The Tree Of Life

The lovely tree where I built my nest
stood shoulders, head above the rest
and on it's branches I could see
fruits leading to eternity

The tree beside held more appeal
which angels gathered in their zeal
to procure wisdom in the night
the tasty fruit gave deep insight

This was forbidden to the man
because for him God had a plan
to guide his heart, from that the mind
to change it up would cause a bind

The serpent was a cunning beast
he set for man an easy feast
by offering this tricky play
he asked the woman - did God say?

From ancient past I send this tweet
be careful of the fruit you eat
if flesh and knowledge is your tree
you'll never find eternity

If You Knew My Jesus

If you knew my Jesus
you'd call me with joy
say your sins are forgiven
you are a new boy
and your heart's overflowing
you can't hold it in
and your soul needs to sing out
the new life within

And I'll know what your saying
I'll have to agree
when I thought I was with it
but then I was free
and the world had to hear how
His Spirit changed me
from the junk I'd been saving
there's now victory

And there's really no limit
to whom He'll make new
if you want to begin it
then here's what you do
just surrender the lordship
of your life for His
He will love you so dearly
and show you what is

And we'll have a party
invite all we know
just to share about Jesus
with our overflow
and the rivers that flow out
will refresh the crowd
when we share about Jesus
and make it real loud

Do Greater Things - A Book Review

Have just finished the book Do Greater Things by Robby Dawkins  which I received from it's publisher Creation House. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in building up your confidence and faith in praying effectively for the sick and hurting. It reminds me very much of the books I read early in my faith walk over 45 years ago by Charles and Francis Hunter. They made praying for the sick seem so obvious and natural that everyone should be involved in doing it and expecting that God would indeed answer.

This is less a book about the theology of healing prayer and more about examples from the ministry of Mr. Dawkins that demonstrate the practical applications of how praying for the needs of others can be accomplished. Here are a few things that are talked about which resonate with me. And this is how I interpret them.

The first is that God has given us the authority to pray for the needs of others in Jesus name. That means that because we are a representative of Christ we can speak directly to the condition ourselves. Our prayer then does not say something like - Oh God, please heal this person's leg - but instead goes more like - I command that leg to receive divine healing now (in the name of Jesus). The same stance would be used in dealing with evil spirits. We must use the authority we have been given based on what Jesus has already done for us.

The second is that we should be interested first in the person and second in the condition they have. And if we are interested in the person then we engage them in finding out what hurts where. After they identify their level of pain we pray and then check to see if there has been any improvement and to what level. Then we keep at it until complete healing or until it's obvious there is no more that can be done at that time.

And the third thing that stood out to me is that although everyone does not have the gift of healing every Christian does have the authority of Christ in them to pray for others with some success. Many times we do not ask others if we can pray for them because of the fear of being in some way rejected by that person.

This book brings out two things here. One is that almost all people appreciate it when someone asks if they can pray for them. If nothing happens they really don't get upset or think less of God. Two is that although it is our responsibility to pray it is God's responsibility to effect the authority He has given us. Our faith is in who God is, trusting that He loves both us and the person we are praying for.

Again, this is an easy read which is both faith building and action inducing.

Can You Hear The Trumpet Sounding?

I've been working for some time on a post explaining how a Christian can support Donald Trump for and as President. However it's going to stay in my files at least for now. The problem is that to do the subject proper it ended up being quite long and even after editing down I still find other points I want to add.

So instead of getting that you now have a chance to read a poem I wrote about our Prez. It doesn't go into abortion, judges or Israel (my hot button topics). It doesn't discuss foreign or domestic policy. It does though come from the angle about a guy who was not an insider and not a politician but ran because he had a vision of what America could be. It is this person that connects with the average Joe in the streets.

Can You Hear The Trumpet Sounding? 

There once was a builder brought up in Queens
promoted himself as the greatest of things
gold plated fixtures and gambling halls
sold his silk ties at golf courses and malls

Looked for the beauty in women and hair
married again and still had an affair
made deals with TV and never seemed tired
love to tell celebs, hey buddy you're fired

But even his money and fast private jets
wasn't enough for the insider sets
who hated his brashness and thought him quite crude
looking down their thin noses at his attitude

Yet this guy grew up with a love for our land
and saw how the dealers would work underhand
enriching themselves while still talking so polite
with sweet platitudes hiding knifes in the night

They had no respect for religion or creed
talked of the poor man though blinded by greed
the swamp creatures lusted for insider power
and hated a system where man built a tower

For all of his faults but with all of his flair
he offered the people a deal that was fair
I'll wall up the borders, take care of the vets
make better deals with no ifs ands or yets

I'll build up our forces, make friends with the Jews
we'll put in good judges with conservative views
clean coal will get dug and fracked oil will flow
our best days are coming just thought you should know

I'll lower your taxes to bring better jobs
stop losing to others and dry up the sobs
we'll clean up corruption and jail dirty birds
your leaders have dropped you like little bird turds

The prelates and pundents all laughed till they hurt
they howled and yowled while fist throwing dirt
he's racist and sexist, has no chance in hell
we don't know a person who'll buy what he'd sell

Election night came and the party turned glum
it seemed that the nation had chosen someone
who'd shake up the system that everyone loathed
except for the people who weren't as well clothed

It must be the Russians who tampered with votes
collusion with Putin sang thousand of throats
they hammered and bammered for more than a year
with negative news for their fellows to hear

But we in the heartland are not dumb as bricks
we're on to race baiting and media tricks
we cherish our churches and rights to our guns
and thank those who serve us both daughters and sons

And flawed as he is we see courage and truth
with promises kept and a man not aloof
whose smarter than them though they haven't a clue
just thought you should hear what we know to be true

Two Handed Wisdom

I came across a Billy Graham quote this week that went something like - God has given us two hands; one to receive and one to give.  That was the inspiration for the following bits of wisdom.


If you have been forgiven
be quick to forgive

If you have been given mercy
show mercy as well

If you have been blessed
freely share your blessings

If you have been filled with the Spirit
pour it out to others

If you have been encouraged
offer encouragement

If you have been shown wisdom
impart your wisdom

If you have been lifted up in prayer
do the same for others

Remembering Billy Graham

The day Billy Graham died I Googled his name

finding their algorithms favored an article from the

New York Times titled - Billy Graham, lost opportunities

I didn't waste my time reading it because the obvious slant
had nothing to do with hearts and souls and changed lives
but everything to do with the politics of religion in America

My wife and I got married in 1972, just out of college
and at the end of November I surrendered my life to the
Lordship of Jesus and to the infilling of His Holy Spirit

At that moment I went from being an atheist to having an assurance
deep in my heart that Jesus had not only forgiven my sins but He had
revealed Himself so real that I could never doubt what happened

It was our wedding anniversary the next year that I remember
seeing Graham on our little 13" black and white TV, preaching
to over a million people spread out before him in South Korea

His message was pretty much the same then as it was
the dozen of other times I managed to watch him preach
every man, from pauper to king, and in between, is lost without Jesus

Although the world may change, the heart of man has always been the same
the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of God
but the good news is that through Jesus we can be reconciled to God.

And as always Graham told the crowd that it was not an accident
they were there that night. Whether brought by a friend or out of curiosity
the Holy Spirit had called them. Now the decision was theirs

Algorithms know nothing about faith or the presence of God
or the power of a Holy Spirit who can transform the life of any person
and who one day soon will shake this nation, one person at a time

Just as they are, without a plea, but that His blood was shed for thee
millions responded to the simple message presented by Dr. Graham
others, hearing but not responding, I would call  - lost opportunities
    

Baptized In Love

We had a wonderful testimony in church today from a woman who had felt overwhelmed and over powered by everything that had been going on in her life. She said she was addicted to drugs, confused about her sexuality, had lost all connections with family and friends, was always unhappy and had no idea how to make progress in any of those areas.

Two years ago she started taking the van that our church sends to the City Mission so that anyone that wants can attend Sunday morning service. It was during her fifth time that she said she heard God speak directly to her. It was a Sunday where part of the service was devoted to adult baptisms. The pastor said that anyone else who felt led to get baptized could head to the room behind the front stage area (there is a baptism pool set up on the stage). A pastor would talk to them first and there were plenty of towels available. She said she actually heard God tell her that now was her time.

Now I want to pause here for a moment to let you know the truth of the matter. You may have heard this a hundred times before but it becomes so much more real when it's in the context of a testimony. At the time God spoke to her this lady was still in the mire of despair, still overwhelmed by not having the ability to gain control over her sin and rebellion. BUT GOD, because of His great love for her, saw her, even in the midst of her sin, as precious and desirable to be saved.

In obedience our lady went forward, surrendered her life to the Lordship of Jesus, and went to the waters of baptism. From that moment on her life was changed and she was no longer powerless to put aside the sin and wrong behaviours of the past. A big part of it was that she now had this deep desire to be pleasing to the One who reached down to her. She told us that her life is still not perfect but that she knows she is walking on the right path and she is now constantly filled with joy.

BUT GOD. There are 46 times in Scripture where this phrased is used. Today I would like to share five of them with you. May they be an encouragement to you that whatever is going on in your life that just seems too big, no matter what it is, God is able to either change it or to change you, to what is best for you and to what gives Him the glory.

Their beauty shall be consumed in the grave . . . But God will redeem my soul from the powers of the grave, for He will rescue me. (Psalm 49: 14-15)

My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

It is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor. 2: 9-10)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man, But God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape.  (1 Cor. 10:13)

We all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature children of wrath . . . But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love . . . even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)  Eph. 2: 3-5

Our salvation is not in the works of religion but in the grace freely given us to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. That grace will reveal His love for us and we in turn will strive to be obedient to His will because of our love for Him. We no longer need to live in fear of the unknown because we are learning to trust in His love for us.

And that my friends makes everything so much easier.