommies and even grandmas to terror in this day…A new song we sing to You Jesus, …a new song we sing, today…
“How can I think on what is a good report when terror has stolen from my very own heart?
Pour down more, than words can ever express, Dear Lord Jesus, the children are crying, we suffer unimaginable stress!
Prince of Peace, the Great I AM – I cry to You, I will NEVER understand. Lift us Jesus, in Your gentle Hand. Hold us near to Your heart, NOW! Like never before, pour out Your grace on us – make our beds, wipe our tears, Dear Lord Jesus be ever so near!
’cause what I know, that “Jesus loves me so,” I can’t even hold on to…all this You know.
But Your Spirit is present, Faith will not fail…It’s Christmas time, ‘Immanuel’-God be with me! Be with me now, and our family: “Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay, close by me forever and love me, I pray…” though I am bleeding and weeping and hurting so deep, so deep inside- Jesus, I love You. I will worship You still.
“Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good…” Your Good word has told me,… so I cling to You, as I should! There is nothing in the world for me, but Your Voice and Your  gentle touch… I will cling to You in my pain – You know all about it…during the Passion and death on the cross.
I will Remember You, as ‘You prepare a Table before me in the presence of my enemies’.  Table of Communion, the broken bread and blood that You shed. You are God. You are all Might.
“I love Thee Lord Jesus, please hold me real tight, and Comfort me now…Be the  Light …to my night.”

The Seed of Love is Jesus

Songs…touching  places that can’t be reached in common conversation. Poetry, songs, hymns and psalms plus some  added strings for vibration – and the waters of our soul are touched and what was without hope… is moved again, to believe. Oh, the songs that we sing…
The world can leave us bitter and torn all apart, and our mind will form its own truth as it recovers from a bleeding heart.  The words of a song have been written and some do know its tone:
“Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed
 Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed
 Some say love, it is a hunger an endless aching need…” (The Rose, Bette Midler),
but somehow, in the emptiness, in the coldness of it all -the Creator of the Universe, has created the answer in hidden places –  in pictures for us all. It might take a whole life-time, or perhaps as young as 5 or even 10 – but I change one letter of an old beloved song, and capitalize the ‘you’… to ‘You’ – it’s the birth of hope… again:
“I say love, it is a flower and You, it’s only seed”. (The Rose, capitalized the ‘you’, by me.)
Yes, I say Love, it is a flower, and You, it’s only Seed.
 The day we choose to believe, the day we choose to receive…each day upon another, step by step growing in Him the ‘Seed’ of hope for today, the ‘Seed’ of hope for tomorrow, we discover through the endless wait and the perseverance of time…that what He says is ‘true’ and the grasping of it all is HOPE DIVINE: (John 15:1-11):
“[]I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you].4 Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 []I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me]you can do nothing.”
This is the Word of God, which cleanses and makes you free.
 The rose, has incredible beauty… but there are thorns, oh yes, we know. His word pours forth beauty but there are thorns of warning – yes, ‘the Bible tells me so’:
 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
These are hard words, but perhaps these words will SAVE our lives!
Perhaps that’s why many reject His Truth, because they only look at the consequences of what it’s like if one never turns. But, oh, I pray so passionately, but not even close to His passionate prayers, that all would see Him as He is, willing to take the heat, be beat, take the thorns, take the scorn, walk the via Delorosa for lost souls like me, in pain beyond belief and weakness unimaginable…oh, I pray that the people of this world would finally see…
“It’s the heart, afraid of breaking that never learns to dance
It’s the dream, afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying that never learns to live…” (the Rose by Bette Midler).
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live…
When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that Love is only for the lucky and the strong…
“Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the Seed that with the Son’s love, in the spring becomes The Rose”. (the Rose by Bette Midler, with some capitals and letter changes, mine!)
“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” (John 12:23), Jesus came, Jesus died, Jesus rose that we might live, He is the Rose of Sharon the Lily of the Valley, He is life in me, when in fact I choose to die:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12: 24). 
“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John chapter twelve verse 25.
The Seed of Love is Jesus. Oh, yes, the Seed has a very piercing point…but allow God to plant His Seed of Love in your hurting and broken heart. He is so beautiful and so powerful so great and so mighty, that you will be changed from sorrow to joy – yes, let Him touch and anoint!
 
“When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snow…
Lies the Seed of the Son’s Love, in the spring becomes the Rose (the Rose by Bette Midler, modified to bring glory to the Creator and Lover of our souls, by me).
Today let Him abide in your heart, simply ask Him in. It’s easy, yet oh so hard for us humans…Jesus is patient and long-suffering!