Over the last several months I have had questions. I have watched businesses in Michigan stake huge hits and simmer under great fear. I heard the Govenor of California announce that their state government was running $40,000,000 in the red each day and was facing an economic armageden. I hear about the pain and cold in the "rust belt" of the Northeast, and then I think how blessed we are in this Goshen area. It is warm in winter. It is beautiful. One national search engine listed Baldwin County as the 4th best county to live in during recession. Etc.
My compassionate side wants answers. I find myself quickly putting God on trial with the quesiton, "Why them and not us?" Survivor guilt I think.
The answer the Lord rekindled in my heart was, "Keep your eyes on your own paper." If you start looking at other situations and the pain that those outside yourself are experiencing, it will only harm your faith in Me. If you keep your eyes on your own paper then you will accomplish what I want you to accomplish and you will follow My Spirit with aptness. If you let your eyes wander to sitations that you have no control over, you will put false values on them. You do not know their story or their heart. The Lord reminded me that He has a plan that is in motion for others as well as myself. Their story is none of my affair. Just my sitatuation is what He wants me to focus on.
So as we enter 2009, let's focus on our own stuff. If we are honest, I think we can all admit that dealing with just our stuff is a full time job! If we are honest, we let our eyes drift when we do not want to deal with the hard issues in our own sitations. It can be both diversionary and numbing to look elsewhere so that we don't have to feel or deal our own pain.
Blessings and Love in Christ this new year,
Father Scott +
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Leaves of the Tree Are For the Healing of the Nations
Last week at Men's Group, the Lord showed me a picture of the River of the Water of Life and by it, the Tree of Life from Revelation 22:1-2. I somehow knew that the focus of the picture involved the leaves that were from that marvelous Tree.
The purpose of the leaves were for "the healing of the nations". That re-played over and over in my mind. Then it was as if the Lord downloaded understanding into my heart. As believers in Jesus, we are the leaves that He uses to make a compote with that He then applies to the wounds of the world. This compote-salve is for "the healing of the nations".
The word, "nations", is from the Greek word, "ethnos". You can easily see the variety of English words that we derive from it. "Ethnos" means "peoples, nations, or groupings of people". Our purpose, as leaves from God's Tree, is for the healing of the ethnos. It is not just some hokey, Miss Universe, answer when we state that God wants world peace. The Prince of Peace wants that healing, nurturing, growth producing tranquility as a normal part of every day life!
When you and I do unto others as we would have them do unto us, we are smearing the compote-salve from the leaves of the Tree of Life over that person or situation. When we treat others (our spouses, our children, people who wait on us) with care and true love without some element of personal gain, then we bring healing to the ethnos.
This Christmas, allow the healing of the nations to flow from your heart. That truly is God's will for you. His plan is to "pick you" from His Tree (the Cross) and use you for healing. When this happens, then the Love from Christmas truly becomes a "rest of your life" experience.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
The purpose of the leaves were for "the healing of the nations". That re-played over and over in my mind. Then it was as if the Lord downloaded understanding into my heart. As believers in Jesus, we are the leaves that He uses to make a compote with that He then applies to the wounds of the world. This compote-salve is for "the healing of the nations".
The word, "nations", is from the Greek word, "ethnos". You can easily see the variety of English words that we derive from it. "Ethnos" means "peoples, nations, or groupings of people". Our purpose, as leaves from God's Tree, is for the healing of the ethnos. It is not just some hokey, Miss Universe, answer when we state that God wants world peace. The Prince of Peace wants that healing, nurturing, growth producing tranquility as a normal part of every day life!
When you and I do unto others as we would have them do unto us, we are smearing the compote-salve from the leaves of the Tree of Life over that person or situation. When we treat others (our spouses, our children, people who wait on us) with care and true love without some element of personal gain, then we bring healing to the ethnos.
This Christmas, allow the healing of the nations to flow from your heart. That truly is God's will for you. His plan is to "pick you" from His Tree (the Cross) and use you for healing. When this happens, then the Love from Christmas truly becomes a "rest of your life" experience.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Toxin and the Antidote
While Rosemarie and Don Hall were in Oregon this fall, their tour group went hiking in the forest's of the beautiful Northwest. As they walked along, their guide pointed out various plants and interesting details about them. Some of the plants were poisonous. The guide pointed out, however, that where ever you found a poisonous plant along the trial, you would usually find a plant with the antidote to that particular poison growing close by!
How incredible to see God nature through His creation. Within a short distance from the poison would be growing the anti- poison. When the Hall's told me about it, I realized that this is the way it must work in the spiritual realm as well. When we deal with toxic issues, the antidote grows close by.
Scripture is full of the promises of God for the various and sundry toxins that we encounter in life. The antidote for one problem will not be the same verse or truth as another. But planted close by will be God's answer to each and every trial or sin. Look for it. Do not despair. It is within reach. Each problem will have its own verse of Scripture to give life in the midst of death.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
How incredible to see God nature through His creation. Within a short distance from the poison would be growing the anti- poison. When the Hall's told me about it, I realized that this is the way it must work in the spiritual realm as well. When we deal with toxic issues, the antidote grows close by.
Scripture is full of the promises of God for the various and sundry toxins that we encounter in life. The antidote for one problem will not be the same verse or truth as another. But planted close by will be God's answer to each and every trial or sin. Look for it. Do not despair. It is within reach. Each problem will have its own verse of Scripture to give life in the midst of death.
Blessings,
Father Scott +
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Parable Pictures of the Eel and Serpent
From time to time the Lord will give us a teaching picture at the Friday Men's Group. These pictures that serve as parables for as the old adage says, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
Last Friday, the Lord gave one of the men two pictures. The first picture was of amoray eel. Its coloring was dark green and it had fierce teeth. Below its eyes, this creature had a round flap of skin that could flare when it wanted to appear larger than it was for offensive or defensive reasons. The other detail that the Lord showed this man was that this creature had a will and plan all of its own. It was an aggressive predator.
The second picture morphed out of the first one. The deadly eel turned into a serpent that wrapped itself around a man's leg. Although it had not bitten, it was about to strike. Because the snake was wrapped around the leg, it could not be easily dislodged. Also, since the snake was higher up on the body, its strike would be more deadly.
The Lord revealed that these were pictures of worry and fear. He taught us that worry and fear have a will of their own. They are not benign. They have teeth and make themsevles appear larger than they actually are (the cone of skin). Fear and worry are toxic (the serpent). It not only has a will an independent of us but its goal is to entertwine itself to us so that it cannot be shaken easily off .
As we unpacked these pictures, the Lord told us that worry and fear could actually prevent a blessing from arriving at its human destination and could even block some answers to prayer. The Lord wanted us to take seriously this threat to faith and not to take worry or fear lightly. They were aggressive, hell driven tools of the enemy to deter and prevent us from receiving all that God has for us in each situation. This is why it is vital that we deny them entrance into our lives.
I encourage you to ask the Lord to identify the areas where fear and worry are at work in your life. They are not benign. They are predators with a will of their own, looking for victims. Their presence can at times block God's blessings or prevent answers to prayer that were meant for us.
"Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."
Last Friday, the Lord gave one of the men two pictures. The first picture was of amoray eel. Its coloring was dark green and it had fierce teeth. Below its eyes, this creature had a round flap of skin that could flare when it wanted to appear larger than it was for offensive or defensive reasons. The other detail that the Lord showed this man was that this creature had a will and plan all of its own. It was an aggressive predator.
The second picture morphed out of the first one. The deadly eel turned into a serpent that wrapped itself around a man's leg. Although it had not bitten, it was about to strike. Because the snake was wrapped around the leg, it could not be easily dislodged. Also, since the snake was higher up on the body, its strike would be more deadly.
The Lord revealed that these were pictures of worry and fear. He taught us that worry and fear have a will of their own. They are not benign. They have teeth and make themsevles appear larger than they actually are (the cone of skin). Fear and worry are toxic (the serpent). It not only has a will an independent of us but its goal is to entertwine itself to us so that it cannot be shaken easily off .
As we unpacked these pictures, the Lord told us that worry and fear could actually prevent a blessing from arriving at its human destination and could even block some answers to prayer. The Lord wanted us to take seriously this threat to faith and not to take worry or fear lightly. They were aggressive, hell driven tools of the enemy to deter and prevent us from receiving all that God has for us in each situation. This is why it is vital that we deny them entrance into our lives.
I encourage you to ask the Lord to identify the areas where fear and worry are at work in your life. They are not benign. They are predators with a will of their own, looking for victims. Their presence can at times block God's blessings or prevent answers to prayer that were meant for us.
"Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."
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